After five days, many rebuys, and six Day 1 starts, only one table remains in Event #5: THE COLOSSUS III - $565 No-Limit Hold’em. These players have outlasted a field of 18,054 total entries which created a prize pool of over $9,000,000. Whoever walks away today as the winner will be a millionaire after capturing the $1,000,000 first-place prize.
Leading the way is Mark Babekov (19,025,000). His finish in this event will be a significant one, no matter where he places. Babekov’s largest score so far was during 2010 WSOP, where he placed fourth in a $1,500 pot-limit hold’em event for $62,232. If he can survive just one elimination, he will make his biggest lifetime cash.
Also looking for their first gold bracelets are Matt Affleck and Luke Vrabel. Vrabel has 26 WSOP cashes dating all the way back to 2007 and this will be his second final table. Meanwhile Affleck 28 cashes and over $1 million in WSOP earnings, but has yet to grasp that elusive bracelet. Affleck comes into the day with the shortest stack (3,500,000) while Vrabel is just above him (4,000,000). Affleck and Vrabel are surely a danger at any table, but both have some work to do with just seven and eight big blinds respectively.
Final Table
Seat
Player
Country
Chip Count
1
Erkut Yilmaz
United States
16,000,000
2
Thomas Pomponio
United States
10,125,000
3
Mark Babekov
United States
19,025,000
4
Ralph Massey
United States
5,300,000
5
Taylor Black
United States
13,300,000
6
John Hanna
United States
7,550,000
7
Luke Vrabel
United States
4,000,000
8
Kent Coppock
United States
11,500,000
9
Matt Affleck
United States
3,500,000
Play is set to resume at 2 p.m. PDT and PokerNews will be here with updates on all the action. Be sure to stay tuned.
Hand #6: With Mark Babekov still missing, Luke Vrabel shoved all in for 2,950,000 on Babekov's dead big blind. Action folded around to Erkut Yilmaz who called the shove from the button. Next to act, Thomas Pomponio moved all in as well from the small blind for 8,620,000. Action was back on Yilmaz who asked for a count, tanked for about a minute-and-a-half, then called.
Yilmaz:
Pomponio:
Vrabel:
Vrabel jumped up from his chair and started screaming for a deuce. The flop came giving Vrabel only extra backdoor outs. He picked up his flush draw on the turn, but he didn't complete it. The river came the and he hit the rail in ninth place, collecting $79,827 for his efforts.
Kent Coppock was in the small blind and he moved all in to put Matt Affleck at risk. Matt Affleck called instantly, and the cards were turned over:
Matt Affleck:
Kent Coppock:
Affleck was slightly behind but both of his cards were live. The board didn't help him at all, however, and the most accomplished player of this final table left in eighth place. Affleck received $103,090 for his efforts.
Hand #40: Ralph Massey raised to roughly 3,500,000, leaving just a bit behind. Next to act, Taylor Black moved all in with a stack that just covered Massey. Action folded around and Massey called.
Massey:
Black:
The board ran out and that kept Black in the lead. He took down the pot and Massey was eliminated in seventh place, collecting $133,975 for his efforts.
Hand #69: Kent Coppock moved all in from the button. Next to act, Thomas Pomponio moved all in over the top. Action folded around the cards were turned on their backs.
Coppock:
Pomponio:
The board ran out and that was enough for Pomponio to lock up the pot. Coppock was eliminated from the tournament in fifth place and will collect $230,564 for his efforts this week.
Hand #77: Taylor Black opened to 1,600,000 and the action stopped at Mark Babekov who announced, "Six million." Black asked for Babekov's count but got an inaccurate answer as Babekov had replied, "Roughly 28 million." Babekov then realized it was 10 million less than that and quickly referred it to Black.
Black moved all in and Babekov snap-called.
Black:
Babekov:
The classic-est of the classic races was underway. The flop of was good for Babekov, but when the appeared on the turn, Black's railbirds burst into excitement. "It's not over," Babekov believed.
However, the river was only a goalpost and Black scooped a full double-up worth 17,275,000. Black went to his mates, shouting "Let's f$%#ing" go!"
Hand #78 Babekov was down to just 2,175,000 and he shoved his remaining chips right after he suffered the aforementioned blow. Unfortunately for him, this time it was Black who woke up with pocket queens in the big blind, quickly turning over his and the ladies beat Babekov's on the board of .
"Thanks guys, it was fun," said Babekov who finished in fourth place, earning $305,294.
Hand #113: From the button, John Hanna moved all in. Thomas Pomponio moved in from the small blind. Black folded and the two players turned up their hands.
Pomponio:
Hanna:
The board ran out which locked up the pot for Pomponio with ace high. Hanna will take home $406,474 for his third-place finish.
Hand #116: Taylor Black raised from the button and took Pomponio's big blind.
Hand #117: Thomas Pomponio opened for 2,000,000 and Taylor Black three-bet to 6,000,000. Pomponio wasn't going anywhere. He moved a tower of 500,000-chips out front together with a smaller one, a four-bet worth 13,500,000. Black announced he was allmin and Pomponio wasted no time before calling.
Thomas Pomponio:
Taylor Black:
Black first saw the and immediately reacted, "Ten!" But in a microsecond added an, "Oh," as the dealer rolled over the flop.
Pomponio faded the remaining two tens on the turn and river, securing a giant double-up for 33,125,000.
Hand #142: Taylor Black shoved all in from the button and was quickly called by Thomas Pomponio.
Pomponio:
Black:
The flop put Black in terrible shape when it came , giving Pomponio a flush draw. The turn was the , providing no extra outs, and the river was the , leaving Pomponio as the Champion of Event #5: The Colossus III No-Limit Hold'em.
Black collected $545,480 for his second-place finish.
![[user217945]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
giving Vrabel only extra backdoor outs. He picked up his flush draw on the 
turn, but he didn't complete it. The river came the 
and he hit the rail in ninth place, collecting $79,827 for his efforts.
and that kept Black in the lead. He took down the pot and Massey was eliminated in seventh place, collecting $133,975 for his efforts.
, which was safe for Hanna, and Yilmaz was eliminated from the tournament in sixth place, collecting $175,208 for his run.
and that was enough for Pomponio to lock up the pot. Coppock was eliminated from the tournament in fifth place and will collect $230,564 for his efforts this week.
on the board of 
and immediately reacted, "Ten!" But in a microsecond added an, "Oh," as the dealer rolled over the 
, giving Pomponio a flush draw. The turn was the