Who Will Claim the Gold Bracelet in Event #69: $1,000 Mini Main Event?
While Day 1a of the most prestigious poker event of the year, the elusive and highly anticipated $10,000 WSOP MAIN EVENT, is about to kick off, eight players will shortly determine a new champion at the 2019 World Series of Poker in Event #69: $1,000 Mini Main Event.
Taking place for the very first time, the tournament drew a staggering 5,521 entries in a Freezeout format and the final eight will return to their seats on the Amazon feature table at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino at noon local time to secure as big a portion as possible of the $4,968,900 prize pool.
All remaining hopefuls have parlayed their initial investment of $1,000 into a payday of $71,199 already, but all eyes are firmly set on the top prize of $628,654 and the coveted WSOP bracelet that comes along with it.
One of the final eight already has a WSOP bracelet to his name and Andres Korn will also be the chip leader heading into the final showdown after claiming 75,000,000 to his name. Close behind are France's Jeremy Saderne with 64,000,000 and Yi Ma from China with 62,600,000.
Koji Takagi may become the third player ever from Japan to claim WSOP gold and enters the final day with a stack of 44,000,000, while Lula Taylor continues her standout performance in the event and has 30,500,000 to her name. The final table line-up is completed by Stefan Widmer (28,400,000), Ben Alloggio (13,900,000) and Philip Gildea (12,400,000).
Event #69: $1,000 Mini Main Event Final Table
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Alloggio | United States | 13,900,000 | 7 |
| 2 | Andres Korn | Argentina | 75,000,000 | 38 |
| 3 | Stefan Widmer | Switzerland | 28,400,000 | 14 |
| 4 | Yi Ma | China | 62,600,000 | 31 |
| 5 | Koji Takagi | Japan | 44,000,000 | 22 |
| 6 | Philip Gildea | Ireland | 12,400,000 | 6 |
| 7 | Lula Taylor | United States | 30,500,000 | 15 |
| 8 | Jeremy Saderne | France | 64,000,000 | 32 |
The action recommences with 17 minutes remaining in level 41 at blinds of 1,000,000/2,000,000 and a big blind ante of 2,000,000. Saderne has the button with a dead small blind and Alloggio as the single big blind, and the 30-minute level structure will certainly provide plenty of action in the hours to come.
Stay tuned to find out who joins the WSOP bracelet winner circle, as the PokerNews team provides hand-for-hand updates until a champion is crowned. You can also follow the live stream on CBS All Access as of 1 p.m. local time.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $628,654 | ||
| 2 | $388,284 | ||
| 3 | $287,219 | ||
| 4 | $214,047 | ||
| 5 | $160,715 | ||
| 6 | $121,586 | ||
| 7 | $92,686 | ||
| 8 | $71,199 | ||
| 9 | James Stewart | United States | $55,118 |
flop gave Alloggio top pair while Ma had a gutshot straight draw. Nothing changed with the 
turn, but Ma once again spiked magic with the 
river to eliminate Alloggio in 8th place for $71,199.
kept Gildea ahead with his queens. The 
on the turn added a flush draw to Saderne's aces.
, that landed on the river and a boisterous French rail exploded in celebration. Gildea received $92,686 for his deep run.
river came a blank and Taylor doubled for 37,000,000 and gave Saderne a hug while her stack was counted out.
on the flop. The 
flop, which brought an instant jam of Takagi for 31,500,000 and a quick call from Taylor. The rails of all the remaining players vaulted out of their seats to see the showdown unfold on the screens around the table itself.
turn was a blank, but Lula Taylor spiked the 
on the river to gasps of disbelief from the Japanese rail and her own supporters. Takagi, on the verge of going from bottom stack to chip leader, has been eliminated in 5th place for $160,715 instead in the most brutal fashion.
turn. After the 
river, Saderne further improved to a full house and the French players on the rail went nuts. Their shouts could be heard in the entire Amazon room with players turning around in the Gold section to see what had happened.
. A blank 
fell on the turn with WSOP Main Event final table vibes coming out of the corner of the Amazon room.
on the river and Ma was reduced to fewer than one big blind.
it was over, making the 
river as Saderne rivered a set for the commanding lead. The Frenchman jumped to his rail, embraced everyone as the entire room was filled with shouts in French.