Are we having fun yet?
Just shy of 6,600 players entered the 2012 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Now there are just 27 – three tables – remaining. Each survivor to this point is guaranteed almost $300,000, but they all have their hearts set on much more. Leading the charge to the final table is Montreal’s Marc Ladouceur with 15.875 million chips. He, Daniel Strelitz (12.79 million) and Robert Salaburu (10.915 million) are the only three players to bag over 10 million chips at the end of Day 6.
Ladouceur began his rise to the top on the back of a monster bluff. He saw a flop of Q♠-4♥-4♦ with Amit Makhija and led out with 190,000 chip bet. Makhija, who had already checked, raised it up to 450,000, only to see Ladouceur re-raise to 710,000. Makhija slowed down and just called. The two checked the 7♥ on the turn, but after Makhija checked again when the A♣ was dealt on the river, Ladouceur put him all-in.
That rattled Makhija. He said he didn’t want to fold, but at the same time, he didn’t like the thought of calling his tournament life away. He hemmed and hawed and tanked some more before finally folding K♣-Q♠ for everyone to see. Ladouceur then revealed his bluff: J♠-9♦. He had nothing. Air. Even if Makhija didn’t pair his Queen, he still would have had the best hand.
The 3 million chip pot took Ladouceur, who finished 63rd in the 2011 WSOP Main Event, up to 6.6 million chips. That was the momentum he needed to begin his ascent to the top of the standings.
What really has the poker community buzzing, however, is the presence of two women in the field of 27. Both Norway’s Elisabeth Hille and France’s Gaelle Baumann are still in the running for the bracelet. Each is aiming to become just the second woman (or why not second and third?) to reach the WSOP Main Event final table. Barbara Enright is the sole woman to make it that far, doing so in 1995, when she placed 5th for $114,180. The highest finish by a female in recent years was 17th, accomplished by Tiffany Michelle in 2008.
Other players to keep an eye on are Greg Merson, who is trying to become the only double bracelet winner of 2012, and Jamie Robbins, who placed 11th in the 2009 Main Event. Both have already achieved great things in this tournament, but they have a chance to make an indelible mark on poker history.
The action at the final three tables will pick back up at 1:00pm PST and will continue until the November (October for this year) Nine is determined.
2012 World Series of Poker Main Event – End of Day 6 Chip Counts
1. Marc Ladouceur – 15,875,000
2. Daniel Strelitz – 12,790,000
3. Robert Salaburu – 10,915,000
4. Russell Thomas – 9,985,000
5. Elisabeth Hille – 9,770,000
6. Yuval Bronshtein – 9,735,000
7. Jamie Robbins – 8,750,000
8. Robert Corcione – 8,745,000
9. Cylus Watson – 8,500,000
10. Jeremy Ausmus – 8,300,000
11. Scott Abrams – 8,080,000
12. Greg Merson – 7,435,000
13. Jesse Sylvia – 7,385,000
14. Jacob Balsiger – 7,330,000
15. Michael Esposito – 7,045,000
16. Percy Mahatan – 6,750,000
17. Jan Heitmann – 6,390,000
18. Danny Wong – 6,360,000
19. David Balkin – 6,330,000
20. Gaelle Baumann – 5,530,000
21. Roland Israelashvili – 5,525,000
22. Steven Gee – 4,830,000
23. Robert Buckenmayer – 4,410,000
24. Andras Koroknai – 3,125,000
25. Wilfried Haerig – 2,665,000
26. Paul Volpe – 2,650,000
27. Nicco Maag – 1,300,000
