It's the final day of the 2014 PPC Aruba World Championship $2,200 Main Event and the final ten players will be starting play in just a little over an hour here. They are playing for the $72,163 first place prize and PPC Main Event trophy as well as a $5,000 package to next years Main Event. It's sure to be an exciting, action-packed day of poker here on the beautiful island of Aruba.
Aristoteles Neto comes into the final day with the chip lead with 763,000 in chips. That's 244,000 more than his nearest competitor, Josh Kay. Rounding out the top three is World Series of Poker bracelet winner, Joe Ebanks, who took second in this very event last year.
Ebanks is perhaps the most recognizable name at the final table but there are plenty of familiar faces sitting nearby. South Florida poker pro Steve Karp comes in with a short stack at 155,000 but if anyone has the experience to mount a comeback it would be him. Karp has nearly $900,000 in career tournament earnings and has numerous final tables to his credit. Young online pro Ryan Franklin is looking to add to his live tournament resume and John Ott needs to finish 8th or better to move into the lead on the PPC Player of the Year leaderboard. Winning that would give him a return ticket to this event next year.
Final Table Chip Counts
Seat
Name
Chips
1
Joe Ebanks
461,000
2
Aftab Shakoor
73,000
3
Aristoteles Neto
763,000
4
John Ott
373,000
5
Ted Ely
147,000
6
Ryan Franklin
325,000
7
Steve Karp
155,000
8
Richard Bowers
253,000
9
Josh Kay
519,000
10
Jimmy Pashaj
390,000
Play is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. local time at the beautiful Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa and won't end until a winner is crowned. Stay tuned right here to PokerNews for live coverage in just a bit.
Ted Ely moved all in first to act for slightly more than 130,000 and Ryan Franklin, one to his left, moved all in as well. The rest of the table folded and Ely turned over and was up against Franklin's .
The flop came to give both players a pair with Franklin's aces in the lead. The turn was the and the river was the and Ely is the first player eliminated today. He finishes in 10th place for $5,283.
Aristoteles Neto opened for 25,000 and Rick Bowers moved all in for approximately 230,000. It was folded back to Neto who asked how much it was and then slid forward a stack of chips to indicate a call while turning over .
Bowers stood up and turned over . The dealer put out a flop of to keep him in the lead but the on the turn meant only an eight would keep Bowers in the tournament. The river was the and Bowers studied the board closely before muttering "hmmmmm" to himself. "Good game guys," he said, gathering his things.
Neto continues to hold the chip lead and is the first to top a million in chips.
Joe Ebanks started the action with a minimum raise of 20,000 from the cutoff. Aristoteles Neto made the call from the small blind and John Ott snap-shoved from the big blind for 145,000 total.
After the dealer counted down Ott's stack, Ebanks peeked back at his cards and announced that he was also all in. "You were getting called no matter what," Neto said to Ott as he folded face up. Ott had and was in bad shape against Ebanks and his .
The flop came to give Ott a little hope. The turn gave him more outs as it was the . The river did not improve his hand, however, as it was the and Ott was eliminated in eighth place for $8,165.
Jimmy Pashaj opened to 25,000 and it was folded to Aristoteles Neto who raised it up to 85,000. The action got back to Pashaj who wasted little time before moving all in for approximately 340,000. Neto snap-called.
"You called?" said Pashaj. Neto nodded and Pashaj tabled . Neto had him dominated with .
The board ran out and Pashaj made a beeline for the exit, eliminated in seventh place for $10,394.
Aftab Shakoor opened for 25,000 and it was folded to Steve Karp in the big blind. After about 30 seconds, Karp announced "all in" and was immediately called by Shakoor. Karp had and was in front of Shakoor and his .
The flop of changed nothing. The turn was the and Shakoor needed an ace to stay alive. The river was the and Shakoor wished everyone luck as he was eliminated in sixth place for $13,445. Karp moved to second in chips with 600,000 with that pot.
