Thursday, July 20, 2017 7:34 PM Local Time
Hands #28-29: Blumstein Takes a Couple Before the Flop
Hand #28: Scott Blumstein raised to 2.8 million from the hijack and he scooped up the blinds and antes after everyone folded.
Hand #29: Action folded to Blumstein in late position and he raised it up to 2.3 million. Bryan Piccioli rubbed his hands together in anticipation of peeling his cards, but he wasn't happy with them and tossed them into the muck.
| John Hesp | 131,900,000 | -300,000  |
| Scott Blumstein | 100,000,000 | 5,100,000  |
| Benjamin Pollak | 30,075,000 | -300,000 |
| Bryan Piccioli | 27,100,000 | -1,300,000 |
| Antoine Saout | 20,800,000 | -300,000 |
| Jack Sinclair | 20,250,000 | -800,000 |
| Dan Ott | 18,675,000 | -300,000 |
| Damian Salas | 11,775,000 | -1,800,000 |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 7:31 PM Local Time
Hands #25-27: Saout Doubles Through Sinclair
Hand #25: Action folded all the way around to Scott Blumstein in the small blind, and he thought it over for a bit before giving the short stack Antoine Saout a walk in the big blind.
Hand #26: John Hesp raised to 2 million from the cutoff, and Blumstein reraised to 5.2 million on the button. The blinds ducked out of the way, and Hesp quickly four-bet it to 20 million. Blumstein checked his hole cards a few times before folding, and the two exchanged in a bit of playful banter, with Hesp trying to fist bump Blumstein at the end. Blumstein leaned away, and Hesp jokingly went for a punch. Both players laughed it off as they moved on to the next hand.
Hand #27: Action folded around to Saout on the button, and he moved all in for his final 9.7 million. Jack Sinclair quickly called in the big blind, and the cards were tabled.
Saout:
Sinclair:
Saout would need some help to survive, and he got it right away, as the flop came down , giving him trip tens. Sinclair would need running kings now to win the hand, and the on the turn sealed the double up for the former November Niner. Sinclair caught the on the river to rub some salt in the wound, as Saout doubled to over 20 million.
| John Hesp | 132,200,000 | 7,450,000 |
| Scott Blumstein | 94,900,000 | -6,150,000 |
| Benjamin Pollak | 30,375,000 | -1,950,000 |
| Bryan Piccioli | 28,400,000 | -450,000 |
| Antoine Saout | 21,100,000 | 12,150,000 |
| Jack Sinclair | 21,050,000 | -10,150,000 |
| Dan Ott | 18,975,000 | -450,000 |
| Damian Salas | 13,575,000 | -450,000 |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 7:20 PM Local Time
Main Event Hype From Around the Room
Thursday, July 20, 2017 7:19 PM Local Time
Hand #22-24: Hesp Soars in Front with Trips
Hand #22: John Hesp raised to 2 million from under the gun and Scott Blumstein called from directly to his left. Benjamin Pollak called from the hijack, and they went three ways to the flop of . Hesp led out for 3 million and both Blumstein and Pollak called.
The turn was the and the action was checked around. The river brought the and Hesp checked again. Blumstein bet 8.5 million, Pollak folded, and Hesp quickly called. Blumstein tabled and Hesp showed for trip jacks.
Hand #23: Bryan Piccioli raised to 2.2 million on the button and Hesp called from the big blind. The flop fell and Hesp bet 3 million. Piccioli laid his hand down and Hesp showed , raking in yet another pot.
Hand #24: The action was folded around to Hesp in the small blind. He called and Blumstein checked his option. The flop came and Hesp checked to Blumstein who bet 1.2 million. Hesp mucked his hand and Blumstein earned himself a pot.
| John Hesp | 124,750,000 | 23,650,000 |
| Scott Blumstein | 101,050,000 | -11,750,000 |
| Benjamin Pollak | 32,325,000 | -5,450,000 |
| Jack Sinclair | 31,200,000 | -450,000 |
| Bryan Piccioli | 28,850,000 | -3,150,000 |
| Dan Ott | 19,425,000 | -1,950,000 |
| Damian Salas | 14,025,000 | -450,000 |
| Antoine Saout | 8,950,000 | -450,000 |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 7:05 PM Local Time
Hands #19-21: Pollak Takes From Hesp
Hand #19: Action folded to Scott Blumstein in the cutoff and he raised to 1.8 million. Everyone folded and the chip leader added to his stack.
Hand #20: Dan Ott raised to 1.7 million from early position and raked in the blinds and antes after the rest of the players folded.
Hand #21: John Hesp raised it up to 2 million from early position and Benjamin Pollak called from the cutoff, as did Bryan Piccioli from the big blind. The flop came and Piccioli checked. Hesp bet 4 million, Pollak called and Piccioli folded. The turn was the and Hesp opted to check this time, as did Pollak. The river was the and both players checked. Hesp showed for two pair with a king kicker, but Pollak tabled for the winner with ace high.
