Alan Percal has won the 2016 World Series of Poker $10,000 heads-up no-limit hold’em championship, winning seven straight matches against the likes of Brian Rast, Jeff Gross and Olivier Busquet on his solution to capturing his first gold bracelet and the highest prize of $320,574.

The 23-year-old actuary based in Florida not just won his first WSOP title on this event, it was his first cash on the series as well.

“My friend Zack and that i came out here last year and prefer went 0 for 20,” Percal said after the win. “Friends asked me how I ASSUMED I’d do that year and that i just said, ‘It can’t be worse than last year.’ But this implies so much. I’ve been dreaming about winning a bracelet since I first got introduced to the game.”

Percal was playing online for years, mostly in six-max and heads-up cash games. This was only the second one heads-up tournament he had ever played.

“I got a bye within the first round but then I checked out the draw and saw I had Brian Rast within the second round and just laughed, because there have been probably 100 people I’d rather play. However it ended up giving me numerous confidence because he gave me some compliments on my play afterwards.”

Percal defeated online heads-up sit’n’go specialist Olivier Busquet within the semi-finals to establish the championship match with John Smith, a 69-year-old veteran of the Vietnam War. The l. a. Habra Heights, CA resident has just one prior cash on the WSOP, which came on this same event two years ago when he made the round of 16.

Percal was in a position to take a large lead after creating a hero call with king high at the first actual hand of the match with a board of 88499. Smith had flopped two pair with a four in his hand, but his two pair was counterfeited when the turn and river brought a couple of nines. He turned his hand right into a bluff at the river and Percal sniffed it out, taking greater than a 2-to-1 chip advantage right off the bat when he made the decision and Smith mucked his cards without showing.

Percal was capable of extend his result in roughly 12-to-1 by the point the general hand arose. With the last cards dealt Smith limped in from the button with the 54 and Percal checked with the 87. The flop brought the 984 and Percal checked. Smith bet 200,000 and Percal raised enough to place him all in for 875,000 total. Smith made the decision and located out this his bottom pair was in bad shape. The 9 at the turn and J at the river kept Percal within the lead, securing him the pot and the title and sending Smith to the rail because the runner-up with $198,192.

Here is a glance on the payouts and POY points awarded from the general day of this event:

Place	Player	Earnings (USD)	POY Points
Champion	Alan Percal	$320,574	720
Finalist	John Smith	$198,192	600
Semi-finalist	Olivier Busquet	$123,929	420
Semi-finalist	Alexandre Luneau	$123,929	420

For more coverage from the summer series, visit the 2016 WSOP landing page complete with a whole schedule, news, player interviews and event recaps.

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