For the first time ever, World Poker Tour (WPT) host Mike Sexton reached the final table of an open event. Sexton will headline the Bay 101 Shooting Star final six today, although he is the low man on the totem pole entering the finale at 363,000 in chips, or just 18 big blinds.
Sexton acknowledged to WPT Executive Tournament Director Matt Savage that he had a long road ahead: “It’s always fun getting there, but when you’re there on the extreme short stack like I am, chances are I’ll be the first one out. But, you never know what might happen.”
A wealth of internet poker pros coughed up the $10,000 buy-in to enter the California poker tournament and Sexton told Savage what it was like playing with “young kids” a third of his age: “It’s tough. They are good. My first table on Day 1, I was sitting with six guys who didn’t look like they were 22 years old. They’re terrific players. All day today, there were great players all around me. I mean I’m telling you, these guys are tough. I mean really tough.”
What’s going to happen when the broadcast hits Fox Sports Net airwaves later this year as part of Season IX of the WPT? Sexton joked, “I don’t know! Vince might be by himself. They may find somebody. I’m down there playing for $1 million. Let the WPT worry about it!”
Also making waves in San Jose was Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar, who reached the final table after finishing second in the L.A. Poker Classic a few weeks ago. Rajkumar is just one of a handful of players to make back-to-back WPT final tables, a list that includes John Juanda, Phil Ivey, Antonio Esfandiari, Danny Wong, and Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi. Rajkumar is fourth in chips with 1.6 million.
Tyler “puffinmypurp” Reiman was the Final Table Bubble Boy after running pocket tens into Mike Matusow’s pocket queens. The Full Tilt Poker pro found a set of queens on the turn, leaving Reiman drawing dead to the river and setting up today’s six-handed finale. Matusow is third in chips with 2.2 million and the entire table is staring up at Steven Kelly’s mound of 4.2 million. Following Reiman’s exit, Matusow pronounced to the assembled crowd, “It’s my time, boys and girls! It’s my time!”
In one of the key hands of Thursday’s action, Matusow shoved all-in on a seemingly harmless flop of J-6-5 rainbow. Sexton, who told Savage that he held two kings, went into the tank for five minutes before electing to fold. Sexton explained that Matusow had played “like a rock” all day and would not bluff him in that situation.
Sent packing yesterday was Shooting Star Kathy Liebert, who Tweeted her demise: “Ran into flopped quads against my A-A last hand.” She then Re-Tweeted a post from WPT host Vince Van Patten that read, “With 11 players left Mike Sexton still has chips! Bingo bango bongo, who says u can only slide so far on barbed wire?! Go Mike.”
Here are the final table chip counts at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star event:
1. Steven Kelly – 4,169,000 (209 big blinds)
2. Alan Sternberg – 3,701,000 (185 big blinds)
3. Mike Matusow – 2,173,000 (109 big blinds)
4. Vivek Rajkumar – 1,616,000 (81 big blinds)
5. Casey McCarrel – 430,000 (22 big blinds)
6. Mike Sexton – 363,000 (18 big blinds)
Here are the six paydays up for grabs:
1st Place: $1,039,000
2nd Place: $595,300
3rd Place: $369,800
4th Place: $295,800
5th Place: $221,800
6th Place: $148,000
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star final table.
Image Courtesy WPT