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John Phan claimed the 2008 World Poker Tour Legends of Poker $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Championship title in California and the winners cheque for $1,091,428.

Phan prevailed after a see-saw three-and-a-half hour heads-up against Amit Makhija, who was playing his first WPT final table ever.

Having made three of the last six WPT final tables and also winning two bracelets at the recent World Series of Poker, few would argue that the 34-year-old, who was born in Vietnam, is the hottest player in the world right now with over $4 million in career tournament winnings.

367 players had been eliminated by the time, the line-up for the final table was settled with Phan becoming only the third player ever to make back-to-back WPT final tables, joining Lee Watkinson (2004) and Danny Wong (2007).

Makhija (3,225,000) and Phan (2,415,000) were ahead on chip count at the start of the final table with four more WPT final table debutants Zachary Clark (2,025,000), Kyle Wilson (1,425,000), Paul Smith (1,130,000) and Trong Nguyen (980,000) also in contention.

Clark swiftly increased his stack by knocking out Kyle Wilson in sixth place for $176,035. Clark must have been worried when he saw Wilson's pocket kings but his Ace, Jack was upgraded by an Ace on the flop and nothing changed on the turn and river.

Nguyen doubled up on Makhija soon after to raise his stack to 1.3 million but then departed in fifth place. Nguyen went All-In pre-river and was called by his opponent who held a pair of pocket sixes. Nguyen had four outs on the river but the five of clubs was not one of them and he had to settle for a cheque for $211,245.

Phan then got in on the act by sending Paul Smith home in fourth place. He belatedly called Smith's All-In and looked in trouble with Smith holding seven trips on the flop but a ten and six on the turn and river saw Phan take the hand with a straight.

But Phan then failed to bluff Makhija who took a big pot that put him over 7 million in chips with Phan behind Clark who had 1,855,000. However Clark then went All-In for that amount but his King, two pocket cards were not improved on and Makhija prevailed with a pair of Aces to set up the heads-up.

Phan took a massive chip lead of 8,940,000 to 2,260,000 when he needed an Ace, King, four or three to win the pot and the river produced a King and was just one more card away from his first WPT Championship when an Ace on the river gave Makhija the top pair and saw him double up to 3,960,000.

Phan picked off his bluff to stretch his lead back up close to six million and was again one card away from the title, when Makhija hit an eight on the river for the straight. And then he doubled up once more to increase his stack to 3.2 million.

But the end finally came when Makhija went All-In with King, seven and was called by Phan who had a pair of threes.

The flop saw a Queen and two fives with an Ace on the turn meaning a river Queen would chop the pot. But the final card was a ten meaning Makhija had to settle for the $563,320 runner-up prize.

Next on the agenda for the World Poker Tour is the Borgata Poker Open which begins on September 14th in Atlantic City

Angus MacKenzie / Eurosport