Final Table Kicks Off Today
The field of sixty that returned for Day 2 has been reduced to the final ten. Today those ten players will compete for the title of World Series of Poker champion. Along with the shiny gold bracelet that will adorn the winner's wrist, a paycheck of $368,593 will also go to the winner.
Yesterday's play saw many professional players and notable names hit the rail in an attempt to be where the final ten are right now. Melanie Weisner, Ryan D'Angelo, Mickey Petersen, Jason Koon, Steve Billarakis, Justin Bonomo, and Jean-Robert Bellande were just some of the names that were able to score a min-cash but unable to make the final day.
Headlining today's final table is Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari who will begin with a slight advantage in chips. Esfandiari won his first and only bracelet in 2004 in a $2,000 Pot Limit Hold'em event and will be searching for number two today.
Esfandiari isn't the only bracelet winner in today's field, however, as Athanasios Polychronopoulos will be in the hunt as well. Polychronopoulos won his first bracelet at the 2011 WSOP in Event #48: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em and will be looking to go back-to-back this year with another win.
Today we will be covering all of the action occurring on the ESPN stage in the Amazon room. History occurred in this very spot yesterday when Chris Tryba was able to earn his first bracelet in Event 35: $2,500 Mixed Hold'em. Cards will be in the air at 1:00 PM today so be sure to stay tuned as we crown yet another WSOP champion.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antonio Esfandiari | 538,000 |
| 2 | Joe Tehan | 529,000 |
| 3 | Jeremiah Fitzpatrick | 539,000 |
| 4 | Athanasios Polychronopoulos | 528,000 |
| 5 | Alessandro Longobardi | 512,000 |
| 6 | Jonathan Lane | 509,000 |
| 7 | Sardor Gaziev | 527,000 |
| 8 | Craig Mccorkell | 539,000 |
| 9 | Roberto Romanello | 530,000 |
| 10 | Thiago Nishijima | 510,000 |