The 2013 World Series of Poker is only a week in, but the final table of Event #7 $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em is making a strong early case for becoming the toughest final table of them all. Granted, we're technically not at the final table yet as 10 players of a 1,837-player field remain, but once we lose one more it'll be official. As long as that elimination isn't chip leader Amit Makhija, Matt Waxman, Brent Hanks, Jason Koon or Eric Baldwin, then the final table will be contain five superstars with a combined $4,027,878.88 in career WSOP winnings!
As mentioned, Makhija does hold the chip lead with 1.101 million. Jess Dioquino comes in second with 921,000, the Waxman sits in third with 829,000. The short stack of the final table is Scott Yelton with 167,000 in chips, but in poker anything can happen, so a double up and a few pots here or there will put Yelton right back into the swing of things.
Clearly, all eyes will be on Baldwin and Hanks. Both of these players are looking for their second piece of WSOP hardware. Hanks is riding a bit of a heater coming into the 2013 WSOP, having won the California State Championships Main Event in May.
Needless to say, everyone at the final table is excited to be there, but the level of competition is hard to ignore:
The winner of today's event will take home the seventh gold bracelet awarded this summer and the accompanying $305,952 first-place prize? Will someone have their dreams come true by winning their first WSOP gold bracelet, or will either Brent Hanks or Eric Baldwin be able to capture their second piece of gold? Join us at 1:00 p.m. PST as we bring you all the action on the way to the next winner.
On one of the first hands of the unofficial final table, Jess Dioquino opened for 36,000 under the gun and cleared the field all the way to Scott Yelton, who moved all in for about 128,000 from the big blind. Dioquino made a quick called with the and was racing against the of Yelton.
The flop was fairly interesting as it gave Dioquino a set but also delivered Yelton a flush draw. Unfortunately for the latter, neither the turn nor river helped him and became the tenth-place finish, just missing out on the official final table.
Hand #29: A short-stacked Jason Koon moved all in from middle position for 59,000 and Brent Hanks three-bet it to 100,000 from late position. Amit Makhija took his time in the cutoff before four-betting to 200,000, and Hanks moved all in after action folded back to him. Makhija made the call and discovered the bad news.
Hanks:
Makhija:
Koon:
Hanks had Makhija dominated, while Koon's best chance at survival was an ace. The flop gave Koon a pair of fours, but he'd need another to make it count. The turn wasn't what he needed, and neither was the river. Koon was dispatched in ninth place while Hanks doubled through Makhija.
Hand #41: In the very first hand back from the break, chip leader Matt Waxman opened for 48,000 from middle position only to have Tuu Ho, who doubled just before the break, three-bet to 100,000 from the small blind. Waxman responded by four-betting to 200,000 and then insta-called when Ho moved all in.
Ho:
Waxman:
Ho was in bad shape and in need of some help if he hope to keep his tournament hopes alive. The flop wasn't much, though it gave him a gutshot straight draw, meaning he could still win with either a jack or ace. The turn wasn't what he needed, and neither was the turn. Ho exited in eighth place to a nice round of applause and made his way to the payout desk to collect $29,147.
Hand #62: Matt Waxman raised to 48,000 under the gun and then called when Robert Dreyfuss moved all in for 179,000.
Waxman:
Dreyfuss:
Both players held an ace, and that meant it was down to the kicker. Waxman's nine bested Dreyfuss' seven, and it got even better when the flop paired it. Dreyfuss was looking for running cards to stay alive, and the turn was somewhat helpful as a three would allow him to chop on the river. Unfortunately for him, the river blanked and he was dispatched in seventh place.
Hand #73: Action folded to Jacob Jung in the cutoff and he moved all in for his last 50,000. Jess Dioquino called from the small blind and Eric Baldwin came along from the big. The active players checked the flop and turn, and then Dioquino bet 35,000 on the river. Baldwin folded and Dioquino tabled the for a full house.
Jung then showed the , shook hands with his opponents and took his leave in sixth place for $51,086 and his first WSOP cash.
Hand #91: Jess Dioquino raised to 66,000 under the gun and won the pot.
Hand #92: Jess Dioquino got a walk in the big blind.
Hand #93: Eric Baldwin got a walk in the big blind.
Hand #94: Action folded to Eric Baldwin in the small blind and he shoved all in to put the pressure on Brent Hanks in the big blind. Hanks looked down at the , called off for 290,000 and was excited to see he was dominating the of Baldwin.
The pair were the only ones at the final table with WSOP gold (they each have one), but Hanks' dream of capturing his second was put in serious jeopardy when the flop gave Baldwin a set of threes. The turn meant Hanks needed an eight on the river, but it was not meant to be as the peeled off.
Hand #99: Matt Waxman raised to 60,000 from the button and Amit Makhija called from the big blind. The flop saw Makhija, who started the day as the chip leader, check and Waxman bet 50,000. Makhija responded by check-raising all in for 300,000 or so and Waxman snap-called.
Waxman:
Makhija:
It was a cooler for Makhija as he ran his pocket pair straight into pocket rockets. Neither the turn nor river changed a thing, and that was all she wrote for Makhija. He will take home $94,353 for his fourth-place finish.
Hand #105: Jess Dioquino moved all in from the small blind and Eric Baldwin called him from the big. Dioquino tabled the and he was dominated by the of Baldwin. Dioquino was looking for a deuce, but there was none to be found as the board ran out .
With Dioquino's elimination in third place, for which he earned $130,825, two well-respected poker pros are left to battle heads up. Baldwin is seeking his second piece of WSOP gold while Waxman is seeking his first (the closest he ever came was third in a 2011 event).
Hand #195: In what is already an epic heads-up match, Eric Baldwin has just pulled into the chip lead for a second time.
It happened when he raised to 160,000 from the button and Matt Waxman called. The latter check-called bets of 110,000 on the flop and 265,000 on the river before Baldwin fired out a healthy 885,000 on the river. Waxman took his time before whispering, "Call."
Baldwin tabled the for trip nines and it was good as Waxman sent his cards to the muck.
and was racing against the 
of Yelton.
flop was fairly interesting as it gave Dioquino a set but also delivered Yelton a flush draw. Unfortunately for the latter, neither the 
turn nor 
river helped him and became the tenth-place finish, just missing out on the official final table.
flop gave Koon a pair of fours, but he'd need another to make it count. The 
turn wasn't what he needed, and neither was the 
river. Koon was dispatched in ninth place while Hanks doubled through Makhija.
turn wasn't what he needed, and neither was the 
turn. Ho exited in eighth place to a nice round of applause and made his way to the payout desk to collect $29,147.
turn was somewhat helpful as a three would allow him to chop on the river. Unfortunately for him, the 
river blanked and he was dispatched in seventh place.
flop and 
turn, and then Dioquino bet 35,000 on the 
for a full house.
, shook hands with his opponents and took his leave in sixth place for $51,086 and his first WSOP cash.
, called off for 290,000 and was excited to see he was dominating the 
turn meant Hanks needed an eight on the river, but it was not meant to be as the 
turn nor 
and he was dominated by the 
flop and 265,000 on the