Event #73: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT - World Championship
Day 8 Started
2017 World Series of Poker
Event #73: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT - World Championship
Day: 8
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2017 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$67,877,400
Entries
7,221
Level
43
Blinds
1,500,000 / 3,000,000
Ante
500,000
Seat 9: Dan Ott
Chip Count: 26,475,000
Hometown: Altoona, Pennsylvania
Age: 26
Seat: 9
Dan Ott is pretty new to live tournament play. In fact, this is his first summer at World Series of Poker, and this is his first Main Event. "Go big or go home" comes to mind.
"This is one of the first tournaments I've played and cashed in. This is a huge opportunity for me," he told PokerNews. "I've been playing online, studying a little bit, trying to get better. I was able to take a shot out here, and it's obviously going really well."
He did rack up two cashes this summer in Event #47: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em MONSTER STACK and Event #10: $1,000 Tag Team No-Limit Hold'em for a total of $3,656. These cashes were good enough to get a WSOP.com and Hendon Mob profile created which is the first step to becoming a known player.
Like many of the younger players, Ott got hooked when Chris Moneymaker took to the airwaves in 2013 and changed poker forever. But most players don't make their tournament debut in the Main Event after some small preliminary cashes.
"I started watching and playing with my friends. And then I started playing online and just kept studying the game. I heard these were some good tournaments and I finally had some money to buy in. I decided to take my shot at this, and the rest is history."
When asked about his Main Event journey to the final table, Ott recognized the fact that a lot of things were going his way.
"All my bluffs have been getting through. All of my hands have been getting value. I've been able to win some pots with favorable boards textures to either run some bluffs or get full value. I've been winning some all ins. And winning the all ins is what has helped the most. Kings versus Ace-King. I held with that. Top pair versus a flush draw and that held. People have been making some aggressive plays against me, like ace-high shoving into my set. So, yeah, it's been going my way."
It's hard to imagine the enormity of the making the most exclusive final table in poker. And for someone relatively new to the poker scene, it had to be unimaginable. With two days off and millions on the line, the question of the day for all of the players is how they are going to use the time between now and their big moment in the spotlight.
"I'm going to sleep for sure. I'm gonna eat some food. Probably hang out with all my friends and family. Maybe party. We'll see. Definitely going to watch PokerGo and see what people are doing. It'll give me more than I know right now. Just try to prep like that."
HOW HE GOT HERE
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 160,900 | 148/5,519 |
| 2 | 244,000 | 349/2,572 |
| 3 | DNR | DNR/1,084 |
| 4 | 2,196,000 | 35/297 |
| 5 | 8,320,000 | 6/85 |
| 6 | 7,815,000 | 20/27 |
| 7 | 26,475,000 | 5/9 |
KEY HAND
In one of the most talked about hands of the tournament, Ott doubled through Scott Blumstein to put a virtual lock on his seat at the final table. Here's how it played out according to the PokerNews Live Reporting team:
Dan Ott raised to 1,100,000 from middle position and Scott Blumstein made a three-bet to 3,400,000 from the small blind. The action was back on Ott and he four-bet to 8,100,000. Blumstein moved all-in, having Ott covered, and Ott quickly made the call for his remaining 22,300,000. The cards were tabled and Ott was in a dominating position.
Ott: 
Blumstein: 
The flop came 
and Ott took a stranglehold on the hand. The turn was the 
and Blumstein was drawing dead to the 
river. Ott got a massive double up to take the chip lead on the table, while Blumstein took a hit and sits at just over 16,000,000.
Blumstein managed to recover and build a huge stack by the end of the day, while Ott coasted his way to a seat at the most prestigious table in poker.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
There's a chance the pressure of the lights may affect Ott the deeper he gets. Making the Main Event final table with years of playing in the spotlight is still a bit nerve-wracking, but tuning out the lights, the cameras, and the rails can be a challenge when you are exposed to it the first time.
"Some moments I'm really comfortable, and other moments it just hits me, and I panic. There have definitely been some anxious moments. I'm just trying to take deep breaths and not be as anxious. Overall, though, I think I've remained pretty calm."
Another thing that may affect his play is the fact that his run here as already exceeded his expectations. And if he's not focused on the win, he may be susceptible to mistakes if he feels he's free-rolling.
"I'm trying not to think of the millions of dollars at the top. I'm just trying to stay focused on where I am now and playing as best as I can."
He seems to be aware of some of the pitfalls. But being aware and avoiding them are two different things. As long as he stays true to his plan, he can go far.
"I'm going to try to keep playing my game. I will be aggressive in the spots I should be aggressive in, and if I lose, I'm going to try not to be so worried about it. I'm going to do my best to brush it off. That's my plan. I'm just going to play the best I can and go from there."
Profile by Kim Yuhl.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
26,475,000 |
Seat 8: Bryan Piccioli
Chip Count: 33,800,000
Hometown: Allegany, N.Y. (now San Diego, California)
Twitter: @theczar19
Age: 28
Seat: 8
The road to the World Series of Poker Main Event final table is paved with plenty of skill but also some good fortune. Late in Day 7 and down to the final 10 players, Michael Ruane moved all in for 17,300,000 chips from middle position. Bryan Piccioli looked down at 
and had a major decision to make. With not quite as any chips as Ruane, his tournament life and a chance at the final table was on the line. He tanked on the button for a couple of minutes before making the call.
