After two long days of poker just nine players remain in the $25,000 High Roller, one of the most prestigious events of the year. WSOP Main Event runner-up Josh Beckley leads the way with 2,1460,000 followed by one of Italy's finest, Dario Sammartino with 1,892,000.
Up until finishing second in the WSOP Main Event for $4.4 million, Beckley had never had a six-figure score, but today he can lock up his second seven-figure result, as the first prize is $1,142,100. Sammartino had his biggest result at last year's EPT Grand Final when he finished fourth in the €100,000 Super High Roller and sixth in the €25,000 High Roller for a combined €966,900.
Sean Winter, who comes into the day third in chips, won the 2015 Bellagio Cup for $562,772 and added three more six-figure scores last year, putting him at $2.4 million career earnings.
Nick Maimone, who finished 15th in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, looks to close one out after making two deep runs in side events this week. Russian pro Andrey Zaichenko is also among the contender, and he's shown he knows what it takes to win, capturing the EPT Prague High Roller title in 2014 for $606,924.
Two-time WSOP bracelet winner Brian Yoon has managed to make the final table as well, as did Chance Kornuth who finished third in the Main Event last year, Ben Heath and Anton Astapau, who's the short stack with nine players remaining.
The final table action will start at 12:00 p.m. and PokerNews.com will bring you all the live updates, chip counts and photos of this million dollar final table.
Anton Astapau, the shortest stack at the table, just moved all in under the gun plus one for 475,000 chips, and Dario Sammartino was next to act. After a while Sammartino called, and the action folded to Nick Maimone on the button.
Maimone did some thinking as well, before moving all in for 1,080,000. Both blinds folded right away, and Sammartino went into the tank.
"Sick," Sammartino said, as he shook his head.
"You don't have ace-king," Sammartino sighed, as he looked at Maimone.
Five minutes went by before Chance Kornuth called the clock, and in the dying seconds the Italian pro slammed in the call.
Maimone:
Anton Astapau:
Sammartino:
The board ran out and Maimone scored not only a knock out, but also a full double up through Sammartino. Maimone is now the chip leader as the tournament goes on its first break of the day.
A short-stacked Chance Kornuth open-shipped under the gun for 495,000 and Brian Yoon, who only had 20,000 more than that, moved all in from the cutoff. Nick Maimone called from the small blind to put both players at risk and the cards were turned up.
Kornuth:
Yoon:
Maimone:
"Good flip for you guys," Maimone said when the flop delivered both his opponents draws. The turn was gin for Yoon, who made a straight, and both Kornuth and Maimone were drawing dead headed to the river.
Yoon tripled on the hand while Kornuth fell in seventh place for $192,780.
The action folded to Andrey Zaichenko in the small blind and he moved all in for 830,000 chips. Nick Maimone, in the big blind, looked at his cards and immediately he made the call.
Zaichenko:
Maimone:
The board ran out and Zaichenko was sent to the rail in sixth place.
Nick Maimone opened for 140,000 under the gun and action folded to Brian Yoon, who moved all in from the big blind for 1.035 million. Maimone thought about it for roughly a minute and then spiked in a call.
Yoon:
Maimone:
"Jack, queen, or king," Maimone told his rail after the flop delivered him a gutshot to Broadway. The turn was one of his cards, and suddenly Yoon was looking for a five on the river to stay alive.
Unfortunately for him, it wasn't in the cards as the blanked. Yoon will take home $347,760 for his fifth-place finish.
In the first hand back from the dinner break, Sean Winter raised to 180,000 under the gun and Nick Maimone called from the button. Josh Beckley came along from the small blind, Dario Sammartino folded the big, and three players took a flop of , which they all checked.
When the hit the turn, two checks inspired Maimone to bet 300,000, Beckley called, and Winter got out of the way. The river put four spades on board, and Beckley checked to Maimone, who bet 525,000. Beckley then check-raised all in for 1.225 million.
"This is a tough one," Maimone said before putting in the chips. Beckley confidently tabled the for an ace-high flush, but it was no good as Maimone held a straight flush with the . Beckley was shocked at what he likely perceived as a slowroll, shook his head, and made his way to the payout desk.
Nick Maimone raised from the button to 225,000 and Dario Sammartino moved all in from the small blind for 1,130,000. Sean Winter folded from the big blind and Maimone called right away.
Maimone:
Sammartino:
The board ran out and Maimone knocked out Sammartino in third place. The Italian pro will take home $542,160 and we are now heads up in this tournament.