A total of 6,420 players took their seat in this year’s World Series of Poker Main Event early last week with dreams of claiming poker’s most coveted prize, but for the 237 remaining that dream is starting to look like it could actually become reality.
Less than 24 hours after the money bubble burst – with 1,000 players being paid for the first time in 2015 under the WSOP’s new payout structure – the remaining 661 returned to the felt yesterday looking to start a run to the final table. More than half had their hopes dashed on an eventful Day 4, but not so the four still flying the flag for Asia – led by Hong Kong’s Kakwan Lau who sits 38th in the overall chip counts with 1,282,000 after an impressive late charge.
Kakwan has already cashed three times at this year’s WSOP for a touch over US$20,000 and is already guaranteed another US$35,000 in the Main Event but from here he’ll be far more interested in the US$7,680,201 set aside for the winner.
China’s Dong Guo is also in the mix with 700,000 in chips, while two Australians – Andrew Hinrichsen (401,000) and David Stubbs (141,000) – will be looking to make a run on Day 5. Hinrichsen is no stranger to the latter stages of the WSOP, having finished 23rd in 2011.
American Joe McKeehen is the overall chip leader with 3,122,000 while a number of notables still remain including Daniel Negreanu (1,335,000), 2010 November Niner Matt Jarvis (1,406,000) and Antonio Esfandiari (190,000).
Play will continue for another three days before the final table is set, with the “November Nine” then returning to Las Vegas in a little under three months’ time to crown the 2015 WSOP Main Event champion.