Ruane, who is a friend of Piccioli’s, tabled 
. Piccioli was precariously ahead, but had some cards to dodge. The flop came 
. The turn brought the 
and the river the 
. Piccioli doubled to about 34,000,000 and Ruane was crushed – soon to be eliminated in 10th place. The results of the hand brought out plenty of emotion, and was a massive moment on the final table bubble.
"I didn't want to be there in that spot against one of my good friends, but as Daryll Fish said after the hand when I came over, 'the game is the game,'” Piccioli said after the day’s action. “That's just the perfect description. You don't get here to not play the game."
A former student at the University of Buffalo, Piccioli left school to pursue a career on the poker felt. He has more than $1.9 million in live tournament winnings along with more than $6 million online, and has several five- and six-figure scores. Piccioli’s bracelet came in the 2013 WSOP Asia-Pacific $1,100 No-Limit Hold'em Accumulator, where he took home $221,419. He added another nice win in 2015 at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic $5,200 No Limit Hold’em event for $166,047.
Last year, he notched a big third-place finish in the $7,500 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship at Bay 101 for $493,350. At the WSOP, Piccioli has $566,713 in earnings, but that is about to balloon upward. With a two-day break before the final table begins on Thursday, Piccioli is excited about the chance to catch up on some sleep and eat a few nice meals.
"I'm very excited about the two days,” he said. “I haven't really had a full meal or slept more than three or four hours in close to a week. I'm ready to just get a good night's sleep, eat some food for the next couple days, and then hopefully win the poker tournament that I'm playing right now. That's the plan."
This is the third consecutive year Piccioli has cashed in the Main Event, finishing 84th in 2016 and 958th in 2015. On reaching the final table he notes: "I'm still here. I'm still alive. That's all you can really ask for."
HOW HE GOT HERE
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 145,100 | 233/5,519 |
| 2 | 173,600 | 752/2,572 |
| 3 | 286,000 | 477/1,084 |
| 4 | 1,994,000 | 47/297 |
| 5 | 5,400,000 | 25/85 |
| 6 | 14,500,000 | 10/27 |
| 7 | 33,800,000 | 4/9 |
KEY HAND
On Day 7 with blinds at 300,000/600,000, a massive hand developed with only 11 players remaining that kept Piccioli alive in the tournament. With action folded around to him, he picked up 
on the small blind and moved all-in for his last 8,650,000. From the big blind, Antoine Saout had considerably more chips and made the call with 
.
“I had been grinding a short stack for a long time,” he said. “I had two eights, which looked like aces to me at the time. So there was only one move; I moved in. I don't want to say I was hoping for a call, but I knew that I was near the top of my range at that point. I need chips now before later. So as soon as he shrugged and called, I almost knew that I was ahead. He doesn't shrug and call with a pair bigger than eights.
“I was like, ‘alright, let's dodge three outs.’ And then the flop comes 
and I was thinking, 'alright, well, that's it. That's the end. Eleventh place for $675,000.’ So I'm just sitting there waiting for the next couple cards to peel off.”
The turn brought the 
which helped neither player. Piccioli was dead to only one of the two remaining eights in the deck. The river? The dealer turned the and Piccioli hit the two-outer for his full house. He jumped up in celebration as the rail erupted and he went over to celebrate. The famine-to-feast moment gave him a double-up and propelled him on to the final table.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Piccioli fits the mold of the online pro who plays optimally in every situation during a tournament, whether chip leader or short stacked. He was patient in the later stages of this tournament, picking his spots well and chipping up when the proper time presents itself. Expect much of the same when play resumes on Thursday.
Piccioli has been on the big stage before, winning a bracelet in Australia and playing under the bright lights of the World Poker Tour. The pressure won't phase him, which gives him an edge over several of the 'July 9' seated beside him.
Profile by Sean Chaffin.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
33,800,000 |
Seat 7: Ben Lamb
Chip Count: 18,050,000
Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma (now Las Vegas)
Twitter: @BenbaLamb
Age: 32
Seat: 7
With a wedding on the way in September, it could be a great couple of months for Ben Lamb. A World Series of Poker final table and possibly a championship, followed by some nuptials in Las Vegas – a bracelet could be perfectly timed. While the nuptials approach, he’s focused on poker at the moment with his second Main Event final table on Thursday.
“It hasn’t really settled in yet,” he said after bagging his chips. “You play a 7,000-player field and final table it, obviously the odds are staggering. I don’t care if you’re 10 times better than the second best player, the odds are staggering to get to the final table once let alone twice in six years.”
With two deep cashes in the Main Event, Lamb is awestruck at his success and at being in similar spot again.
“This is the best video game in the world,” he said. “I’m having a blast. As soon as all the poker’s done for the day I’m all smiles for two hours until I finally go to sleep. Then I wake up and I’m serious again."
While Lamb is accustomed to playing for big money, the Main Event stage is different – the attention, the history, and the gigantic payday involved. And while he may enter the final table ninth in chips, Lamb plans on working to remedy that although he wishes there was just a bit more time before the final table, but approaches the next two days with some humor.
“I’m playing for $8 million,” he says. “I do play for big cash, but this is something different. This is just a lot bigger. It’s really going to mean a lot. I’m really going to try study and focus, and really try to win this thing.
