James Anderson won among the final bracelets of the 2019 World Series of Poker Friday evening at the Rio when he bested an enormous field of 6,248 gamers in the $1,111 Little One for One Drop.

It was the first WSOP bracelet for the Pittsburg native. He defeated Fernando Karam heads-up for the title, which deserved $690,686. Karam took home $426,543 for his runner-up finish. The score was the largest of his occupation and also provides him greater than $2.3 million in tournament earnings.

Anderson’s second-biggest score came at the WSOP Circuit Regional Championship in 2010. It was a $10,000 buy-in as well as he took it down for $525,449.

He played seriously for a couple of years after that, yet ultimately took five years off from the WSOP 2019 was the very first year he moneyed in a WSOP event because 2014. His go back to the Rio was a lucrative one. He paid seven times and topped it off with a bracelet success.

“I wanted to get away from the ga me for a little bit,” Anderson told WSOP reporters following the tournament. “I was grinding really hard and I wanted to take a little break from it. I feel good now. My mind is a lot fresher now. I have a different perspective and hopefully, it continues. It’s a good start.”

The final table was reached late Thursday night and the final five players bagged up chips and came back Friday at noon to play down to a winner. Bob Mather, Ying Fu, Mark Strodl and Nils Tolpingrud made the final table and busted before the final day.

Karam came into the final day as the chip leader with nearly double what Liran Betito had behind him second in chips.

Anderson scored a huge double up through Betito early in the day with A-4 all in on a flop of Q-5-3 against Betito’s Q-9. A deuce came on the turn to give Anderson the wheel, the double up and a temporary chip lead. Anderson lost the chip lead three-handed and went into the heads-up battle with Karam as a 3:1 chip dog.

Anderson quickly closed the gap and then moved into the lead for good when his pocket A-6 sucked out against Karam’s A-Q. He finished off Karam with K-5 all in preflop against Q-4.

Shalom Elharar was eliminated in fifth, Betito in fourth and Marco Guibert was out in third.

Final Table Results

While most of the attention at the Rio was centered around the World Series of Poker main event, Stephanie Dao was in the back corner of the Amazon room quietly winning her first career WSOPbracelet.

Dao bested a field of 193 entries in the $3,000 limit hold’em six-max. She defeated Alain Alinatheads-up to earn the title and the $132,189 first-place prize. It’s Dao’s second final table after a fourth-place finish in the ladies’ event netter her $52,007.

Dao, who resides in Canada, plays limit hold’em regularly at cardrooms in Ontario. Tournaments, however, are a new experience for her.

“For about five years, I didn’t play any tournaments at all,” Dao told WSOP reporters after her win. “I was giving up on it. Then I had a deep run at [an event in Canada]. It gave me the motivation to play more tournaments. I’m very happy with the outcome this year.”

Dao came into the final table as the chip leader and extended it early on. About two hours into the day, Oleg Chebotarev was eliminated in sixth by Alinat. Early in five-handed play, Dao had about half of the chips in play.

By the end of that same level, however, Ian O’Hara had taken over the chip lead. O’Hara knocked out Jan Suchanek in fifth and Alinat sent Chad Eveslage home in fourth.

Alinat, O’Hara and Dao all took turns with the chip lead during three-handed play. Dao got the best of O’Hara and eliminated the Florida pro in third, giving her a nearly 2:1 chip lead against Alinat. The Frenchman briefly overtook her for the lead, but ultimately fell when his K-Q couldn’t hold up against Dao’s K-9.

Official Final Table Results

The 2019 WSOP Main Event field has actually trimmed from 8,569 players to 354 and also while we do not understand who will certainly claim the $10 million reward on July 16, we do understand it will not be a previous champion. Qui Nguyen, the 2017 world champ, was the last previous champion still depending on Day 4 but was gotten rid of before the session ended.

