November Nine down to three in 2011 WSOP Main Event

While watching the ESPN “Live Feed” of the 2011 World Series of Poker I was in shock that the final three had a chance to be decided before the dinner break! Something considered unthinkable in a tournament known for its 12+ hour final tables. But this is precisely where we stood over 30 minutes before the dinner break with just four players remaining -of course after an 1.5 hour dinner break the foursome managed to drag the last elimination out until 1:30AM Eastern time.

Here is a look at how the tournament got to that point:

9^th place Sam Holden ($782,115): Holden pushed with AJ and found himself up against the AK of Ben Lamb

8^th place Anton Makiievskyi ($1,010,015): Makiievskyi found his tournament life on the line in a race situation, which he won on the flop, but lost on the turn. Makiievskyi held KQ vs. Pius Heinz’s 99: The board ran out K-J-J-9-X.

7^th place Bob Bounhara ($1,314,097): Bounhara was grinded down in the early action, as the amateur was a little too cally for my liking. But overall he showed himself well.

6^th place Eoghan O’Dea ($1,720,831): O’Dea acquitted himself well and had a chance to become a force in the tournament (and eliminate Ben Lamb in the process) only to see Lamb get there on the river holding Q8 against O’Dea’s A9.

5^th place Phil Collins ($2,269,599): Collins, like O’Dea, simply had a hard time maintaining any kind of momentum throughout the day. In the end it was Pius Heinz who would collect the scalp of Collins, sending the man many experts picked to win the whole thing home in 5^th place.

4^th place Matt Giannetti ($3,012,700): Giannetti was cruising along for most of the day and was playing perhaps the best poker of anyone at the table. And for this he was punished by the poker gods who saw fit to let Ben Lamb’s A7s outdraw Giannetti’s Pocket Jacks in a critical all-in match-up - this came after Pius Heinz raided Giannetti’s chip-stack after his bluff turned into the best hand on a 3-outer on the turn. Giannetti would be crippled by the hand and eliminated soon therafter when Ben Lamb flopped Quad Kings. He really does “Run-Good!

That leaves us with a final three for Tueaday’s action that includes Lamb, Martin Staszko, and Pius Heinz. Here is a look at how the three finalists will enter Tuesday’s play:

1.       Pius Heinz — 107,800,000

2.       Ben Lamb — 55,400,000

3.       Martin Staszko — 42,700,000