“I wish there a three-day break because I want to sleep for two days, but I also want to drink all night. So that kind of screws me a bit. So I think I’m going to drink all night and sleep a day and a half – good plan.”
For Lamb, cashing and running deep in the Main Event is not new. The 2011 Player of the Year is on his fourth cash in the event and hoping this one is the one that brings the bracelet. In 2007, he finished 156th in a field of 6,358 for $58,570. In 2009, he did even better – 14th for $633,022. The pinnacle came in 2011, third for $4,021,138. Now he’s looking for a second shot at the bracelet..
While he now lives in Las Vegas and plays professionally, Lamb grew up playing in the thriving Oklahoma poker scene. A native of Tulsa, the 32-year-old attended Jenks High School and says academics always came easy and didn’t have to study until college.
A billiards player and golfer in high school, Chris Moneymaker’s 2003 rags-to-riches WSOP win helped spark his interest in the game, and he and his friends in high school joined in on the action. During his one semester at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, Lamb’s winnings continued to grow and he soon ditched his school books for the poker felt.
“I was making decent money while in college and decided to take a year off and give myself a shot at poker,” he says. “I’ve never looked back.”
In Oklahoma, Lamb was a regular at the the River Spirit and Hard Rock Casino poker rooms sharpening his skills. Lamb now lives on a golf course in Vegas and hits the links quite a bit when not at the poker table. He enjoys traveling as well and hanging out with friends. His usual cash games are at the Aria and also hits a few places in Los Angeles.
Lamb is not the first poker shark from Tulsa. Bobby Baldwin became Main Event champion in 1978 and won four WSOP bracelets before becoming a successful casino industry executive. Lamb is hoping he can join this exclusive club of Tulsa champions.
HOW HE GOT HERE
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 77,200 | 1781/5,519 |
| 2 | 327,800 | 123/2,572 |
| 3 | 1,016,000 | 32/1,084 |
| 4 | 2,746,000 | 14/297 |
| 5 | 4,725,000 | 51/85 |
| 6 | 22,540,000 | 5/27 |
| 7 | 18,050,000 | 9/9 |
KEY HAND
Ever the gamer, Lamb was the model of consistency over the last two days to the final table. His play is marked by gradually climbing up the leaderboards, controlling pots, and taking the lead in the action. Lamb avoided major confrontations, but came through with a couple of eliminations on Day 7.
Lamb regularly put in a pre-flop raise, followed through on the flop and beyond if necessary, and brought home the pot. Singling out one big hand for Lamb is not easy. But that's part of what makes him so good.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
An aggressive player who likes to mix it up, Lamb plays a lot of pots and is not afraid to make some plays with raises. Opponents find it difficult to determine the strength of his hands, and he is skilled at putting maximum pressure on opponents. He can also have a steely demeanor, not afraid to stare down other players at the table. Opponents’ weaknesses or hesitancy can be sensed, and Lamb will look to exploit those shortcomings.
After leaving college, Lamb also worked as a dealer for six months. Like many former dealer, Lamb says he gained some unique insight into the game. Dealing helped teach him more about the game including how certain types of player bet, successful hand strategies, reading players, bet sizing, and more. These years playing and dealing in Oklahoma would help shape him into a phenomenal player.
“Ben Lamb has had an impressive World Series,” 14-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth noted about him on ESPN during the 2011 WSOP. “He’s a super-talented player.”
Profile by Sean Chaffin.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
18,050,000 |
Seat 6: Damian Salas
Chip Count: 22,175,000
Age: 42
Hometown: Chascomus, Argentina
Seat: 6
Making the World Series of Poker Main Event final table requires patience, work, and adjustment. Damian Salas found some success in the early days, but then bounced back from some adversity in later days to keep alive. His perseverance has paid off and he is sixth in chips with the final table on the horizon.
“The truth is, I’m feeling many emotions,” Salas said after bagging his chips. “It was seven days of a poker marathon with a lot of adrenaline, a lot of ups and downs. Day 2 went well, Day 3 also was pretty good. Day 4 I felt like I was still doing well. Day 5, there were difficult hands that honestly kind of set me back a little and I had to change up my strategy. Day 6 and 7 were back and forth, I was adjusting and readjusting constantly."
Salas is pleased with how he played, but still has his eyes on the bracelet and recognizes the Main Event’s historical significance on the winner’s life.
“The truth is I play to win, and that's what I am going to keep doing,” he said. “This whole time, the last few days, I've been calm. I never let myself think too far ahead – to think about getting to the final table. I never let myself look at how much money there was. The objective was always to concentrate on every hand and each situation and play my best poker with a sense of calmness. And today, well, I got emotional. Because it is just now hitting me how big this is.”
A regular on the South and Latin American poker scene, Salas same into the Main Event with $919,000 in live tournament winnings and a combined $4 million when taking into account online results. He has considerable experience online and definitely brought some of that skill to the WSOP.
The former attorney has 13 WSOP cashes for $177,983 with a fifth place finish in 2016 in Event #50: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout for $64,129. He also cashed in the 2016 Main Event, finishing 418th for $25,230. Now with his Main Event final table appearance, Salas will have a chance at his first bracelet on poker’s biggest stage.
Salas began accumulating a big stack early and led all players after four days of play. Beyond his WSOP cashes, his best finish came in 2013 in the $5,000 No Limit Hold'em High Roller on the Latin American Poker Tour-Uruguay Grand Final for $107,800. He has several other smaller wins and nice finishes as well.
