2017 World Series of Poker

Event #53: $3,000 Limit Hold'em 6-Handed
Day: 3
Event Info

2017 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
k10
Prize
$172,645
Event Info
Buy-in
$3,000
Prize Pool
$691,200
Entries
256
Level Info
Level
24
Limits
30,000 / 60,000
Ante
0

Max Silver Wins Event #53: $3,000 Limit Hold'em 6-Handed for $172,645

Level 24 : 30,000/60,000, 0 ante
Max Silver
Max Silver

Max Silver took down Event #53: $3,000 Limit Hold’em 6-Handed for $172,645 after a dominating performance at the final table.

Coming back to the six-handed final table as the chip leader, Silver took just under nine hours to see his competitors off and walk away as the newest recipient of a WSOP gold bracelet.

Although Silver has several other large scores, including a UKIPT title from seven years ago, this has to rank as the most significant score of his career so far.

Silver started off how he intended to go on, eliminating David Olson in seventh place with Big Slick.

With the official final table underway it took a while before the next elimination. Georgios Kapalas fell in sixth place ($22,952) when his hero-call with queen-high was picked off by Mickey Craft's pair of kings.

The lone female at the final table, Lena Wang lasted a while short-stacked before Silver picked her off. Wang finished in fifth place ($32,345).

Eventual winner Silver stretched his lead to around two million before the next elimination, when Craft knocked out another player — this time, it was Ayman Qutami in fourth place ($46,871). Qutami held ace-five, but Craft’s queen-eight had made a pair, and Qutami couldn’t find an ace on the river.

Three-handed, Silver had more than half the chips in play, and it was apparent that both Craft and Geowei Zhang were aware of the pay jump between third and second. Eventually, and despite a couple of doubles, Craft fell to Zhang in a three-way all in for third place ($69,789), and the heads-up battle was set.

Heads Up

Coming into heads-up, Silver still held a commanding chip lead, and despite a straight flush for Zhang at one point, the American wasn’t able to put more than a dent in Silver’s stack. In the end, Silver spiked one of his six outs to deny Zhang a chance to get back into the match.

Zhang took home $106,694 for second place, but Silver took home $172,645 for his efforts, along with his very first WSOP gold bracelet.

PositionNameCountryPayout
1Max SilverUnited Kingdom$172,645
2Geowei ZhangUnited States$106,694
3Mickey CraftUnited States$69,789
4Ayman QutamiUnited States$46,871
5Lena WangUnited States$32,345
6Georgios KapalasGreece$22,952

Reflecting on his win shortly after having his photo taken, Silver said he was "so happy" to win a bracelet.

"I can't really describe it," he began. "It's always been a dream for me to win a bracelet. I've come third, sixth, ninth...whatever. It's nice to get the win. I haven't had a big win in a while.

"I did what felt right at all times, and it seemed to work out. I don't claim to be a limit expert by any means, but I played reasonably well and I'm pretty proud of it."

Silver went wire to wire to win his first WSOP gold bracelet and nearly $180k in prize money, but he said that the chip lead didn't really play as big a part as people might expect.

"Really it's just playing the cards each hand, not playing the chips," he said. "But, for sure, it helps!"

Silver added, "It's poker and you get what you get. I was optimistic but this is far higher than anything I could have hoped for!"

The first person to hear about Silver's win? His wife, whom he telephoned from beside the final table.

"She was so happy. She's currently six months pregnant, so she was crying — extra emotions! — but, to be fair to her, she would probably be crying anyway.

"I'm going to see her in about 12 hours. I'm flying to New York, she's flying to New York, and we're going to meet in the middle!"

Silver finished his interview with a veiled warning to his fellow competitors: "I'll be back in five days."

Guowei Zhang Eliminated In 2nd Place ($106,694)

Level 24 : 30,000/60,000, 0 ante
Guowei Zhang - 2nd Place
Guowei Zhang - 2nd Place

Hand #235: Guowei Zhang limped and called a raise from Max Silver.

The flop was {5-Clubs}{8-Clubs}{j-Hearts}. Silver bet, then called a raise from Zhang. The turn card was the {4-Clubs}, and a check from Silver saw Zhang move all in. Silver was at a loss for a moment or two, but a glance at the pot seemed to convince him to call.

Guowei Zhang: {8-Hearts}{3-Hearts}
Max Silver: {k-Spades}{10-Diamonds}

The river was the {k-Clubs}. Silver hit a better pair to eliminate Zhang, and the two shook hands as cheers rang out from the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Max Silver gb
Max Silver
WSOP 1X Winner
3,840,000 465,000
Guowei Zhang us
Guowei Zhang
Busted

Tags: Guowei ZhangMax Silver

Mickey Craft Eliminated in 3rd Place ($69,789)

Level 24 : 30,000/60,000, 0 ante
Mickey Craft
Mickey Craft

Hand #205: Guowei Zhang raised from the button. Max Silver three-bet from the small blind, and Mickey Craft four-bet all in for 120,000. Both Zhang and Silver called.

The remaining two active players checked down the {8-Diamonds}{7-Spades}{3-Diamonds}{8-Clubs}{8-Spades} board, and all cards were exposed.

Zhang: {k-Hearts}{q-Hearts}
Craft: {k-Diamonds}{6-Hearts}
Silver: {j-Hearts}{10-Hearts}

Zhang's king-high was marginally better than Craft's, meaning the latter was eliminated in third place. He took home $69,789 for his efforts.

