Thursday, August 11, 2016 1:17 AM Local Time
Said El-Yousfi
The 2016 WSOP Global Casino Championship is now down to the final six players. They’re led by Said El-Yousfi (pictured above), a Moroccan who qualified for this tournament at the WSOP International Circuit stop in Marrakech.
The six remaining players will return tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. for Day 3. They’ll determine the next WSOP bracelet winner beneath the lights on the television stage, as the final day will be filmed by ESPN for broadcast later this year (broadcast dates TBA).
Here is the lineup for the televised final table.
Seat 1 – Cody Pack – 509,000
Seat 2 – Yasin Ahmady – 236,000
Seat 3 – Said El-Yousfi – 1,351,000
Seat 4 – Joe Kuether – 458,000
Seat 5 – Josh Turner – 906,000
Seat 6 – Sean Small – 265,000
Cody Pack was an at-large qualifier. He was one of the Circuit’s most impressive performers this past season. He topped the year-long leaderboard, winning three rings along the way. Pack enters the final table third in chips.
Josh Turner was an automatic qualifier (Casino Champion at Horseshoe Council Bluffs). He had a monster day yesterday and started Day 2 with a huge chip lead. He held onto the lead throughout most of the day, but was eventually overtaken just as the players combined to the unofficial final table.
Sean Small was at-large qualifier. Like Pack, he had a big year on the Circuit, winning one ring and cashing 11 times.
Yasin Ahmady was an automatic qualifier. He was the Casino Champion at Foxwoods, where all of his career WSOP cashes have come. He enters the final table as the short stack with 236,000.
Joe Kuether is the only remaining player who paid his buy-in. He was eligible due to his results in the WSOP POY standings the past two years.
Said El-Yousfi is also an automatic qualifier. He was Casino Champion in Marrakech. El-Yousfi is the lone remaining representative of the WSOP International Circuit, and his success may be a sign of things to come as the International Circuit expands to new venues in the upcoming season.
The day began with a small boost to the field size and prize pool. Late registration was open until the start of Day 2, and two players took advantage of that to buy in today: five-time bracelet winner Jason Mercier, and Brian Green. Mercier was eliminated early in the day, but Green made it all the way to the final table, eventually finishing in eight place ($36,054).
Day 2 got off to a fast start. It began with 50 players (48 who advanced from Day 1, plus the two who bought in this morning). By the first break, the field had been cut down to 31. By the following break, it was down to 23.
After that, the pace slowed considerably. With about 30 minutes to go before dinner break, Barry Hutter was eliminated, leaving just 20 players. Since 19 made the money, they started hand-for-hand play. The bubble lasted until after dinner. Eventually, David Cossio was eliminated on the bubble, and the 19 remaining players were all guaranteed a payout of at least $16,280.
It was an accomplished group who made it that far. Doug “Rico” Carli finished in 17th place ($16,280). Carli is the all-time leader in cashes on the WSOP Circuit. He has 107, and his closest competitor has 69. Other in-the-money finishers include Jon Turner (18th place), Nipun Java (16th place), Justin Zaki (13th place), Jesse Martin (12th place), and Alex Rocha (7th place). Click here for a full list of results.
Thursday, August 11, 2016 1:02 AM Local Time
Alex Rocha (pictured) moves all in from middle position, announcing, "102 dalamations," as he slides his 102,000 chips forward. "The sequel," Rocha adds. Joe Kuether is in the big blind and calls with . Rocha trails with . The board runs out [kc,6c,2s,ks,h] and Rocha is eliminated, bringing Day 2 play to a close.
Joe Kuether - 458,000 (26 bb)
Alex Rocha - Eliminated in seventh place for $46,231
Thursday, August 11, 2016 12:48 AM Local Time
Level: 21
Blinds: 8,000/16,000
Ante: 2,000
Thursday, August 11, 2016 12:39 AM Local Time
Players are now on break. Cards are back in the air at roughly 12:50 am local time. Here is a look at the latest chip counts:
Seat 1: Cody Pack - 580,000 (36 bb)
Seat 2: Alex Rocha - 138,000 (9 bb)
Seat 3: Yasin Ahmady - 272,000 (17 bb)
Seat 4: Said El-Youfsi - 1,194,000 (75 bb)
Seat 5: Joe Kuether - 316,000 (20 bb)
Seat 6: Josh Turner - 924,000 (58 bb)
Seat 7: -empty-
Seat 8: Sean Small - 271,000 (17 bb)
Thursday, August 11, 2016 12:28 AM Local Time
Joe Kuether moves all in from middle posiition for his last 135,000 and Sean Small calls in the cutoff. Small holds and Kuether has .