While most of the big name pros are gone, there are still some acquainted faces returning for Day 5. That includes previous NFL celebrity protective end Richard Seymour, Mike Matusow, Antonio Esfandiari, and also Todd Brunson. And we absolutely can’t ignore our own discussion forum member Jacki Burkhart who left the Rio on Tuesday with lots of chips.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie Part II?

In 2005, Joe Hachem put on a show when he won the Main Event. He rapidly came to be a crowd favorite at the final table for his sophisticated demeanor as well as energetic rail that shouted, “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oy! Oy! Oy!” after every pot he won.

The Australian poker champ busted on Day Three except the money. But his child, Daniel, is still grinding, wishing to follow in his footsteps as a Main Event champion.

Daniel Hachem, whose appearance leaves no doubt he’s related to the 2005 world champion, bagged 2,450,000 chips. That’s good for 55th out of 354 remaining players.

Hachem isn’t the only child of a previous Main Event champion still standing, however. Todd Brunson, whose Poker Hall of Fame father Doyle, ended up Day 4 with 1,151,000, which is around the average. The elder Brunson won the Main Event in 1976 and 1977. The Brunson’s are the only parent-child combo in the Poker Hall of Fame.

Other Notable Day Five Chip Stacks

• Antonio Esfandiari (2,583,000)
• Dario Sammartino (2,352,000)
• Olivier Busquet (2,041,000)
• Jacki Burkhart (1,503,000)
• Alex Foxen (933,000)
• Mike Matusow (726,000)
• Jay Farber (436,000)
• Cary Katz (200,000)

Dean Morrone, an 888poker online qualifier, has the biggest stack (4,980,000).

Cary Katz pulled double duty on Tuesday. He went back and forth from the Main Event to the $50,000 High Roller which was also running in the Amazon room. The Poker Central founder also cashed in the high roller, finishing 12th for $112,357.

Brandon Adams, who recently won a bracelet in an online event, leads heading into the $50k final table.

Rough Day for Past Champions

Chris Moneymaker making the final table would have made for an exciting story. But the 2003 champion, who cashed in the Main Event for the first time in 16 years, was eliminated on Day Four in 687th place ($20,200).

Moneymaker’s demise left two past champions – Qui Nguyen and Johnny Chan. Chan was nursing a small stack for most of the day and the 1987 and 1988 winner busted in 560th place ($24,560).

It was up to Nguyen to carry the torch. And for quite some time it appeared he was destined for another deep run. But after getting his kings cracked by a set, he lost a big chunk of his stack. On his final hand, he moved all-in pre-flop with pocket fives but ran into a slightly better pair – sixes. The 2016 Main Event champion was eliminated in 455th place ($30,780).

So, when Day Five kicks off at noon PT on Wednesday, every remaining player will by vying for their first Main Event title.

The 2019 World Series of Poker $10,000 buy-in main event drew the second-largest field in its history, attracting 8,569 players. After three full days of tournament action, that field has already been narrowed down to just 1,286 players, all of whom are now in the money. The money bubble burst shortly before 1:00 a.m. local time when Ryan Pochedly called off the last of his stack with A-K on a 8Diamond Suit7Heart Suit3Spade SuitKDiamond Suit7Club Suit board, only to find out that his opponent Julian Pineda had made trips with his 7Spade Suit6Spade Suit.

Pochedly was awarded entry into the 2020 main event as a consolation prize from the WSOP, along with a signature board in the shape of a bracelet that featured the signatures of many of the games biggest stars.

With Pochedly’s elimination, the remaining 1,286 all locked up a minimum payday of $15,000, and are alive in this event with a shot at the championship bracelet and the top prize of $10,000,000.

Andrew Brokos ended day 3 second in chips

Heading into day 4, Preben Stokkan holds the chip lead with 2,184,000. Other top stacks include Andrew Brokos (1,906,000), Ryan Dodge (1,800,000), WSOP bracelet winner Galen Hall (1,658,000), Cassio Pisapia (1,646,000) and Chris Hunichen (1,618,000).

