That’s right, October. The WSOP tweeted yesterday that the November Nine was no more, but that was simply a case of them just messing with the minds of the poker community. The November Nine still exists; it is simply moved to October this year to make way for the U.S. Presidential Election in November. The final nine players will play down to two on Sunday, October 28th and the heads-up match will be contested on Tuesday, October 30th.

Prior to the “October Nine,” the Main Event will require just three starting days – July 7-9 – because 92 tables have been added to the tournament area. The new tables, set up in the Brasilia Ballroom, allow enough players to sit at the same time that Day 1D is no longer necessary. Survivors from Days 1A (Saturday) and 1B (Sunday) will combine for Day 2A on Tuesday, July 10th, while the survivors from Monday’s Day 1C will compete on Day 2B on Wednesday, July 11th. Day 3 on Thursday, July 12th, will be the first day to include all remaining players. There will be no off-days during the Main Event.

The changes to the Main Event schedule, resulting in a Main Event which is three days shorter than last year, were made largely to allow players to spend less time in Las Vegas and therefore less time off from work and less money spent on hotel rooms, dining, and the like. The structure of the tournament will remain the same, with two-hour levels and 30,000 starting chips. Five levels will be played each day with 20-minute breaks in between and a 90-minute dinner break after the third level of the day.

Several new bracelet events have been added this year, including:

Event #3: $3,000 Heads Up No-Limit Hold’em / Pot-Limit Omaha – this event will have a 512-player cap and will alternate between the two referenced games every 20 minute level.

Event #6: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em Mixed Max – the tournament will start with 9-handed tables the first day, switch to 6-handed tables the second day, and will change to heads-up once the field is down to 32 players. Those remaining 32 players will then be seeded according to chip stack and be arranged into brackets with the #1 seed facing the #32 seed in the first round and so on and so forth.

Event #28 – $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em / Four Handed – self-explanatory.

Event #49 – $1,500 Ante Only No-Limit Hold’em – everybody posts an ante every hand and there are no blinds.

Event #55 – $1,000,000 Big One for BIG DROP – that’s a one million dollar buy-in, the most expensive poker tournament in history. 11.1 percent of the buy-in will go to the ONE DROP charity. More can be read about this event here.

There are also two “exhibition” events on the schedule. They are still real tournaments with real money to be won, but no bracelet will be awarded. The first, on June 30th, is the $560 Doubles No-Limit Hold’em Event, where two players team-up, alternating levels, to try to win all the chips. The other, held on July 6th, is the $560 Bracelet Bounty No-Limit Hold’em Event in which any player who has previously won a WSOP bracelet will have a bounty placed on his or her head.

The $50,000 Poker Players Championship, Seniors No-Limit Hold’em Championship, and Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship are back once again.

2012 World Series of Poker Schedule

May 27 – Event #1: Casino Employees No-Limit Hold’em – $500 – 2-Day Event
May 28 – Event #2: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
May 29 – Event #3: Heads Up No-Limit Hold’em / Pot-Limit Omaha (512 player max) – $3,000 – 3-Day Event
May 29 – Event #4: Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8 or Better – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
May 30 – Event #5: Pot-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
May 31 – Event #6: No-Limit Hold’em Mixed Max – $5,000 – 4-Day Event
May 31 – Event #7: Seven Card Stud – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 1 – Event #8: Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 2 – Event #9A: No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry – $1,500 – 5-Day Event
June 3 – Event #9B: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 5-Day Event
June 3 – Event #10: Seven Card Stud – $5,000 – 3-Day Event
June 4 – Event #11: Pot-Limit Omaha – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 5 – Event #12: Heads Up No-Limit Hold’em (512 player max) – $10,000 – 4-Day Event
June 5 – Event #13: Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 6 – Event #14: No-Limit Hold’em Shootout (2,000 player max)  – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 6 – Event #15: Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better – $5,000- 3-Day Event
June 7 – Event #16: No-Limit Hold’em / Six Handed – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 8 – Event #17: Pot-Limit Hold’em – $10,000 – 3-Day Event
June 8 – Event #18: Seven Card Razz – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 9 – Event #19: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 9 – Event #20: Limit Hold’em – $5,000 – 3-Day Event
June 10 – Event #21: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,000 – 3-Day Event
June 10 – Event #22: 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit)  – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 11 – Event #23: No-Limit Hold’em / Six Handed – $3,000 – 3-Day Event
June 11 – Event #24: Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better – $5,000 – 3-Day Event
June 12 – Event #25: Limit Hold’em Shootout – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 12 – Event #26: Pot-Limit Omaha – $3,000 – 3-Day Event
June 13 – Event #27: H.O.R.S.E. – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 14 – Event #28: No-Limit Hold’em / Four Handed – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 15 – Event #29: Seniors No-Limit Hold’em Championship – $1,000 – 3-Day Event
June 15 – Event #30: 2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit) – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 16 – Event #31: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 16 – Event #32: H.O.R.S.E. – $10,000 – 3-Day Event
June 17 – Event #33: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,000 – 3-Day Event
June 18 – Event #34: Pot-Limit Omaha / Six Handed – $5,000 – 3-Day Event
June 18 – Event #35: Mixed Hold’em (Limit/No-Limit) – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 19 – Event #36: No-Limit Hold’em Shootout (2,000 player max)  – $3,000 – 3-Day Event
June 19 – Event #37: Eight Game Mix – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 20 – Event #38: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 21 – Event #39: Pot-Limit Omaha – $10,000 – 3-Day Event
June 21 – Event #40: Limit Hold’em / Six-Handed – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 22 – Event #41: No-Limit Hold’em – $3,000 – 3-Day Event
June 22 – Event #42: Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8 or Better – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 23 – Event #43: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 24 – Event #44: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,000 – 3-Day Event
June 24 – Event #45: The Poker Players Championship  – $50,000 – 5-Day Event
June 25 – Event #46: No-Limit Hold’em – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 26 – Event #47: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 26 – Event #48: Limit Hold’em – $3,000 – 3-Day Event
June 27 – Event #49: Ante Only No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 28 – Event #50: No-Limit Hold’em – $5,000 – 3-Day Event
June 29 – Event #51: Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship  – $1,000 – 3-Day Event
June 29 – Event #52: 10-Game Mix / Six Handed – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 30 – Doubles No-Limit Hold’em (Non-bracelet event) – $560 – 1-Day Event
June 30 – Event #53: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
July 1 – Event #54: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,000 – 3-Day Event
July 1 – Event #55: The Big One for One Drop – No-Limit Hold’em – $1,000,000 – 3-Day Event
July 2 – Event #56: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
July 3 – Event #57: No-Limit Hold’em / Six Handed – $10,000 – 3-Day Event
July 3 – Event #58: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better – $3,000 – 3-Day Event
July 4 – Event #59A: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,000 – 4-Day Event
July 5 – Event #59B: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,000 – 4-Day Event
July 5 – Event #60: 2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit) – $10,000 – 3-Day Event
July 6 – Bracelet Bounty No-Limit Hold’em (Non-bracelet event) – $560 – 1-Day Event
July 7 – Event #61A: No-Limit Hold’em Main Event  – $10,000 – 10-Day Event
July 8 – Event #61B: No-Limit Hold’em Main Event – $10,000 – 10-Day Event
July 9 – Event #61C: No-Limit Hold’em Main Event – $10,000 – 10-Day Event

