Ian Shaw Wins WPT Mexico For $88,690 03 Jun

Phil Ivey, Brad Owen, and other poker superstars attended the first WPT trip to Mexico. But it was Mexico's Ian Shaw who was the star in the end, winning the WPT500 Mexico City trophy and taking home the $88,690 first-place prize.
 
The inaugural event was unique for WPT. The tournament, dubbed "OnLive," allowed players to qualify for Day 2 through a series of Day 1 flights through the WPT Global online client or show up in person at Fronton Mexico casino for the live action of Day 1. After all the action from Day 1 was completed, online and live players moved forward under the same roof for the first time to battle live for a share of the $500,000 prize pool.
 
WPT looked to make a good impression on their first trip to Mexico City, and they brought in some big names to do it. WPT Ambassadors Phil Ivey and Brad Owen, the latter of whom had just finished fourth at the WPT Gardens Poker Championship, arrived to meet and greet the fans and play a little poker. Joining the couple as an emissary was veteran professional Ángel Guillén, husband of WPT presenter Lynn Gilmartin, who was on hand to support the arrival of the WPT in his hometown.

At the same time that the WPT500 was playing with a winner, the WPT Mystery Bounty side event provided additional action for the players present. Ivey, Owen and Gilmartin were all in the mix, waiting for a shot at the top reward of $75,000. Owen and Gilmartin fell short of the money, but Ivey put on a bit of a show by putting in a deep run, eventually finishing in fourth place, adding $19,000 and $7,500 in bounties to his more than $38 million in career earnings.

To take home the WPT500 title, Shaw bested Juan José Cepeda Dirzo in heads-up play when, in the final hand, Shaw's AQ outclassed Dirzo's Diamond A6 to seal the victory.

WPT500 Mexico Final Table Results