Kuether's treys hold on the board and the television table bubble continues.
Joe Kuether - 290,000 (24 bb)
Sean Small - 280,000 (23 bb)
Thursday, August 11, 2016 12:10 AM Local Time
Cody Pack limps in from middle position, Joe Kuether completes the small blind, and Josh Turner checks his option in the big blind. The flop comes and all three players check. The turn is the . Kuether bets 18,000, Turner folds, and Pack raises to 35,000. Kuether calls.
The river brings the . Kuether checks, Pack bets 70,000, and Kuether calls. Pack tables for two pair, sixes and sevens, and takes the pot.
Cody Pack - 540,000 (45 bb)
Joe Kuether - 142,000 (12 bb)
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 11:41 PM Local Time
Yasin Ahmady raises to 25,000 from middle position, Sai El_Yousfi calls behind him, and Cody Pack defends his big blind, checking in the dark before the flop falls . Ahmady checks as well, as does El-Yousfi, then the turn brings the . Pack checks, Ahmady bets 100,000 El-Yousfi folds, and Pack asks, "Is that for me?"
"Yes, sir," Ahmady replies.
Pack calls, then the river brings the . Pack checks and Ahmady again bets 100,000. Pack thinks about, checks out his opponent and silently mouths, "wow," as he mulls over the situation. Pack eventually calls.
"Nuts," Ahmady proclaims, turning over . "Flopped the nuts."
Pack mucks what he implies is the queen-high flush and Ahmady takes the pot.
Yasin Ahmady - 600,000 (50 bb)
Cody Pack - 370,000 (31 bb)
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 11:31 PM Local Time
Level: 20
Blinds: 6,000/12,000
Ante: 3,000
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 11:29 PM Local Time
Sean Small raises to 25,000 from middle position and Said El-Yousfi calls from the big blind.
The flop comes , and El-Yousfi leads out for 25,000. Small calls.
The turn is the and El-Yousfi bets again, this time for 30,000. Small calls again. The river is the , and El-Yousfi stacks up 130,000 in chips and pushes it forward. Small quicky folds, and El Yousfi takes the pot.
Said El-Yousfi - 980,000 (98 bb)
Sean Small - 520,000 (52 bb)
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 11:24 PM Local Time
Said El-Yousfi raises to 22,000 from middle position and Brian Green (pictured), who was the last person to enter this tournament when he bought in this morning, moves all in for his last 114,000 on the button. El-Yousfi decides to call and wishes his opponent luck before turning over . He leads against Green's . The board runs out and El-Yousfi's kicker plays to eliminate Green at the official final table.
Said El-Yousfi - 875,000 (88 bb)
Brian Green - Eliminated in eighth place for $36,054
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 11:11 PM Local Time
Brian Green raises to 26,000 from the hijack, and Cody Pack calls from the button.
The flop comes , and Green continues for 26,000. Pack calls again.
Both players check the on the turn, and the river is the . Green checks, and Pack bets 90,000. Green thinks for a minute, then mucks his cards.
Cody Pack - 555,000 (55 bb)
Brian Green - 120,000 (12 bb)
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 11:03 PM Local Time
Sean Small raises to 23,000 from middle position and Yasin Ahmady calls on the button. The flop comes and Ahmady bets 60,000. Small calls. The turn is a low, non-diamond. Ahmady moves all in for his last 89,000 and Small calls immediately.
Ahmady has , which has Small's out-kicked. The river is no help to Small and Ahmady doubles up.