Many of his poker friends here supporting him as he plays the biggest tournament of his life. His wife Sylvana was also in Vegas with him for five or six days, but had to return to Argentina to care for their three children. He dedicates his final table to: his father; his three siblings, who he says are always sending him incredible energy; his mom; to his poker friends; and to the poker community of Argentina, who have supported his efforts.
Along with family and friends, Salas especially thanks his yoga instructor Daniel Espina, who he said has helped him find himself as a person and helped maintain calm, balance, and maintain focus at the tables.
"Words can't express what he has taught me," he said.
When not playing poker, Sales likes to hang out with friends and family. He has three children: Santiago, 10; Sol, 9; and Francisco, 6. Thursday will be a little extra special as the the final table gets underway, and little Francisco celebrates his seventh birthday. He also enjoys playing table tennis and fishing. On Thursday, Salas hopes to reel in the title and take home the bracelet.
“We have been playing 11, 12 hours a day and resting maybe five hours,” he said. “There wasn't even time to think about exactly what we were playing. I simply had my energy, and I put that into each hand, into each moment – the present – without going nuts thinking about what could be. And I think that worked for me. And now, well I mean all this has happened, the lights, everything. I am in the final of the World Series, and I am so incredibly happy with my process, with everything these past seven days have been.”
HOW HE GOT HERE
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 71,300 | 2036/5,519 |
| 2 | 301,000 | 176/2,572 |
| 3 | 1,028,000 | 31/1,084 |
| 4 | 4,678,000 | 1/297 |
| 5 | 8,400,000 | 5/85 |
| 6 | 7,800,000 | 21/27 |
| 7 | 22,175,000 | 6/9 |
KEY HAND
Salas was very quiet on Day 7, but he picked up a nice pot with a rare showdown that helped preserve his rank in the chip counts late in the day. Under the gun, Salas put in a raise to 900,000 and action folded around to Benjamin Pollak, who called from the big blind. The flop brought the .
Pollak checked and Salas checked behind. The turn brought the 
and Pollak checked to his opponent again. Salas bet 750,000 and Pollak called.
The river brought the 
and Pollak fired a hefty bet of 1,150,000. Sales made the call with 
for a full house and raked a nice pot. Pollak held 
on the losing end.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
One of the slower and more deliberate players to act at the table on Day 7, Salas brings a solid game with some unconventional plays ot the final table. With a quiet and observant demeanor, even late in the tournament he was known to simply limp on the button and small blinds.
While he may fly under the radar a bit at the table, don’t confuse that with passivity. He can shifts gears and certainly go on offense. His style may confuse opponents and he’ll be a tough player to figure out. With a ton of experience at the tables, Salas will try to work through this final table.
At the unofficial final table, Salas sported the Argentinian flag as a cape and hopes to bring a poker world championship to his beloved home country.
Profile by Sean Chaffin.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
22,175,000 |
Seat 5: Jack Sinclair
Chip Count: 20,200,000
Hometown: London, England
Age: 26
Seat: 5
Jack Sinclair might not be a familiar face to even the biggest poker enthusiast, but if the people he hangs out with are any indication, his final table opponents should keep their guard up. This 26-year-old Brit has been playing professionally for two years and mainly cut his teeth online. He never really took to playing live and only started playing live tournaments at the prodding of his friends, Philipp Gruissem and Anton Morgenstern.
To date, Sinclair has only three live tournament cashes for a total of $13,500, logging his first cash in April at the partypoker Millions Live in Nottingham for £ 7,500 (USD $ 9,412). The other two cashes came this summer at the WSOP in Event #60 $888 No-Limit Hold'em - Crazy Eights for $1,742 and Event #52 $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em for $2,346.
It's usually an advantage to show up to the table with your opponents not having a clue as to who you are. In poker, the less people know about you at the table, the better. But apparently, Sinclair can't use that to his advantage for more than a hand and certainly can't use it now that he's at the final table.
"As soon as I sit down at a table, people automatically assume I'm three betting them light and doing a bunch of crazy stuff," he told PokerNews. "I don't know why. It must be the way I look at them or something. If someone looks me up, they are basically going to find nothing. They might think, 'This guy is going to be a huge fish.' I sit down and play one hand, and my image is completely gone. Maybe the first hand I play, I can get away with something. But overall no."
No one would argue that the Main Event is the ultimate grind. The days start to run together, hands are forgotten and what happened when is a blur. Sinclair, however, was able to recall his Main Event journey with amazing detail.
"Day 1 was a breeze; I won most of the pots I played. Day 2 was kind of similar. I did make a few bad decisions toward the end, but I had a decent stack. I had a horrendous table draw on Day 3. The first four hours were just brutal. I played most of Day 5 with Mickey Craft. That was probably the most fun I had at a table, maybe ever. Day 6 was an insane day. I started with a little over 2 million, and finished with about 30 million."
Sinclair probably thinks Day 7 was an insane day, as well. He went through much of the day holding the first or second spot on the leaderboard. He peaked near 100 million in chips when Scott Blumstein tried to run a bluff against him, but he gave it all back just an orbit later.
"I still liked the spot. It was a shame. The runout was too good for me not to bluff. My real mistake was that I didn't realize that he had a read on me because we hadn't played a single hand together. So I dunno, people told him that I was crazy or something, which I'm really not."