Caesars Entertainment Corporation plans to release the schedule for the 43rd Annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) at 1:00pm EST Wednesday, but in advance of the official announcement, a few details have been leaked via the WSOP’s official Twitter account. The sneak preview included one bombshell non-story: the November Nine is no more will not be in November .

As the information was disseminated via Twitter, further detail of the decision was limited. The WSOP simply posted, “A few hints on WSOP schedule coming tomorrow…you won’t find the November Nine returning.”

The November Nine was created in 2008, pushing the final table of the Main Event from July to November (hence the “November Nine” name). One of the main ideas behind the controversial move was to allow the WSOP and ESPN to better market the final table, building up the hype so that more viewers would want to tune into the television broadcast. Additionally, the long break gave the final table competitors the opportunity to ink lucrative sponsorship deals, rather than having to scramble to field offers from online poker rooms just after qualifying for the final table.

Logistically, the schedule change allowed ESPN to air the final table episodes with just a short delay – less than a day – making it so that poker fans would not have to avoid hearing about the results for months before watching the action on television. Still, ESPN made the mistake of actually scrolling the results across its ticker before the episodes aired, spoiling it for many.

Initially most poker players and fans bucked against the change, disliking the break in the tournament’s continuity. People also felt it gave an unfair boost to the chances of the final table’s weaker players, as they would now have months to receive coaching and study their opponents. Ylon Schwartz, one of the original “November Niners” and 4th place finisher in the 2008 Main Event, had scathing words about the change, telling Poker News Daily, “It ruins the integrity of the tournament. The purity of old-time Las Vegas is gone. The antiquity and purity of the tournament have been liquidated into pure greed and capitalism.”

Nevertheless, the November Nine stayed in place through 2011 and, on the whole, the poker community seemed to get used to it, even if it was not completely embraced. The television coverage improved immensely, as well, as the broadcast delay was cut down to just 15 minutes this year, making the final table “almost live.” The entire Main Event was done in a similar way, with just a 30 minute delay. Die-hard poker fans loved the “almost live” coverage, as it allowed them to watch every hand and really get involved in the nitty-gritty of the final table play, but casual fans tended to be turned off by it, as the lack of hole cards made it more difficult for them to understand what was happening.

The success of the near-live broadcast may be one of the primary reasons for was rumored to spell the demise of the November Nine. Our own Earl Burton spoke to this the day the 2011 final table started, writing here on Poker News Daily:

“Rumors have abounded over the past few days that this year’s ‘November Nine’ may be the last, especially with ESPN stepping up and providing the ‘nearly live’ coverage that it did for the final few days of the Championship Event this year. With such a live draw – if ESPN were to continue the ‘nearly live’ format – it wouldn’t make sense to delay the final table and kill the drama.”

Aside from the big November Nine news, the WSOP also previewed a few other schedule details via Twitter:

•    There will be no off-day during the Main Event this year.
•    The number of tables has been increased to 480, allowing for 1,000 more players in the tournament area.
•    The Main Event will be three days shorter “without compromising structure at all.”
•    All days of the Main Event will last for 5 levels, starting at noon and ending at 12:40am. The last day is the lone possible exception.

As noted earlier, the 2012 WSOP schedule will be officially released at 1:00pm. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for all the updates.

The tournament is the creation of Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil and Chairman of the charitable organization ONE DROP.  Laliberté went to Caesars Interactive Entertainment CEO Mitch Garber with the grand plan earlier this year.  He wanted to use the platform of the WSOP to bring both attention and funds to the global problem of the lack of access to clean, usable water for nearly a billion people.  He figured the spectacle of a million dollar buy-in event combined with the generosity of poker players would work well.

ONE DROP’s mission is “To fight poverty by providing access to water and raising awareness among individuals and communities about the need for mobilization in order to make safe water accessible to all, in sufficient quantity, today and tomorrow.”

One-ninth of the buy-in, or $111,111, will go towards ONE DROP, with the rest going to the prize pool with no further rake taken.