There are several more big names with healthy stacks following the end of day 3, including Jean-Robert Bellande (1,126,000), Joseph Cheong (1,068,000), Jack Salter (1,015,000), Matt Stout (1,011,000), Max Silver (978,000), November Niner Eoghan O’Dea (946,000), two-time bracelet winner Eric Baldwin (916,000), Tom Cannuli (780,000_ Adam Levy (751,000), three-time bracelet winner Antonio Esfandiari (740,000) and Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier (727,000).

Three former winners of the main event are still alive with a chance of becoming repeat champions. 2013 WSOP main event winner Chris Moneymaker bagged up 681,000, 2016 champion Qui Nguyen ended with 669,000, and two-time main event champion Johnny Chan will come into day 4 with 498,000. Former champs to hit the rail on day 3 included Joe Hachem, Jim Bechtel, Scotty Nguyen and defending champion John Cynn.

Two-time WSOP main event ‘last woman standing’ Kelly Minkin spent much of her day at one of the three featured tables in the Amazon room. Minkin finished the day with 456,000, securing her third cash in this event in the last five years. She finished 29th in 2015 and 50th last year.

“I can’t say I’m surprised, because I expect myself to go deep every time I play the main event, but it’s a relief that we’re finally in the money,” said Minkin after play ended.

“I want to be the last person standing and win the main event, that would be incredible,” said Minkin when asked for her thoughts on being the last highest-finishing female player in this event multiple times. “But I do think there is something to say about being the last woman, given that I guess this year there were only 350 total women in the field. So, if how I finish and my success in this event can encourage other women to get into poker, that’s amazing.”

Among the 1,594 players that were eliminated on day 3 were plenty of notables like Igor Kurganov, Asi Mishe, Phil Hui, Loni Harwood, David Bach, Calvin Anderson, TJ Cloutier, and Nick Schulman, who was set-over-setted by Joseph Cheong to lose a huge chunk of his stack late in the day.

The final 1,286 players will return for day 4 at noon on Tuesday, July 9. Play was halted following the bursting of the bubble with 6 minutes and 26 seconds remaining at 3,000 – 6,000 blinds and a big blind ante of 6,000 for level 15.

World Poker Tour G.O.A.T. Darrren Elias couldn’t escape the pocket aces curse on Day Two at WPT Choctaw as the bubble burst, but he did secure his record 36th cash.

Arthur Morris, however, made it through to Day Three in this $3,700 buy-in tournament with the chip lead out of 31 remaining players. With 1,482,000 chips, he has a slight advantage over Trung Pham who bagged 1,325,000.

No Champions Left

Numerous past WPT champions advanced to Day Two on Sunday, but none of them survived the session. So, that means we’re guaranteed to have a first-time winner. And it could be Morris, who doesn’t have an extensive poker tournament resume.

Day Three begins at noon CT from Choctaw Casino in Durant, Oklahoma. Play will run until the final table of six has been achieved. At that point, the tournament will take an 11-day break and resume on May 31 in Las Vegas as the HyperX Esports Arena on the Strip.

The World Poker Tour is shifting many of its final tables to that Sin City venue. WPT Choctaw will take place the same week as the Aria Summer Championship, which is also in Las Vegas. Those two final tables will wrap up the 2018-2019 WPT season leading up to the June 1 Tournament of Champions, which is only open to Champions Club members.

Darren Elias, of course, is one of those Champions Club members as he is the only four-time winner in tour history. On Sunday, he fell victim to the pocket aces curse.

Elias ran into Ahmad Popal’s flopped set of 3’s on a dry board and was eliminated in 63rd place for $6,695. That gave him his 36th career WPT cash, extending his previous record.

It was a disappointing finish for arguably the greatest player in World Poker Tour history. Not long before that final hand he had over 100 big blinds and was among the chip leaders. Texas hold’em can be a crazy game at times. You can go from hero to zero in a matter of minutes.

Is it Finally David Pham’s Time?

Most of the big name pros are out but one WPT crusher remains. David Pham just might be the best player in tour history to have never won a title. And he bagged an above-average stack (889,000) on Day Two.