Here's a look at the chip trends from the first 90 minutes of play:
| Scott Blumstein | 112,800,000 | 1,700,000 |
| John Hesp | 101,100,000 | -6,300,000 |
| Benjamin Pollak | 37,775,000 | 8,500,000 |
| Bryan Piccioli | 32,000,000 | -2,300,000 |
| Jack Sinclair | 31,650,000 | -1,500,000 |
| Dan Ott | 21,375,000 | 1,700,000 |
| Damian Salas | 14,475,000 | -1,500,000 |
| Antoine Saout | 9,400,000 | -300,000 |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 6:53 PM Local Time
Hands #17-18: Blumstein Check-Raises the River
Hand #17: Action folded around to Scott Blumstein in the small blind. He limped in, and Antoine Saout checked his option in the big blind. The flop came down , and Blumstein led out for 800,000. Saout called, and the hit the turn. Blumstein checked this time, and Saout fired out 1.2 million. Blumstein called, and the completed the board. Blumstein checked again, and Saout spent over a minute in the tank before betting 1,750,000. Blumstein decided to check-raise to four million, and Saout snap folded, giving the pot to Blumstein.
Hand #18: Dan Ott raised to 1.7 million from the hijack, and it folded to Benjamin Pollak in the big blind. He made the call, and they went heads up to a flop of . Pollak quickly checked, and Ott continued for 1.3 million. Pollak rechecked his hole cards, then sent them to the dealer, giving Ott the pot.
| Scott Blumstein | 111,100,000 | 5,150,000 |
| John Hesp | 107,400,000 | -200,000 |
| Bryan Piccioli | 34,300,000 | -200,000 |
| Jack Sinclair | 33,150,000 | -200,000 |
| Benjamin Pollak | 29,275,000 | -1,900,000 |
| Dan Ott | 19,675,000 | 2,700,000 |
| Damian Salas | 15,975,000 | -200,000 |
| Antoine Saout | 9,700,000 | -5,150,000 |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 6:38 PM Local Time
Hands #13-16: The John Hesp Show
Hand #13: John Hesp raised to 1.8 million from early position and everyone tossed their cards to the muck. Hesp showed as he raked in the pot.
Hand #14: Hesp opened to 2 million from under the gun and Dan Ott called from the big blind. The flop came and Ott checked to Hesp who bet 2 million. Ott quickly folded and Hesp flashed the to the table.
Hand #15: Jack Sinclair raised to 1.6 million from the hijack and Bryan Piccioli called on the button. Hesp also tagged along from the big blind and the flop came . Hesp led out for 3 million and Sinclair called. Piccioli thought for a bit before folding and they were heads up to the turn. Hesp bet 3 million again and Sinclair decided to toss his cards away. The table and crowd begged Hesp to show his cards but he elected not to this time.
Hand #16: Piccioli raised to 2 million from the cutoff and Scott Blumstein called from the big blind. The flop was and Blumstein checked it over to Piccioli who checked behind. The came on the turn and Blumstein led out for 3.1 million. Piccioli made the call and the completed the board. Both players checked and Piccioli tabled to scoop the pot.
| John Hesp | 107,600,000 | 11,800,000 |
| Scott Blumstein | 105,950,000 | -5,500,000 |
| Bryan Piccioli | 34,500,000 | 3,100,000 |
| Jack Sinclair | 33,350,000 | -5,000,000 |
| Benjamin Pollak | 31,175,000 | -400,000 |
| Dan Ott | 16,975,000 | -2,800,000 |
| Damian Salas | 16,175,000 | -800,000 |
| Antoine Saout | 14,850,000 | -400,000 |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 6:23 PM Local Time
Hands #9-12: Hesp "Can't Show Every One!"
Hand #9: Damian Salas raised to 2 million from late position and John Hesp called on the button. Scott Blumstein three-bet to 6.2 million from the small blind and action was back on Salas and he folded. Hesp called. The flop came and Blumstein bet 4.4 million. Hesp folded.
Hand #10: Action folded around to Blumstein on the button and he raised it up to 1.7 million. Antoine Saout moved all in from the small blind and Blumstein folded.
Hand #11: Blumstein raised to 2 million from the cutoff and the chip leader picked up the blinds and antes.
Hand #12: Dan Ott raised to 1.7 million from early position and Hesp quickly three-bet to 5 million from middle position. Ott paused for a moment and eventually folded. Hesp, who has normally been showing his cards when he takes down a pot, said "I can't show every one!"
| Scott Blumstein | 111,450,000 | -100,000 |
| John Hesp | 95,800,000 | 3,600,000 |
| Jack Sinclair | 38,350,000 | -500,000 |
| Benjamin Pollak | 31,575,000 | -100,000 |
| Bryan Piccioli | 31,400,000 | -100,000 |
| Dan Ott | 19,775,000 | -1,800,000 |
| Damian Salas | 16,975,000 | -900,000 |
| Antoine Saout | 15,250,000 | -100,000 |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 6:18 PM Local Time
Updated Chip Counts
Because of a glitch in the tracking software, chip counts were not readily available at the start. The software has since been restored, and the screen is showing us the following chip counts right now:
| Scott Blumstein | 111,550,000 | 14,300,000 |
| John Hesp | 92,200,000 | 6,500,000 |
| Jack Sinclair | 38,850,000 | 1,650,000 |
| Benjamin Pollak | 31,675,000 | -3,500,000 |
| Bryan Piccioli | 31,500,000 | -2,300,000 |
| Dan Ott | 21,575,000 | -4,900,000 |
| Damian Salas | 17,875,000 | -4,300,000 |
| Antoine Saout | 15,350,000 | -6,400,000 |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 6:06 PM Local Time
Hands #5-8: Blumstein Takes Two
Hand #5: Action folded around to John Hesp, who made it 1.6 million to go. It folded around to Bryan Piccioli in the big blind, and he talked with Hesp for a bit before releasing his hand, giving the pot to Hesp. Hesp showed .
