Sunday, November 6, 2011 11:27 PM Local Time
Well, wow.
The biggest spectacle in poker, the November Nine never disappoints, and today was certainly no exception. We've just closed the books on a fantastic day of poker, shrinking our final table down to just three players. It took about 10.5 hours on the clock to set the stage for Tuesday's finale where it will be Pius Heinz, Ben Lamb, and Martin Staszko duking it out for the bracelet.
For the last four months, Ben Lamb has been the one receiving most of the attention, and deservedly so. He's binked a bracelet already this year, and his run to this final table locked up another title, the 2011 WSOP Player of the Year. But Lamb is seemingly unsatisfied by those pedestrian accomplishments, and it's clear that he's got his sights fixed on this Main Event championship. And it looks like it's going to be hard to stop him.
In a fitting conclusion to the night, Lamb has just flopped quad kings to eliminate Matt Giannetti, drawing the crowd into one last frenzy of noise and celebration. It wasn't the first time today Lamb sparked the theater to life.
Beginning play with just about 20 million chips, Benba's initial trend was downward, but that didn't last long. He was responsible for the first elimination of the day when his ace-king dominated Sam Holden, and the last remaining Brit was sent off in ninth place. About an hour later, though, Phil Collins found a lucky double through Lamb to knock him back down into the danger zone. Lamb treaded water for a few hours as the field shrunk to six, and then he got his money in as an underdog. He three-bet shoved with , and Eoghan O'Dea made a big call with ace-nine. Lamb turned a flush draw and rivered an eight to double, though, and O'Dea was sent to the rail in sixth place a short while later.
As the up-and-down day drew to a close, Lamb was still hovering around 25-30 million, and he made another stand with . This time, Matt Giannetti woke up with two jacks, but once again, it was no matter to Lamb. He flopped a flush draw again, and he only needed the turn card to ring in the winner. Giannetti was crippled, and Lamb went ahead and finished him off a short while later.
But the day wasn't all about Ben Lamb, you know. Pius Heinz is the man with more than 100 million chips heading into three-handed play, and he managed to work his way to the top fairly steadily and without much drama over the course of play today. Thirty-nine hands into the day, Heinz dragged a monster pot against Eoghan O'Dea to move from the second-shortest to the second-largest stack in one fell swoop. By hand #43, he was the chip leader, and he would not relinquish that top spot for the remainder of the day. The German won a flip to eliminate Anton Makiievskyi in eighth place a couple orbits later, and he was also responsible for the elimination of Phil Collins in fifth place.
As he collected chips, Heinz's aggression level only picked up, and he was the clear Table Captain for the second half of the day. In the end, he bagged up 107.8 million chips -- well over 50% of the ~205 million in play.
And last but not least, we have Martin Staszko, the start-of-day chip leader. He picked his way through the early pots with some measure of caution, and a couple hours into the day, he put Bob Bounahra out the door. Already crippled down to his last few million chips, Bounahra got the last of his stack in with ace-five against Staszko's ace-seven, and a board full of blanks ended the hopes for him and his home nation of Belize. Staszko also KO'd an already-crippled Eoghan O'Dea in sixth place, but he began to bleed chips thereafter, dropping back into the pack and eventually down to the shortest stack left. But he would not go quietly.
Heinz tried for the knockout in a big pot with pocket sixes, and Staszko was racing for the double with ace-eight. Another couple eights on the flop kept the Czech in the game, and he bagged up just a few more chips than he began the day with. Here's how he and the other finalists stack up.
| Seat | Player | Chips |
|---|
| 1 | Pius Heinz | 107,800,000 |
| 2 | Ben Lamb | 55,400,000 |
| 3 | Martin Staszko | 42,700,000 |
The final showdown is set for 5:30 PM on Tuesday, and we'll be right back in our ringside seats to bring you the action. Just two more eliminations separate us from our 2011 Main Event Champion, and if today was any indication, Tuesday will be a monster day.
Until then, all that's left is goodnight!
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:54 PM Local Time
The final three players are counting their stacks before bagging and tagging. We'll be back with a recap shortly.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:52 PM Local Time
Hand #178:
Matt Giannetti had the button and moved all in for 12 million. Ben Lamb made the call.
Lamb:
Giannetti:
Giannetti was on the ropes again as both cheering sections roared for their players. The dealer ran out the flop and the rolled out to give Lamb, oh, just quads! His fans erupted while the rest of the room was wondering if Ben Lamb was actually a real life human being.
The turn was the and river the to officially eliminate Giannetti and set the final three.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:49 PM Local Time
Martin Staszko had the button, and Pius Heinz took another walk in the big blind.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:48 PM Local Time
| Pius Heinz | 107,400,000 | 14,000,000  |
| Martin Staszko | 43,150,000 | -800,000  |
| Ben Lamb | 42,400,000 | -11,800,000 |
| Matt Giannetti | 13,000,000 | -1,400,000 |
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:47 PM Local Time
Ben Lamb was on the button to start this hand.
