Sternberg Wins WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Event
Day 4 of the 2025 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship Event saw the action at the final table whittled down before a champion was crowned. That player was Alan Sternberg who walked away with $1,039,000 for first place prize money.
One of the high profile players participating at the final table was WPT announcer Mike Sexton. Sexton started the day short stacked and could only manage to survive until the 27th hand of play before exiting in sixth place. Mike Matusow raised to 55,000 from the button, Sexton then moved all in. Matusow made the call with K-J, which was dominated with Sexton's K-Q. The poker gods weren’t kind to Sexton, however, as a jack on the river sent him out of the tournament.
It didn't take long before Casey McCarrel was eliminated in fifth place. McCarrel moved all in with Ah-Qh from the big blind with two players already creating action before it was his turn to act. Kelly made the call with Jc-Ts and the flop came down T-6-4 to gave Kelly the lead with a pair of tens. When the Kh fell on the turn, it gave a royal flush draw for McCarrel, but the 7c was a brick.
On the 45th hand, Rajkumar struck a miracle when he doubled up through Alan Sternberg in spectactular fashion, with his quad queens were too good for Sternberg's full house.
Next, with the blinds at 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante, Rajkumar moved all in for 750,000 from the button. Kelly reshoved from the small blind to isolate and after Matusow folded it was revealed that Kelly held K-Q and Rajkumar K-J. The board ran out A-3-2-7-T and Rajkumar hit the rail in fourth place for $295,800.
Sternberg then eliminated Matusow when he opened from the button to 180,000. Matusow moved all in and Sternberg made the call with Kh-Qh. Matusow was caught making a move with 9-2, and the queen in the door pretty much sealed the deal for Sternberg and Matusow hit the rail in third place for $369,800.
When play became heads-up at the final table of the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star event, the two remaining players had pretty much the same chip stacks. Kelly with 6.255 million in chips and Sternberg had 6.205 million.
In the final hand, with the blinds at 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante, Kelly opened to 240,000 but Sternberg moved all in. Kelly had him covered and made the call.
The flop came down Q-8-7 and Kelly's pair of queens were in front of Sternberg's 88s on the flop. The 7s on the turn changed nothing, but the 8c on the river gave Sternberg a full house and it was all over.
Kelly finished runner-up for $595,300, while Sternberg was crowned the latest WPT champion and earned over a million dollars for first place prize money!
