Level 35
: 250,000/500,000, 75,000 ante
The remaining 10 players are heading on a 10-minute break.
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #65: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT - World Championship
Day: 7
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2018 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$74,015,600
Entries
7,874
Level
44
Blinds
2,000,000 / 4,000,000
Ante
500,000
Level: 36
Blinds: 300,000/600,000
Ante: 100,000
Level 36
: 300,000/600,000, 100,000 ante
The cards are back in the air.
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yueqi Zhu | China | 24,875,000 | 41 |
| 2 | Artem Metalidi | Ukraine | 17,375,000 | 29 |
| 3 | John Cynn | United States | 43,475,000 | 72 |
| 4 | Alex Lynskey | Australia | 39,225,000 | 65 |
| 5 | Tony Miles | United States | 30,650,000 | 51 |
| 6 | Nicolas Manion | United States | 37,700,000 | 63 |
| 7 | Aram Zobian | United States | 19,475,000 | 32 |
| 8 | Michael Dyer | United States | 102,475,000 | 171 |
| 9 | Joe Cada | United States | 26,875,000 | 45 |
| 10 | Antoine Labat | France | 51,650,000 | 86 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
102,475,000
-1,125,000
|
-1,125,000 |
|
||
|
51,650,000
-150,000
|
-150,000 |
|
43,475,000
1,075,000
|
1,075,000 |
|
||
|
39,225,000
-875,000
|
-875,000 |
|
37,700,000
2,500,000
|
2,500,000 |
|
||
|
30,650,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
26,875,000
-1,125,000
|
-1,125,000 |
|
||
|
24,875,000
-125,000
|
-125,000 |
|
|
||
|
19,475,000
-125,000
|
-125,000 |
|
||
|
17,375,000
-125,000
|
-125,000 |
Level 36
: 300,000/600,000, 100,000 ante
Hand #162: Alex Lynskey raised to 1,200,000 on the button and Tony Miles in the small blind three-bet to 4,600,000. Lynskey called and that created a pot of more than 10 million in the first hand after the break. The flop came 
and Miles continued for 5,600,000, Lynskey called.
The 
appeared on the turn and Miles instantly announced all in for 20,350,000. Lynskey gave it brief consideration and flicked his cards into the muck.
Hand #163: Michael Dyer opened the action with a raise to 1,200,000 first to act. Aram Zobian was the only caller out of the big blind, and the flop fell 
. Zobian checked and a continuation bet of 1,125,000 did the trick for Dyer, as Zobian let go.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
104,775,000
2,300,000
|
2,300,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
51,450,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
43,275,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
42,250,000
11,600,000
|
11,600,000 |
|
|
36,600,000
-1,100,000
|
-1,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
28,825,000
-10,400,000
|
-10,400,000 |
|
|
26,675,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
24,675,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
18,075,000
-1,400,000
|
-1,400,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
17,175,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
Level 36
: 300,000/600,000, 100,000 ante
After Day 1C of the 2018 World Series of Poker Main Event, which started players with 50,000, former champ Joe Cada bagged up just 16,500. He was near the button of the counts. Obviously, you can call it a comeback as he now finds himself among the final ten.
It marks the second time he’s been in this spot as back in 2009 he topped a field of 6,494 players to win the 2009 WSOP Main Event for $8,547,044. At the time, he was 21 years, 11 months old and became the youngest player in WSOP history to win the Main Event. Not only that, he did it by besting a final table that included Phil Ivey, Jeff Shulman and Darvin Moon.
An online poker player before striking it big, Cada, born November 18, 1987, still resides in Shelby Charter Township, Michigan.
He made headlines earlier this summer for two reasons. First, he bested a 363-player field to win the 2018 WSOP Event #3: $3,000 NLHE Shootout for $226,218 and his third bracelet. His other gold hardware came back in 2014 when he took down Event #32: $10,000 NLHE 6-Handed Championship for $670,041.
