Poker cut its teeth on the riverboats that travelled up and down the Mississippi, so it is both apt and inspiring to see thousands of poker players having fun on board the WPT Voyage this week. Poker has returned to the high seas and at high stakes, as Aram Oganyan won the latest event, the $5,000-entry No Limit Hold’em Championship, for $214,245.

Setting Sail into Poker History

Playing poker on the high seas isn’t for everyone… not everyone is so lucky! Clearly, the action on board the Virgin Voyages’ cruise ship Valiant Lady has been irresistible for WPT Voyagers and its shown. From a pyjama party Meet-Up Game to higher entry tournaments such as the NLHE Championship, it has been about the experience as is often the way on the World Poker Tour.

From pool parties to nights spent under the lights of a disco ball, the blend of fun and the poker felt has been perfectly pitched and there seems no doubt that the WPT Voyage will become another staple on the poker circuit. Stopping off at the Cayman Islands in recent days, the party boat has been in full swing and players have enjoyed excursions to play padel tennis too with former tennis great and WPT icon Vince Van Patten.

Just four days into the cruise, the poker took center stage as Aram Oganynan took home the title in the $5,000 NLHE Championship after a fun final table that saw some iconic poker players take to the felt in hope of getting their name on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.

Jattin Leads the Way at Final Table

The $4,600+$400 event saw a million-dollar prizepool exceeded as $1,347,800 ended up being fought for between 293 entries. With 37 players paid, stars such as Ryan Riess (33^rd for $9,600), Jerry Wong (31^st for $10,600), Matthew Wantman (25^th for $12,000), former WPT World Championship winner Eliot Hudon (22^nd for $14,000), WPT Ambassdor Andrew Neeme (19^th for $17,000), WPT host Tony Dunst (17^th for $17,000) and Masato Yokosawa (10^th for $28,000) all made the cash without lasting until the final table.

Colombian player Farrid Jattin led the final nine as the last table began, with Marcelo Giordano the first player to leave, busting in ninth for $28,000. He was soon followed from the felt by Iman Dan, whose couldn’t hold against Daniel Sepiol’s , a board of giving the latter a four-flush in diamonds to sent Dan to the rail with $34,000.

Kasey Mills, also known as ‘Poker Mommaa’ was short for some time before busting in seventh place for $42,000 as she got oh so close to claiming her first major live poker title. All-in and at-risk with , she needed huge help from the board when Carlo Basurto called with and got no assistance at all from the flop, and was drawing dead after the turn.

Oganyan Seals Victory in Style

“Poker on a cruise is so amazing – everyone should do it!” ~ Aram Oganyan, WPT Champions Club Member

Short in chips, Brazilian player Romula Dorea lost out in sixth for $55,000 before Sepiol, perhaps the most experienced player in the field with five left, departed too. Sepiol shoved on the turn of a board showing by the turn, holding for an overpair. Jattin called with but hit a on the river to complete his open-ended straight draw and send Sepiol home with $75,000.

Despite winning that hand, Jattin was the next to leave, cashing for $100,000 in fourth. It took some time to produce the next bust-out as the chip lead changed hands regularly, but eventually, Jattin’s lost to Basurto’s when a cruel board of played out, scuppering Jattin’s chances of a double-up.

With three remaining, a deal was thrashed out, with everyone guaranteed over $188,000. Former leader Austin Srur busted in third and Basurto departed in second in the same hand that pronounced the winner as Aram Oganyan’s prevailed. A board of gave the American bottom set, good enough to top Basurto’s pair of threes with and Srur’s pair of queens with .

“I feel amazing – this is so fun!” said a delighted Oganyan after the winning hand played out. “This is unbelievable. I won some flips at the end, got some bluffs through, and here we are. We got our name on the trophy. RIP Mike, the legend. I thought poker on a cruise would be an amazing thing, and it is so amazing… everyone should do it.”

With plenty more events to come, you can still back a winner by heading to our official PokerStake WPT Voyage staking page and choosing from some terrific players, investing in their attempts to make off with treasure on the high seas.

* denotes three-way deal

** after three-way deal and including $10,400 entry into the 2024 WPT World Championship.

All photographs courtesy of the World Poker Tour. Follow the WPT on Twitter to join in the fun on the WPT Voyage!