Pius Heinz raised to 2.5 million and Lamb called. The flop came down and Heinz bet 2.8 million. Lamb called.
The turn was the and Heinz bet 6.3 million. Lamb made the call.
The river was the and Heinz sat under the gaze of Lamb before acting. He then bet 20 million, which was just about 80% of the pot. Lamb folded and Heinz won the pot.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:40 PM Local Time
| Pius Heinz | 93,400,000 | -200,000 |
| Ben Lamb | 54,200,000 | -800,000 |
| Martin Staszko | 43,950,000 | -6,700,000 |
| Matt Giannetti | 14,400,000 | 7,700,000 |
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:39 PM Local Time
Pius Heinz had the button. Matt Giannetti open-shoved for 6.750 million under the gun, and the table folded around to big blind Martin Staszko. When he looked at his cards, his eyes immediately shot upward as if he had a decision to make. He asked for the count, then made the call.
Showdown
Giannetti:
Staszko:
Well, the news was good for Giannetti, and he'd hold serve on the flop. The turn came the to pair the board and provide a few chop outs for Staszko, but the sent the double to Giannetti.
He's still the low man on the totem pole, but he's back to 14.4 million and still has a fightin' chance here tonight.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:35 PM Local Time
| Pius Heinz | 93,600,000 | -2,400,000 |
| Ben Lamb | 55,000,000 | 25,000,000 |
| Martin Staszko | 50,650,000 | 1,500,000 |
| Matt Giannetti | 6,700,000 | -24,100,000 |
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:35 PM Local Time
Matt Giannetti started the hand with the button.
Giannetti raised on the button to 2.6 million and Ben Lamb reraised all in from the big blind for 26.8 million. Giannetti called and everyone in the theatre jumped to their feet.
Giannetti:
Lamb:
The flop came down and Lamb picked up a flush draw. The crowd stayed standing as they awaited the turn and river.
The turn brought the and you could probably hear the roars from Lamb's cheering section down on Fremont Street as he nailed an unbeatable flush and would double up.
The river completed the board with the .
Lamb doubled to 55 million while Giannetti was crushed down to under seven million.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:32 PM Local Time
Martin Staszko had the button, and he opened to 2.5 million. Matt Giannetti three-bet and took it down.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:28 PM Local Time
Ben Lamb started the hand with the button. He raised to 2.6 million. Martin Staszko reraised to 6.5 million from the small blind and Matt Giannetti folded from the big blind. Lamb folded and Staszko won the pot.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:27 PM Local Time
| Pius Heinz | 96,000,000 | 9,200,000 |
| Martin Staszko | 49,150,000 | -1,400,000 |
| Matt Giannetti | 30,800,000 | -7,000,000 |
| Ben Lamb | 30,000,000 | -800,000 |
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:27 PM Local Time
Pius Heinz had the button. Matt Giannetti opened to 2.6 million under the gun. Next door, Heinz three-bet to 6.8 million, and that drew a longer-than-usual stare from Giannetti. It looked like he was thinking sinister thoughts, and he took long enough that both players not involved stepped away from the table. After a few minutes of sitting like a statue, Giannetti finally reached for chips and made the call.
The flop came an exciting . Giannetti checked, and Heinz fired into the pot with 7.3 million more. These bets are getting serious now, and Gianneti chose not to go any further, quickly surrendering his cards into the muck.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:20 PM Local Time
| Pius Heinz | 86,800,000 | 14,300,000 |
| Martin Staszko | 50,550,000 | -5,100,000 |
| Matt Giannetti | 37,800,000 | -9,200,000 |
| Ben Lamb | 30,800,000 | 0 |
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:20 PM Local Time
Matt Giannetti had the button to start the hand and raised to 2.6 million when action got to him. Pius Heinz made the call from the small blind. The flop came down . After Heinz checked, Giannetti bet four million. Heinz called.
The turn was the and Heinz checked. Giannetti checked behind.
The river paired the board with the . Heinz bet 7.3 million and Giannetti folded.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:14 PM Local Time
Martin Staszko had the button, and he opened to 2.5 million. Pius Heinz defended his big blind, and it was heads up to the flop. The dealer spread out , and the two men checked it through to the turn. Heinz led out with 3.4 million of his own now, and Staszko gave it up.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:11 PM Local Time
Ben Lamb began the hand on the button and raised to 2.6 million. Everyone folded and he won the pot.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:11 PM Local Time
Pius Heinz had the button, and his raise to 2.6 million won him the pot.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 10:10 PM Local Time
| Pius Heinz | 72,500,000 | -6,600,000 |
| Martin Staszko | 55,650,000 | -2,800,000 |
| Matt Giannetti | 47,000,000 | 7,600,000 |
| Ben Lamb | 30,800,000 | 1,800,000 |