Hand #6: Scott Blumstein made it 1.7 million in early position, and it folded around to Dan Ott in the big blind. He made the call, and the flop came down . Ott checked to Blumstein, who bet 1.8 million. Ott quickly folded, and Blumstein took it down.
Hand #7: Jack Sinclair made it 1.6 million to go from middle position, and John Hesp defended his big blind. The flop came down , and Hesp check-folded to a continuation bet of 1.8 million from Sinclair.
Hand #8: Action folded around to Hesp in the small blind, and he limped in. Blumstein checked his option, and the flop came . Hesp checked in the dark, and Blumstein fired a min bet of 800,000. Hesp called, and the hit the turn. Hesp checked again, and Blumstein checked as well. The completed the board, and Hesp checked a third time. A bet of 3 million from Blumstein was good enough to get Hesp off the hand, and the chip leader added to his stack.
Due to technical difficulties, exact chip counts are not immediately available at the moment.
Thursday, July 20, 2017 5:53 PM Local Time
Ben Lamb Eliminated in 9th Place ($1,000,000)
Hand #4: Jack Sinclair raised to 1.6 million on the button and Ben Lamb jammed all in from the big blind. Sinclair quickly made the call and the cards were tabled. Lamb showed and Sinclair was in a dominating position with .
The flop came and Sinclair was still in the lead. The turn brought the giving Lamb some chop outs as well. The river landed the , giving no help to Lamb as he became the first elimination on the final table.
The remaining eight players are guaranteed at least $1,200,000 from here on out.
Ben Lamb after his elimination:
| Jack Sinclair | 37,200,000 | 17,000,000 |
| Ben Lamb | 0 | -18,050,000 |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 5:50 PM Local Time
Hands #1-3: Hesp Takes the First Three Pots
Hand #1: John Hesp raised to 1.6 million from the cutoff and Antoine Saout three-bet to 4.6 million in the small blind. John Hesp called and the flop came . Saout led out for 3.2 million and Hesp min-raised to 6.4 million. Saout laid his hand down and Hesp took down the first pot, showing .
Hand #2: Dan Ott raised to 1,700,000 from middle position and John Hesp re-raised to 5 million from the hijack. The action folded back around to Ott who released his hand.
Hand #3: Hesp raised to 3.5 million but got no action. Hesp tabled to pick up the blinds and antes for his third pot in a row.
Thursday, July 20, 2017 5:37 PM Local Time
Shuffle Up and Deal!
Cards are officially in the air for the 2017 Main Event final table! The button is starting with chip leader Scott Blumstein, with Antoine Saout and Benjamin Pollak in the blinds.
Thursday, July 20, 2017 5:35 PM Local Time
Level 37 started
Level: 37
Blinds: 400000/800000
Ante: 100000
Thursday, July 20, 2017 3:17 PM Local Time
The WSOP Main Event Resumes Today; Final Nine Battle at 5:30 p.m.
The 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event is down to a final table. Only nine players remain of a field of 7,221, all guaranteed $1,000,000 at this point. Instead of a months-long hiatus like in recent years, this time play continues after just two days off. The November Nine is no more; the summer survivors return to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino this evening to battle it out for $8,150,000 and the coveted WSOP Gold Bracelet.
The nine remaining players return to action today at 5:30 p.m. local time to commence the final table. When play gets under way, the clock will have 68 minutes and 30 seconds left in Level 37 (400,000/800,000 with a 100,000 ante). Play is scheduled to continue until six players remain, with Friday reserved for playing down from six to three. On Saturday, the three remaining players will play down to a winner.
WSOP Main Event Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|
| 1 | John Hesp | United Kingdom | 85,700,000 | 107 |
| 2 | Scott Blumstein | United States | 97,250,000 | 122 |
| 3 | Antoine Saout | France | 21,750,000 | 27 |
| 4 | Benjamin Pollak | France | 35,175,000 | 44 |
| 5 | Jack Sinclair | United Kingdom | 20,200,000 | 25 |
| 6 | Damian Salas | Argentina | 22,175,000 | 28 |
| 7 | Ben Lamb | United States | 18,050,000 | 23 |
| 8 | Bryan Piccioli | United States | 33,800,000 | 42 |
| 9 | Dan Ott | United States | 26,475,000 | 33 |
Payout
| Position | Prize |
|---|
| 1 | $8,150,000 |
| 2 | $4,700,000 |
| 3 | $3,500,000 |
| 4 | $2,600,000 |
| 5 | $2,000,000 |
| 6 | $1,675,000 |
| 7 | $1,425,000 |
| 8 | $1,200,000 |
| 9 | $1,000,000 |
Career Earnings and More Stats for the finalists
| Player | Country | WSOP Cashes | WSOP Bracelets | Career Earnings | GPI Ranking |
|---|
| Antoine Saout | France | 13 | 0 | $5,551,412 | 341 |
| Ben Lamb | United States | 14 | 1 | $7,207,830 | 16,828 |
| Benjamin Pollak | France | 16 | 0 | $2,967,781 | 116 |
| Bryan Piccioli | United States | 30 | 1 | $1,909,374 | 471 |
| Damian Salas | Argentina | 14 | 0 | $919,525 | 494 |
| Dan Ott | United States | 2 | 0 | $3,656 | 64,460 |
| Jack Sinclair | United Kingdom | 2 | 0 | $13,500 | 14,761 |
| John Hesp | United Kingdom | 0 | 0 | $2,208 | 21,184 |
| Scott Blumstein | United States | 3 | 0 | $312,142 | 1,682 |
How to Follow the Action
PokerNews will be your primary source for live updates of all the action, so be sure to check back for your minute-by-minute poker fix. We'll have details of all the hands, live and without delay as play unfolds in the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino.
