Englishman takes title in World Poker Tour event at Bellagio

James Dempsey of Brighton, England, won the World Poker Tour's Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic Sunday at Bellagio.

Dempsey earned $821,612 by topping a field of 413 players in the no-limit hold'em event. The buy in was $10,000; the total prize pool topped $4 million.

Dempsey, 29, has been playing poker professionally since 2003. The first-place finish increased his career tournament poker earnings to almost $1.6 million. He earned an individual event champions gold bracelet at the World Series of Poker in 2010, winning a pot limit hold'em event.

Sunday's event celebrated the 10th anniversary of the World Poker Tour, which held its inaugural event at Bellagio in 2001.

The final table of six players included defending champion Antonio Esfandiari and Vanessa Selbst, who was looking to become the first woman to win an open World Poker Tour Main Event.

Esfandiari finished sixth, earning $119,418, while Selbst took third and earned $338,351.

Soi Nguyen of Santa Ana, Calif., finished second to earn $517,478. Nguyen finished ninth at the World Series of Poker's Main Event in 2010, collecting $811,823.

Dempsey and Nguyen entered heads-up play nearly even as both held slightly over 8 million in tournament chips. Nguyen went up early and maintained the lead during back-and-forth action.

However, after doubling up, Dempsey's king of hearts, queen of clubs held up on the final hand, making a straight on the last card or the river. The victory earned Dempsey a seat in the World Poker Tour Champions Club.

Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.