Pham has made seven career World Poker Tour final tables and has nearly $2.5 million in cashes. But he still isn’t a Champions Club member. Perhaps, his time has finally come?

WPT Choctaw Chip Leaders

1. Arthur Morris (1,482,000)
2. Trung Pham (1,325,000)
3. Craig Varnell (1,290,000)
4. Nick Pupillo (1,272,000)
5. Will Berry (1,246,000)

Throughout its 50th anniversary collection on June 29, the WSOP is hosting a First Fifty Honors as well as Dinner, a ceremony commemorating casino poker greatness. Long-time online poker commentators Norman Chad and also Lon McEachearn will certainly hold the special occasion.

The occasion is open to past bracelet victors and also select VIP’s. Fans can elect on the 7 awards categories on the WSOP internet site. It takes just a number of mins to submit your votes. We’ve made our picks and will certainly share those with you in a little bit. However do not let our selections influence your point of views. They are purely our selections.

Anyone in the United States or Canada who casts a vote is instantly entered into an arbitrary drawing to win a prize, that includes cost-free entries into gold bracelet events such as the brand-new $1,000 MIni Main Event on July 1.

CardsChat Picks

The categories for the First Fifty along with our picks are as follows:

Most Memorable WSOP TV Hand

Some unforgettable hands here, consisting of the ill poor beat in the 2010 Main Event in between Matt Affleck and the eventual champ Jonathan Duhamel. Affleck’s aces got fractured on the river by the champ’s jacks– he struck a straight– in what was the biggest pot of the tournament up to that factor. However, by far, Chris Moneymaker’s bluff heads-up versus Sammy Farha in the 2003 Main Event was the most iconic aired poker hand, perhaps ever.

Best Overall WSOP Performance (Single Year)

We’ll select Phil Ivey in 2002 here. He won 3 bracelets as well as made seven last tables. What makes this perforance so unbelievable was he did it prior to the casino poker boom where most gamers in each event was a pro. There weren’t as lots of fish to indulge off.

Most Likely to Succeed (Player currently 35 or Under to Win the Most Gold Bracelets between 2020-2070)

The candidates in this classification are a little out of order despite the fact that the players are all excellent. However Jason Mercier and also Fedor Holz are primarily relinquished texas hold’em. Shaun Deeb, Justin Bonomo, as well as Dominik Nitsche are unbelievable gamers that have bright futures. Yet we’ll choose Joe Cada as a result of his expertise in large-field tournaments.

Fan Favorite Player

We’ll refrain from picking a winner here as we strive to be objective and root for the success of everyone. The choices are, however, exceptional: Doyle Brunson, Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Maria Ho, and Phil Ivey.

WSOP’s Favorite Bad Boy

It’s hard to go against Phil Hellmuth in this category. He’s a 15-time bracelet winner and despite his crude table demeanor at times, he’s quite friendly away from the table. Plus, he’s one of the greatest poker players ever.

Most Impressive Main Event Win

Chris Moneymaker’s 2003 world title was the most impressive, no doubt. We say that because he was an amateur in a field of professionals, in a year where no one thought an Average Joe could win.

Four Most Important Players in WSOP History

Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Chris Moneymaker, and Phil Hellmuth. No player in history has brought more people to the game than these four individuals.

Rui Cao outlasted an area of 98 entrants consisting of 51 reentries to win the Triton Poker Montenegro HKD 1,000,000 Short Deck Main Event at the 2019 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Montenegro for HKD 26,300,000 ($3,350,725).

The win almost increased Cao’s lifetime profession profits to $7.5 million as well as pushed him from tenth to 5th put on The Hendon Mob’s France All Time Cash Checklist past the similarity Sylvain Loosli (sixth– $7.4 million), Fabrice Soulier (seventh– $6.4 million), Roger Hairabedian (8th– $5.2 million), Jean-Noel Thorel (nine– $5.1 million), as well as Julien Martini (tenth– $4.1 million).

