Event 61: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event
Day 7 Completed
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 61: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event
Day: 7
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2012 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$62,021,200
Entries
6,598
Level
42
Blinds
1,000,000 / 2,000,000
Ante
300,000
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
43,875,000 | |
|
29,375,000 | |
|
28,725,000 | |
|
||
|
24,800,000 | |
|
16,860,000 | |
|
16,260,000 | |
|
15,155,000 | |
|
13,115,000 | |
|
9,805,000 | |
|
||
Level 32
: 100,000/200,000, 30,000 ante
We started with 6,598 players, in for ten grand apiece. They came from 82 different countries, aged from 21 to 92. And after a wild week-and-a-half just nine remain with chips and hopes of becoming the next world champion of poker.
There's no other tournament like it... the World Series of Poker Main Event.
From that huge field just 27 remained to start today, led by Marc Ladouceur of Quebec, Canada who had already improved on his 63rd-place finish in the WSOP Main Event a year ago. The plan was to play down to a final nine who will return October 28-30 to find the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion.
The first level saw just a couple of eliminations — Nicco Maag (27th) and Jan Heitmann (26th) — two of the three Germans left in the field. Meanwhile, Robert Salaburu spent that first level playing frequently and aggressively, and found himself at the top of the counts going into the first break.
The next two-hour level saw an increase in the blinds and frequent all-in shoves by short stacks at all three of the remaining tables. Roland Israelashvili (25th), Daniel Strelitz (24th), and Yuval Bronshtein (23rd) hit the rail early in Level 31, with Strelitz having tumbled quickly from having started the day in second position. Cylus Watson (22nd) and Robert Corcione (21st) would also exit before the level concluded. Meanwhile, Russell Thomas won the race to become the first to cross the 20 million-chip mark, and when the next level began Salaburu, Scott Abrams, and Jacob Balsiger would join him in moving past the milestone.
They'd play one more hour before breaking for dinner, during which five players hit the rail. Once Paul Volpe (20th) and Jamie Robbins (19th) fell, they'd redraw for the final two tables, and on the first hand after that the Australian David Balkin would go out in 18th in a hand which saw his pocket aces cracked by Michael Esposito.
The 67-year-old Robert Buckenmayer would follow in 17th when his 
failed to improve against Wilfried Harig's 
. Then Salaburu took care of Percy Mahatan in 16th after turning two pair against the latter's queens.
The break arrived, with Balsiger, Salaburu, and Abrams in front. But also among the final 15 were two of the 211 women who'd entered the Main Event — Elisabeth Hille and Gaelle Baumann. It has been 17 years since Barbara Enright made a WSOP Main Event final table, the only time in the 43-year history of the Series it has ever happened. Thus was the possibility of one or perhaps both of the remaining women making it through on everyone's minds as play resumed.
Soon the field would shrink further. Like Balkin before him, Wilfried Harig would also see pocket aces fail him against Greg Merson. All in before the flop with 
against Harig's 
, the last remaining German would see Merson turn two pair, and one card later Harig was out in 15th.
The next hour was punctuated by dramatic double-ups for Koroknai (twice), Baumann, and Jesse Sylvia, with Sylvia riding the momentum of his all of the way to the chip lead at the next mid-level break.
Soon after players returned, Danny Wong — crippled earlier versus Koroknai — was knocked out in 14th after committing his short stack with 
against Greg Merson's 
and failing to improve.
Next it would be start-of-day leader Marc Ladouceur seeing his run end in 13th place. All in with 
against Greg Merson's pocket fours, Ladouceur would see two sevens flop, but a four as well, and two cards later they were down to a dozen.
Later it would be Scott Abrams falling in 12th after getting his big stack in with top pair and a flush draw versus chip leader Jesse Sylvia's set of sevens then failing to get there. Just 11 were left, including both Elisabeth Hille and Gaelle Baumann, although both were on short stacks and occupying the last two spots in the counts.
Soon Hille would be all in with hers and hoping her would improve versus Andras Koroknai's pocket sevens. But the board brought no help and Hille left us in 11th.
