Dan Shak Leads Star-Studded Final Table in U.S. Poker Open Event #1: $10,000 NLHE
Dan Shak leads the final seven players in USPO Event #1: $10,000 No Limit Hold'em after bagging a chip-leading stack of 2,570,000 in chips.
Shak, who needs little introduction with nearly $11 million in live tournament earnings, was near the top of the chips counts near the end of the day. According to the Poker Central blog, Shak cemented his table captain status heading into the final table after he eliminated Aram Zobian in eighth place on the final table bubble.
Jake Daniels (2,120,000), and Steve Zolotow (2,100,000) were the only other players besides Shak to bag more than 2 million into the final table.
Joining this trio at the final table will be Tim McDermott (1,565,000), Sergi Reixach (1,440,000), Stephen Chidwick (1,085,000), and Barry Hutter (985,000).
Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Name | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sergi Reixach | Spain | 1,440,000 |
| 2 | Barry Hutter | United States | 985,000 |
| 3 | Jake Daniels | United States | 2,120,000 |
| 4 | Steve Zolotow | United States | 2,100,000 |
| 5 | Dan Shak | United States | 2,570,000 |
| 6 | Stephen Chidwick | United Kingdom | 1,085,000 |
| 7 | Tim McDermott | United States | 1,565,000 |
Action of the Day
The opening event attracted 95 entries to generate a $950,000 prize pool with 14 players getting paid at least a min-cash of $19,000.
The money broke in a three-way hand where Alex Foxen had committed his short stack with king-queen suited and was up against Chidwick's eights and Zobian's ace-nine. It appeared that Foxen would triple his stack after his queen connected on the flop to give him the top pair. However, a pair of runners came on the turn and river to give Chidwick a straight to bubble Foxen.
Sam Soverel, John Riordan, and Junichi Nakanowatari all finished in 12th to 14th places for a min-cash. Johan Guilbert and Bin Duan were the next two players to go in 10th to 11th places for a pay jump of $28,500.
Shannon Shorr was ousted by Chidwick in ninth place for $38,000 when his jack-nine suited didn't get there against king-ten suited and the day ended after Shak eliminated Zobian in eighth place for the same amount.
Where to Watch the Final Table?
The final seven players will return to the PokerGo Studios on June 4 with the action expected to begin at 3 p.m. EDT. PokerGO will live stream what promises to be some of the most exciting poker action of the year beginning at 4 p.m. EDT.
Remember, an annual subscription to PokerGO costs $99.99, but you can save $20 off by using promo code “USPO21” at checkout. Sign up by going here.
Final Table Payouts
All returning players are guaranteed at least a $47,500 payout with the eventual winner slated to take home a whopping $218,500 top prize.
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $218,500 |
| 2 | $152,000 |
| 3 | $114,000 |
| 4 | $95,000 |
| 5 | $76,000 |
| 6 | $57,000 |
| 7 | $47,500 |
*Images courtesy of Poker Central
In this Series
- 1 2021 U.S. Poker Open Begins Thursday With First of 12 Events
- 2 The USPO is Back: A Historical Look at PokerGO’s US Poker Open (USPO)
- 3 Dan Shak Leads Star-Studded Final Table in U.S. Poker Open Event #1: $10,000 NLHE
- 4 Jake Daniels Wins the U.S. Poker Open Event #1: $10,000 No Limit Hold'em ($218,500)
- 5 PokerGO Point Standings Leading Into 2021 US Poker Open; Imsirovic Leads
- 6 Sam Soverel Wins USPO Event #2: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha ($175,500)
- 7 Joe McKeehen Wins USPO Event #3: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em ($200,200)
- 8 Chris Brewer Transitions from Collegiate Runner to High-Stakes Poker Pro
- 9 John Riordan Wins U.S. Poker Open $10K Big Bet Mix ($163,200)
- 10 Joey Weissman Mounts Comeback for the Ages to Win USPO Event #5: $10K NLHE ($204,000)
- 11 Eli Elezra Defeats Zolotow & Negreanu to Win the USPO $10K 8-Game ($183,600)
- 12 David Peters Wins Record-Breaking USPO Event #7: $10,000 NLHE ($217,800)
- 13 No Gamble, No Future: Jeff Platt & Brent Hanks Chemistry Shines During USPO
- 14 Jared Bleznick Wins USPO Event #8: $10K PLO ($189,000)
- 15 Brock Wilson Banks on Building a Name for Himself at the USPO
- 16 Ali Imsirovic Catapults into USPO Lead after Winning Event #9: $10K NLHE ($217,800)
- 17 Inside Jared Bleznick’s Bizarre "Sports Cards" Interview After USPO Victory
- 18 David Peters Wins $10K Short Deck for his Second 2021 USPO Title ($124,200)
- 19 David Peters Wins Third USPO Title in Five Days in the Event #11: $25K NLHE ($465,750)
- 20 Sean Winter Defeats Stephen Chidwick to Win USPO Event #12: $50K NLHE ($756,000)
- 21 David Peters Wins Back-To-Back U.S. Poker Open Championships; Imsirovic Extends PokerGO Tour Lead