HOW HE GOT HERE
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 149,500 | 207/5,519 |
| 2 | 242,900 | 355/2,572 |
| 3 | 463,000 | 267/1,084 |
| 4 | 1,457,000 | 95/297 |
| 5 | 2,225,000 | 69/85 |
| 6 | 27,535,000 | 3/27 |
| 7 | 20,200,000 | 8/9 |
KEY HAND
Sinclair walked us through a crazy hand he played against Wen Zhou. First, here's how it was reported by the PokerNews Live Reporting team:
With 650,000 already in the pot and the turn reading 
, Jack Sinclair bet 350,000 in the small blind and Wen Zhou raised to 700,000 in the big blind. Sinclair clicked it back to 1,400,000 and Zhou quickly moved all in, picking up a snap-call by Sinclair.
Even before the cards were tabled, Zhou shook his head and knew he was caught with the fingers in the cookie jar.
Sinclair: 
Zhou: 
A meaningless on the river saw Sinclair double up to more than 14 million and Zhou was sent all the way back to 12 big blinds.
"He's been playing pretty crazy all day," Sinclair says. "The first thing he did when I sat down, he like 4-bet shoved eights from under the gun against the squeeze and won. I immediately thought this guy's fun.
"In the small blind I get pocket nines. It folds to me. I raise, he calls. Flop is ace-eight-four. I check. He checks back. the pot on the turn is like 670K. The turn is an off suit nine. I decide to bet to 350k. He instantly min raises to 700k. I decide to click it back and make it 1.4 million. He thinks about it for 15 seconds and then goes all in.
"We were 7 million effective. And I called and he just shook his head and turned over pocket 2s. He had 0% on the turn. So that was quite nice. I was like, 'I really hope I hold.' Then I saw his hand and I'm like OK cool."
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Sinclair's aggressive online style will serve him well against his opponents, some of which have been in this position before. He'll know how to pick his spots and when to apply pressure. He's demonstrated great control on his way to the final table.
Sinclair took the momentum from Day 6 and kept running with it well into Day 7, where he stayed atop the leaderboard all day and all the way to the final table. When asked if he's aware of the enormity of this moment, Sinclair's smile gets a little bigger, and he pauses for a moment.
"I'm trying not to think too much about anything except the poker. But, yeah, it is definitely surreal. I'm just trying to play good poker, make the best decisions and if I do that, then I'll be happy."
Even though he's "never really been much of a live player," the fact that his famous friends, not only encouraged him to enter his first Main Event, they helped him financially, says a lot about this skill. Gruissem told PokerNews, "Jack has balls and patience. A rare combination in humans that make a great poker player."
With only two days to prepare, you might expect Sinclair to pull his friends together and study his table. But all Sinclair could think about after Day 7 was "sleep."
After seven days of play and losing a big part of his stack right before the final table was reached, you can bet there are a variety of emotions and thoughts running through Sinclair's mind. When asked how he's feeling in this moment, he was brutally honest.
"Tired. Hungry. Thirsty. I've been drinking very little water because you only get a bathroom break every two hours. I'm feeling OK, but I dusted off most of my stack at the end of the day so, mixed feelings. I think I'll have a spa day tomorrow, and just go over some hands and get a game plan together."
Profile by Kim Yuhl.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,200,000 |
Seat 4: Benjamin Pollak
Chip Count: 35,175,000
Hometown: Paris, France
Twitter: @PollakB
Age: 33
Seat: 4
Benjamin Pollak’s Main Event story is one of runs. Pollak had two of the best runs in his poker career which helped propel him into the final table. He started Day 7 with about eight million chips and within the first few levels, worked his stack up to 32 million. He had a similar run on Day 5, when he started with 240,000 and 12 big blinds. Within the first two hours he ran it up to 4 million.
“I came into day five with twelve big blinds and built it to four million in two hours. It was the biggest rush I’ve had in the last 10 years. I got a lot of value hands and got paid most of the time.”
Pollak’s previous best finish in the WSOP Main Event was 27th in 2013 for $285,488. He is a French tournament pro who will now be close to $4 million in lifetime tournament earnings and possibly much, much more when he plays his final 2017 WSOP Main Event hand.
Pollak worked for about three months as an engineer before deciding he would give poker a try. He gave himself one-and-a-half years to succeed in poker and so far the rest is history. Depending on how the next few days go, Pollak could be in store for something even more historical — becoming the first French WSOP Main Event champion.
HOW HE GOT HERE
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 107,300 | 1,194/5,519 |
| 2 | 157,900 | 871/2,572 |
| 3 | 497,000 | 235/1,084 |
| 4 | 218,000 | 291/297 |
| 5 | 5,690,000 | 23/85 |
| 6 | 8,870,000 | 17/27 |
| 7 | 35,175,000 | 3/9 |
KEY HAND
Pollak managed to knock out the Day 6 chip leader, Christian Pham, shortly before the second break of the day. Pham had entered the day with the chip lead and Pollak looked down at pocket aces after an under the gun raise from Pham. Pollak three-bet and Pham called.
“It was a crazy hand. It was a dream flop for me.”
Pollak flopped a set on a two diamond board. There was one heart and the turn brought one more. Pham had and called for his tournament life when Pollak put him all in.
