Congratulations to Craig McCorkell, Winner of Event 36, $3,000 NLH Shootout ($368,593)
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The third and final day of Event 36, $3,000 No Limit Hold’em Shootout, of the World Series of Poker has come to and end. After a final table of ten players resumed play this afternoon only Craig McCorkell remained to claim the WSOP gold bracelet and $368,593.
The ten returning players had to win two tables to make the final table. The first round saw a full ring table and Day 2 had six-handed action. McCorkell won his first bracelet and had to battle Jeremiah Fitzpatrick heads up to claim it.
The first elimination from the ten-handed final table was Sardor Gaziev. He went to a flop three-handed with Alessandro Longobardi and Jonathan Lane. The 
flop saw Gaziev bet 62,000, Longobardi folded and Lane raised to 125,000. Gaziev shoved and Lane snap-called holding trip fives. Gaziev’ pocket tens never improved and he was sent to the rail.
The ninth place elimination came 20 minutes later when Joe Tehan opened, Jonathan Lane three-bet and Tehan four-bet shoved. Lane called with pocket jacks and Tehan held 
. The board ran 
and Tehan was eliminated and Lane took a serious chip lead over the table after his second knockout hand.
Thiago Nishijima didn’t lose a major pot while he was at the table, instead he bled chips for almost four levels. Lane opened for 50,000 and Nishijima moved all in. Lane called with pocket jacks and Nishijima held 
. The board ran 
and Nishijima was sent to the rail.
Another hour would pass before we saw our next elimination. Lane opened to 55,000, Craig McCorkell and Alessandro Romanello called from the blinds. The flop came 
and after two checks Lane bet 100,000. McCorkell folded and Romanello shoved. Lane called, tabled pocket tens and Romanello held 
. The board bricked for Romanello and he was eliminated.
Another 30 minutes passed before Antonio Esfandiari opened for 65,000, Longobardi shipped on the button and Lane re-shipped over the top. Esfandiari folded and the hands were tabled. Lane had 
and Longobardi was in trouble with 
. The board ran ten high with only one diamond and Longobardi was eliminated.
Just two hands later Athanasios Polychronopoulos got all in preflop against Esfandiari. Polychronopoulos had and Esfandiari had pocket jacks. The board ran 
and Polychronopoulos was eliminated.
We would return from the dinner break before the next elimination would come. Lane got his money after to flop of 
and Esfandiari called. Lane was all but dead with Esfandiari flopping the nut straight holding 
and Lane holding the low end with 
. Lane exited the final table in fourth place.
During most of three-handed play Esfandiari held a dominant chip lead. At one point he held 75% of the chips in play and seemed to be in cruise control en route to his second WSOP gold bracelet.
But fate is cruel sometimes. Esfandiari first doubled up McCorkell and then lost a big chunk of his stack when he called Jeremiah Fitzpatrick’s all in shove with pocket sevens holding pocket nines. Fitzpatrick flopped a seven and left Esfandiari with just over one million chips.
Then he called another McCorkell all in when he held 
and McCorkell held 
. The board ran 
and Esfandiari was suddenly the short stack. A shocked Esfandiari moved all in the next hand holding and McCorkell called with 
. The board ran 
and Esfandiari was eliminated in third place.
The heads up battle between McCorkell and Fitzpatrick started with Fitzpatrick holding 3-1 chip lead. McCorkell worked his way up to even and then closed it out in just a few key hands.
Fitzpatrick had picked up some momentum before it came crashing to a halt. McCorkell three-bet and Fitzpatrick four-bet jammed and McCorkell called with pocket eights. Fitzpatrick held and never connected with the flop. The hand left Fitzpatrick with just 45,000 chips with the blinds at 30,000/60,000.
Fitzpatrick doubled up on the next hand, being forced all in and then shoved blind all in on the next hand. McCorkell called holding and Fitzpatrick held 
. The board ran and McCorkell locked up his first WSOP gold bracelet.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Craig McCorkell | $368,593 |
| 2 | Jeremiah Fitzpatrick | $228,261 |
| 3 | Antonio Esfandiari | $151,613 |
| 4 | Jonathan Lane | $112,512 |
| 5 | Athanasios Polychronopoulos | $84,436 |
| 6 | Alessandro Longobardi | $63,988 |
| 7 | Roberto Romanello | $48,924 |
| 8 | Thiago Nishijima | $37,707 |
| 9 | Joe Tehan | $29,277 |
| 10 | Sador Gaziev | $22,899 |