2012 WSOP MAIN EVENT CHAMPIONSHIP: DAY SIX – FIRST BREAK UPDATE
Photo Caption: All signs point to the World Series of Poker Main Event Championship winding down to a thrilling final two days -- before the November Nine finalists are ultimately determined. At this critical stage of the tournament, most players have friends and family who traveled great distances and have flown into Las Vegas to cheer and lend their morale support. Some poker fans even make signs. Who says poker isn't a sport? -- Photo by Jay WhoJedi Neunem
DAY SIX -- FIRST BREAK HEADLINES
2012 WSOP Main Event Championship – 75 Players Remaining!
All Surviving Players Guaranteed $88,070 Payout
New Chip Leader! Again! – Texan Robert Salaburu Steps into the Spotlight
“Year of the Woman at the WSOP?” -- Norway’s Elizabeth Hille in Second Place
There are 75 players still remaining in the 2012 WSOP Main Event Championship. UNOFFICIAL CHIP COUNTS are available on WSOP.com. The current chip leader is Robert Salaburu, from San Antonio, Texas -- with 5,600,000. He began the day ranked in second place. However, there is a stacked field atop the leaderboard, with no less than 11 players with 4,000,000 chips or more. Here is a glance at the top 11:
1. Robert Salaburu USA – 5,6000,000
2. Elizabeth Hille NORWAY – 5,415,000
3. Taylor Paur USA – 5,130,000
4. Webber Kang USA – 4,975,000
5. Jeremy Ausmus USA – 4,660,000
6. Shahriar Assareh USA – 4,660,000
7. Charles Coultas USA – 4,580,000
8. Erik Hellman SWEDEN – 4,415,000
9. Kyle Keranen USA – 4,175,000
10. Jesse Sylvia USA – 4,120,000
11. Wilfried Haerig GERMANY – 4,070,000
MAIN EVENT FIELD TRIMMED FROM 97 DOWN TO 75
Another 22 players are now gone. The first two hours of Day Six reduced the field size from 97 players down to just 75 survivors. Tournament officials expect Sunday’s session to play from 97 down to 27. However, the plan is to play five full levels of action. Should more than 27 players remain at the end of five levels, play will continue until the final three tables are set.
WHAT MAKING THE TOP 100 MEANS
Think of it this way: If a player plays the WSOP Main Event Championship every single year of eligibility (age 21 to death), that means the player will theoretically make it into the top 100 players just once. That’s right – one time. Consider that if 6,000 players enter the championship each and every year (most certainly a low number, based on the five-year average) there is a 1 in 60 chance of making the top 100 players. If a player were to play for sixty straight years, then he or she would only make the top 100 once! So, each of the remaining players is truly experiencing the thrill of a lifetime.
NOTABLE DEVELOPMENTS:
Robert Salaburu (San Antonio, TX) started the day in second place. He took the chip lead for the first time in the tournament about a half hour into Day Six. However, several players are close on his heels. One expects the chip lead to shift several times over the next few hours.
Gaelle Baumann (France), who was chip leader after Day Two, currently ranks in second place. She is the top-ranked female player at the moment.
Four female players remain alive – Elizabeth Hille (Norway), Gaelle Baumann (France), Marcia Topp (USA), and Vanessa Selbst (USA).
Two “November Nine” finalists remain alive – Sam Holden (UK) Eric Buchman (USA).
Five WSOP gold bracelet winners remain alive – Leo Wolpert, Vanessa Selbst, David “ODB” Baker, Jason Somerville, and Eric Buchman.
Roman Valerstein, winner of a WSOP Circuit gold ring last season -- busted in 82nd place
Gold bracelet winner from Canada Erik Cajelais -- busted in 86th place
Ben Greenberg, former chip leader -- busted in 88th place
Gold bracelet winner Gavin Smith -- busted in 96th place.
NEXT UPDATE: SUNDAY – 6:30 PM (DINNER BREAK REPORT)
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-- by Nolan Dalla