No Repeat for Barnhart; Follows up 2011 Win with 49th-Place Finish

Sam Barnhart, who was the defending champion of this event, was spotted at the payout desk and informed us of the unfortunate news that he has been eliminated. It happened when he pushed his short stack all in preflop with {K-} {10-} only to run into the {A-} {Q-} of his opponent. The board ran out dry and Barnhart was eliminated in 49th place.

His elimination marked the end of an incredible one-year journey that made waves in the poker world. After satelliting into last year's Harrah's Tunica Main Event, Barnhart went on to win the tournament, qualifying for the National Championship in the process. He then took down that event, winning $300,000, before going deep in the WSOP Main Event, where he finished in 17th place and brought his total winnings for a six-month period up over $800K.

While he was certainly hoping to repeat, Barnhart was gracious for a deep run and appreciative of the warm reception he's experienced here in Tunica. On to the next one, Sam!