Bodog Beat

Poker pro Allen Cunningham took down the WSOP Circuit event last night at Caesars Palace. (Image from Flickr user "tiltphotos")

There's a reason that poker pro Allen Cunningham has five WSOP bracelets to his name. It's because he's good; really, really good. And last night at the Caesars Palace WSOP Circuit event Cunningham displayed that once again by coming back from an almost four to one chip deficit against Ben Fineman in heads-up play to win the title and take home the almost $500k first-place prize.

Fineman held the chip lead the entire final table, sending home Doug Lee (9th - $32,204), Blair Hinkle (7th - $80,510) and Motoyuki Mabuchi (4th - $112,714) and growing his stack through dominant play. Cunningham entered the final table right in the middle of the pack and managed to get into big pots only when he had the best of the situation. Following that strategy he was able to eliminate Ralph Perry (8th - $48,306) and then later Team Bodog's Justin Bonomo (5th - $96,612). By the time the two went face to face, Fineman held a dominating 2.6 million in chips over Cunningham's 700k.

However, drawing on years of final table experience and what's likely thousands of hands played heads-up, Cunningham was able to chip away at Fineman's stack and claim the chip lead. The end came when Cunningham turned a flush that also completed Fineman's straight. All the chips got in the middle and that was all she wrote for Fineman, who received $257,637 for his second place finish.

The $499,162 puts Cunningham just shy of the mythical $10 million mark for career earnings. He will most likely cross that mark during the upcoming 2008 WSOP, which is drawing closer and closer. If you don't already have a seat, then head over to Bodog and check out the 2008 WSOP online poker qualifiers.

Charles Simmons contributes poker news to the Bodog Beat.