ESPN will bring you live coverage of all three days of the final. The live World Series of Poker broadcast will begin on Thursday, July 20 at 9 p.m. ET on the ESPN and ESPN+. WatchESPN and ESPN Play will broadcast the final table via TV network simulcasts.
PokerCentral has announced that PokerGO will be broadcasting the World Series of Poker Main Event final table to non-ESPN markets for all three days of this week's tournament to areas that don't carry ESPN or networks affiliated with ESPN.
| Canada | The Sports Network (TSN) will provide live coverage of the WSOP Main Event final table throughout Canada, with the exclusion of Quebec. TSN2 will join the progress of the final table on Thursday, July 20 at 9:30 PM ET, with complete coverage on Friday and Saturday. TSN GO will broadcast the final table via TV network simulcasts. |
| United Kingdom | BT Sports will provide live coverage of the WSOP Main Event final table throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. The live coverage will also stream on BT Sports' internet and mobile service. |
| Australia | ESPN will broadcast the final table in Australia. |
| Balkans | Arena Sport HD will provide live coverage of the WSOP Main Event final table in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Macedonia. The live coverage will also stream on Arena Sport HD's internet and mobile service. |
| Israel | One Sport HD will broadcast the WSOP Main Event final table in Israel. The live coverage will also stream on One Sport HD's internet and mobile services. |
| Rest of World | PokerGO will provide live coverage of the WSOP Main Event final table throughout the rest of the world. Countries with access to PokerGO's live stream include Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, Finland, Czech Republic and Japan. |
| Scott Blumstein | 97,250,000 | 0 |
| John Hesp | 85,700,000 | 0 |
| Benjamin Pollak | 35,175,000 | 0 |
| Bryan Piccioli | 33,800,000 | 0 |
| Dan Ott | 26,475,000 | 0 |
| Damian Salas | 22,175,000 | 0 |
| Antoine Saout | 21,750,000 | 0 |
| Jack Sinclair | 20,200,000 | 0 |
| Ben Lamb | 18,050,000 | 0 |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 2:55 PM Local Time
Seat 1: John Hesp
Chip Count: 85,700
Hometown: Bridlington, England
Age: 64
Seat: 1
The John Hesp Show has invaded the World Series of Poker. Taking the series by storm, his style, humor, personality, and unlikely run have made the 64-year-old from Bridlington, England, a fan favorite. His story emerged on Day 4 and his craftiness has carried him all the way to the final table where he now sits second in chips.
After making the final table, bagging chips, completing his ESPN interview, and taking some final photos, Hesp was astonished by his accomplishment.
"I've used every adjective in the book, it's crazy – it's spooky," he said.
Throughout the tournament, Hesp was talkative, showed his winning cards, and was generally jovial with his fellow pros. As he continued on, he began to see socializing as a way to add some fun and entertainment to the game – a common theme from many throughout the summer.
"I'm a people person, I like socializing, and talking to people," he said. "The whole week has been about interacting with players. Some of the professionals are normally very quiet and speak very little. Even they've been opening up and smiling and starting to laugh. And they're all coming up to me now and saying, 'Well done John.' If I have achieved anything I like to think I've managed to get some of them to lighten up and have fun while they're working."
While socializing is part of his personality, as a former salesman Hesp says he can get a read off some players from body language and their communication. And in an age when math plays so much of role in the game, Hesp says he plays more on feel and instinct.
"It all has a part to play in how I make my decision whether I raise, call, fold," he said. "I can't explain technically how I should play in this position. It's just the guts and the head combined and I just do what I think needs to be done at the moment. Through the combination of the gut and the mind, I make my decision based on that. But to put into scientific words, I don't think I can."
With the final table cranking up on Thursday, Hesp planned two days of rest. Energetic at the tables, he's only been getting three or four hours the last few nights.
"My adrenaline is just working overtime at the moment," he said. "The natural excitement is just keeping me electrified really."
Hesp's is an unlikely story. Right from the start, his poker attire, a sports jacket and shirts with differing hues and patterns of geometric shapes, flowers, and more accented with a Panama-style hat, set him apart from the rest of the field. The wardrobe became his lucky charm and made for some interesting viewing for poker fans.
"This shirt and this jacket and two other shirts … were loaned to me by a good friend who lives back home in Bridlington," he says. "I commented on how much I liked his shirts the last time we were here in Vegas and he offered to loan them to me for the trip this time. They so far have brought me very good luck."
A semi-retired businessman who owns a company that rents caravan vacation homes, he has a management team that looks after the company. The father of four and grandfather of seven has only $2,207 in tournament winnings with all his final table appearances (and his only recorded win) at Napoleon's Casino & Restaurant in Hull, U.K. A recreational poker player for 20 years, Hesp now plays about once a month – although he played a bit more in the months leading up the Main Event.
