Anthony Zinno Becomes Third Three-Time WPT Winner

History was made on Thursday, as Anthony Zinno (pictured) became just the third person ever to win three World Poker Tour titles. He took down the LA Poker Classic for $1 million after having just seven big blinds four-handed to stamp his place in poker lore.

Zinno told WPT officials after he won, “Oh my god, my adrenaline is still flowing. I feel so grateful. I guess you could say I followed my dreams. I followed my passion.” Four-handed, Zinno had a scant seven big blinds and seemed on the verge of elimination, but doubled up three times over to get back in the mix.

Zinno knocked out PocketFiver Chris SLOPPYKLODKlodnicki in third place after winning a race and entered heads-up play against Mike GoLeafsGoEh Leah with a 3:1 lead. Zinno had Leah dominated with aces against A-3 on the final hand to capture his third WPT title. Here’s how the final six-handed table shook out:

1. Anthony Zinno – $1,015,860
2. Mike GoLeafsGoEhLeah – $701,350
3. Chris SLOPPYKLODKlodnicki – $451,090
4. Igor Yaroshevskyy – $333,680
5. Peter number1pen Neff – $250,260
6. Peter Tran – $200,830

Leah (pictured) said after his elimination, “Big congrats to Anthony Zinno on his third WPT title. [I’m] disappointed not to win my first, but second place came with a decent consolation prize.” It was Leah’s first WPT final table and he has been on fire ever since last July. In the last half-year, he has taken second in a Deep Stack event in Las Vegas for $189,000, finished second in the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Main Event for $1 million, and won a WSOP High Roller event in Australia for $524,000.

Zinno is fresh off a victory at WPT Fallsview and also won the 2013 WPT Borgata Poker Open. According to a WPT press release, he is “the third player to capture three WPT titles, joining Gus Hansen and Carlos Mortensen, and the third player to win back-to-back WPT titles, joining Marvin Rettenmaier and Darren Elias.”

The LAPC drew 538 entrants at $10,000 a pop. Congrats to Zinno on his monumental victory!

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