GGPoker.com Event #51: $400 Pot Limit Omaha

No stage in poker stood as a bigger goal for a tournament player than the final table of the WSOP Main Event. For years, that meant going to sleep knowing you had the chance of a lifetime, to go down in poker history in the next few days as the cameras captured your every bet, raise and fold.

All of that changed in 2008.

The year after Jerry Yang's Main Event victory was broadcast to all on ESPN's standard tape delay, organizers made a decision to try to increase the excitement and anticipation around the final table: after the final nine was reached, play would be paused. At that point, everyone left would go home with 9th-place money and the players would reconvene a few months later to play out the final table on a short tape delay.

That lasted until 2016, and this is the history of the November (and October) Nines.

Click here to read the article about the history of the WSOP November Nine

There are fewer than 80 players left now, which means players who lose all their chips get $1,372 in exchange.

As Level 21 begins, the field is down to double digits. Just 97 players have chips remaining, and currently, players who bust get paid $1,226.

It all went in on the     flop with a bet by Michiel "Easterdamnz" Van Elsacker, a shove by "AKjerstad", and a call from Van Elsacker.

Michiel "Easterdamnz" Van Elsacker:     
"AKjerstad":     

Board:      

"AKjerstad" flopped top pair, but rivered Broadway to take down a big double from the GGPoker streamer.

Michiel "Easterdamnz" Van Elsacker	619,199	-351,379
AKjerstad	424,316	263,013

While most of the focus on GGPoker for both players and observers has been on the ongoing World Series of Poker bracelet events, high-stakes cash action has been popping as well.

Never was that more clear than on Monday, when a wild hand went down, one that wouldn't have looked out of place in a James Bond movie scene.

Check out all the details of this insane pot

We're back with another Tournament Spotlight which aims to showcase some of the most exciting poker tournaments that are happening this weekend. This week it's the turn of the $150 GGMasters WSOP Edition.

Before the 2020 WSOP Online schedule was even published, we thought there was a chance of seeing the ever-popular GGMasters make its way into the schedule, and we weren't wrong.

Launched in February, the GGMasters originally came with a $300,000 guarantee before being increased to $500,000 later in the year.

There is also a Player of the Year leaderboard for this tournament, granting one player a $500,000 GGPoker sponsorship package.

Learn everything about the upcoming GG Masters WSOP Edition right here

Alex "Giggle" Epstein raised the middle to 28,400, and Leif "mothernight" Force called from the cutoff. The flop was     and Force raised to 142,000 after Epstein raised to 28,400. Epstein shoved for a bit more, and Force called down.

Alex "Giggle" Epstein:     
Leif "mothernight" Force"     

Board:      

Epstein had straight and flush draws when the money went in on the flop, but Force rivered the boat to knock him out.

Leif "mothernight" Force	639,981	214,147
Alex "Giggle" Epstein	0	0

Action is now hand for hand with 280 players left. They'll play hand for hand until the money bubble busts.

Leif "mothernight" Force raised to 18,000 from the small, and Michiel "Easterdamnz" Van Elsacker raised the big to 54,000. Force called, and the flop came    . Force bet 108,000, and Van Elsacker raised to put him all in.

Leif "mothernight" Force:     
Michiel "Easterdamnz" Van Elsacker:     

Board:      

Both players rivered full houses but Force's aces over nines was best to double up.

Michiel "Easterdamnz" Van Elsacker	572,702	-234,492
Leif "mothernight" Force	425,834	425,834

It took GGPoker Twitch streamer Michiel "Easterdamnz" Van Elsacker two bullets to hit his stride, but he seems to have found it. Van Elsacker is now chip leading with the only stack bigger than 800K.

Michiel "Easterdamnz" Van Elsacker

807,194

281,996