Greg Merson Wins 2012 WSOP Main Event After Longest Final Table in History
As a former drug addict, Greg Merson says his passion for poker saved his life.
That same passion has empowered him to become the game's world champion.
Merson was crowned champion of the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas after besting a field of 6,598 to collect the top prize of $8,531,853 and the coveted WSOP Main Event bracelet.
The 24-year-old from Laurel, Md. won an epic marathon final table that lasted 399 hands, the longest ever at the World Series of Poker. Three-handed play alone lasted 197 hands and more than 11 hours.
Merson defeated Jesse Sylvia heads-up to win the title. Sylvia, 26, took home $5,295,149 for his runner-up result.
2012 WSOP Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greg Merson | United States | $8,531,853 |
| 2 | Jesse Sylvia | United States | $5,295,149 |
| 3 | Jake Balsiger | United States | $3,799,073 |
| 4 | Russell Thomas | United States | $2,851,537 |
| 5 | Jeremy Ausmus | United States | $2,155,313 |
| 6 | Andras Koroknai | Hungary | $1,640,902 |
| 7 | Michael Esposito | United States | $1,258,040 |
| 8 | Rob Salaburu | United States | $971,360 |
| 9 | Steve Gee | United States | $754,798 |
With the win, Merson becomes the first player since Chris Ferguson in 2000 to win a preliminary WSOP bracelet and the Main Event in the same year. These victories earned him the 2012 WSOP Player of the Year title, edging out 2012 WSOP Europe Champion Phil Hellmuth.
Merson's incredible story is one of perseverance and determination. Earlier this year, Merson was recovering from a drug relapse that occurred after his career was stripped away from him on Black Friday. Months later, after refocusing his efforts on poker, he won his first bracelet this summer in Event 57: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em - Six-Handed for $1.1 million.
Now nearly 11 months clean, Merson has joined the likes of Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Stu Ungar, and Hellmuth himself in the elite class of World Series of Poker Main Event champions.
Final Table Recap
After a 109-day hiatus, the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table resumed at the Rio’s Penn and Teller Theater.
It took nearly nine-and-a-half hours of play, but the final nine players of a 6,598-player field was eventually reduced to a final three.
In perhaps a sign of things to come, it took nearly two hours for the first elimination to occur. Steve Gee opened to 900,000 under the gun, with Greg Merson and Russell Thomas both calling.
On the 7♣4♥5♦ flop, Gee led out for 1,600,000, Merson folded, and Thomas called, bringing the J♣ on the turn. Again Gee fired another bullet of 3,250,000 and Thomas called.
The 3♠ completed the board, and Gee moved all in for 11,350,000. After over five minutes in the tank, Thomas called. Gee stood up from the table and turned over 8♣8♦, but it was no good as Thomas turned over Q♦Q♣ to eliminate Gee in ninth place for $754,798.
Jesse Sylvia still held the chip lead, with Thomas now up to second in chips, and would put the chips to use, shoving from the small blind with a short-stacked Robert Salaburu in the big blind.
Jacke Balsiger had doubled with pocket kings through Salaburu’s pocket queens, and this time Salaburu quickly called off for his remaining chips with 7♦7♥. He was ahead of Sylvia’s Q♣5♣ and the flop came A♦A♠4♣. The turn 2♦ kept Salaburu in front, but when the Q♥ river completed the board, the Penn & Teller Theatre went ballistic.
Sylvia made the best hand on the river to put an end to Salaburu's night in eighth place for $971,360.
The remaining seven players were now guaranteed at least $1,258,040, with Michael Esposito the first to take home the seven-figure sum. He three-bet all in with A♠J♥ only to be called by the A♣K♠ of Merson, who dodged flush outs for his opponent to eliminate Esposito in seventh place.
This momentarily vaulted Merson into the chip lead, but Sylvia quickly regained control at the head of proceedings. However, Merson would re-emerge as the chip leader after stunning Koroknai in a pot of over 80 million chips.
The pair were second and third in chips at the time, with Merson raising to 1,000,000 on the button. Sylvia three-bet to 2,600,000 in the small blind and Koroknai four-bet to 5,300,000 from the big blind.
Merson five-bet to 9,200,000 and Sylvia folded, before Koroknai shoved for over 40 million. Merson quickly called.
Andras Koroknai: K♥Q♦
Greg Merson: A♠K♠
Merson had his opponent dominated, and the board ran out 8♥3♠2♣7♠7♥. Merson's cheering section erupted in joy as their man pulled away with 80 million in chips while Koroknai was eliminated in sixth place for $1,640,902.
An hour later, Jeremy Ausmus hit the rail. He opened to 1,200,000 on the button and Sylvia defended his big blind. The flop fell 3♠8♠9♣ and both players checked. Sylvia checked the 3♦ on the turn, opening the door for Ausmus to bet 1,500,000.
Sylvia raised to 3,600,000 and then called when Ausmus moved all in for 14,500,000.
Jeremy Ausmus: 10♠7♦
Jesse Sylvia: A♣9♥
Sylvia was ahead with a pair of nines, but Ausmus was drawing to an open-ended straight draw. The dealer burned one last time and put out the 5♠ — the last card Ausmus would see before making his way to the payout desk in fifth place for $2,155,313 for his fifth-place finish.
