Updated on 22 Feb 26 by
Matt Perry
Poker Expert

World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table: Down to 3 Players

The WSOP Main Event Final Table is down to just 3 players - but who are they? Check out this live ticker to find out how the table moved from 9 to 3-handed, and who still has a shot at becoming the 2012 World Champion of Poker.

WSOP October Nine
Chip Counts Highlights Interviews

Once again it is time to crown poker's champion with the conclusion of the $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event. PokerStrategy.com reporters mattkaufman and Tobias 'samagain' Block are on-site at the Penn & Teller Theater bringing you views and gossip from the event.

WSOP 2012 Event 65: $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event

End of Day Counts
Place Name Chips
1st Greg Merson 88,350,000
2nd Jesse Sylvia 62,750,000
3rd Jacob Balsiger 46,875,000

Players: 3 (6,598) | Prize Pool: $62,021,200

Blinds: 300,000/600,000/75,000 

From 9 to 3: the story so far

Click here for full chip counts | The final table of the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event is down to three players as only Greg Merson, Jesse Sylvia and Jake Balsiger remain. Despite the deep stacks the final was fast and furious with less than four orbits passing before Steven Gee was first to hit the rail, taking home $754,798.

Robert Salaburu left in 8th after calling off his chips with 7h7d in the big blind versus a Jesse Sylvia shove. Sylvia's Qc5c spiked a queen on the river to eliminate Salaburu, who takes a prize of $971,360. Next, PokerStrategy.com podcast guest Greg Merson eliminated Michael Espisito 7th place  after getting it in with a dominating AcKs against AsJh. Espisito took home the first seven-figure payout of $1,258,040.

Andras Koroknai was the only non-US player to make the final, but the Hungarian couldn't take it further when he hit the rail in 6th place for $1,640,902. He was 5-bet by Greg Merson, and 6-bet his stack with KhQd only for Merson to roll over a dominating big slick once more.

Jeremy Ausmus was the confident shortstack when play began, and he managed to work his small stack through the ranks to five-handed play. However, he moved all in on the turn of a 3s8s9c3d board holding Ts7d and needing help against Sylvia's Ac9h. The river didn't bring it and Ausmus left in 5th place, earning $2,155,313.

Next go to was Russell Thomas in 4th place for $2,851,537,after he got all his chips in pre-flop against Jake Balsiger. Once again, AsKc was the dominating hand but unfortunately for Thomas he could only muster up Ah9d. That concluded action for the night and left us with our final three.

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WSOP 2012 Main Event

WSOP Main Event Final Table Most Recent Updates
 
00:11 Local 08:11 CET		 Balsiger put Russell Thomas all-in preflop and Thomas called off for his tournament life holding Ah9d. Balsiger held AsKc. The board ran 8cQh5h5d7h, and Thomas hit the rail in 4th place.

That wraps up play for the night - the final 3 will return tomorrow to play down to a world champion.
23:54 Local 07:54 CET Jeremy Ausmus opened from the button to 1.2m. Jesse Sylvia called, and the flop came 3s8s9c. Both players checked, and the turn was the 3d. Sylvia checked, Ausmus bet 1.5m, Sylvia raised to 3.6m, and Ausmus moved all in holding Ts7d. Sylvia called holding Ac9h. The river 5s didn't complete Ausmus' draw, and he hit the rail in 5th place.

22:50 Local 06:50 CET		 Greg Merson made it 1m on the button, and Jesse Sylvia made it 2.6m from the small blind. Andras Koroknai in the big blind raised again to 5.3m. Merson made it 9.2m, Sylvia folded, and Koroknai moved all-in with a better-than-average stack. Merson called and showed AsKs - Koroknai was dominated with KhQd. The board was no help for the Hungarian, and Koroknai exited in 6th place.

Merson is now the overwhelming leader with over 89m chips (2nd place is Sylvia with 46m).

(Only the most recent updates are listed above, the full archive of updates can be found at the bottom of this page)

WSOP 2012 Main Event final table chip counts

WSOP 2012 Event 65: $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event

End of Day Counts
Place Name Chips
1st Greg Merson 88,350,000
2nd Jesse Sylvia 62,750,000
3rd Jacob Balsiger 46,875,000
4th Russell Thomas $2,851,537
5th Jeremy Ausmus
 $2,155,313
6th Andras Koroknai
 $1,640,902
7th Michael Esposito $1,258,040
8th Robert Salaburu $971,360
9th Steven Gee $754,798

Players: 3 (6,598) | Prize Pool: $62,021,200

Blinds: 300,000/600,000/75,000 

WSOP 2012 Main Event interviews & media

PokerStrategy.com reporters mattkaufman and Tobias 'samagain' Block are on-site at the Penn & Teller theatre bringing you views and gossip from the event with the following video interviews:






october nine
Down to three - Greg Merson, Jake Sylvia, Jacob Balsiger
october nine
The action inside the Penn & Teller Theatre
october nine
The hairiest TD in the world
october nine
Jesse Sylvia has brought some cheerleaders
october nine
More fans arrive at the Rio
october nine
Matt Damon has some words of advice for Russ
october nine
Rob Salaburu was an early exit
october nine
Jeremy Ausmus out in 5th
october nine
Russell Thomas doing his exit interview

WSOP 2012 Main Event final table updates archive

00:11 Local/8:11 CET
Balsiger put Russell Thomas all-in preflop and Thomas called off for his tournament life holding Ah9d. Balsiger held AsKc. The board ran 8cQh5h5d7h, and Thomas hit the rail in 4th place.