Hesp's everyman story resonated with fans. This is his first trip to the WSOP and he's never even played a large tournament. Playing in the Main Event has been a goal for years and this summer he decided it was time.
"I've never played a big competition like this, but it's one of the things I've had on my bucket list for a while now," he says. "I said to my wife about three months ago, 'Would you mind if I went and played?' and came with a pal of mine from Bridlington."
The friend who joined him to play in the WSOP busted on Day 3 and headed back home. However, since his story broke he hasn't been going it alone. Fans have cheered him on in the Rio, and he's heard from players all over the world. Fans on social media have expressed their love for his game.
"It's unbelievable, it's indescribable," he said on Day 6. "I tried to get some sleep last night and my phone's going ping-ping-ping as I get messages coming from all over the world – China, Russia, South America. I'm thinking, 'Who are these people wanting to get connected with me from all over the world.' Something's happened ... it just looks as though I've become an international poker celebrity in the span of 48 hours. How did that happen? I'm just a simple guy that's come to achieve my wish on my bucket list and I'm here."
He's more than just here – Hesp has become one of the stars in this play. A family man, his wife Mandy was on standby to jump on a plane and make the trip to Sin City should he make Friday's action. His family has been watching the PokerGO stream back in England, which is on a 30-minute delay.
"I guess it's probably about now they'll be raising the roof and finding out what's going on," he said after bagging his chips. "Clearly, it was totally unexpected not only by myself, but my whole family, friends, and circle back home. I think it's just been a whole amazing experience from Day 1 to now."
No doubt Mrs. Hesp has packed her bags to be on the rail cheering him on. For John Hesp, having her at his side seems like a fitting way to end this amazing poker story.
HOW HE GOT HERE
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|
| 1 | 62,600 | 2,487/5,519 |
| 2 | 312,100 | 152/2,572 |
| 3 | 613,000 | 166/1,084 |
| 4 | 1,394,000 | 106/297 |
| 5 | 4,060,000 | 40/85 |
| 6 | 20,880,000 | 6/27 |
| 7 | 85,700,000 | 2/9 |
KEY HAND
One hand stands out that shows some of the instincts Hesp has displayed throughout the tournament. On Level 24 in Day 5 with blinds at 20,000-40,000 with a 5,000 ante, there was 700,000 in the pot and a board of . Hesp moved out a 300,000 from the big blind. In middle position Wen Zhou raised to 900,000. Contemplating his decision for a few minutes, Hesp made the call.
Zhou showed and Hesp tables . Hesp shouted "Yes!" and pumped his fists after making a great call for significant pot.
"I guess I picked the wrong time to bluff," Zhou said.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
While he has been playing poker for 20 years, Hesp has never played a big tournament. He'd never played at the WSOP, and only plays once a month in micro buy-in tournaments at his local casino. While he hasn't faced competition at this level, the big stage hasn't phased him and he's had no problem mixing it up with opponents – raising and re-raising.
Throughout the tournament, Hesp's unorthodox style and unexpected moves have confounded opponents and his instincts have also been good. When he senses he has the best hand, Hesp is not afraid to fearlessly make a move, but also makes nice laydowns when necessary. His game is under control and he has a knack for getting paid off with the best of it. Throughout the tournament, Hesp would often show his hands on a win. Does he plan to continue the practice?
"I don't know," he said. "It depends on how I feel. But really I've just got to keep calm and stay with it."
As the Hesp legend grew on later days, Hesp took the bright lights and cameras in stride, unconcerned about the pressure of the situation. While many have said poker at this stage is a young man's game, Hesp has defied that notion. He is spry and talkative at the table, ready for action and loving playing against younger pros with tons of skill.
Throughout the tournament, his multi-colored, multi-patterned outfits have caught players' eyes, but so has his fun attitude. His social game is working and a big run at the final table would truly prove the notion that anyone can get on a run and play with the best in poker.
Profile by Sean Chaffin.
| John Hesp | 85,700,000 | 0 |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 2:42 PM Local Time
Seat 2: Scott Blumstein
Chip Count: 97,250,000
Hometown: Morristown, NJ
Twitter: @SBlum2711
Age: 25
Seat: 2
Scott Blumstein, an East Coast tournament grinder, had a plan for this summer: Come to Las Vegas for the first time, enter the World Series of Poker Main Event for the first time, and win it.
Chris Horter, one of Blumstein's very vocal friends on the rail, confirmed that this was Blumstein's plan. "He said, I'm going to skip all of the WSOP, and I'm just going to win the Main."
Things seem to be going according to plan so far. Blumstein will enter the Main Event final table with the chip lead. And while his experience in many small buy-in tournament will certainly provide some help, this is the Main Event, and he has some serious competition standing between him and gold.
Blumstein has been playing poker professionally for about four years and was able to enter the Main thanks to a first-place finish in a $560 no-limit hold'em tournament at the Borgata for $199,854, which accounts for two-thirds of his live tournament winnings.
Blumstein might be well known on the East Coast circuit, but not much is known about him here in the desert. He started playing professional poker four years ago after graduating from Temple University with a degree in accounting.
"I never really had a 'real' job. I started watching and playing poker when Moneymaker won. I was just a kid. I know that sounds a bit cliché. Being here now and playing under the lights is so surreal. Day 7 was the first day I was on a feature table. I had to get used to the lights and cameras, but I settled in quickly and just tried to focus on the poker. A tournament is just a tournament and at the end of the day, it's all poker."
