The final table has been set and the race for the trophy is on when Day 3 of the £1,100 888poker Live Manchester Main Event begins at noon local time.
Highlighting the final nine players who have navigated their way through the 279-player field is Jamie Walden. Walden broke through earlier this summer when he won the Poker Hall of Fame bounty event at the World Series of Poker for his first WSOP bracelet and $313,370 prize. He enters the final table in second chip position with 1,475,000, aiming to capture his second major title in as many months.
He’s looking up only at David Gee, who’s flopped quads at the end of play yesterday vaulted him up into the chip lead with 1,680,000. Gee has more than £160,000 in live career earnings and is in pole position to add the £60,000 first prize to his resume today.
Final Table chip counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Gee | United Kingdom | 1,680,000 | 84 |
| 2 | Jamie Walden | United Kingdom | 1,475,000 | 74 |
| 3 | Stephen Barnes | United Kingdom | 1,460,000 | 73 |
| 4 | Aram Ramadan | United Kingdom | 950,000 | 48 |
| 5 | Robert Boon | United Kingdom | 835,000 | 42 |
| 6 | Mark McDade | United Kingdom | 760,000 | 38 |
| 7 | Zhicheng Miao | United Kingdom | 505,000 | 25 |
| 8 | Man Li | United Kingdom | 460,000 | 23 |
| 9 | Qasim Zia | United Kingdom | 255,000 | 13 |
Stephen Barnes (1,460,000), Aram Ramadan (950,000), Robert Boon (835,000), Mark McDade (760,000), Zhicheng Miao (505,000), Man Li (460,000), and Qasim Zia (255,000) round out the rest of the final table lineup. They’ve each locked up £6,100 for making it this far.
The action at the final table picks up with 55 minutes remaining on Level 23 with blinds of 10,000-20,000 and a 20,000 big blind ante. The average stack at the start of play is worth more than 46 big blinds, so there is plenty of room for maneuvering as the players compete to be the last one standing. The final table will also be streamed on 888poker’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.
Stay tuned to PokerNews throughout the day as the battle for the championship concludes here inside the Grosvenor Casino in Manchester.