When the final table began yesterday of the 2011 World Poker Tour LA Poker Classic main event, nearly all eyes were on chip leader Carlos Mortensen and his quest for a record setting 4th WPT championship, but less than 7 hours later, by the time all the dust had cleared, the focus had certainly turned to the young internet player Gregory Brooks, given he now had all the chips.

Not everyone assumed Mortensen would win yesterday’s final table of course, lots of the smart money was on the table’s other WPT champion Vivek Rajkumar, with almost exactly as many chips as Mortensen and the skill set to wield them.  Others put their faith in Darryll Fish, still looking for his first major tournament victory despite close to $300,000 in live wins, or in proven New Jersey pro Steve Gross, but few lines of copy were spent on Brooks when folks were writing their Day 6 predictions.

Brooks entered yesterday’s final table 4th in chips out of six, but quickly grabbed the chip lead, remarkably doubling through Vivek in the first 5 hands of play.  Once Brooks was in control and one of the leaders he stayed that way for the next six hours of play, and somehow Vivek stuck with him- despite significant ups and downs and doubling up more than just Brooks.  Rajkumar survived all the way into three-handed play with Brooks and Mortensen, and even made it into heads-up play with just Brooks, but eventually he was forced to give up on any plans he may have had for a second WPT title, accepting instead runner-up money worth close to a million dollars.

Brooks, for his first major live tournament victory earned the title, a $25,000 entry into the WPT Championship, and over $1.6 million in cash.

The final table finish positions for the Season Nine World Poker Tour LA Poker Classic main event were as follows:

1st.  Greg Brooks- $1,654,120

2nd.  Vivek Rajkumar- $908,730

3rd.  Carlos Mortensen- $640,680

4th.  Amir Lehavot- $421,680

5th.  Steve Gross- $304,000

6th.  Darryll Fish- $235,350

For more information on this year’s WPT LA Poker Classic visit www.worldpokertour.com.