The last event in the sixth season of the World Poker Tour - the World Championship - has been won by Californian David Chiu.

The 47-year-old, who hails from China, added the title to his four World Series of Poker bracelets and also collected nearly $3.4 million in prize money.

Chiu trailed Gus Hansen ($8.57 million) and Cory Carroll ($6.67 million) on chip count entering the final table but the three were some way ahead of John Roveto ($2.72 million), Tommy Le ($1.95 million) and Jeff King ($1.3 million).

All six survived the opening 15 minutes but when the blinds were increased to 80,000/160,000, four players departed in quick succession.

The first to go was King who moved All-In for $1.44 million with a suited Ace, Queen and was ahead of Hansen's suited ten, nine but another ten on the river gave the Dane a pair and left his opponent down in sixth place with a $263,815 cheque to his name.

Hansen then accounted for Le who moved All-In for $615,000 after the turn. His opponent called immediately and turned a pair of tens with Le holding a pair of fives. The river brought a three and Le departed albeit $395,725 the richer.

However surprisingly it was Carroll who finished in fourth place after losing out in the biggest hand of the tournament to Hansen who called the Canadian's re-raise of $1.6 million. The Dane then went All-In after the flop and Carroll called and he held the lead with a pair of jacks plus an Ace kicker.

After a Queen of hearts on the turn, Carroll just needed to avoid a diamond on the river to win a monster hand but the three of diamonds was turned over - a savage blow for him but joy for Hansen who was deep stacked with nearly $20 million.

Chiu ($4,665,000) and Roveto ($2,270,000) were a long way adrift and the latter, a former kicker with the Chicago Bears in the NFL, didn't stick around too long when a bullying Hansen went All-In with a suited Ace, ten.

Roveto held some hope though with his pair of pocket Kings holding up through the flop and turn but a seven on the river completed Hansen's straight and his opponent exited with a $923,355 cheque in his hand.

Hansen had eliminated four of his five competitors in just 22 hands and that gave him 22.9 million chips going into heads-up play with Chiu way down with a mere 4.3 million chip stack.

But the tide began to turn when Chiu doubled up on Hansen for his last $3,790,000 on hand 33 as he held a pair of fives compared to the leader's pocket twos and the community cards offered no further help to either.

Three-time World Poker Tour champion Hansen was still $12.5 million chips ahead as the blinds increased to $100,000/$200,000 and remained more than $8 million up as they moved to $150,000/$300,000.

But Chiu continued to chip away and after 47 hands of heads-up completed his remarkable comeback from more than a 5-1 chip deficit.

Hand 80 saw the tournament on the line and Hansen knew that if he avoided any ace, nine, five or spade on the river, he would be the champion. However an Ace on the river gave Chiu trips and a dramatic victory - his first in nearly three years and the single largest payday of his career.

Hansen earned more than $1.7 million for second place but with over 40 finishes in the World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour, Chiu's total tournament winnings are now close to six million dollars.

Angus MacKenzie / Eurosport