After three and a half months of waiting, the final table of the 2016 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event – the November Nine, if you will – got underway Sunday night. Of course, Sunday night was October 30th, not November, which could be confusing, but that is because the U.S. Presidential Election is next Tuesday, the week the final table would normally take place, and thus the WSOP pushed the November Nine ahead a week. With the October shift plus having the final table broadcast opposite NFL’s Sunday Night Football and Major League Baseball’s historic World Series, it will be interesting to see if anyone actually watched.
Those who did watch saw Qui Nguyen build a spectacular chip lead heading into the second day of final table action. Let’s first take a look at what the chip counts looked like before play started last night:
1. Cliff Josephy – 74,600,000
2. Qui Nguyen – 67,925,000
3. Gordon Vayo – 49,375,000
4. Kenny Hallaert – 43,325,000
5. Michael Ruane – 31,600,000
6. Vojtech Ruzicka – 27,300,000
7. Griffin Benger – 26,175,000
8. Jerry Wong – 10,175,000
9. Fernando Pons – 6,150,000
Nguyen grabbed the lead on the very first hand of the night, getting into a raising battle with Cliff Josephy. A 1.25 million chip raise by Nguyen was followed by a 3.2 million chip three-bet by Josephy, but it was Nguyen’s 8.25 million chip four-bet that got Josephy to fold.
Fernando Pons, the amateur who essentially entered the Main Event on a whim, was the first to go, a not unexpected elimination, considering he was the short stack. On Hand 16 of the final table, he moved all-in for 4.625 million with A-6 and was called by Josephy, who had K-J. Josephy flopped a King and rivered another to knock out Pons in ninth place and regain the chip lead.
That left Jerry Wong as the short stack and guess what? He was the next to go. Wong did double-up once, but on Hand 60, his fate was sealed. Vojtech Ruzicka and Gordon Vayo both raised pre-flop before Wong moved all-in over the top for 8.5 million. Ruzicka raised again to 13.5 million, forcing Vayo out of the hand and setting up a showdown with Wong. Wong was nearly dead from the start, facing Ruzicka’s Queens with his own Jacks. And sure enough, there were no Jacks to come for Wong and he was eliminated in eight place.
Eight hands later, Vayo raised to 2.2 million pre-flop and Griffin Benger shoved for 7.325 with A-9 suited. Vayo called, flipping over pocket Tens. Benger did pair his 9 on the flop, but that was it as he was sent home in seventh place with one and a quarter million dollars. It was a hard luck final table for Benger, as he won just a single hand (when he moved all-in and got no callers) and admitted later that he had gone completely card dead.
Nguyen, in the meantime, even if he wasn’t always in the lead, was generally holding strong in the 70-90 million chip range. What got him his huge advantage was the last hand of the night. Kenny Hallaert raised to 2.3 million under-the-gun pre-flop and Nguyen re-raised to 5.7 million. Everyone folded to Hallaert who, perhaps surprisingly, went all-in for 35.625 million. Nguyen insta-called, revealing pocket Aces to Hallaert’s A-Q.
In the “thank you Captain Obvious” statement of the night, Tournament Director Jack Effel announced, “This is not a good spot for Kenny.”
Hallaert was able to flop top pair, giving him a little bit of a chance, but the next two cards were low, dashing any slight hopes he may have had as he hit the rail in sixth place. It was the largest pot of the Main Event, one which firmly established Nguyen as the man to beat today.
The second day of the November Nine will begin at 7:30pm ET and will conclude when just three players remain. Television coverage will begin at 8:00pm (30-minute delay) on ESPN2.
2016 World Series of Poker Main Event – November Nine Day 2 Chip Counts
1. Qui Nguyen – 128,625,000
2. Cliff Josephy – 63,850,000
3. Vojtech Ruzicka – 62,250,000
4. Gordon Vayo – 58,200,000
5. Michael Ruane – 23,700,000