The 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table Begins This Sunday at the RioCard Player Will Be There Providing Live Coverage and Player Interviews |
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On Sunday, Nov. 6, after a 109-day hiatus, the remaining nine players from a field of 6,865 in the 2011 World Series of Poker main event will take their seats to play for the most prestigious title in all of poker.
Much of the attention will be on Ben Lamb, who could end one of the best summers in the history of the Series in epic fashion. Lamb already won a bracelet in June, to go along with a final table in the $50,000 Players Championship and a runner-up finish in another event.
He could also grab the No. 1 spot in Card Player’s Player of the Year race. He currently sits with 3,636 points, but could double that with a win. Chris Moorman is the overall leader in the standings with 5,875.
Here is a look at the chip counts and seating positions:
Seat 1 — Matt Giannetti — 24,750,000
Seat 2 — Badih Bounahra — 19,700,000
Seat 3 — Eoghan O’Dea — 33,925,000
Seat 4 — Phil Collins — 23,875,000
Seat 5 — Anton Makievskyi — 13,825,000
Seat 6 — Samuel Holden — 12,375,000
Seat 7 — Pius Heinz — 16,425,000
Seat 8 — Ben Lamb — 20,875,000
Seat 9 — Martin Staszko — 40,175,000
The chip average is 22.9 million, which is equivalent to nearly 46 big blinds. Play will begin at 250,000-500,000 with a 50,000 ante.
This Year’s Coverage
In late October, ESPN and the WSOP announced that every hand of the event will be broadcasted both online and on network TV, with holecards. The coverage will run on a 15-minute delay.
The WSOP will not attempt to sequester the members of the November Nine and are actually encouraging them to watch the broadcast and receive information from friends and family during the breaks.
Despite some concern from players regarding the availability of holecard information, Ty Stewart, Vice President of Caesars Interactive Entertainment, said that it’s in the best interest of the game and that all competitors are on a level playing field.
“It’s not something that’s lost on us that its a new dynamic,” said Stewart. “Some players think this will actually be a higher form of poker. You’re going to know and you’re going to be able to make ‘halftime adjustments’ or as I would call it, do your ‘Bill Bellichecking.’ All of this mental noise is going to be fascinating to watch.”
The broadcast will start at 3:30 p.m. EST from the Penn and Teller Theatre at the Rio Hotel and Casino. Card Player will be there every step of the way, churning out live updates, news stories and player interviews as the action progresses.
Action will stop when play becomes three-handed. The players will return on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 9 p.m. EST to battle it out for the bracelet.
All of the broadcasts will be made available online at ESPN3.com and WSOP.com and will feature commentary from pros such as Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari and Olivier Busquet.
The Prize Money
The $10,000 buy-in event will crown a champion that will, at the very least, jump into the top 20 all time for tournament earnings.
The total prize pool of the event is $64,540,858, about $28 million of which is reserved for the final nine players. Each has already received ninth-place money.
Here is a look at the payouts:
1: $8,715,638
2: $5,433,086
3: $4,021,138
4: $3,012,700
5: $2,269,599
6: $1,720,,831
7: $1,314,097
8: $1,010,015
9: $782,115
Follow Brian Pempus on Twitter — @brianpempus
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