The PokerStars-branded North American Poker Tour made its triumphant return, and Sami Bechahed shipped the NAPT Las Vegas Main Event at Resorts World. The $1,650 buy-in NAPT Main Event attracted 1,095 runners and a prize pool worth $1.6 million. Bechahed -- a poker dealer -- banked $268,945 for first place when he outlasted a final table that included Jonathan Borenstein, David Coleman, Ping Liu, Sergio Aido, and Nick Schulman.
It took over a dozen years, but the North American Poker Tour returned to American soil. It was fitting that PokerStars hosted the triumphant return of the NAPT in Sin City at the swanky Resorts World Casino on the Strip.
The NAPT Las Vegas scheduled featured numerous events including a couple of high rollers.
The $10,300 buy-in NAPT Las Vegas High Roller attracted 59 entrants and a prize pool wort $572K. Jesse Lonis was the last player standing and he banked $174,550 for outlasting a final table that included David Stamm, Sergio Aido, Richard Green, Sam Soverel, and Jim Collopy.
The $5,300 buy-in NAPT Las Vegas High Roller had a field consisting of 150 runners. They generated a prize pool worth $727,500. Samuel Laskowitz took it down for a score worth $180,850. Laskowitz outgunned a final table that included Shannon Shorr, Jesse Lonis, John Riordan, John Andress, Alexander Condon, Nadya Magnus, and Luke Graham
The $1,650 NAPT Las Vegas Main Event drew in 1,095 entrants. The prize pool was worth $1.6 million, with nearly $269K set aside to the eventual champion. The top 159 places paid out. Among the notables who went deep and cashed in the Main Event included... Aaron Massey, Liran Betito, Je Wook Oh, Ryan Yu, Tim Rutherford, David Jackson, Noah Bronstein, Mitch Halverson, Scott Ball, Joe Tehan, Parker Talbot, Benny Chen, Lily Lofty, Chad Brewer, Brandon Cantu, Landon Tice, Kyna England, Samuel Laskowitz, Anthony Zinno, John Morgan, David Williams, Anthony Marquez, OD David Baker, Matt Salsberg, Curt Kohlberg, Jeremy Eyer, Mark Seif, Eric Baldwin, Jared Jaffee, Maria Konnikova, Faraz Jaka, David Peters, Shannon Shorr, Chris Moorman, and Matt Affleck.
The final nine featured Nick Schulman, Sergio Aido, Jonathan Borenstein, David Coleman, Ping Liu, Sami Bechahed, Sandeep Pallampati, Anthony Dianaty, and Ryan Leng.
With seven to go, Sami Bechahed headed into the final day with the chip lead and a stack worth 10.5M. Spanish pro Sergio Aido was second overall with nearly 6.7M, followed by Nick Schulman (4.4M), Sandeep Pallampati (4.3M), Ping Liu (3.1M), Jonathan Borenstein (2.2M), and David Coleman was the short stack with 1.6M.
Despite having one of the big stacks, Sandeep Pallampati couldn't get anything going on the final day and was the first player knocked out in seventh place. He flopped two pair with a big-blind special, but Aido flopped a set of tens. Fireworks ensued, and Pallampati was eliminated in seventh place.
Nick Schulman also started out with a big stack, but met his fate early in sixth place. Schulman made a final stand with pocket fours against Sami Bechahed's 
. Bechahed flopped a pair of Kings, and Schulman was toast.
Aido said adios in fifth place when his 
lost to Borenstein's 
. Borenstein flopped an Ace, and Aido turned a King, but the pair of Aces held up. After Aido's knocked out, four Americans were gunning for the NAPT Main Event championship.
Ping Liu busted in fourth place when his pocket Queens were ravished by Bechahed's 
. Bechahed flopped a set of nines and won the pot.
David Coleman hit the bricks in third place when he made a stand with 
versus Bechahed's 
. Bechahed flopped a nut flush draw, but neither player improved. Bechahed won the pot with a pair of fours and an Ace kicker. Coleman earned $120K for third place.
Sami Bechahed and Jonathan Borenstein were the final two standing. Bechahed led 26.9M to 5.9M and had over a 5-1 chip edge.
On the final hand, Borenstein got it all in with against Bechahed's 
. The board ran out 
. Both players flopped a pair of tens, but Bechahed turned two pair to win the pot and the tournament.
Borenstein earned $168,175 for a runner-up finish. Not too shabby, eh?
Sami Bechahed won $268,945 for his first-place finish, and he took down the return on the NAPT.
2023 NAPT Las Vegas Main Event
Buy-in: $1,650
Entrants: 1,095
Prize Pool: $1,609,650
Payouts: 159
Final Table Results:
1. Sami Bechahed (USA) $268,945
2. Jonathan Borenstein (USA) $168,175
3. David Coleman (USA) $120,130
4. Ping Liu (USA) $92,410
5. Sergio Aido (Spain) $71,080
6. Nick Schulman (USA) $54,680
7. Sandeep Pallampati (USA) $42,060