Play is now heads-up, with both Guowei Zhang and Max Silver taking a short break.

Player Chips Progress
Mickey Craft us
Mickey Craft
Busted

Ayman Qutami Eliminated in 4th Place ($46,871)

Level 22 : 20,000/40,000, 0 ante
Ayman Qutami
Ayman Qutami

Hand #100: Ayman Qutami raised, and Mickey Craft called.

The flop came {j-Clubs}{8-Spades}{4-Hearts}, and both players checked. The turn was the {j-Diamonds}, and Craft bet. Qutami raised all in, and Craft called. Qutami had {a-Hearts}{5-Clubs} against the {q-Spades}{8-Hearts} of Craft.

The river was the {6-Spades}, and Qutami was eliminated in fourth place.

Player Chips Progress
Max Silver gb
Max Silver
WSOP 1X Winner
1,800,000 -120,000
Mickey Craft us
Mickey Craft
1,250,000 50,000
Guowei Zhang us
Guowei Zhang
650,000 150,000
Ayman Qutami us
Ayman Qutami
Busted

Tags: Ayman QutamiMickey Craft

Lena Wang Eliminated In 5th Place ($32,345)

Level 22 : 20,000/40,000, 0 ante
Lena Wang - 5th Place
Lena Wang - 5th Place

Hand #64: Lena Wang raised from under the gun off the shortest remaining stack. Max Silver raised behind, and the last of Wang’s chips were in the middle.

Lena Wang: {8-Spades}{5-Clubs}
Max Silver: {a-Clubs}{10-Spades}

The board ran out {5-Diamonds}{q-Hearts}{k-Hearts}{6-Clubs}{10-Hearts}. Wang hit a pair, but the river delivered a straight for Silver to knock her out.

Player Chips Progress
Max Silver gb
Max Silver
WSOP 1X Winner
1,650,000 80,000
Lena Wang us
Lena Wang
Busted

Tags: Lena WangMax Silver

Georgios Kapalas Eliminated in 6th Place ($22,952)

Level 21 : 15,000/30,000, 0 ante
Georgios Kapalas
Georgios Kapalas

Georgios Kapalas has been eliminated in sixth place.

Hand #39: Kapalas opened in middle position, and Mickey Craft and Lena Wang both called.

The flop came {a-Diamonds}{k-Clubs}{6-Clubs}, and the action checked to Kapalas. He bet, and Craft was the lone caller. The turn was the {7-Hearts}, and both players checked. The river was the {7-Spades}, and Craft bet. Kapalas took a moment before calling all in. He was eliminated when he showed queen-high and Craft showed {k-Hearts}{9-Clubs}.

Player Chips Progress
Mickey Craft us
Mickey Craft
810,000 70,000
Georgios Kapalas gr
Georgios Kapalas
Busted

Tags: Georgios KapalasLena WangMickey Craft

David Olson Eliminated in 7th Place ($16,760)

Level 20 : 12,000/24,000, 0 ante
David Olson
David Olson

David Olson was eliminated in seventh place. On his final hand, Max Silver raised from under the gun and Olson reraised all in for 31,000. Mickey Craft raised and Silver called.

The flop came {a-Spades}{q-Clubs}{6-Clubs} and Silver checked. Craft bet and Silver raised. Craft called. Craft called the turn, {8-Clubs}, and the river, {7-Hearts}, as well. Silver showed {a-Diamonds}{k-Spades} and won the hand. Olson was eliminated.

Player Chips Progress
Max Silver gb
Max Silver
WSOP 1X Winner
1,160,000 139,000
Mickey Craft us
Mickey Craft
298,000 -147,000
David Olson us
David Olson
WSOP 1X Winner
Busted

Tags: David OlsonMax SilverMickey Craft

Max Silver Takes Big Lead Into Final Day of Event #33

Max Silver
Max Silver

Welcome back to Event #53, the $3,000 Limit Hold’em 6-Max. The unofficial final table was set in the early hours of Thursday and the final seven players return today to play down to a winner with first place worth $172,645.

Max Silver, a professional poker player from England, is the currently chip leader with over 25 percent of the chips in play. He surged into the lead in the last three levels of play despite his repeated assertions delivered over Twitter that, “I still have no idea what I’m doing.” Silver has 24 WSOP cashes worth $1,127,940, but he has yet to place a gold bracelet around his wrist.

Ayman Qutami leads the chase pack with 792,000. Georgios Kapalas from Greece on 475,000 is the only other non-American in the field and David Olson returns as the short stack with 97,000.

Play resumes at 2 p.m. in Brasilia when the next player to be eliminated will receive $16,760. From there the official final table will be set and they will play until a new champion has been crowned.

The PokerNews live reporting team will be on hand to bring you continuing exclusive coverage from the 2017 World Series of Poker.

RoomTableSeatPlayerCountryChip Count
Brasilia21David OlsonUnited States97,000
Brasilia22Mickey CraftUnited States445,000
Brasilia23Lena WangUnited States395,000
Brasilia24Guowei ZhangUnited States510,000
Brasilia25Georgios KapalasGreece475,000
Brasilia26Ayman QutamiUnited States792,000
Brasilia27Max SilverUnited Kingdom1,021,000

Tags: Ayman QutamiDavid OlsonGeorge KapalasMax Silver