They redrew for the 10-handed not-quite-final final table, which would ultimately last an orbit-and-a-half. Baumann would score a timely double-up once after waking up with pocket kings in the big blind. She'd shove a second time and get no callers. Soon she'd be all in again with 
against Andras Koroknai's 
, and despite the roars of encouragement from the crowd, no card came to improve Baumann's hand, and she was out in 10th, making the two women the final eliminations of the summer.
What an incredible conclusion to the summer! And there's still more to come!
Jesse Sylvia will be carrying the WSOP Main Event chip lead over the next three-plus months. And by making it this far, Greg Merson is now guaranteed at least 100 WSOP Player of the Year points, meaning even if he finishes in ninth in October, he'll have 581.13 points which will push him past current leader Phil Ivey (with WSOP Europe still in play as well).
Here is how that final table will look when players return in October:
| Seat | Player | Country | Age | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russell Thomas | USA | 24 | 24,800,000 |
| 2 | Jacob Balsiger | USA | 21 | 13,115,000 |
| 3 | Jeremy Ausmus | USA | 32 | 9,805,000 |
| 4 | Steven Gee | USA | 57 | 16,860,000 |
| 5 | Greg Merson | USA | 24 | 28,725,000 |
| 6 | Jesse Sylvia | USA | 26 | 43,875,000 |
| 7 | Robert Salaburu | USA | 27 | 15,155,000 |
| 8 | Andras Koroknai | Hungary | 30 | 29,375,000 |
| 9 | Michael Esposito | USA | 43 | 16,260,000 |
Thanks to everyone for following our coverage all summer long here at PokerNews. It's been another amazing seven-and-a-half weeks in Vegas. See you in October!
After 12 hours of play, 27 players are whittled down to the WSOP Main Event Final Table of Nine. Photos by Ed Malluk & Joe Giron, Poker News Photo Team
Gaelle Baumann moved all in for 5.2 million from the hijack seat, Andras Koroknai called in the small blind, and Michael Esposito folded from the big blind.
Baumann:
Koroknai:
Chants of "Nine! Nine! Nine!" filled the mothership before the flop fell 
. Baumann could now chop with a three or any running pair cards.
The crowd erupted at the sight of the 
on the turn, even though it didn't pair Baumann. The last woman standing could only be saved by a nine (win), a three (chop) or an eight (chop).
The 
completed the board, and the rail exploded. Those who made the official final table celebrated, while Baumann's French contingent fell momentarily silent.
Then, for one last time, the crowd serenaded her with chants of "Gaelle Baumann."
The Octo-Nine is now set, and we will have full chip counts for you shortly.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
||
Chip leader Jesse Sylvia started with the button. It folded around to Gaelle Baumann in the cutoff who moved all in for 4.39 million. Sylvia folded, the blinds both studied their hands briefly and let them go, and Baumann adds the blinds and antes to her stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,240,000
580,000
|
580,000 |
|
|
||
Level 34
: 150,000/300,000, 40,000 ante
Gaelle Baumann had the button. Steven Gee opened for 600,000 and the rest of the players got out of the way.
Level 34
: 150,000/300,000, 40,000 ante
Greg Merson opened to 600,000 from the button. Jesse Sylvia called out of the big blind, and checked when the flop fell 
. Merson fired 850,000, and picked up the pot.
It folded all of the way around to Steven Gee on the button who raised to 700,000. Greg Merson paused about 20 seconds, then reraised to 1.8 million from the small blind. Gaelle Baumann then moved all in for 1.78 million from the big blind, and Gee quickly folded.
Merson turned over 
and Baumann showed she had woken up with… !
The flop came 
, and the raucous crowed reacted to the sight of the jack. The turn then brought the 
and another "ohhhhh!!!" "Deuce! Deuce!" cried the crowd. Finally Timmy the dealer burned a card and delivered the river… the 
! As called for! Baumann survived!
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
27,730,000
20,295,000
|
20,295,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
4,660,000
-870,000
|
-870,000 |
|
|
||
The button was on Jeremy Ausmus is Seat 3 when action folded to Steven Gee in the small blind and he raised to 800,000. Greg Merson made the call from the big and it was heads-up to the 
flop. Gee checked, Merson bet 1 million, and Gee woke up with a check-raise to 3 million. Merson thought for a brief moment and then sent his cards to the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
29,555,000
-1,945,000
|
-1,945,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
16,910,000
1,110,000
|
1,110,000 |