Among the first players to commit to the event were 2010 WSOP Main Event champ Jonathan Duhamel and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, both of whom stepped up to the plate at during the November Nine festivities this year.

“I am absolutely thrilled to participate in the biggest poker event ever organized,” said Duhamel.  “One million dollars is a lot of money but my participation comes naturally, being a spokesperson for ONE DROP and because of my attachment to such a great cause.  Life starts with water and because of its uneven distribution, a person dies every 20 seconds. The Big One for One Drop will raise $111,111 per participant, which will definitely prove the poker community attachment to ONE DROP.  As for me, I personally commit to give 5% of my winnings from this tournament to ONE DROP.”

So far, 22 players have committed to playing in the event, which is coincidentally the same number of players needed for the Big One for One Drop to be considered an official bracelet event.  And rather than the standard gold bracelet, a special platinum bracelet will be created just for this tournament.

As it stands currently, the prize pool is just over $19.5 million.  The exact payout structure has yet to be announced, but 20 percent of the field will make the money, which is twice the usual for a WSOP event.  The event will have a maximum registrant cap of 48 players.  It is expected that when all is said and done, the first prize will be the largest ever for a poker tournament, eclipsing the current record of $12 million, won by Jamie Gold at the 2006 WSOP Main Event.

The following players have committed to play in the Big One for One Drop (not all players have permitted the WSOP to publish their names):

Guy Laliberté
Bobby Baldwin (CEO of MGM-Mirage Resorts and four-time WSOP bracelet winner)
Phil Ruffin (owner of Treasure Island Resort of Las Vegas)
Andy Beal
Patrik Antonius
Gus Hansen
Daniel Negreanu
Johnny Chan
Tom Dwan
Antanas “Tony G” Guoga
Jonathan Duhamel
Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier
Dan Shak
Montreal Group seat (organized by Sean O’Donnell, friend of Laliberté)
Loto-Québec satellite seat
Caesars satellite seat
European satellite seat

Players are, of course, still able to register for the event, though the million dollar buy-in is due 14 days before the tournament starts.  ESPN plans to include the tournament as part of its 2012 WSOP broadcast.

The 2011 World Series of Poker was certainly one for the history books. With the ominous cloud of “Black Friday” hanging over the opening of the proceedings, the WSOP proved to be the venerable institution that it is by shattering several records on its way to the third largest Championship Event in its 42 year history (only 2006 and 2010 were bigger). It was at the Championship Event where we perhaps got a look at what may be the future of televised poker.

After the carnage of the four Day Ones and two Day Twos was complete, ESPN took the unprecedented step of airing the Championship Event “nearly live” on its airwaves. The broadcasts, using a thirty minute delay stipulated by the Nevada Gaming Commission, proved to be a success with poker fans as they soaked up the action from Day Three to the determination of the “November Nine.” Once this last Sunday rolled around, ESPN kicked it up another notch, running the final table – and the three handed action on Tuesday that crowned Germany’s Pius Heinz the World Champion – on a fifteen minute delay over several hours of action.

The “nearly live” broadcasts of the “November Nine” has, by most accounts, proven to be successful not only on the viewership point but also on the dramatic angle that sports loves to provide. With this in mind, it is time for Caesars Entertainment, WSOP officials and the honchos at ESPN to ditch the “November Nine” format and go live beginning next year.

Admittedly, there are strong arguments for both sides of the equation. This year’s Championship Event – with the cameras of ESPN capturing every nuance at two feature tables during the run up to the “November Nine” and then the actual final table itself – proved to be an exciting display of poker first off and a display of the characters of the game secondly. Everyone remembers well Daniel Negreanu’s rants about “table talk” during the tournament, a subject that fired up message boards across the poker world. Those same cameras also showed, after hands were completed, the skills that the players’ employed with considerably more drama than what would have been provided if the cards were displayed at the start of the hand (as is the case with taped broadcasts).

The “nearly live” broadcasts also brought a new level of commentary into the game, one which focused on the particular strategies that players would employ in particular situations. Through the usage of professional players such as Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari, Olivier Busquet and Vanessa Rousso alongside the WSOP broadcast team of Lon McEachern, Norm Chad and David Tuchman, insight into the minds of players when in a hand were offered that are of tremendous benefit to those that are looking to learn the game. How many times did one of the pros in the booth nail the hands that combatants were playing? (The answer is more often than not!) This is something that the hard core poker player or fan wants more of, rather than the fluff and edited proceedings that we’ve seen in the past.

On the other hand, there are a few downsides to the coverage. While ESPN could set a limit on how many hours they would cover in the days prior to the determination of the “November Nine,” they were at the mercy of the players once it was down to the final two tables of action. Even once the “November Nine” was determined, Sunday’s play went for several hours and probably handcuffed ESPN programmers as to how to adjust programming following poker. Even Tuesday’s climactic night was a drawn out process and (at least according to my cable company’s schedule) pushed back ESPN’s scheduled programming into the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The other downside could be in maintaining the “casual” fan of poker who, once stumbling across the broadcast, will watch for a short time. With the taped broadcasts from the past, the pace was exciting and dramatic; with the live broadcasts this year, those casual fans weren’t able to immediately see the hole cards, may not be interested in the strategic discussion presented by the top players and may be turned off by simply sitting and watching…people sitting and watching.

Weighing the advantages against the disadvantages, it becomes obvious that, for televised tournament poker to continue to flourish, such innovations as the “nearly live” broadcast have to continue. ESPN and the WSOP took a tremendous chance, not only with the Championship Event live broadcasts but also the streaming of all the bracelet events online in a “nearly live” format, and they passed the test with flying colors. Having done this once, however, they cannot go back to the old taped format, otherwise it would potentially ruin future televised poker events.

