Main Event Wrap-Up – McCray Crushes Huge Field

Las Vegas, NV — After three days of play and more than 400 entries, the ExPT Main Event came to a close Sunday night with Wyatt McCray outlasting a tough final table that blended seasoned grinders, hometown heroes, and first-time finalists. The $1,100 buy-in event generated a prize pool north of $400,000 and delivered the kind of drama that live poker thrives on. Huge momentum swings, cold decks, and the occasional hero call, left the rail roaring.

Final Table Results

  1. Wyatt McCray – $84,200
  2. Hannah Chang – $52,600
  3. Jake “Diesel” Hartman – $37,400
  4. Maria Alvarez – $27,100
  5. Erik Lundström – $20,300
  6. Priya Nandakumar – $15,600
  7. Tony “Pipes” Russo – $11,800
  8. DeShawn “Shawny” Price – $8,700
  9. Hank “Doc” Ellison – $6,200

Newcomer Shines: Hannah Chang

Making her first deep run in a major regional event, Hannah Chang, a 24-year-old from Los Angeles, was the breakout story of the final table. Known online for her sharp hand-reading and calm demeanor, she came into the final eight as one of the shorter stacks but quickly made waves when she four-bet jammed over Maria Alvarez’s open and everyone folded, including Jake Hartman, who later admitted to laying down Ace-Queen suited.

Chang kept the pressure on with small-ball aggression, laddering to heads-up play before finally running K♥ J♦  into McCray’s A♣ T♦ on a board that bricked out. She took the beat in stride, smiling for photos and telling our reporter, “I learned more this weekend than in six months online. I’ll be back.”

Wyatt McCray’s Firefighter Focus

The Colorado wildland firefighter showed the same grit at the felt that he brings to the front lines. Entering the final table fourth in chips, McCray was careful in the early levels of the final table, playing tight early and letting others clash.

The hand that defined his run came five-handed, when he check-called three streets with T♦ T♥ on a 8♥ 8♦ 3♦ 6♣ Q♠  board, correctly sniffing out a bluff from Erik Lundström, who fired big on the river. The crowd erupted as McCray tabled the tens and Lundström mucked, propelling McCray to a chip lead that he held on to for the rest of the night.

He sealed the victory two hours later, calling off a short-stack shove from Chang with A♣ T♦  and holding against Chang’s K♥ J♦ . “I just trusted my reads,” McCray said afterward. “I don’t panic. And when I got short, the cards bailed me out a few times. You can’t win in a field this big without some luck.”

Other Highlights

  • Maria Alvarez laddered up with classic short-stack play, at one point doubling twice in ten minutes before bowing out in fourth.
  • Jake “Diesel” Hartman ground patiently for hours, busting only when his Queens ran into McCray’s Kings.
  • Priya Nandakumar and Tony Russo kept the early levels lively, trading raises and laughs as cameras caught their friendly rivalry.

As tables were broken down and the last photos snapped, the message was clear: the ExPT delivered another massive main event field as the tour continues to smash guarantees and set records. And Silver River Poker Room handled the huge field perfectly. Thanks to all the staff and players who made this event a huge success.

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