Long List of Talent in Triton Poker Short Deck Event

As has become popular on the scenic tour, the celebrities were out active. Sitting down inside Maestral Resort & Gambling Establishment, Budva, Cao had to conquer Isaac Haxton and Nikita Bodyakovskiy to declare his initial live title.

After battling with Day 1 on My 10, the man that completed second in last year’s Montenegro centerpiece was in a comfortable placement. That form proceeded right into the second day and onto the last table.

As the chips began to fly on May 12, short-stack Tong Siow Choon was the very first to drop. Relocating with a pair of jacks, the Malaysian was sent to the rail by Kenneth Kee that hit the flop with An ATM MACHINE K ♦.

With the get rid of floodgates open, Cao gradually took control. After seeing the abovementioned Haxton and afterward Canadian event professional Daniel Dvoress loss, the brief deck enthusiast secured the offer.

Cao Clinches First Title

Cao had two close calls last year to win his first Triton Poker title. The victory was not only his first Triton Poker title but also his first time he hoisted the winner’s trophy in any live poker tournament.

“First time I ever won a tournament, and this is a good one,” Cao told Triton Poker after his big win. “So I’m happy.”

2019 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Montenegro Short Deck Main Event Results

Bryn Kenney is the champ of the Triton Montenegro Main Event, winning $2.7 million for his efforts, enough to bring him as much as 4th place on online poker’s all-time incomes checklist. He currently likewise moves right into 2nd position on New York’s career checklist, much less than $400,000 reluctant of catching Erik Seidel.

With that success, Kenney concluded an excellent series at the Triton Super High Roller Series. He paid for, obtain this, $4.14 million in the series, consisting of two titles. Not a negative means to get ready for the World Series of Poker.

Heater of a Lifetime

Bryn Kenney gets on a heating system similar to Justin Bonomo last year or Fedor Holz in 2016. On top of those $4.14 million in squander in Montenegro we already mentioned, the New Yorker has an extra $5 million in competition revenues this year, bringing his 2019 total over $9.1 million, for those of you who do not have a calculator convenient.

Here’s an even crazier stat, one that appears virtually astounding to those that grind reduced as well as mid-stakes online poker games. Bryn’s $2.7 million score in the Main Event, which is life-changing money for the majority of, isn’t even his greatest cash money of the year. In March, he likewise scooped the HK $2,000,000 No-Limit Hold ’em for HK $24,039,500, which relates to $3,062,513 in US dollars.

He’s gone from around $25 million in profession pays to simply under $35 million in 5 months. That puts him at 4th all-time as well as second in his residence state of New York, concerning $350,000 behind Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel.

Sick Final Table

Speaking of Seidel, he had a possibility to maintain a firmer grip on his lead on Friday. The 1988 WSOP Main Event runner-up likewise made the last table yet was eliminated in 7th area for $440,842. That supplied Kenney a chance to nearly catch him on New York’s all-time listing.

Kenney’s run to the Triton Main Event champ wasn’t all luck. In a hand versus the young up-and-coming Mikita Bodziakouski, he pulled off a critical bluff with a low pair on a straight connected board.

Triton’s Main Event saw 44 players get in with 31 of them re-buying. Simply nine players paid with Jason Koon being the initial to go (ninth place) after the bubble ruptured. He made $261,193. Sam Greenwood, Erik Seidel, Mikita Badziakouski, and Paul Phua were among those who made the final table.

Triton Montenegro Main Event Results

1. Bryn Kenney (USA) $2,713,859
2. Daniel Tang (Hong Kong) $1,796,498
3. Peter Jetten (Canada) $1,223,148
4. Mikita Badziakouski (Belarus) $925,005
5. Sam Greenwood (Canada) $719,873)
6. Paul Phua (Malaysia) $560,609
7. Erik Seidel (USA) $440,842
8. Matthias Eibinger (Austria) $341,462
9. Jason Koon (USA) $261,193