The other headline he grabbed was around Father’s Day, which is when he put his father, Jerry Cada, into the $1,000 Super Seniors Championship. The story was heartwarming as not long before Jerry spent over a month in a coma after suffering a stroke. During his recovery, Joe spent time teaching his dad the poker ropes. Joe was on his dad’s rail, but now it’s time for the father to root on son once again.
Cada's End of Day Field Position
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1c | 16,500 | 3,252/3,470 |
| 2c | 93,800 | 1,032/1,655 |
| 3 | 211,000 | 672/1,182 |
| 4 | 559,000 | 249/310 |
| 5 | 2,965,000 | 56/109 |
| 6 | 8,850,000 | 19/26 |
One of Cada’s pivotal hands came with 15 players remaining in Level 34 (200,000/400,000/50,000) when he three-bet jammed for 6.875 million holding ac-six suited. The initial raiser, Frederik Brink, called with ace-ten and Cada was in trouble. Fortunately for him, the board ran out with three hearts, including one on the river, to give him new life.
In another big hand, Cada executed a three-barrel bluff against Alex Lynskey, who had flopped top pair on a king-high board. Cada’s river shove sent his Australian foe into the tank and eventually, he folded. Cada’s brazen bluff lit up the Twitterverse and showed that he was willing to put it all on the line for another shot at the title.
If Cada were to win the Main Event, he would join the ranks of Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, and Stu Ungar as repeat winners. Similarly, a fourth bracelet would put him in company that includes Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, Brian Rast, and Amarillo Slim Preston, just to name a few. Finally, Cada is the first Main Event champ to return to the final table since 1995 winner Dan Harrington went back-to-back in 2003-04.
You can follow Cada on Twitter at @cada99.
Level 36
: 300,000/600,000, 100,000 ante
Hand #164: Joe Cada opened with a raise under the gun to 1,300,000. Joe Cynn called from middle position. Action folded around and Michael Dyer called in the big blind as well.
The flop was 
. Dyer led out with a bet of 1,175,000 and Cada folded quickly. Cynn called.
On the 
turn both players checked and the 
came on the river. Dyer put out a bet of 1,825,000 and Cynn called. Dyer showed his 
for two pair and that was good for him to take down the pot as Cynn's hand was mucked.
Hand #165: John Cynn opened to 1,300,000 and everyone folded, so Cynn took down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
111,175,000
6,400,000
|
6,400,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
51,250,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
42,050,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
40,675,000
-2,600,000
|
-2,600,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
36,400,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
28,625,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
24,575,000
-2,100,000
|
-2,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
24,475,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
17,575,000
-500,000
|
-500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
16,975,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
Level 36
: 300,000/600,000, 100,000 ante
Hand #166: Aram Zobian made it 1,300,000 to go from the cutoff and that scooped the blinds and antes without resistance.
Hand #167: John Cynn raised to 1,300,000 from early position and Tony Miles three-bet to 4,000,000 from two seats over. The action folded back to Cynn, who called after some consideration. The 
flop brought a check from Cynn and a continuation bet of 3,200,000 by Miles, which ended up winning the hand without showdown after the fold of Cynn.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
110,975,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
50,150,000
-1,100,000
|
-1,100,000 |
|
|
47,750,000
5,700,000
|
5,700,000 |
|
|
36,475,000
-4,200,000
|
-4,200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
36,200,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
28,425,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
24,075,000
-500,000
|
-500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
23,675,000
-800,000
|
-800,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
19,275,000
1,700,000
|
1,700,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
16,775,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
Level 36
: 300,000/600,000, 100,000 ante
Hand #168: Alex Lynskey opened to 1,200,000 from early position and action folded around to the button where Antoine Labat called. Yueqi Zhu called in the small blind and in the blind Artem Metalidi folded.
The flop was 
and Zhu checked. Lynskey checked as well. Labat put out a bet of 2,200,000 and Zhu called. Lynskey folded.
On the 
turn, Zhu checked, as did Labat.