It's hard to compare playing the Main Event when playing on the East Coast. Blumstein makes a point of letting people know he feels comfortable here.
"A tournament is still a tournament, and tournaments are tough. But this is the Main Event, so that makes it special. I just felt like I was ready to play the Main Event this year. It's still sort of surreal to be here."
Blumstein has the chips everyone will be coming after once the final table returns to action. There are only a few days to prepare, and a tournament grinder, no matter where they hail from is sure to have a plan to maximize on the time off.
"It's crazy with only a few days break. It'll be quite different than the last few years, I didn't really plan what I was going to do. You can't really plan for something like this. I feel amazing, I can't believe it's real. I have a great group of guys and we're going to get to work and prepare for Thursday. This is one of the biggest moments of my life. And I'm super excited."
HOW HE GOT HERE
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|
| 1 | 86,200 | 1402/5.519 |
| 2 | 375,100 | 62/2,572 |
| 3 | 1,340,000 | 8/1,084 |
| 4 | 2,016,000 | 44/297 |
| 5 | 6,845,000 | 14/85 |
| 6 | 18,125,000 | 8/27 |
| 7 | 97,250,000 | 1/9 |
KEY HAND
Every player has a hand during a tournament that shifted momentum in their favor. For Blumstein, it was a big hand against Valentin Messina on Day 6. He recounted it for us:
"I raised under the gun and Messina called. The flop came jack-four-deuce. I flopped a set and bet. Messina called. The turn was a six and I checked. Messina bet over a million and of course, I called. The river was a three. I was taking a chance by checking, but I was pretty sure he would bet and he did. He bet almost 3 million and then I check-raised him to 7.2 million. I felt like he took forever to call. But he did."
Here's the hand, as reported by the PokerNews Live Reporting team:
Scott Blumstein raised to 650,000 from under the gun and Valentin Messina called from the cutoff. The flop fell and Blumstein bet 500,000. Messina called and the turn brought the . Blumstein checked, Messina bet 1,200,000, and Blumstein called. The river was the and Blumstein checked. Messina bet 2,800,000 and Blumstein check-raised to 7,200,000, sending Messina into the tank. He eventually called and Blumstein tabled for a flopped set. Messina mucked and Blumstein took the pot.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Blumstein nearly gave his tournament away after the dinner break on Day 7. He five-bet shoved preflop with king-jack jack against Dan Ott, who had him dominated with ace-king. Suddenly, Blumstein was left with only 17 million in chips and danger of missing the final table.
It was a rare slip-up for Blumstein, who had been focused for most of the tournament up to that point.
"I made a pretty big mistake after playing really well for seven days. I have no excuses. I made a misstep, but the good news is sometimes you get a second chance. A couple of hands later I got kings and was able to double up and I was right back in it."
Thankfully for Blumstein, he was able to recover after getting a pep talk from his huge supporting cast on the rail. He will have a few days to rest up and prepare for the finale, but it will be interesting to see if he "goes for the gusto" again with so much on the line.
Profile by Kim Yuhl.
| Scott Blumstein | 97,250,000 | 0 |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 2:37 PM Local Time
Seat 3: Antoine Saout
Chip Count: 21,750,000
Hometown: Morlaix, France
Twitter: @tonio292
Age: 33
Seat: 3
Antoine Saout's Main Event story really started back in 2009 when a little-known French player made the final table of the WSOP Main Event. With three players left, Saout had the chip lead. He was the first French player to make the WSOP Main Event final table and it looked like he might become the first French Main Event champion. He had the eventual champion Joe Cada in a bad spot holding pocket queens against Cada's pocket twos. Cada hit a set to double and would later knock out Saout and go on to win.
"Nobody knew me the first time. It was my first $10,000 tournament. I played great, I was chip leader and I was unlucky at the end. I almost won it."
Last year, Saout made it to day seven of the Main Event. He was now a professional poker player with tons of experience and looking to improve on his previous Main Event run. Unfortunately, he was eliminated early in the day, finishing 25th. He three-bet shoved pocket sevens and got action from queens and aces. On the turn, he actually took the lead, but was eliminated when the river was an ace.
This year, Saout was a little worried coming into Day 7 with 9 million chips. He went down to about 4 million and doubled through Richard Gryko with pocket nines. From that point on, Saout wasn't at risk again and he will start the final table with 21,750,000.
Despite accruing more than $6.5 million in live tournament winnings, he has only won a single live tournament. In 2011, he won a daily tournament in France for $15,968.
"I feel good. Last year I finished early in the day. I don't have any big live wins; if I can win this one for my first live tournament that would be great."
HOW HE GOT HERE
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|
| 1 | 91,900 | 752/5,519 |
| 2 | 341,400 | 107/2,572 |
| 3 | 1,529,000 | 3/1,084 |
| 4 | 2,318,000 | 30/297 |
| 5 | 8,260,000 | 8/85 |
| 6 | 9,945,000 | 15/27 |
| 7 | 21,750,000 | 7/9 |
KEY HAND
Saout said that the Main Event has a great structure and was very confident, saying he had played a great tournament. He also understands that you need a little luck and, probably, his biggest break came on Day 3. He got all in against Scott Seiver with pocket kings against Seiver's pocket aces. He hit a king on the river and then rode that wave all the way to the final table. He is happy to be joined there by countrymen and friend Benjamin Pollak, but wants to be the first French Main Event champion.
