Event #25: 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em

After just seven hours of play on Day 3 of Event #25: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em, the official final table of six players has been reached. Leading the way into the final day of competition is Eric Tsai who bagged up a whopping 8,040,000 chips.

Tsai was a bit of an unknown coming into the 2021 World Series of Poker, playing in the first series of his career. In the past few years, the majority of Tsai's tournament cashes have come in his home country of Taiwan. Tsai has already racked up two cashes at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino this fall, collecting payouts in Event #8: $600 Deepstack along with Event #13: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em.

Tsai mentioned after Day 3 that he has mostly been playing cards online over the past couple of years but what a moment it would be for him to capture his first WSOP gold bracelet in his very first appearance in Las Vegas. It won't be easy for the young lad as he will have five well-rounded players hot on his heels who have plenty of experience.

Scott Ball finished the day second in chips with 7,820,000 after a massive cooler late in the day. Ball cracked Craig Mason's pocket aces with his own pocket queens when he spiked a queen on the flop. Mason was left with just five big blinds after the hand and was eliminated just moments later, bringing the field down to just six players. Ball will also be looking to add his first WSOP bracelet to his list of recent accomplishments.

Jonathan Jaffe had a red-hot start to the day, quickly jumping out to the chip lead and holding on throughout. However, a downward spiral in the last level saw Jaffe close out Day 3 in third place with a stack of 6,170,000. Bin Weng (3,980,000), Galen Hall (2,245,000), and John Racener (1,950,000) round out the rest of the field. Hall and Racener already know the feeling of winning a WSOP bracelet and they will be looking to reach the top of the podium once again.

Final Table Seating Assignments

There were 31 players that returned to the felt for Day 3 and the eliminations came fast and furious to kick things off. Some of the early bustouts included Matthew Wantman, Nacho Barbero, George Wolff, and Daniel Negreanu. Negreanu came into the day in the middle of the pack but struggled to win a pot in the early going. His exit came when he shoved with ace-eight and was called by Tsai's king-jack. A king on the turn left Negreanu drawing slim and the river sealed his fate.

Other players to make their way to the payout desk before the final table included Ben Yu (20th place), Justin Liberto (16th place), Nick Petrangelo (13th place), and Vicent Bosca (9th place).

The final six players will return to their seats at 4 p.m. local time on the main stage inside the Amazon Room where they will compete for the first-place prize of $562,667 and a World Series of Poker gold bracelet. They will be live-streamed on PokerGO on a slight delay. There will be just over 30 minutes left in level 26 with the blinds at 40,000/80,000 and a big blind ante of 80,000.

Here's a look at the payouts for the final six positions:

The PokerNews live reporting team will be on the tournament floor to bring you all of the updates on the way to crowning another WSOP champion.

Scott Ball opened to 160,000 and Craig Mason three-bet to 450,000. Ball then cold four-bet jammed and Mason snap-called.

Scott Ball:   
Craig Mason:   

The board came       and Ball caught his set to get a full double and leave Mason short.

Scott Ball	8,900,000	4,000,000
Craig Mason	435,000	-4,365,000

Jonathan Jaffe raised to 160,000 and both Bin Weng and Craig Mason called.

The flop came     and each player checked.

On the turn  , Mason bet 425,000 and Weng cut out a bet of 1,025,000.

Mason let it go and Weng picked up another pot.

Jonathan Jaffe	7,060,000	-160,000
Craig Mason	3,575,000	-585,000
Bin Weng	3,450,000	750,000

Craig Mason raised it up to 150,000 and Jonathan Jaffe three-bet to 425,000 on his left. Bin Weng was next to act and shoved all in for 1,240,000. The action folded back to Mason who quickly folded. Jaffe took some time but eventually came to the same decision and let his hand go.

A couple of hands later, John Racener opened to 135,000 in early position and was called by Galen Hall in the cutoff and Weng in the big blind. The flop came     and Weng checked to Racener who continued for 130,000. Hall called and Weng check-raised to 400,000 which got Racener to fold but Hall still called.

On the   turn card, Weng led out with another bet of 390,000. Hall quickly folded this time and Weng flashed    as he giggled to himself.

Jonathan Jaffe	7,220,000	-1,430,000
Craig Mason	4,160,000	-640,000
Bin Weng	2,700,000	1,600,000
Galen Hall	2,250,000	-450,000

Jonathan Jaffe raised it up to 140,000 on the button and Tingyi Tsai called from the big blind. The flop fell     and both players checked to the   on the turn.

Tsai led out with a bet of 125,000 and Jaffe called to see the   on the river. Tsai reached back for another bet of 475,000 this time but Jaffe quickly mucked his cards.

Jonathan Jaffe	8,550,000	950,000
Eric Tsai [Tingyi Tsai]	6,920,000	840,000

Galen Hall opened to 130,000 in the hijack and Tingyi Tsai defended from the big blind. The flop came     and Tsai check-called a bet from Hall.

The turn brought the   and both players checked to the   on the river. Tsai led out with a bet of 230,000 and Hall ditched his cards to the muck, slipping to the shortest stack fo the seven remaining players.

Eric Tsai [Tingyi Tsai]	6,080,000	80,000
Galen Hall	950,000	-490,000

The action folded to Arie Kliper in the small blind who made it 180,000 to go. Tingyi Tsai was in the big blind and shoved all in. Kliper instantly called off his stack of around 1,050,000 and the cards were on their backs.

Arie Kliper:   
Tingyi Tsai:   

The flop fell     to give Kliper a pair of aces but Tsai hit a set of nines. The   on the turn spelled the end for Kliper who saw the   land on the river.

Eric Tsai [Tingyi Tsai]	3,330,000	-70,000
Arie Kliper	0	-1,125,000

John Racener opened to 115,000 from under the gun and Arie Kliper pushed all in for 345,000 in the cutoff. Craig Mason flat-called from the big blind and Racener just called as well.

The flop came     and both Mason and Racener checked through to the   on the turn and the   on the river. Two more checks and Mason showed    while Racener held   . Kliper tabled    for a set of jacks and that earned him a triple up.

Craig Mason	4,050,000	-1,250,000
John Racener	3,180,000	-430,000
Arie Kliper	1,125,000	530,000