The river was the 
and Zhu checked again. Labat checked as well Zhu showed 
for ace-high, but Labat had that matched with 
for the same hand, so the two chopped the pot.
Hand #169: Action folded around and John Cynn got a walk in the big blind.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
110,775,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
51,250,000
1,100,000
|
1,100,000 |
|
|
47,550,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
37,575,000
1,100,000
|
1,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
36,000,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
27,225,000
-1,200,000
|
-1,200,000 |
|
|
24,775,000
1,100,000
|
1,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
23,875,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
19,075,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
15,675,000
-1,100,000
|
-1,100,000 |
![[user359466]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 36
: 300,000/600,000, 100,000 ante
Born in Benxi, China but now residing in Rowland Heights, California, the 55-year-old Yueqi “Rich” Zhu is no stranger to poker. Not including what he makes in the 2018 World Series of Poker Main Event, he has $1,456,884 in prior WSOP earnings.
Zhu tends to only play tournaments during the WSOP, while the rest of the year he’s busy working and grinding cash games.
In the 1990s, Zhu immigrated from China to study at the University of Wisconsin, which is where he got his Bachelor’s Degree in electrical engineering. For as long as he remembers he’s fancied both card and board games.
A self-described “semi-pro,’ Zhu has one son, though he doesn’t know much about poker.
“My son, my family, they don’t play poker,” he explained. “They don’t want to watch poker except probably for the past couple days.”
Zhu, who has promoted poker in China for decades via forums and magazines, finally broke through with a bracelet win earlier this summer after 11 final table appearances and 71 cashes dating back to the 1999 WSOP. His win came over a 773-player field in Event #35: Mixed $1,500 PLO8, Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Big O for $211,781. It came after he finished sixth in the same event the year before.
“I saw a lot of people get bracelets, it seemed so easy, no matter what they do they win,” said Zhu. “But for me it was a different story. Finally, I got one.”
Even before his Main Event run, Zhu was planning a book to help introduce poker to the Chinese market. Obviously making the final table of the WSOP Main Event would obviously provide a happy ending to such a book.
“Poker in China, over the last 15 years, has gone from almost nothing to into the mainstream,” said Zhu, who makes frequent trips back to his homeland. “It’s going really fast. From my part, we have a lot of people working on promoting poker because in my mind, for card games, I feel American poker is the best. For myself, I started a poker forum that is generally regarded as the most respected in the Chinese world. I also have a poker magazine and we published like 70 issues in a seven-year time frame.”
Zhu's End of Day Field Position
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1c | 130,500 | 241/3,480 |
| 2c | 429,200 | 13/1,655 |
| 3 | 694,000 | 133/1,182 |
| 4 | 1,117,000 | 141/310 |
| 5 | 2,210,000 | 74/109 |
| 6 | 19,245,000 | 6/26 |
“I’ve had a few really good reads,” Zhu said when asked about big moments in the tournament. “On Day 4, a guy put me all in with 
on the board. He was the preflop raiser, so he could have easily had an ace or nine. I called for all my chips with a set of kings. He didn’t have the straight. I could’ve easily busted that hand.”
He continued: “The next day, someone tried to bluff me but I snap-called him with two small pair. It was for my tournament life.”
Another hand that helped Zhu along the way happened on Day 7 with 12 players left. Zhu raised with ace-ten suited and then called when Frederik Brink jammed 4.1 million with king-queen suited. Zhu was a slight favorite and held after the board ran out clean to vault him up to 35.7 million in chips.
Follow Yueqi Zhu on Twitter @yueqizhu.
Level 36
: 300,000/600,000, 100,000 ante
Hand #170: Tony Miles made it 1,400,000 to go and Nicolas Manion called from one seat over, as did Michael Dyer. On the three-way flop of 
, Miles continued for 2,600,000 right away and Manion raised it up to 7,000,000. Dyer folded instantly and Miles gave it some thought before coming to the same conclusion.