The next elimination would come just five hands later. Sylvia was on the button, and the action folded to Russell Thomas, who raised to 1,500,000 from the small blind. Balsiger then moved all in from the big blind for effectively 15,825,000, and Thomas tank-called with A♥9♦. However, he was dominated by the A♠K♣ of Big Slick, receiving no help on the Q♥8♣5♥5♦7♥ runout as the final three players were set.
Three-Handed Action
After the elimination of six players at the final table Monday night, Greg Merson, Jacob Balsiger and Jesse Sylvia returned the following evening to compete for the title and the $8,527,982 first-place prize.
| Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|
| Jacob Balsiger | USA | 46,875,000 |
| Greg Merson | USA | 88,350,000 |
| Jesse Sylvia | USA | 62,750,000 |
Merson took control of the three-handed table right out of the gate, winning eight of the first nine pots. Then, in a hand against Balsiger, he became the first player to hit the 100 million chip mark.
With the blinds at 300,000/600,000 and a 75,000 ante, Merson raised to 1,200,000 from the button. Balsiger three-bet to 3,500,000 from the big blind and Merson called to see a K♦3♣2♦ flop. Balsiger led out for 3,000,000, and Merson put in a raise to 7,000,000. Balsiger opted to let it go after a short time in the tank, and Merson suddenly owned more than half of the almost 200,000,000 chips in play.
Merson sat back and watched Balsiger and Sylvia battle moments later, with Balsiger holding J♠J♦ against Sylvia’s 9♣9♥. The 21-year-old Balsiger would double to around 57 million. Sylvia was left with just over 37 million.
Sylvia managed to fight back, though, and recovered many of his chips from Balsiger. The pair continued to battle against the big stack of Merson before a 15-minute stretch during which the game completely changed.
First, Balsiger would receive a much-needed double with A♥10♠ against the A♣Q♠ of Sylvia after spiking a ten on the turn. Then, on the very next hand, Merson four-bet shoved on Sylvia, with Sylvia calling immediately for his remaining 42,300,000.
Jesse Sylvia: A♥K♠
Greg Merson: K♦K♥
It looked as if a heads-up match was imminent as Merson's pair was way out in front.
However, Sylvia would stay alive in miraculous fashion, rivering a wheel to double into the chip lead on the 5♣3♠2♦8♥4♥ runout.
Merson would rebound to once again move above the 100 million chip mark. Balsiger would double once more, coming from behind with K♠J♦ to best Sylvia’s A♠10♥ to prolong three-handed play.
Over the next hundred hands or so, the three players would trade the chip lead numerous times. Another Balsiger double, this time with K♠K♣ against K♦9♥ on a 3♣3♠9♦ flop gave Balsiger 92 million chips and the lead, but Sylvia exacted revenge less than 10 minutes later.
Balsiger limped from the button and Sylvia checked his option in the big blind. The flop came down K♠8♦2♠ and Sylvia checked to Balsiger, who bet 2,200,000. Sylvia check-raised to 7,600,000, which prompted Balsiger to move all in. Sylvia called.
Jesse Sylvia: 8♠2♦
Jacob Balsiger: K♦9♣
The 2♥ turn gave Sylvia a full house, which held up through the river to secure his double.
As the blinds increased, Balsiger found himself short, and his dream of becoming the youngest WSOP Main Event champion ever finally came to an end.
Sylvia had raised to 4,000,000 on the button before Balsiger three-bet all in for 20,300,000 from the small blind. Merson asked for a count before calling from the big blind, and Sylvia got out of the way.
Jacob Balsiger: Q♥10♦
Greg Merson: K♣Q♠
The 6♠6♦6♣ got a rise out of the crowd, and it gave Balsiger some chop outs. The J♣ on the turn brought no help, and the 5♥ on the river finally ended the tournament for Balsiger.
Heads-Up Play
That left only Merson (117.6 million) and Sylvia (80.6 million) playing for World Series of Poker glory. Merson leaned on Sylvia during the first 16 hands of heads-up play by winning several small pots, increasing his stack to around 130 million.
And eventually, a winner was crowned.
Merson min-raised to 4,000,000 on the button, Sylvia three-bet to 9,500,000 and Merson moved all in, having Sylvia's remaining stack of 69.3 million covered. Sylvia was left with a tough decision, swerving back and forth in his chair while riffling a stack of chips with his left hand.
"Wow," Sylvia said to himself. He examined the pot, then stared down Merson, who sat motionless in his seat. Finally, Sylvia called, and the hands were revealed.
Jesse Sylvia: Q♠J♠
Greg Merson: K♦5♦
Merson was out in front, but Sylvia had plenty of ways to win the massive 139.2 million-chip pot and reclaim the lead.
The board ran out with no troubles for Merson, coming 9♠6♣3♥6♠7♣, not even offering Sylvia a sweat as he would have to settle for second place, with Greg Merson offically crowned the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event champion.
With thanks to original reporting from Chad Holloway.