If there is the intention of continuing the “nearly live” format for future WSOP events, then ESPN and WSOP officials need to abandon the “November Nine” effective next year. When put into place, it provided a chance to build some excitement for the players and for the event itself. With the tournament now broadcast live, like the Super Bowl or the World Cup Championship Game, the excitement has already been built; stopping after the determination of the final table for a four month period would kill any momentum of broadcasting the Championship Event live.

Many times Caesars Entertainment, WSOP officials and ESPN have proven to be groundbreaking in their attempts to bring the world’s greatest poker tournament to stalwart fans of the game and the casual viewer. With this newfound “nearly live” broadcast, those entities have clearly set the bar higher. Now they need to take the next step and end the “November Nine” so we can have the drama of a champion crowned next July.

Should the “November Nine” format be dropped in favor of the “nearly live” coverage that was on display this year? Let us know in the comments section your thoughts!

It looked like Pius Heinz’s bracelet to lose, as he had more chips than the other two players combined, the aggressive internet pro was against to fantastic players.  Lamb was an established internet star in his own right and had already clinched the 2011 WSOP Player of Year title, while Martin Staszko was a chess expert and had no trouble remaining calm, cool, and collected no matter what the situation.  Here were the chip stacks to start play:

Pius Heinz: 107.8 million
Ben Lamb: 55.4 million
Martin Staszko: 42.7 million

For those viewers who wanted action (or quick finish to avoid a long night), they were far from disappointed in the early going. On the very first hand we had an all-in and a call, and with the stacks where they were in three-handed play, it materially altered the entire course of the final table.

Again, this was the first hand of the night, at 8:53pm: With blinds and antes at 600k/1.2 million/200k, Ben Lamb raised pre-flop to 3 million and Martin Staszko three-bet to 7.5 million.  Then, in what must have been a surprise to most of the audience in the Penn & Teller Lamb moved all-in!  Staszko made the call, putting himself all-in, as he was the shortest stack.  When the cards were flipped over, they weren’t the monsters that everyone probably expected.  Lamb had Kh-Jd, while Staszko had 7s-7h.  The race was on.  Lamb got absolute no help from the 3h-9s-2d- 3s-Tc board and Staszko doubled-up to 85.6 million.  Lamb was crippled, down to 12.7 million, or just 10 big blinds and 6 orbits.

In his post-game interview with Kara Scott, Lamb said that he thought his four-bet would force Staszko to fold, but even if his opponent made the call, he still had a shot to win and get to heads-up right away.

Then, on the very next hand, Staszko took the chip lead away from Pius Heinz.  Staszko raised to 3 million pre-flop, Heinz made the call, and the two saw a flop of 9h-Ac-6s.  The same betting occurred and the turn card, 9d, was dealt.  Both men checked to bring on the river of Jc.  At that, Staszko bet 4.5 million, Heinz raised to 14.2 million, and Staszko called, turning over pocket Kings, easily beating Heinz’s K-Q.

Two hands later, on the fourth hand of the night, Lamb put his last 10.9 million into the pot pre-flop with Qs-6h and was called by Staszko, who had Jd-Jc.  Just like earlier, Lamb didn’t even get a good sweat with the board cards and in the blink of an eye, the 2011 WSOP Player of the Year was eliminated in 3rd place.

Staszko had won the first four hands of the night and had the chip lead going into heads-up play, 117.3 million to 88.6 million.

With that shocking quick exit, it looked like it might be a short night, but it wasn’t to be.  What poker fans were treated to, however, was arguably the best WSOP Main Event heads-up match we have seen in years.  Here we had two players with seemingly contrasting styles: Heinz was the 22-year old internet player who had shown the propensity to play any two cards and was extremely aggressive, while Staszko was the 35-year old chess expert, relatively new to poker, who appeared much more mathematical and tight (though his tightness may have just been perception – as Heinz said Sunday night, he suspected Staszko was simply card dead during the first portion of the final table).  ESPN’s statistics tended to bear that out, too, as Heinz raised pre-flop much more than Staszko, as well as making continuation bets almost every single time.

Their styles showed themselves on Hand 9, at 9:22pm ET.  Staszko simply limped in from the button, Heinz raised to 3.7 million, and Staszko called.  After the 9d-5c-8d flop, Heinz bet 4.3 million and Staszko called.  It was another bet and call on the Qd flop, this time for 8.8 million.  On the river 10c, Heinz checked, Staszko put out 14.5 million, and after 3-4 minutes of pondering, Heinz moved all-in for his remaining 74.4 million, forcing Staszko to fold.  ESPN cameras showed that Heinz had flopped two pair with 9s-8s, while Staszko had just one pair with As-8c.

Heinz now had the chip lead back, 122.9 million to 83 million.

Unlike many heads-up matches, there were a lot of flops seen between the German and Czech, even with their different styles.  Over the next 15 hands, each player took his share of pots, when a timely river card helped Staszko regain the lead on Hand 25.  As was the case many times, Staszko limped pre-flop and Heinz checked his option (interestingly, this never happened the other way around – Heinz never limped from the button) and the two saw a flop of 2c-Qs-9h.  With the new blinds and antes at 800k/1.6 million/300k, Heinz made a small 2 million chip flop bet and Staszko called.  The turn was Ks, Heinz bet 4.5 million, and Staszko called again.  On the river, the 7s, Heinz made it 14.25 million, and Staszko was content to call.  That river card was big, as it gave Heinz two pair with 2h-7d, but it also gave Staszko a better two pair with his Qh-7c.  Staszko was winning all the way, but the river likely gave Heinz the confidence to make a heavy bet and, in turn, lose more chips.