That wraps up play for the night - the final 3 will return tomorrow to play down to a world champion.

23:54 Local/7:54 CET
Jeremy Ausmus opened from the button to 1.2m. Jesse Sylvia called, and the flop came 3s8s9c. Both players checked, and the turn was the 3d. Sylvia checked, Ausmus bet 1.5m, Sylvia raised to 3.6m, and Ausmus moved all in holding Ts7d. Sylvia called holding Ac9h. The river 5s didn't complete Ausmus' draw, and he hit the rail in 5th place.

22:50 Local/6:50 CET
Greg Merson made it 1m on the button, and Jesse Sylvia made it 2.6m from the small blind. Andras Koroknai in the big blind raised again to 5.3m. Merson made it 9.2m, Sylvia folded, and Koroknai moved all-in with a better-than-average stack. Merson called and showed AsKs - Koroknai was dominated with KhQd. The board was no help for the Hungarian, and Koroknai exited in 6th place.

22:06 Local/06:06 CET
Koroknai, Sylvia, and Merson have gotten into a few raising wars preflop, but their hands against each other have rarely reached the flop. Koroknai seems to be chipping up a bit in the process.

21:03 Local/05:03 CET
Merson bets 1,000,000, Michael Esposito moves all-in with 10,825,000 chips, and Merson calls with AcKs. Esposito shows AsJh. With the pot at 22,650,000, the board runs 4s9s7d6s8c, and Esposito hits the rail in 7th place for $1,258,040.

20:40 Local/04:40 CET
Andras Koroknai chips up to 32,600,000 chips after Jesse Sylvia bluffs 5m on the river with air and Koroknai calls and shows A7 on an Ace-high board.

20:25 Local/04:25 CET
In a blind vs. blind situation, Sylvia moves all-in from the SB with Qc5c and Robert Salaburu calls for his tournament life (about 20 bbs) with 7d7h. The board runs 4cAdAs2dQh, which sends Salaburu home in 8th place due to a heartbreaking river.

19:51 Local/03:51 CET
Balsiger moves all-in over a raise with KcKd and is called by Robert Salaburu's QsQh. With 22,800,000 chips in the pot, The board runs 9cAc7dTh2s and Balsiger doubles up.

18:51 Local/02:51 CET
Gee raises and receives calls from Merson and Thomas. 3.75m in the pot preflop, flop comes 7c4h5d. Gee bets 1.6m, Merson folds, and Thomas calls. Jc on the turn. Gee bets 3.25m and Thomas calls. On the river 3s, Gee decided to move all-in. Calling and losing would leave Thomas with very few chips. He makes the call with QdQc and Gee shows just Pocket 8s. Gee is out in 9th place.

18:17 Local/02:17 CET
Merson opens to 700,000 and is called by Esposito from the SB. Flop JdKh7h, both check. 2d turn, Esposito leads 800,000 and Merson calls. Esposito bets 1.25 on the Qd river and Merson raises to 2.7m. Esposito calls, Merson shows 8dTd for the flush and drags an 11m pot in his direction.

17:55 Local/01:55 CET
Ausmus opened for 600,000 and was called by Sylvia and Balsiger. Flop Th9h8d. Sylvia bets 1.125m in position after both others check to him. Balsiger raises to 3.7m, and Ausmus gets out of the way with a fold. Sylvia folds and Balsiger gets up to 19,320,000 chips.

17:15 Local/01:15 CET
Fireworks preflop between Balsiger and Merson leads to 7.6 million getting in the pot with Merson in position. Flop 2s3s4s. Balsiger leads the flop for under 2 million and Merson folds.

16:51 Local/00:51 CET
Cards are in the air. Steven Gee is the aggressor in the first hand of the final table, and wins a roughly 7.4 million chip pot from Russell Thomas.

16:30 Local/00:30 CET
The broadcast has begun to record, and the Penn and Teller Theater is packed with fans. The rails for Salaburu and Sylvia seem the loudest. Player introductions have begun, and the October 9 take their seats.
 
13:02 Local/21:02 CET
Starting at 16:30 PST (00:30 CET) the October Nine will take their seats at the final table, to do battle for that first prize of $8,351,853. They will play down to three players tonight.

Then tomorrow the final three players will return to the Rio, where they will play until we have a champion.

october nine
Matt Perry
Poker Expert