“We played a lot together on Day 6 and I know he could call with a lot of hands. So I shoved. He was very loose. He called me with ace-three of hearts. So he only had seven outs against me for a huge pot.”
Pollak's hand held up, propelling him to near the top of the counts. He stayed there for most of the day.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
With nine players left, Pollak will enter the final table third in chips. He will have his countrymen and former November Niner Antoine Saout to his right and the hopes of the French poker world behind him. As stated before, no French person has won the WSOP Main Event and Pollak currently has a chip lead over Saout.
Pollak was up to 34 million when he knocked out Pham and managed to stay at that mark all the way through 16 or so eliminations and land at the final table third in chips with just over 35 million. His consistent rise each day of the Main Event suggests that he knows how to pick his spots. He is confident in his ability, but also knows that no matter where you sit in chips, you can be at risk.
“Sometimes the chips go fast. I am not a guarantee to make the final table,” Pollak said shortly after he knocked out Pham.
He managed to cruise through the rest of the day without being at risk and he will go into Thursday with third biggest stack. The top two stacks have about half the chips in play and Pollak is just ahead of Bryan Piccioli.
Pollak looked forward to two-day break before the final table. It seems the rest will be almost, if not more, important than the time to study and watch the footage over the next few days.
"Right now I'm feeling super great. It was insane. I remember like Day 4, Day 5, I was super tired. It was a long day on the bubble. We started at 11 a.m. and it was very difficult to manage sleep."
Profile by Brent Harrington.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
35,175,000 |
Seat 3: Antoine Saout
Chip Count: 21,750,000
Hometown: Morlaix, France
Twitter: @tonio292
Age: 33
Seat: 3
Antoine Saout’s Main Event story really started back in 2009 when a little-known French player made the final table of the WSOP Main Event. With three players left, Saout had the chip lead. He was the first French player to make the WSOP Main Event final table and it looked like he might become the first French Main Event champion. He had the eventual champion Joe Cada in a bad spot holding pocket queens against Cada’s pocket twos. Cada hit a set to double and would later knock out Saout and go on to win.
“Nobody knew me the first time. It was my first $10,000 tournament. I played great, I was chip leader and I was unlucky at the end. I almost won it.”
Last year, Saout made it to day seven of the Main Event. He was now a professional poker player with tons of experience and looking to improve on his previous Main Event run. Unfortunately, he was eliminated early in the day, finishing 25th. He three-bet shoved pocket sevens and got action from queens and aces. On the turn, he actually took the lead, but was eliminated when the river was an ace.
This year, Saout was a little worried coming into Day 7 with 9 million chips. He went down to about 4 million and doubled through Richard Gryko with pocket nines. From that point on, Saout wasn’t at risk again and he will start the final table with 21,750,000.
Despite accruing more than $6.5 million in live tournament winnings, he has only won a single live tournament. In 2011, he won a daily tournament in France for $15,968.
“I feel good. Last year I finished early in the day. I don’t have any big live wins; if I can win this one for my first live tournament that would be great.”
HOW HE GOT HERE
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 91,900 | 752/5,519 |
| 2 | 341,400 | 107/2,572 |
| 3 | 1,529,000 | 3/1,084 |
| 4 | 2,318,000 | 30/297 |
| 5 | 8,260,000 | 8/85 |
| 6 | 9,945,000 | 15/27 |
| 7 | 21,750,000 | 7/9 |
KEY HAND
Saout said that the Main Event has a great structure and was very confident, saying he had played a great tournament. He also understands that you need a little luck and, probably, his biggest break came on Day 3. He got all in against Scott Seiver with pocket kings against Seiver’s pocket aces. He hit a king on the river and then rode that wave all the way to the final table. He is happy to be joined there by countrymen and friend Benjamin Pollak, but wants to be the first French Main Event champion.
“I really want to be the first (French Main Event Champion). I was the first to final table. It’s not like an EPT. This is the biggest tournament. I really want this.”
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Unlike his last Main Event final table appearance, Saout is a seasoned professional player now. He speaks very openly about his ability and is confident in his play. He mentioned several times that he played great and acknowledged the fact that he got lucky during the tournament. He also mentioned he is used to playing long hours and, based on his success in the tournament, it seems like the Main Event is well suited to his style.
The days might end up being shorter the rest of the way, and he will enter the table seventh in chips behind two big chip leaders. He plans on using the two days off to review the footage of the other players and said he doesn’t care about the size of the break. He did said he prefers the shorter break between Day 7 of the Main and the final table.
"I prefer this because there are some players with less experience. It is better for me because I am more experienced."
Saout definitely has a chance to win the Main Event. Both he and Ben Lamb have been in this spot before and that will perhaps make them more prepared for what comes next. A lot of people felt Saout probably should have won the first time he was at the Main Event final table, and now he has a chance to perhaps make up for the mistakes and/or poor luck that saw him fall in third place in 2009.
Profile by Brent Harrington.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
21,750,000 |
Seat 2: Scott Blumstein
Chip Count: 97,250,000
Hometown: Morristown, NJ
Twitter: @SBlum2711
Age: 25
Seat: 2
Scott Blumstein, an East Coast tournament grinder, had a plan for this summer: Come to Las Vegas for the first time, enter the World Series of Poker Main Event for the first time, and win it.
Chris Horter, one of Blumstein's very vocal friends on the rail, confirmed that this was Blumstein's plan. "He said, I'm going to skip all of the WSOP, and I'm just going to win the Main."
