Day three has ended here at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino with Max Steinberg being crowned champion of Event 33: No Limit Hold’em. Steinberg bested 2,779 other players and walks away with $440,238. Steinberg will also receive his first World Series of Poker bracelet.
Fourteen people came in today with the aspirations of winning poker’s top prize. The afternoon went quickly with players being eliminated right in the first level of the day. With the elimination of Vincent van der Fluit and Mikhail Timoshin who were each at different tables, but got eliminated at the same time as each other we went straight to our official nine-handed final table. Once the final table was reached the action stayed at the same fast pace with Christopher Shaw being eliminated 20 minutes into the final table.
Soon play slowed down though with the majority of preflop raises stealing the blinds and antes. Eventually though the game sped up and we saw a slew of eliminations; Vitaly Meshcheriakov, Ryan Laplante, David Nicholson, and Joseph Marzicola all dropped off. After some more intense game play Dylan Hortin was knocked-out. The former chip leader continued his aggression and ultimately paid the price for it .
Then it was down to the final three. Matt Stout, Steinberg, and Samuel Gerber. Matt Stout was the first to leave after having a yo-yo of a day finishing in third.
The two remaining players both knew what it was like to be where they were. Both Steinberg and Gerber have been runner ups in WSOP events, and both players did it in the same year. Heads up play began with both players fairly even in chips, but a couple of hands put Steinberg in front, and he was able to ride that all the way to victory.
Steinberg didn’t just win the bracelet, he earned it by making great calls, coming back from being down, and just playing great poker in general. Congratulations to Max Steinberg on winning his first WSOP bracelet.
In what would be the final hand of the tournament, Max Steinberg limped from the button and Samuel Gerber checked his option from the big.
The flop came and Gerber checked to Steinberg, who bet 100,000. Gerber immediately moved all-in for his last 1.7 million and Steinberg deliberated a while, but eventually made the call.
Steinberg:
Gerber:
Gerber looked clearly dejected to see he was drawing to just two outs, as a four and a four only would allow Gerber to survive.
It wasn't meant to be, however, as the turn and river bricked out for Gerber and he was eliminated in 2nd place.
Matt Stout moved in for his last 210,000 after being crippled the hand before. Samuel Gerber made the call from the small blind, and Max Steinberg raised from the big blind. Gerber immediately got out of the way and cards were tabled.
Stout:
Steinberg:
The board came and Stout was eliminated when he couldn't beat his opponent's ace high.
Max Steinberg raised to 110,000 from the button and Dylan Hortin raised all in for his last million from the small blind. Matt Stout folded from the big and Steinberg fell into the tank. He eventually announced, "Call," and hands were revealed.
Steinberg:
Hortin:
The board ran out and Steinberg eliminated Hortin with aces and fours.
Action folded around to Matt Stout on the button, who went all in for his last 855,000. Samuel Gerber folded from the small, however, Joseph Marzicola peaked at his cards, shrugged and announced a call for the rest of his chips.
Stout:
Marzicola:
Marzicola had an ever-so-slight lead going into the flop, however the board ran out , leaving Stout with a pair of kings for the win.
Stout is up to 1,700,000 following the elimination.
Action folded to Dylan Hortin on the button. He min-raised to 80,000 and found himself faced with a decision when David Nicholson three-bet shoved for 405,000 from the big blind. Hortin gave it some thought, but opted to call with , leading Nicholson's .
"Six-ball!" shouted Hortin's rail. "Seven minus one!"
The dealer obliged, laying out a flop to give Hortin a pair of sixes. Nicholson picked up a straight draw, but found no help from the turn or river to exit in sixth place.
Joseph Marzicola raised to 70,000 from the button and was quickly faced with a three-bet by Dylan Hortin. Instead of simply calling Marzicola moved all in for 920,000 and was called by Hortin.
Marzicola:
Hortin:
The board came and with the queen on the flop Marzicola was basically guaranteed a double up. Hortin was forced to send over a huge chunk of his stack and has now dipped below the two million mark.
Action folded over to Max Steinberg on the button and he raised it up to 50,000. Next to act was Ryan Laplante who took a few seconds measuring out his stack before moving all in for around 450,000. Dylan Hortin in the big blind was up next and he moved all in. Steinberg folded, and cards were tabled.
Hortin:
Laplante:
The board came and Laplante was eliminated after he failed to grab hold of anything. Hortin now sits with around 2,850,000 and holds a strong chip lead on the rest of the table.
Samuel Gerber raised from under the gun and made it 52,000 and action folded around to Vitaly Mescheriakov in the big blind who three-bet to 125,000. After a few moments Gerber moved all in and was snap called.
Samuel Gerber:
Vitaly Meshcheriakov:
The board came and the heart on the river gave Gerber a winning flush. Despite hitting his pair of aces on the river Meshcheriakov came up second best and was sent packing.
Dylan Hortin raised it up from from the cut-off making it 45,000. Christopher Shaw in the small blind then three-bet to 105,000. Hortin took his time pondering his best option before announcing all in and getting snap called by Shaw.
Shaw:
Hortin:
The board came and Shaw was sent packing when his pair of jacks couldn't compete with his opponent's flopped pair of aces.
![[user198174]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and Gerber checked to Steinberg, who bet 100,000. Gerber immediately moved all-in for his last 1.7 million and Steinberg deliberated a while, but eventually made the call.
turn and 
river bricked out for Gerber and he was eliminated in 2nd place.
and Stout was eliminated when he couldn't beat his opponent's ace high.
and Steinberg eliminated Hortin with aces and fours.
, leaving Stout with a pair of kings for the win.
, leading Nicholson's 
river to exit in sixth place.