Staszko once again had the chip lead, 110.65 million to 95.25 million.

Three hands later, Heinz snatched the lead right back, getting very aggressive with pocket Aces.  Staszko had flopped top pair with Q-9, but it was never going to be enough, especially when Heinz turned a set, and Staszko eventually surrendered a 48.7 million pot by folding on the river.

Heinz upped his lead to 124.9 million to 81 million on Hand 32, but the tables lead flip-flopped again on Hand 33.  Staszko raised to 3.5 million pre-flop, Heinz three-bet to 10.1 million, and Staszko called.  With the pot already at 20.1 million, the flop came down 7d-2h-Ts and Heinz bet 9.7 million, followed by a call from Staszko.  Heinz ratcheted up the pressure with a 21.3 million chip bet when the Ac was dealt on the turn, but this time, Staszko shoved all-in.  Heinz bowed out and Staszko had climbed up to 122.4 million chips to Heinz’s 83.5 million.  ESPN cameras revealed that it was a massive bluff by Staszko, who had just Kd-Qh.  Then again, Heinz had air as well – Jd-9c – so the bluff was well timed.

As play continued one thing became clear.  Staszko was not going to get bullied by Heinz.  Heinz’s game was constant aggression and many people, perhaps even Heinz himself, expect that he would steamroll the more passive Staszko.  But for every move Heinz had, the Czech had a counter.  He was constantly able to pick off Heinz when he tried to get out of line and was able to reign it in when he needed to play it safe.

Staszko expanded his lead to 141.3 million to 64.6 million, flopping two pair and taking advantage of poorly timed aggression by Heinz on Hand 50.  But Heinz did pull back ahead using that same aggression to pull in healthy pots, eventually growing his stack to 123.4 million through Hand 63.

But Staszko, as he was wont to do, held steady and never blinked.  He quickly took the lead back and looked like he was starting to run away with the match.  On Hand 79, Staszko limped in pre-flop, Heinz checked, and the flop came 3h-Jh-Tc.  Both men checked to bring on the turn of Qh.  At that, Heinz bet 3 million, Staszko raised to 7.5 million, and Heinz called.  After the 6s on the river, Heinz checked and Staszko put the pressure on with a 10 million chip bet.  Heinz tanked for a couple minutes until finally calling with Q-2, giving him a pair.  Staszko had K-9, though, for the turned straight, giving him the pot.

After Hand 82 at 1:11am ET, Staszko had grown the lead to 150.6 million to 55.3 million and for the first time all night, Heinz was looking frustrated.  He just couldn’t figure out Staszko.  If Staszko had the best hand, he won.  If he had the worst hand, he successfully bluffed.  It didn’t help matters that Heinz couldn’t hit a big hand to save his life.  As ESPN commentator and poker pro Antonio Esfandiari said at 2:02am ET about Staszko, “His confidence is oozing.”

It all turned, though, on Hand 115, the first hand of a new level, where blinds and antes were 1.2 million/2.4 million/300k.  To start the hand, Staszko still had a big lead, 124.75 million to 81.15 million.  Staszko limped again, Heinz raised to 7.9 million, and Staszko called, all pre-flop.  Heinz led out with an 8.2 million bet on the Tc-7c-Ks flop, only to see Staszko raise him to 17.5 million.  After some deep thought, Heinz moved all-in for another 64.75 million.  Staszko looked like he wanted to vomit.  It was apparent he had something, but he didn’t know if it was something worth the extra 47 million.  After a minute or two, he made the call, showing Qc-9c, for a flush draw.  Heinz had Ah-Qh and the lead, but it was almost a coin flip, as Staszko had 12 outs to win the entire tournament.   None of those outs showed their faces, though, and Heinz took the biggest lead of the night, 162.3 million to 43.6 million.

Watching the entire heads-up match, it appeared to this writer that while both players played great poker, Staszko had outplayed Heinz overall.  But this is poker, and fortunes can change at the snap of a finger.  Such was the case here.  Staszko tried to hold on and make a comeback, but it wasn’t “in the cards,” if we may use a corny pun.

On hand 123, played at 3:11am ET/12:11am PT, Staszko went all-in right away pre-flop for his last 39.8 million chips.  Heinz called quickly and the two showed their cards:

Heinz: As-Kc
Stasko: Tc-7c

All things considered, Staszko wasn’t in terrible shape.  He had two suited cards (though one club was taken by Heinz) and both cards were live.  After making sure everything was in order, the dealer began to lay out the community cards:

FLOP: 5c-2d-9s
TURN: Jh
RIVER: 4d

And just like that, after being down and out and seemingly a bit lost, Pius Heinz was the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event champion and $8,715,638 richer.  He became the first German to win the Main Event, the second youngest Main Event winner at 22-years old (Joe Cada won just shy of his 22nd birthday in 2009), as well as the fourth straight champion under the age of 25.

For Martin Staszko’s part, he was the first player from the Czech Republic to ever make the final table of the Main Event.  And in what has become a young man’s game with the crazy hours players have to put in to win big tournaments, it says something that a “senior citizen” at age 35 could perform so well for so long.

The heads-up portion of the 2011 WSOP Main Event was one of the greatest battles we have seen in some time.  At 119 hands, it was the longest in about a decade.  Both players were at the tops of their games, both sticking to the styles that had worked for them to that point.  Both were down, both were up, but neither gave in.  After a rough year for poker, Pius Heinz and Martin Staszko shined a bright light on a great game, making this a final table to remember.

