Pros vs. Jones: One of These 3 Players is Hours Away From Poker Immortality
In the words of UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer, who just so happens to be a poker enthusiast, "iiiittt's tiiiime!" Well, almost time (depending on when you're reading this) — 2 p.m. PT, to be exact — for the final day of the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Three players will battle it out on the felt for a shot at $12.1 million and the world championship bracelet.
Steven Jones, Daniel Weinman, and Adam Walton, three Americans, will each be in for a grind tonight. Although Walton is technically the short stack with 165,500,000 chips, he'll begin play with over 80 big blinds and isn't far off Jones's lead (238,000,000), while the second place stack is even closer at 199,000,000. Barring a couple of coolers or some out-of-character play from these skilled individuals, strap in for a lengthy affair.
Bookmark this page! All you need to know about the 2023 WSOP is here.
Cards will be in the air at 1 p.m. but there will be a hour-long live-stream delay on PokerGO. PokerNews will provide hand-for-hand updates of the final day from start to finish.
Plenty of Dancing Chips
Last year, Espen Jorstad entered the final session of the Main Event with a commanding lead against Adrian Attenborough, while Michael Duek was on a true short stack. Jorstad used that big stack to his advantage and dominated play, much like he did throughout the entire final table, to win the 2022 world championship.
On Monday, the final session will likely play out much differently as all three players are not only capable of aggressive play, but they all have plenty of chips to make some moves. It will be interesting to see who comes out swinging early and whose strategy will be to wait patiently for the right opportunity. Will either of these three individuals play tight early in hopes of getting heads-up for the bracelet? That question will be answered fairly early on.
Weinman, given his experience in tournament play, seems to be the favorite according to social media. If true, his edge given the stacks, situation, and opposition likely isn't too wide. The poker pro from Atlanta had over $3.7 million in live tournament earnings prior to the start of the 2023 WSOP Main Event, according to Hendon Mob.
He's also a previous bracelet and WSOP Circuit ring winner. Walton, with $989,000 in prior tournament cashes, and Jones, a real estate broker from Arizona, had just $245,000 in Hendon Mob results, and they don't have near the pre-Main Event accolades of Weinman. But they've shown they're capable of battling, and defeating, tough competition throughout poker's world championship event.
Each of the three remaining players has a guaranteed minimum payout of $4 million, with $6.5 million going to the runner-up and $12.1 to the winner. The pay-jumps are massive and could impact their play.
Follow Live Coverage of the WSOP Main Event Final Table
In this Series
- 1 The 2023 WSOP Main Event is Underway: Jamie Gold Ready for Record to Be Broken
- 2 Agony of Defeat: Poker Player Runs Kings into Aces Twice Vs. Same Opponent, Busts Main Event Day 1
- 3 Espen Jorstad in Action, Ready to Defend World Championship
- 4 July 5, 2019: Reliving the Craziest Day in WSOP Main Event History
- 5 Poker Boom 2.0: 2023 WSOP Main Event Officially the Largest Ever
- 6 Two Players Bust on the First Hand of 2023 WSOP Main Event Day 1D
- 7 The Greatest Show: Hellmuth and Jungleman Make Grand Entrance into 2023 WSOP Main Event
- 8 Ex-Manchester City Striker Sergio Aguero Makes Surprise Entry into 2023 WSOP Main Event
- 9 Would You Fold Kings Preflop on Day 1 of the WSOP Main Event in This Spot?
- 10 Alexandra Botez & 888poker Ambassadors Make Day 2 of Main Event
- 11 Rapper Hoodie Allen Abandons Chips in Poker World Championship for Friend's Wedding
- 12 Online Poker Pioneer Isai Scheinberg Plays WSOP Main Event for the First Time
- 13 Phil Hellmuth Coolered Out of WSOP Main Event by Nicholas "Dirty Diaper" Rigby
- 14 2023 WSOP Main Event Registration Closes w/ 10,043 Entries & $12.1M to Winner
- 15 Tom Dwan Busts WSOP Main Event; What Would You Do Here?
- 16 Popular Rapper Returns in Time for Poker World Championship...And Gets Aces Cracked
- 17 The Muck: Was the WSOP Main Event Payout Structure Absurd?
- 18 Queen on the River Dashes Nicholas Rigby's WSOP Main Event Title Dreams
- 19 Pollster Nate Silver's Chances of Winning 2023 WSOP Main Event are Now 0%
- 20 Nicholas Rigby Busts Chance Kornuth in a 200 Big Blind Pot on Day 5
- 21 Moneymaker, Hachem Bust Day 5; All Past WSOP Main Event Champs Out
- 22 Nicholas Rigby Talks "Dirty Diaper" Strategy in the 2023 WSOP Main Event
- 23 Nightmare Runout Knocks Alexandra Botez Out of the WSOP Main Event
- 24 Father & Daughter Make the Money of the 2023 WSOP Main Event
- 25 Kings Lose to Aces on the Bubble of the 2023 WSOP Main Event
- 26 Do You Know Which Poker Player Just Set the Record of Cashing Seven Consecutive Live WSOP Main Events?
- 27 2023 WSOP Main Event Hands of the Week: Royal Flush Twice in 4 Hands; Miracle Running Kings
- 28 Would You Rather Get a WSOP Main Event Seat for Life or $200,000?
- 29 Alexandra Botez Wants the WSOP Main Event Stream to Be Free; Do You Agree?
- 30 Can Some Fool's Gold Help Adam Walton Capture the 2023 WSOP Main Event Bracelet?
- 31 Jones, Weinman and Walton to Battle for 2023 WSOP Main Event Title
- 32 Pros vs. Jones: One of These 3 Players is Hours Away From Poker Immortality
- 33 Adam Walton Jams 80 Big Blind Stack Into Pocket Aces, Busts WSOP Main Event
- 34 Daniel Weinman Wins Record-Breaking 2023 WSOP Main Event for $12,100,000
- 35 How Much Money Players at 2023 WSOP Main Event Final Table Really Made