Things seem to be going according to plan so far. Blumstein will enter the Main Event final table with the chip lead. And while his experience in many small buy-in tournament will certainly provide some help, this is the Main Event, and he has some serious competition standing between him and gold.
Blumstein has been playing poker professionally for about four years and was able to enter the Main thanks to a first-place finish in a $560 no-limit hold'em tournament at the Borgata for $199,854, which accounts for two-thirds of his live tournament winnings.
Blumstein might be well known on the East Coast circuit, but not much is known about him here in the desert. He started playing professional poker four years ago after graduating from Temple University with a degree in accounting.
“I never really had a 'real' job. I started watching and playing poker when Moneymaker won. I was just a kid. I know that sounds a bit cliché. Being here now and playing under the lights is so surreal. Day 7 was the first day I was on a feature table. I had to get used to the lights and cameras, but I settled in quickly and just tried to focus on the poker. A tournament is just a tournament and at the end of the day, it’s all poker.”
It’s hard to compare playing the Main Event when playing on the East Coast. Blumstein makes a point of letting people know he feels comfortable here.
“A tournament is still a tournament, and tournaments are tough. But this is the Main Event, so that makes it special. I just felt like I was ready to play the Main Event this year. It’s still sort of surreal to be here.”
Blumstein has the chips everyone will be coming after once the final table returns to action. There are only a few days to prepare, and a tournament grinder, no matter where they hail from is sure to have a plan to maximize on the time off.
“It's crazy with only a few days break. It'll be quite different than the last few years, I didn't really plan what I was going to do. You can't really plan for something like this. I feel amazing, I can't believe it's real. I have a great group of guys and we're going to get to work and prepare for Thursday. This is one of the biggest moments of my life. And I'm super excited.”
HOW HE GOT HERE
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 86,200 | 1402/5.519 |
| 2 | 375,100 | 62/2,572 |
| 3 | 1,340,000 | 8/1,084 |
| 4 | 2,016,000 | 44/297 |
| 5 | 6,845,000 | 14/85 |
| 6 | 18,125,000 | 8/27 |
| 7 | 97,250,000 | 1/9 |
KEY HAND
Every player has a hand during a tournament that shifted momentum in their favor. For Blumstein, it was a big hand against Valentin Messina on Day 6. He recounted it for us:
“I raised under the gun and Messina called. The flop came jack-four-deuce. I flopped a set and bet. Messina called. The turn was a six and I checked. Messina bet over a million and of course, I called. The river was a three. I was taking a chance by checking, but I was pretty sure he would bet and he did. He bet almost 3 million and then I check-raised him to 7.2 million. I felt like he took forever to call. But he did.”
Here's the hand, as reported by the PokerNews Live Reporting team:
Scott Blumstein raised to 650,000 from under the gun and Valentin Messina called from the cutoff. The flop fell and Blumstein bet 500,000. Messina called and the turn brought the 
. Blumstein checked, Messina bet 1,200,000, and Blumstein called. The river was the 
and Blumstein checked. Messina bet 2,800,000 and Blumstein check-raised to 7,200,000, sending Messina into the tank. He eventually called and Blumstein tabled for a flopped set. Messina mucked and Blumstein took the pot.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Blumstein nearly gave his tournament away after the dinner break on Day 7. He five-bet shoved preflop with king-jack jack against Dan Ott, who had him dominated with ace-king. Suddenly, Blumstein was left with only 17 million in chips and danger of missing the final table.
It was a rare slip-up for Blumstein, who had been focused for most of the tournament up to that point.
“I made a pretty big mistake after playing really well for seven days. I have no excuses. I made a misstep, but the good news is sometimes you get a second chance. A couple of hands later I got kings and was able to double up and I was right back in it."
Thankfully for Blumstein, he was able to recover after getting a pep talk from his huge supporting cast on the rail. He will have a few days to rest up and prepare for the finale, but it will be interesting to see if he "goes for the gusto" again with so much on the line.
Profile by Kim Yuhl.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
97,250,000 |
Seat 1: John Hesp
Chip Count: 85,700
Hometown: Bridlington, England
Age: 64
Seat: 1
The John Hesp Show has invaded the World Series of Poker. Taking the series by storm, his style, humor, personality, and unlikely run have made the 64-year-old from Bridlington, England, a fan favorite. His story emerged on Day 4 and his craftiness has carried him all the way to the final table where he now sits second in chips.
After making the final table, bagging chips, completing his ESPN interview, and taking some final photos, Hesp was astonished by his accomplishment.
"I've used every adjective in the book, it's crazy – it's spooky," he said.
Throughout the tournament, Hesp was talkative, showed his winning cards, and was generally jovial with his fellow pros. As he continued on, he began to see socializing as a way to add some fun and entertainment to the game – a common theme from many throughout the summer.
"I'm a people person, I like socializing, and talking to people," he said. "The whole week has been about interacting with players. Some of the professionals are normally very quiet and speak very little. Even they've been opening up and smiling and starting to laugh. And they're all coming up to me now and saying, 'Well done John.' If I have achieved anything I like to think I've managed to get some of them to lighten up and have fun while they're working."
While socializing is part of his personality, as a former salesman Hesp says he can get a read off some players from body language and their communication. And in an age when math plays so much of role in the game, Hesp says he plays more on feel and instinct.