2011 World Series of Poker Main Event – Final Table Results
1.    Pius Heinz – $8,715,638
2.    Martin Staszko – $5,433,086
3.    Ben Lamb – $4,021,138
4.    Matt Giannetti – $3,012,700
5.    Phil Collins – $2,269,599
6.    Eoghan O’Dea – $1,720,831
7.    Bob Bounahra – $1,314,097
8.    Anton Makiievskyi – $1,010,015
9.    Sam Holden – $782,115

Here is how the chip stacks looked going into the final table:

Martin Staszko (Czech Republic), 40,175,000
Eoghan O’Dea (Ireland), 33,925,000
Matt Giannetti (United States), 24,750,000
Phil Collins (United States), 23,875,000
Ben Lamb (United States), 20,875,000
Badih Bounahra (Belize), 19,700,000
Pius Heinz (Germany), 16,425,000
Anton Makiievskyi (Ukraine), 13,825,000
Sam Holden (United Kingdom), 12,375,000

Each player was guaranteed at least $782,115, though nobody wanted to wait as long as they did to not make at least one jump in payout.  And one jump was significant, as the 8th place finisher was going to win over $1 million.

And now, without further ado, some of the highlights of the afternoon and evening:

5:30pm ET – Heinz Begins Ascent

Pius Heinz raised to 1,300,000 pre-flop, 2011 WSOP Player of the Year Ben Lamb called, and then Eoghan O’Dea re-raised to 4,100,000.  Heinz cold called and Lamb folded, bringing on a flop of 8c-8d-4c.  O’Dea bet 4,600,000 and Heinz flat called once again.  After the 2c on the turn, O’Dea bet 8.2 million, putting Heinz to what ESPN commentator Antonio Esfandiari said was an all-in or fold decision, as the bet was for more than half his stack.  After several minutes, Heinz made the all-in move, forcing O’Dea to fold Ah-Qd.  Heinz had the best hand, though, holding Qs-Qc, so it was a wise, though costly, fold for O’Dea.  With that, Heinz was up to 44,175,000, good for second place, while O’Dea, who started in second, was down to 11.5 million.  As we’ll see later, that hand signaled the start of O’Dea’s decline.

6:28pm ET – Sam Holden Eliminated in 9th Place

Ben Lamb raised to 1,700,000 pre-flop under the gun and called Sam Holden’s 11,125,000 chip all-in.  Lamb had him dominated with A-K versus A-J and clinched the hand with a turned flush.  This hand sent Lamb up to 34,400,000 in chips.

7:05pm ET – Anton Makiievskyi Eliminated in 8th Place

With the first elimination finally out of the way after about three hours, the shorter stacks began to get more aggressive, feeling better than they were going to make more money than they had already won prior to the final table starting.  From the small blind, after everyone prior folded, Anton Makiievskyi moved all-in for 10,500,000 with K-Q.  Heinz called from the big blind with 9-9 and the race was on.  It was a great flop for Makiievskyi, but he was devastate on the turn when a 9 gave Heinz a full house.  The river was a 7 – no help – and Makiievskyi was gone in 8th place.  That increased Heinz’s chip stack to over 61,000,000, cementing him firmly in the lead.

7:25pm ET -  Badih Bounahra Eliminated in 7th Place

Severely short stacked, Badih Bounahra went all-in for 4,475,00 after Martin Staszko raised pre-flop to 1,700,000.  Staszko called and showed A-9, dominating Bounahra’s A-5.  Nothing positive happened for Bounahra with any of the community cards and he was shown the door in 7th place.

7:37pm ET – Phil Collins Finds Himself in an Unfamiliar Situation

Phil Collins moved all-in pre-flop with Qh-Jd and is called by Ben Lamb, who is holding a dominating Ac-Qc.  The flop was uneventful – Kd-5d-3s, but the turn brought the Td, giving Collins both a straight and flush draw.  All of a sudden, he had 14 outs.  The river was the Qd, making Collins’ unlikely flush and taking his chip stack to 28,150,000, good for 4th place.  Lamb fell to 15,325,000.  Interestingly, that was first time Phil Collins had all of his chips at risk (called by an opponent, of course) during the entire Main Event.  At this point, Heinz, Matt Giannetti, and Staszko were the clear top three stacks, closely bunched together.

8:30pm ET – O’Dea Crippled

On the last hand before break, Eoghan O’Dea raised pre-flop to 1,600,000 million only to see Lamb move all-in for 14,225,000 million.  After three minutes of thought, O’Dea called, risking most of his chips in the process.  When the cards were turned over, Lamb told O’Dea, “Good call,” as he saw that O’Dea held Ac-9d, while he himself only had Qd-8d.  The flop made things interesting, as the Js-Jd-6d presented Lamb with a diamond draw.  The 4c on the turn did nothing for either player, but the 8h on the river gave Lamb a pair and the double-up to around 30 million chips.  O’Dea was crippled, down to 2,200,000 million chips.

When the players came back from the fifteen minute break, O’Dea moved all-in pre-flop.  As Esfandiari explained, O’Dea had no choice, as the big blind was now 1 million chips.  O’Dea had Qh-6c and was called by Staszko, holding 8h-8d.  By the time the turn was dealt, O’Dea had a straight draw to go along with his Queen outs, but nothing helped him on the river and he was eliminated in 6th place.  The pot took Staszko up to 41,050,000, good for 3rd place at that point.

8:57pm ET – Phil Collins Eliminated in 5th Place

Just a minute or two after O’Dea was gone, Phil Collins found himself all-in and called for just the second time in this year’s Main Event.  With 18,300,000 million at risk and Ad-7d in his hand, he was up against Pius Heinz and 9h-9c.  This hand gave everyone a good sweat.  The flop of 6s-5c-4d gave Collins an open-ended straight draw and then the turn 9d gave him a flush draw to go along with it.  With 13 outs, Collins was far from a longshot, but after the river only paired his 7, he hit the rail in 5th place.  Heinz was now up to 86,700,000 and in complete control of the final table.