Joe Ebanks started things off with a raise to 32,000 and Aristoteles Neto made it 95,000 to go after looking over at Ebanks and his stack. "All in," said Ebanks who was met with a snap-call from Neto.
Ebanks turned over , his hand caught in the cookie jar. Neto had and the lead.
Not for long though as the flop would come to give Ebanks the miracle trip tens. It did give Neto an inside straight draw though.
The turn was the and Neto would need another jack or king on the river to eliminate the WSOP bracelet winner.
"Yes!" came the yell from Neto when the dealer put out the . The gracious Ebanks came over and shook Neto's hand, whispering "I saw you looking at my stack and thought I had a read on you." Ebanks is eliminated in fifth place for $17,685, an excellent follow-up to his second place finish in this event last year.
Aristoteles Neto opened for 32,000 and found callers in Ryan Franklin on the button and Josh Kay in the big blind. The flop came and Kay and Neto checked to Franklin who bet 40,000.
Kay announced that he was all in and Neto quickly folded. Franklin made the call with for top pair which was ahead of Franklin's and pair of fives. The turn gave Franklin two pair as it was the and Kay needed an ace or five on the river to avoid elimination.
The river was the ending Kay's tournament. He finished in fourth place for $23,656. Franklin moved above a million in chips with that pot.
Steve Karp folded the button and Aristoteles Neto limped in from the button. Ryan Franklin raised to 75,000 and Neto was quick to announce all in. The short-stacked Franklin didn't think too long, maybe 10 seconds, before calling. Franklin had and was behind the Neto held.
The flop came and Neto started changing "no king, no queen" as the dealer put out the on the turn.
"No paint," pleaded Neto and the dealer obliged with the river . Neto let out a loud "yes!" and clapped his hands. Franklin shook Karp and Neto's hand, eliminated in third place for $31,194. The two remaining players are taking a brief break with Neto holding a 2:1 chip lead.
Aristoteles Neto opened to 75,000 and Steve Karp grabbed two of the dark blue T100,000 chips and tossed them into the middle making it a raise to 230,000.
Neto wasted no time in announcing that he was all in and Karp beat him into the pot while turning over his hand . Neto had and the two were racing with the Main Event title on the line.
The flop came and Neto let out a loud "Yes!"
"No queen! No queen!" he added as the dealer put out the turn.
Neto looked as if he wanted to turn away and not see what the river brought. He looked down though as the river put out the river. It was the . Neto turned and gave his girlfriend a huge embrace, the biggest smile on his face.
"Good game," said Karp, as he came over to congratulate Neto. Karp was eliminated in second place for $50,000.
![[user272102]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and was up against Franklin's 
.
to give both players a pair with Franklin's aces in the lead. The turn was the 
and the river was the 
and Ely is the first player eliminated today. He finishes in 10th place for $5,283.
.
. The dealer put out a flop of 
to keep him in the lead but the 
and Bowers studied the board closely before muttering "hmmmmm" to himself. "Good game guys," he said, gathering his things.
face up. Ott had 
and was in bad shape against Ebanks and his 
. The river did not improve his hand, however, as it was the 
and Ott was eliminated in eighth place for $8,165.
and Pashaj made a beeline for the exit, eliminated in seventh place for $10,394.
and was in front of Shakoor and his 
and Shakoor needed an ace to stay alive. The river was the 
and Shakoor wished everyone luck as he was eliminated in sixth place for $13,445. Karp moved to second in chips with 600,000 with that pot.
, his hand caught in the cookie jar. Neto had 
to give Ebanks the miracle trip tens. It did give Neto an inside straight draw though.
and Neto would need another jack or king on the river to eliminate the WSOP bracelet winner.
and Kay and Neto checked to Franklin who bet 40,000.
for top pair which was ahead of Franklin's 
and was behind the 
. Neto turned and gave his girlfriend a huge embrace, the biggest smile on his face.