Yasin Ahmady - 365,000 (36 bb)
Sean Small - 505,000 (50 bb)
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 10:56 PM Local Time
Blake Whittington
Blake Whittington moves all in from the button for 108,000, and Cody Pack calls from the small blind.
Whittington:
Pack:
The flop is . Pack pairs his king and takes the lead. The turn is the , and the river is the , giving Whittington no help. Pack wins with kings and sixes, and Whittington is eliminated. He earns $28,673 for his ninth-place finish.
Cody Pack - 530,000 (53 bb)
Blake Whittington - Eliminated
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 10:52 PM Local Time
Seat 1: Cody Pack - 375,000 (38 bb)
Seat 2: Alex Rocha - 307,000 (31 bb)
Seat 3: Yasin Ahmady - 188,000 (19 bb)
Seat 4: Said El-Youfsi - 765,000 (76 bb)
Seat 5: Joe Kuether - 293,000 (30 bb)
Seat 6: Josh Turner - 745,000 (75 bb)
Seat 7: Brian Green - 159,000 (16 bb)
Seat 8: Sean Small - 680,000 (68 bb)
Seat 9: Blake Whittington - 87,000 (9 bb)
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 10:49 PM Local Time
Alex Rocha open shoves from middle position for his last 145,000 and action folds to Cody Pack in the small blind. Pack thinks for a bit, telling himself, "I should fold. I'm trying to play smart." Eventually he decides to reraise all in. Joe Kuether is in the big blind and folds.
Pack shows and is in bad shape against Rocha's . The brings Pack a world of outs, but none of them come on the turn or river and Rocha doubles up.
Alex Rocha - 307,000 (31 bb)
Cody Pack - 375,000 (38 bb)
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 10:44 PM Local Time
Brian Senie
Said El-Yousfi raises to 25,000, and Brian Senie pushes all in for 84,000. El-Yousfi quickly calls and the players table their cards.
El-Yousfi:
Senie:
The flop comes , giving El-Yousfi a set and virtual stranglehold on the hand. The turn is the , and the river the . El-Yousfi wins the pot and Senie is eliminated in 10th place. He earns $23,262 for his efforts.
With Senie's elimination, the remaining nine players are now redrawing to the unofficial final table.
Said El-Yousfi - 770,000 (77 bb)
Brian Senie - Eliminated
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 10:27 PM Local Time
Level: 19
Blinds: 5,000/10,000
Ante: 1,000
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 10:14 PM Local Time
Players are now on a 15-minute break. Play will resume at roughly 10:27 p.m. Here is a look at the updated chip counts:
Seat 1: Josh Turner - 800,000 (80 bb)
Seat 2: Yahsin Ahmady - 202,000 (20 bb)
Seat 3: -empty-
Seat 4: -empty-
Seat 5: Said El-Youfsi - 652,000 (65 bb)
Seat 6: -empty-
Seat 7: Sean Small - 665,000 (66 bb)
Seat 8: Brian Senie - 79,000 (8 bb)
Seat 1: Joe Kuether - 334,000 (33 bb)
Seat 2: -empty-
Seat 3: Alex Rocha - 155,000 (15 bb)
Seat 4: Brian Green - 254,000 (25 bb)
Seat 5: Blake Whittington - 108,000 (11 bb)
Seat 6: -empty-
Seat 7: -empty-
Seat 8: Cody Pack - 472,000 (47 bb)
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 10:13 PM Local Time
AJ Kelsall
AJ Kelsall moves all in from the button for 89,000. Said El-Yousfi thinks for a minute in the small blind, then calls.
"You're ahead," Kelsall says as he turns over . El-Yousfi shows .
The board comes . El-Yousfi is ahead the whole way, and ends up with a Broadway straight to win the pot and eliminate Kelsall. He earns $23,262 for his 11th place finish.
Said El-Yousfi - 660,000 (82 bb)
AJ Kelsall - Eliminated
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 10:02 PM Local Time
Joe Kuether raises to 16,000 from middle position. Blake Whittington moves all in for 78,000 from the small blind. Kuether goes into the tank, and after about three minutes he mucks his cards.
Joe Kuether - 305,000 (38 bb)
Blake Whittington - 108,000 (13 bb)