Before the dinner break, there wasn’t much in the way of eventful hands, though Giannetti did make a hero call against Heinz with just bottom pair on the river, raking in a 12,900,000 pot.  Lamb also made some hay, getting more aggressive pre-flop and chipping up to 46,300,000.

12:17am ET – Staszko Doubles-Up

In the first huge hand after the dinner break, Heinz raised pre-flop to 2,100,000 and then Staszko, who entered the final table as the chip leader, but who had seen his stack whittled away by the aggression of his younger opponents, moved all-in for 21,520,000.  After a couple minutes of though, Heinz made the call with pocket 6’s.  Staszko loved the 8-5-8 flop, as he held A-8, giving him trips.  The 4 on the turn gave Heinz a shot, but the river bricked for the German and Staszko was back to around where he started the final table, at 44,650,000.  Heinz took a big hit, but was still the healthy chip leader with 77,950,000 chips.

12:41am ET – Heinz Sucks Out on Giannetti

It was a new level, with blinds at 600,000/1,200,000 and antes at 200,000.  Giannetti, who had been quiet for a while, raised pre-flop to 2,600,000, Heinz took it up to 7,100,000, and Giannetti called.  After the K-K-7 flop, Heinz led out with a 6,900,000 chip bet and Giannetti called once again.  The two players checked both the turn Queen and river 9 before showing their cards.  Giannetti had pocket 8’s, which was good until the river, which gave Heinz and his Q-8 the best pair.  The 30,000,000 chip pot sent Heinz back up to 89,600,000 (he had previously been close to 100,000,000), while Gianetti fell to 41,800,000.

12:55am ET – Staszko Grabs Another Big Pot from Heinz

On the button, Staszko bet 2,500,000 pre-flop and was called by Heinz in the big blind.  Heinz checked the Ah-10s-4d flop and then called the same 2,500,000 bet from Staszko.  Heinz checked again on the 7d turn and once again called a bet, this time 7,500,000.  On the river – Qs – Heinz checked and Staszko threw out a 13,750,000 bet, building the pot to 40,150,000.  Heinz went into the tank, finally mucking after 4 minutes. ESPN cameras showed that it was a tough beat after the flop for Heinz, as he had Td-9d, but Staszko, holding Kd-Jh, made broadway on the river.

Staszko jumped into second place with that pot, building his stack to 56,800,000.  It was a big hit to Heinz’s stack, but he was still well in front with 75,500,000.  Giannetti was in third with 39,000,000 and Lamb was the short stack at 34,600,000.

1:30am ET – Lamb Doubles Up

Giannetti raised pre-flop to 2.6 million and Lamb moved all-in for 26.8 million with Ah-7h.  Giannetti made a very quick call with pocket Jacks and Lamb was in big trouble.  As guest commentator Phil Hellmuth said, aside from getting an Ace, the flop of Kh-9d-5h was as good as Lamb could’ve hoped for.  The turn clinched it for Lamb, as the 4h gave him an unbeatable flush.  Giannetti was crippled, falling to 6,500,000, while Lamb skyrocketed to 55,000,000.

On the very next hand, Giannetti was able to pull himself up off the mat a bit, doubling up through Staszko with Q-T beating Q-2.  He was still short after this, but with 14,400,000, Giannetti wasn’t in nearly as bad shape as he was a moment ago.

1:40am ET – Heinz Becomes First 100K Chip Player

Heinz raised to 2,500,000 and was called by Lamb.  On the T-2-6 flop, Heinz bet 2,800,000 and Lamb again called.  On the Queen turn, Heinz bet more – 6,300,000 – and was called by Lamb.   When the Jack fell on the river, Heinz thought for a minute or two before finally double-fisting a huge 20,000,000 chip bet.  Lamb pondered his move briefly, but eventually mucked pocket 9’s.  ESPN showed that Heinz had flopped top pair and turned two pair and would’ve won the hand.  He    107,400,000

1:47am ET – Matt Giannetti Eliminated in 4th Place

Pre-flop, Giannetti moved all-in for his last 12,000,000 A-3 and was snap called by Ben Lamb and his pocket Kings.  The rest was academic as Lamb flopped quad Kings.  Lamb and Giannetti shook hands and Giannetti quickly exited the final table area, obviously still frustrated from his bad beat earlier.  He told ESPN interviewer Kara Scott that he was very happy with how he played had was not as disappointed with his ouster as he would have thought, though he will probably be “crushed” later.  The brief exit interview concluded with Scott asking Giannetti if anyone at the table impressed him over anyone else.  To that, he simply said, “No,” hung his head, and walked away.

And that elimination ended play for the night as the final three players – Pius Heinz, Martin Staszko, and Ben Lamb – will get a break for a day before returning on Tuesday to decide the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event.

Heinz is in control with more chips than his two opponents combined: 107,800,000.  With that final elimination, Lamb jumped into second place with 55,400,000, while Staszko is third with 42,700,000.

Set to kick off this morning at 11:30AM (Pacific Standard Time) at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio in Las Vegas, the 2011 version of the “November Nine” will be historic in its own right. Rather than watching the action on tape, the final table will be aired – with a slight delay – over ESPN, which will allow the viewers to be a part of the excitement that has become the WSOP Main Event final table. It also may be swan song for the “November Nine” format.

Rumors have abounded over the past few days that this year’s “November Nine” may be the last, especially with ESPN stepping up and providing the “nearly live” coverage that it did for the final few days of the Championship Event this year. With such a live draw – if ESPN were to continue the “nearly live” format – it wouldn’t make sense to delay the final table and kill the drama. For this year, however, we have the “November Nine” and it is set up to be a memorable one.