"I really want to be the first (French Main Event Champion). I was the first to final table. It's not like an EPT. This is the biggest tournament. I really want this."
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Unlike his last Main Event final table appearance, Saout is a seasoned professional player now. He speaks very openly about his ability and is confident in his play. He mentioned several times that he played great and acknowledged the fact that he got lucky during the tournament. He also mentioned he is used to playing long hours and, based on his success in the tournament, it seems like the Main Event is well suited to his style.
The days might end up being shorter the rest of the way, and he will enter the table seventh in chips behind two big chip leaders. He plans on using the two days off to review the footage of the other players and said he doesn't care about the size of the break. He did said he prefers the shorter break between Day 7 of the Main and the final table.
"I prefer this because there are some players with less experience. It is better for me because I am more experienced."
Saout definitely has a chance to win the Main Event. Both he and Ben Lamb have been in this spot before and that will perhaps make them more prepared for what comes next. A lot of people felt Saout probably should have won the first time he was at the Main Event final table, and now he has a chance to perhaps make up for the mistakes and/or poor luck that saw him fall in third place in 2009.
Profile by Brent Harrington.
| Antoine Saout | 21,750,000 | 0 |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 2:33 PM Local Time
Seat 4: Benjamin Pollak
Chip Count: 35,175,000
Hometown: Paris, France
Twitter: @PollakB
Age: 33
Seat: 4
Benjamin Pollak's Main Event story is one of runs. Pollak had two of the best runs in his poker career which helped propel him into the final table. He started Day 7 with about eight million chips and within the first few levels, worked his stack up to 32 million. He had a similar run on Day 5, when he started with 240,000 and 12 big blinds. Within the first two hours he ran it up to 4 million.
"I came into day five with twelve big blinds and built it to four million in two hours. It was the biggest rush I've had in the last 10 years. I got a lot of value hands and got paid most of the time."
Pollak's previous best finish in the WSOP Main Event was 27th in 2013 for $285,488. He is a French tournament pro who will now be close to $4 million in lifetime tournament earnings and possibly much, much more when he plays his final 2017 WSOP Main Event hand.
Pollak worked for about three months as an engineer before deciding he would give poker a try. He gave himself one-and-a-half years to succeed in poker and so far the rest is history. Depending on how the next few days go, Pollak could be in store for something even more historical — becoming the first French WSOP Main Event champion.
HOW HE GOT HERE
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|
| 1 | 107,300 | 1,194/5,519 |
| 2 | 157,900 | 871/2,572 |
| 3 | 497,000 | 235/1,084 |
| 4 | 218,000 | 291/297 |
| 5 | 5,690,000 | 23/85 |
| 6 | 8,870,000 | 17/27 |
| 7 | 35,175,000 | 3/9 |
KEY HAND
Pollak managed to knock out the Day 6 chip leader, Christian Pham, shortly before the second break of the day. Pham had entered the day with the chip lead and Pollak looked down at pocket aces after an under the gun raise from Pham. Pollak three-bet and Pham called.
"It was a crazy hand. It was a dream flop for me."
Pollak flopped a set on a two diamond board. There was one heart and the turn brought one more. Pham had and called for his tournament life when Pollak put him all in.
"We played a lot together on Day 6 and I know he could call with a lot of hands. So I shoved. He was very loose. He called me with ace-three of hearts. So he only had seven outs against me for a huge pot."
Pollak's hand held up, propelling him to near the top of the counts. He stayed there for most of the day.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
With nine players left, Pollak will enter the final table third in chips. He will have his countrymen and former November Niner Antoine Saout to his right and the hopes of the French poker world behind him. As stated before, no French person has won the WSOP Main Event and Pollak currently has a chip lead over Saout.
Pollak was up to 34 million when he knocked out Pham and managed to stay at that mark all the way through 16 or so eliminations and land at the final table third in chips with just over 35 million. His consistent rise each day of the Main Event suggests that he knows how to pick his spots. He is confident in his ability, but also knows that no matter where you sit in chips, you can be at risk.
"Sometimes the chips go fast. I am not a guarantee to make the final table," Pollak said shortly after he knocked out Pham.
He managed to cruise through the rest of the day without being at risk and he will go into Thursday with third biggest stack. The top two stacks have about half the chips in play and Pollak is just ahead of Bryan Piccioli.
Pollak looked forward to two-day break before the final table. It seems the rest will be almost, if not more, important than the time to study and watch the footage over the next few days.
"Right now I'm feeling super great. It was insane. I remember like Day 4, Day 5, I was super tired. It was a long day on the bubble. We started at 11 a.m. and it was very difficult to manage sleep."
Profile by Brent Harrington.
| Benjamin Pollak | 35,175,000 | 0 |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 2:27 PM Local Time
Seat 5: Jack Sinclair
Chip Count: 20,200,000
Hometown: London, England
Age: 26
Seat: 5
Jack Sinclair might not be a familiar face to even the biggest poker enthusiast, but if the people he hangs out with are any indication, his final table opponents should keep their guard up. This 26-year-old Brit has been playing professionally for two years and mainly cut his teeth online. He never really took to playing live and only started playing live tournaments at the prodding of his friends, Philipp Gruissem and Anton Morgenstern.
