David Ormsby came from behind heads-up to win the WPT Fallsview Main Event (photo credit: Rob Gracie/WPT)

The World Poker Tour returned to Canada with a CAD 5,000 ($3,650) Main Event at the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario. A field of 423 entries was reduced to an all-Ontario final table, including Soren Turkewitsch, a winner of this very event in 2005. After over 160 hands of play, David Ormsby came from behind to win the title and a seat at the WPT Tournament of Champions at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

The final table started Wednesday afternoon with these chip counts with the blinds at 25,000/50,000/5,000:

Seat 1: Robert Forbes – 4,015,000
Seat 2: Soren Turkewitsch – 1,830,000
Seat 3: Mike Bui – 2,860,000
Seat 4: David Ormsby – 1,550,000
Seat 5: Thomas Archer – 880,000
Seat 6: Derek Verrian – 1,565,000

The WPT Fallsview final table needed only three hands to lose the first player. A short-stacked Thomas Archer moved in from the hijack as Rob Forbes and Mike Bui called. On a flop of 9d8c5s, Forbes shoved out of turn, which led Bui to check and then fold once the action was in the correct order. Archer held Ac5c, but was well behind Forbes’ QsQh. The Jd7c turn and river changed nothing as Archer left the table in sixth.

The hopes of Turkewitsch becoming a two-time WPT champion disappeared when he became the fifth place finisher. Once again it was Forbes knocking out a player when he opened and Turkewitsch shoved. Forbes called with Ah7h and Turkewitsch held As4c. The board ran out 7c6d2s9c6c to bring the field down to four as Forbes was cruising, holding more than twice the chips of the other three players combined.

The fortunes of Forbes took a turn for the worst after doubling up all three of his opponents to narrow the gap considerably. Forbes wasn’t deterred, though, as he claimed his third scalp at the final table when he snap-called Mike Bui’s KcTh shove with AhAc. Five cards later – 7s6d3dQdTc – it was now three-handed.

Derek Verrian and David Ormsby battled for second place, each hoping to get heads-up with Forbes. It was Verrian earning the bronze medal, as Forbes once again sent a player packing. On a flop of 6s5d3c, Forbes bet out, Verrian shoved, and Forbes eventually called with As4h for an open-ended straight draw, while Verrian turned over 8h6h for top pair. The 2d on the turn gave Forbes the straight and the Tc on the river wasn’t the right card for Verrian, falling in third.

As heads-up play began, it seemed inevitable for Rob Forbes to win by eliminating all five of his opponents. However, David Ormsby had already doubled up several times to stay in contention at the final table. At one point in their heads-up match, Forbes was ahead by a 4-1 margin, but he was unable to finish the job.

After another Ormsby double-up, he took the lead for the first time on the 155th hand of the final table. Less than a dozen hands later, the tournament was over. Now it was Ormsby holding a 3-1 chip lead as the final hand played out. Ormsby limped from the small blind with KdJd and called when Forbes shoved with 3c3d. Ormsby moved ahead on the AdKh4s flop and Forbes could not catch up, as the turn and river came down 7c6s.

World Poker Tour Fallsview Poker Classic Main Event Final Table Results (payouts in USD):

  1. David Ormsby – $279,818
  2. Robert Forbes – $196,156
  3. Derek Verrian – $126,126
  4. Mike Bui – $93,275
  5. Soren Turkewitsch – $70,026
  6. Thomas Archer – $56,103