Blumenfield, Beckley, McKeehan make Main Event finale
Written by
Pete - Tuesday, November 10, 2015,
Live poker
5th place finisher Zvi Stern backs Blumenfield to take down the title, despite McKeehan’s commanding lead
Six contenders became three last night in Vegas after another tense day’s play at the World Series of Poker Main Event final table, but the icy cool Joe McKeehan is still way out in front with a massive 128 million chips – two thirds of the total chips in play.
Like yesterday, the day’s first elimination arrived in only the second hand of play, but for the first time at the final table it wasn’t McKeehan doing the dirty work. This time the role of executioner was played by Max Steinberg, who sent Thomas Cannuli to the rail in agonising fashion.
In what proved to be his final hand, Cannuli raised to 1.4 million pre-flop and then quickly called all-in with his pocket aces after Steinberg had shoved over him. Steinberg rolled over an inferior pocket pair in two tens, but sent Cannuli packing in 6th with a wicked set on the flop.
Zvi Stern, who actually came into the second day’s play in second place, was the next out in 5th. He fell at the hands of Neil Blumenfield, whose big slick held up against Stern’s AJ off suit in a pre-flop race.
“I think he’s more dangerous than you guys think,” Stern later said of Blumenfield. “He has a tonne of spirit and wants this really bad.”
Shortly after Stern was sent to the exit, the final elimination blow of the day was delivered by McKeehan, who sent Steinberg out in 4th. Steinberg, as he had earlier against Cannuli, 3-bet shoved over the top of an early position raise, but this time paid the price for his inferior holdings as AJ failed to come from behind against AQ.
That all means that McKeehan (128 million), Blumenfield (40 million) and Joshua Beckley (23.7 million) make up the final three, and will go to war for the title and $7.7 million top prize when play resumes later today at 18:00 PST.
Here’s a look at the payouts so far:
4th: Max Steinberg -$2,615,361
5th: Zvi Stern -$1,911,423
6th: Thomas Cannuli - $1,426,283
7th: Pierre Neuville - $1,203,293
8th: Federico Butteroni - $1,097,056
9th: Patrick Chan - $1,001,020