Four players from the US, two from the UK, two from France, and a single player from Argentina represent this year’s 2017 WSOP $10,000 Main Event Final Table. Each of the nine finalists had the task to survive through seven full days of play and to build a solid stack that would position him well at the start of the final table.
Nine-handed play is set to begin today at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Players will resume action from Level 37 and will play until there are only six of them left at the table. Each of the finalists is guaranteed a minimum payout of $1 million. And although every one of them will be eyeing the $8.15-million first-place prize, it should be admitted that winning any of the other seven-figure payouts is a good reward for running deep in the world’s most prestigious No-Limit Hold’em tournament.
The 2017 Main Event Final Table features both WSOP regulars and players less familiar with the WSOP environment. There are several gold bracelet winners among the final nine and even two players who have previously appeared at the final table of the WSOP Main Event. Here is a bit more information about each of the nine hopefuls.
Scott Blumstein
Blumstein is entering the final table as the chip leader. The player accumulated a total of 97,250,000 in chips over the previous days of play. Blumstein has been playing online actively. The New Jersey-born player has been frequenting his home state’s online poker websites.
As for his live tournament accomplishments, Blumstein has cashed in 43 different events since the beginning of his career, collecting more than $300,000. Here it is interesting to note that the player has no previous WSOP in-the-money finishes.
John Hesp
The 64-year-old Englishman is the only finalist to be an entirely recreational player. Hesp has been playing poker for years, but has never considered doing this for a living. He has previously cashed in several tournaments he has played in and around Bridlington, UK, where he has been based for some time now.
Hesp will begin the first day of the three-day final table play with 85,700,000 in chips. This is not only his first-ever WSOP final table, but also his first-ever WSOP event to take part in. The player has made quite a debut and given his good position, he has a very good chance to scoop the specially crafted gold bracelet.
Benjamin Pollak
French poker fans were particularly excited about the possibility for two Frenchmen to reach the final stage of this year’s WSOP Main Event. And the possibility became a fact. Pollak is one of the French players to be seated at the final table. He will return at the host venue with 35,175,000 worth in chips.
The player has previously cashed in 16 WSOP events, earning $532,038. Overall, his career winnings amount to a little less than $3 million, which is a good manifestation of the player’s rich experience on the live tournament circuit.
Bryan Piccioli
The US player will start final table play as the one holding the fourth largest stack. He bagged and tagged 33,800,000 on Day 7 of the Main Event to secure a seat among the final nine.
Piccioli is a former gold bracelet winner. He scooped the gold piece back in 2013, when he topped the field of the WSOP Asia-Pacific A$1,100 No-Limit Hold’em Accumulator. He has 26 previous WSOP in-the-money finishes, winning more than half a million dollars in those.
Dan Ott
Ott is a 25-year-old player from Pennsylvania. He has long been playing online and it was only recently that he decided to try his luck and skills on the live circuit. Ott has two previous WSOP cashes. He had accumulated 26,475,000 by the end of Day 7 of the Main Event.
Damian Salas
Many recognize Salas as one of the best online poker players from South America. He has earned more than $3 million over the course of his online poker career. However, Salas now has the chance to make history and become his home country’s first-ever WSOP Main Event champion.
The player kept quiet over Days 5 and 6 of the tournament only to gain momentum on Day 7 and eventually seal a seat into the final table. He will begin final table action with 22,175,000 worth in chips.
Salas has so far cashed in 13 WSOP events for a total of $177,983.
Antoine Saout
Saout is a former November Niner. He made it to the WSOP Main Event’s Final Table back in 2009. It is interesting to note that the player actually entered the tournament via a $50 online satellite. He eventually finished third for a nice payout of $3,479,669.
Overall, Saout has more than $5.5 million in live tournament earnings and is among the leaders in France’s all-time money list. If he wins the Main Event, he will actually claim the first place from Bertrand Grospellier, who has been heading the ranking comfortably with his $13,398,845 bankroll.
Saout is entering the final table with 21,750,000 in chips.
Jack Sinclair
The UK player, like several of his fellow finalists, boasts quite a lot of experience on the online poker scene, but has been less active on the live circuit. Sinclair’s live poker earnings currently amount to $13,500 and he accumulated them this year, when he actually began playing in live tournaments.
Sinclair is starting final table play with 20,200,000 in chips.
Ben Lamb
Lamb may be the short stack among the final nine with his 18,050,000, but he is among the players with the most experience on the live circuit. Lamb boasts one gold bracelet, which he captured in 2011 for taking down the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship.
It is also important to note that it was in 2011 again when Lamb entered the Main Event’s final table to eventually finish third and scoop $4,021,138 for his efforts.