To date, Sinclair has only three live tournament cashes for a total of $13,500, logging his first cash in April at the partypoker Millions Live in Nottingham for £ 7,500 (USD $ 9,412). The other two cashes came this summer at the WSOP in Event #60 $888 No-Limit Hold'em - Crazy Eights for $1,742 and Event #52 $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em for $2,346.
It's usually an advantage to show up to the table with your opponents not having a clue as to who you are. In poker, the less people know about you at the table, the better. But apparently, Sinclair can't use that to his advantage for more than a hand and certainly can't use it now that he's at the final table.
"As soon as I sit down at a table, people automatically assume I'm three betting them light and doing a bunch of crazy stuff," he told PokerNews. "I don't know why. It must be the way I look at them or something. If someone looks me up, they are basically going to find nothing. They might think, 'This guy is going to be a huge fish.' I sit down and play one hand, and my image is completely gone. Maybe the first hand I play, I can get away with something. But overall no."
No one would argue that the Main Event is the ultimate grind. The days start to run together, hands are forgotten and what happened when is a blur. Sinclair, however, was able to recall his Main Event journey with amazing detail.
"Day 1 was a breeze; I won most of the pots I played. Day 2 was kind of similar. I did make a few bad decisions toward the end, but I had a decent stack. I had a horrendous table draw on Day 3. The first four hours were just brutal. I played most of Day 5 with Mickey Craft. That was probably the most fun I had at a table, maybe ever. Day 6 was an insane day. I started with a little over 2 million, and finished with about 30 million."
Sinclair probably thinks Day 7 was an insane day, as well. He went through much of the day holding the first or second spot on the leaderboard. He peaked near 100 million in chips when Scott Blumstein tried to run a bluff against him, but he gave it all back just an orbit later.
"I still liked the spot. It was a shame. The runout was too good for me not to bluff. My real mistake was that I didn't realize that he had a read on me because we hadn't played a single hand together. So I dunno, people told him that I was crazy or something, which I'm really not."
HOW HE GOT HERE
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|
| 1 | 149,500 | 207/5,519 |
| 2 | 242,900 | 355/2,572 |
| 3 | 463,000 | 267/1,084 |
| 4 | 1,457,000 | 95/297 |
| 5 | 2,225,000 | 69/85 |
| 6 | 27,535,000 | 3/27 |
| 7 | 20,200,000 | 8/9 |
KEY HAND
Sinclair walked us through a crazy hand he played against Wen Zhou. First, here's how it was reported by the PokerNews Live Reporting team:
With 650,000 already in the pot and the turn reading , Jack Sinclair bet 350,000 in the small blind and Wen Zhou raised to 700,000 in the big blind. Sinclair clicked it back to 1,400,000 and Zhou quickly moved all in, picking up a snap-call by Sinclair.
Even before the cards were tabled, Zhou shook his head and knew he was caught with the fingers in the cookie jar.
Sinclair:
Zhou:
A meaningless on the river saw Sinclair double up to more than 14 million and Zhou was sent all the way back to 12 big blinds.
"He's been playing pretty crazy all day," Sinclair says. "The first thing he did when I sat down, he like 4-bet shoved eights from under the gun against the squeeze and won. I immediately thought this guy's fun.
"In the small blind I get pocket nines. It folds to me. I raise, he calls. Flop is ace-eight-four. I check. He checks back. the pot on the turn is like 670K. The turn is an off suit nine. I decide to bet to 350k. He instantly min raises to 700k. I decide to click it back and make it 1.4 million. He thinks about it for 15 seconds and then goes all in.
"We were 7 million effective. And I called and he just shook his head and turned over pocket 2s. He had 0% on the turn. So that was quite nice. I was like, 'I really hope I hold.' Then I saw his hand and I'm like OK cool."
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Sinclair's aggressive online style will serve him well against his opponents, some of which have been in this position before. He'll know how to pick his spots and when to apply pressure. He's demonstrated great control on his way to the final table.
Sinclair took the momentum from Day 6 and kept running with it well into Day 7, where he stayed atop the leaderboard all day and all the way to the final table. When asked if he's aware of the enormity of this moment, Sinclair's smile gets a little bigger, and he pauses for a moment.
"I'm trying not to think too much about anything except the poker. But, yeah, it is definitely surreal. I'm just trying to play good poker, make the best decisions and if I do that, then I'll be happy."
Even though he's "never really been much of a live player," the fact that his famous friends, not only encouraged him to enter his first Main Event, they helped him financially, says a lot about this skill. Gruissem told PokerNews, "Jack has balls and patience. A rare combination in humans that make a great poker player."
With only two days to prepare, you might expect Sinclair to pull his friends together and study his table. But all Sinclair could think about after Day 7 was "sleep."
After seven days of play and losing a big part of his stack right before the final table was reached, you can bet there are a variety of emotions and thoughts running through Sinclair's mind. When asked how he's feeling in this moment, he was brutally honest.
"Tired. Hungry. Thirsty. I've been drinking very little water because you only get a bathroom break every two hours. I'm feeling OK, but I dusted off most of my stack at the end of the day so, mixed feelings. I think I'll have a spa day tomorrow, and just go over some hands and get a game plan together."
Profile by Kim Yuhl.
| Jack Sinclair | 20,200,000 | 0 |