Jacob Balsiger Eliminated In Third Place ($3,797,558)
Oct 31, '12
It took over 240 hands and 11 hours of three-handed play to lose the first player on Tuesday’s finale of the 2012 World Series of Poker main event.
It looked like we’d have our first casualty at 11:00 p.m. PST when Jacob Balsiger moved his short stack all in holding A
10
against the A
Q of Jesse Sylvia.
Things looked good for Sylvia to score the knockout until Balsiger spiked a ten on the turn to double up and even the tables.
The very next hand, With both players now virtually even and looking up at Greg Merson, another crucial double up kept the players locked in their three-handed battle.
Sylvia raised on the button, Merson three-bet from the big blind and Sylvia responded with a big four-bet for a quarter of his stack. Merson then put his opponent all in and Sylvia instantly called with A K.
Merson turned over pocket kings and was had Sylvia on the ropes, but the board ran out 5 3 2
8 4 to give him the miracle double up.
The three players traded chips for another two hours before Balsiger found himself short once again. He wound up pushing with K-J and was called by Sylvia’s A-10. Once again, the worst hand came from behind and Balsiger doubled up.
An hour and a half after that, Balsiger actually took the chip lead when his pocket kings held against Sylvia’s K-9 on a nine-high flop.
The two continue to go at each other when Balsiger’s top pair ran into the bottom two pair of Sylvia. Sylvia wound up turning a full house to all but lock up the double up, putting Balsiger back on the short stack.
Finally down to his last ten big blinds, Balsiger moved all in holding Q 10 against Merson’s K Q. The board fell 6 6 6 J 5 and Balsiger was finally eliminated, falling just short of his quest to become the youngest main event winner in poker history
The 21-year-old Arizona State University student picked up $3,797,558 for his third-place finish, guaranteeing the remaining two players at least $5,292,889 and a shot at the $8,527,982 first-place prize.
Going into heads-up play, Merson held a 3-2 chip lead over Sylvia.
Player Tags: Jacob Balsiger
2012 
7
K
5
on the turn kept Ung ahead, and the 2