The final table is all set for tomorrow’s conclusion of the WPT North American Poker Championship. A total of 27 players gathered to play down to the final TV table of six, and many notables were still in contention.
The action began quickly when short-stacked “Miami” John Cernuto was eliminated in 27th place. A few locals and satellite winners hit the rail, followed by seasoned professional Pat Pezzin in 22nd and online player Xuan “x2then” Nguyen in 20th.
Coming into the day as the chip leader, Vivek “psyduck” Rajkumar was looking to make history with back-to-back WPT victories. Unfortunately for the 22-year-old pro, his run ended when his pocket aces were cracked by Marc Karam’s diamond flush. Rajkumar earned $49,450 for his 16th-place finish.
A short while later, online pros Brian “SNo0oWMAN” Hawkins, Mark “ScrubbyZ” Zajdner, and Jason “JP OSU” Potter were eliminated in succession, leaving just 10 players in the field.
Card Player Player of the Year candidate Erik Seidel was looking to win his second WPT tournament of the year and to close the gap on current leader John Phan, but he fell just a bit short, busting in 10th place and taking home $49,450.
Play slowed down as each pot brought the players closer to the bright lights of a televised final table. A dinner break got the players a little trigger happy, and short stacks Dominic Staniscia (ninth) and Sam Greenwood (eigth) were sent home in a span of eight hands.
Just one orbit later, Card Player columnist Matt Matros received the unfortunate label of bubble boy when he put his money in with a dominated pair of kings against Gavin Smith.
Smith, who enters the final table in second chip position, is gunning for his second WPT championship. Kathy Liebert is looking to become the first woman to win an open WPT event. Marc Karam continues to impress at Fallsview casino, having cashed each of the last three years, including a sixth-place finish in 2006 where he banked $169,000. Joining them at the final table is young online pro Ryan “EatsChips” Fisler.
Here are the final tablists and their chip counts:
- Kathy Liebert — 1,620,000
- Gavin Smith — 2,815,000
- Marc Karam — 1,850,000
- Glen Witmer — 3,710,000
- James Trenholm — 1,365,000
- Ryan Fisler — 2,285,000
The final table will take place at 4:00 p.m. EST Thursday afternoon.