"It all has a part to play in how I make my decision whether I raise, call, fold," he said. "I can't explain technically how I should play in this position. It's just the guts and the head combined and I just do what I think needs to be done at the moment. Through the combination of the gut and the mind, I make my decision based on that. But to put into scientific words, I don't think I can."
With the final table cranking up on Thursday, Hesp planned two days of rest. Energetic at the tables, he's only been getting three or four hours the last few nights.
"My adrenaline is just working overtime at the moment," he said. "The natural excitement is just keeping me electrified really."
Hesp's is an unlikely story. Right from the start, his poker attire, a sports jacket and shirts with differing hues and patterns of geometric shapes, flowers, and more accented with a Panama-style hat, set him apart from the rest of the field. The wardrobe became his lucky charm and made for some interesting viewing for poker fans.
"This shirt and this jacket and two other shirts … were loaned to me by a good friend who lives back home in Bridlington," he says. "I commented on how much I liked his shirts the last time we were here in Vegas and he offered to loan them to me for the trip this time. They so far have brought me very good luck."
A semi-retired businessman who owns a company that rents caravan vacation homes, he has a management team that looks after the company. The father of four and grandfather of seven has only $2,207 in tournament winnings with all his final table appearances (and his only recorded win) at Napoleon's Casino & Restaurant in Hull, U.K. A recreational poker player for 20 years, Hesp now plays about once a month – although he played a bit more in the months leading up the Main Event.
Hesp's everyman story resonated with fans. This is his first trip to the WSOP and he's never even played a large tournament. Playing in the Main Event has been a goal for years and this summer he decided it was time.
"I've never played a big competition like this, but it's one of the things I've had on my bucket list for a while now," he says. "I said to my wife about three months ago, 'Would you mind if I went and played?' and came with a pal of mine from Bridlington."
The friend who joined him to play in the WSOP busted on Day 3 and headed back home. However, since his story broke he hasn't been going it alone. Fans have cheered him on in the Rio, and he's heard from players all over the world. Fans on social media have expressed their love for his game.
"It's unbelievable, it's indescribable," he said on Day 6. "I tried to get some sleep last night and my phone's going ping-ping-ping as I get messages coming from all over the world – China, Russia, South America. I'm thinking, 'Who are these people wanting to get connected with me from all over the world.' Something's happened ... it just looks as though I've become an international poker celebrity in the span of 48 hours. How did that happen? I'm just a simple guy that's come to achieve my wish on my bucket list and I'm here."
He's more than just here – Hesp has become one of the stars in this play. A family man, his wife Mandy was on standby to jump on a plane and make the trip to Sin City should he make Friday's action. His family has been watching the PokerGO stream back in England, which is on a 30-minute delay.
"I guess it's probably about now they'll be raising the roof and finding out what's going on," he said after bagging his chips. "Clearly, it was totally unexpected not only by myself, but my whole family, friends, and circle back home. I think it's just been a whole amazing experience from Day 1 to now."
No doubt Mrs. Hesp has packed her bags to be on the rail cheering him on. For John Hesp, having her at his side seems like a fitting way to end this amazing poker story.
HOW HE GOT HERE
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 62,600 | 2,487/5,519 |
| 2 | 312,100 | 152/2,572 |
| 3 | 613,000 | 166/1,084 |
| 4 | 1,394,000 | 106/297 |
| 5 | 4,060,000 | 40/85 |
| 6 | 20,880,000 | 6/27 |
| 7 | 85,700,000 | 2/9 |
KEY HAND
One hand stands out that shows some of the instincts Hesp has displayed throughout the tournament. On Level 24 in Day 5 with blinds at 20,000-40,000 with a 5,000 ante, there was 700,000 in the pot and a board of 
. Hesp moved out a 300,000 from the big blind. In middle position Wen Zhou raised to 900,000. Contemplating his decision for a few minutes, Hesp made the call.
Zhou showed 
and Hesp tables 
. Hesp shouted "Yes!" and pumped his fists after making a great call for significant pot.
"I guess I picked the wrong time to bluff," Zhou said.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
While he has been playing poker for 20 years, Hesp has never played a big tournament. He'd never played at the WSOP, and only plays once a month in micro buy-in tournaments at his local casino. While he hasn't faced competition at this level, the big stage hasn't phased him and he's had no problem mixing it up with opponents – raising and re-raising.
Throughout the tournament, Hesp's unorthodox style and unexpected moves have confounded opponents and his instincts have also been good. When he senses he has the best hand, Hesp is not afraid to fearlessly make a move, but also makes nice laydowns when necessary. His game is under control and he has a knack for getting paid off with the best of it. Throughout the tournament, Hesp would often show his hands on a win. Does he plan to continue the practice?
"I don't know," he said. "It depends on how I feel. But really I've just got to keep calm and stay with it."
As the Hesp legend grew on later days, Hesp took the bright lights and cameras in stride, unconcerned about the pressure of the situation. While many have said poker at this stage is a young man's game, Hesp has defied that notion. He is spry and talkative at the table, ready for action and loving playing against younger pros with tons of skill.
Throughout the tournament, his multi-colored, multi-patterned outfits have caught players' eyes, but so has his fun attitude. His social game is working and a big run at the final table would truly prove the notion that anyone can get on a run and play with the best in poker.
Profile by Sean Chaffin.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
85,700,000 |