The World Poker Final lasted for six days, from the 13th to the 18th of November, 2005. There were 783 entrants for the event, each requiring to pay an entry fee of $200 in addition to the $10,000 buy-in. The prize pool was a grand sum of $7,855,000.

Having the highest prize of $2,142,000, this event promised excellent prize returns to all the participants. And why not? It was this event that brought WPT into the limelight! In fact, if history is to be believed, the East Coast hadn’t ever witnessed a tournament bigger than this one! As far as historical significance goes, Mike Sexton, who is so very well known on the WPT, has been the winner of the first finals of the World Poker in the year 1992.

The winners of this event with their payouts are listed below: First place went to Nick Schulman, who got a handsome $2,167,500 payday, while Tony Licastro followed him with $1,035,000.

Bill Gazes took third seat for $759,000 for 600 points, and Allen Cunningham got the fourth one for $483,000. Lyle Berman and Lenny Cortellino were the fifth and sixth place occupiers, having received payouts of $345,000 and $276,000 respectively. Nick Schulman, aged 21, was the youngest player in the tournament’s history to occupy a spot in the finals.

In fact, his opponent Lyle Berman was a shrewd player who knew his game very well, and why only them, all the other players were equally qualified and competitive to fight for the spot. In fact, Allen Cunningham, 28, and Bill Gazes, 38, were in their second final at the WPT, which by no means is a small achievement.

- Thomas Hardy