The most international field ever assembled for the WSOP Championship Event final table, the nine men who will gather later today seem to reflect the changing times of the game. With seven different nations represented – including first timers Belize, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine and Germany – this year’s final table is truly representative of the worldwide nature of poker. Additionally, the final table is comprised of mainly twenty-somethings (Staszko, at 35, and Bounahra, 49, are the only players older than 30) – players who weaned themselves on the internet version of the game rather than the casinos of the world.

When the cards fly today, here’s how the field will line up:

Seat 1: Matt Giannetti (United States), 24.75 million
Seat 2: Badih Bounahra (Belize), 19.7 million
Seat 3: Eoghan O’Dea (Ireland), 33.925 million
Seat 4: Phil Collins (United States), 23.875 million
Seat 5: Anton Makievskyi (Ukraine), 13.825 million
Seat 6: Sam Holden (United Kingdom), 12.375 million
Seat 7: Pius Heinz (Germany), 16.425 million
Seat 8: Ben Lamb (United States), 20.875 million
Seat 9: Martin Staszko (Czech Republic), 40.175 million

Current odds put chip leader Staszko as the favorite at this time with 4/1 odds, while O’Dea (9/2) and the duo of Lamb and Collins (5/1) are also drawing some action. Surprisingly, considering his second place stack, Giannetti isn’t getting much support at 13/2, while Heinz (10/1), Bounahra (12/1), Makievskyi (12/1) and Holden (15/1) round out the field.

In handicapping the field for today’s play, the proximity of Lamb and Staszko to each other has to be examined. Both were quite active in the play up to the final table; will they knock heads in the early going or will they attempt to stay out of each other’s way until there have been a few eliminations? Giannetti, sitting in the one seat, will also have to deal with Staszko (who will be the small blind at the start) and Lamb (the button).

The three short stacks – Makievskyi, Holden and Heinz – sitting near each other also provides for some potential interest. As these three will be in that button-small blind-big blind situation, will they attempt to siphon off each other’s chips or will the bigger stacks around them attempt to put the pressure on?

One final issue to look at is “who’s hot” at this time. Giannetti has had arguably the best run since the “November Nine” was determined, winning the World Poker Tour event in Malta in September and taking a third place finish in an European Poker Tour London side event in October. Heinz won a side event at the EPT Barcelona, while Staszko, O’Dea and Makievskyi have all earned a cash since July.

Today’s play will not be the end of the drama. The players will play down to the final three players, then take a break Monday and come back Tuesday afternoon to determine the champion. However it plays out, the eventual survivor of this year’s “November Nine” will have escaped a difficult gauntlet and will be highly worthy of the title of “World Champion.”

At the end of play on Wednesday, the final table was determined through the elimination of two of the higher profile pros. First, Arnaud Mattern cruelly had his pocket Aces cracked when Fox’s pocket tens caught on the flop to knock out Mattern and Alex Dovzhenko (who held Big Slick). The hand would put Fox into the lead and usher Dovzhenko out in eleventh and Mattern in tenth place.

The tenth place finish for Mattern was his third consecutive cash in the WSOP-E Championship Event and each year he has improved his finish. In 2009, Mattern dropped from the tournament in 23rd place and, in 2010, the French pro left the festivities in twelfth. His tenth place finish in 2011’s version of the tournament bodes well for Arnaud’s next sojourn to the WSOP-E Championship Event.

After the double elimination, Finnish superstar Patrik Antonius was knocked out as the final table bubble boy. All in against Shawn Buchanan and Chris Moorman, Antonius could only watch as the flop came Q-7-4 with two hearts. After two checks from Buchanan and Moorman, a Jack was dealt that brought a check from Buchanan. Moorman decided not to wait any further, firing a large bet that Buchanan decided not to call. With action now heads up, Antonius turned up his A-10 for the gut shot straight draw and Moorman tabled pocket Aces. Looking for a King on the river to complete his Broadway, Patrik Antonius would instead see a nine, eliminating him in ninth place.

As the final table began on Thursday afternoon, the leaderboard looked like this:

1. Elio Fox (United States), 3.99 million
2. Jake Cody (United Kingdom), 2.68 million
3. Dermot Blain (Ireland), 2.4 million
4. Chris Moorman (United Kingdom), 2.23 million
5. Brian Roberts (United States), 2.0 million
6. Max Silver (United Kingdom), 1.825 million
7. Moritz Kranich (Germany), 1.66 million
8. Shawn Buchanan (Canada), 1.015 million

The first elimination of the final table came just ten hands into play. Moorman pushed out a bet of 60K, only to see Silver three bet it to 165K. After a quick count of Silver’s stack, Moorman ramped up the aggression with a four bet to 365K, prompting Silver to move in his remaining stack, which Moorman called. Silver’s A-K off suit was racing against Moorman’s pocket Jacks and, once the board brought no surprises, Max Silver was out in eighth place.

After Silver’s elimination, the players settled into a grind that would see pre-flop raises take many of the pots. It would take 75 hands before the next player to depart, Jake Cody, was cruelly beaten. After a raise from Fox, Cody three bet the pot and Fox responded with enough of a four bet to put the Triple Crown winner all in. Making the call, Cody tabled his pocket Jacks, vastly dominating Fox’s pocket tens, until the board ran 8-7-6-9-6 to give Fox the straight and eliminate Jake Cody in seventh place. After winning the hand, Fox was in control of almost half of the chips in play.

A valiant Shawn Buchanan would be the next player to depart the Hotel Majestic Barriere, although he fought hard to improve his position. All in against Blain’s measly A-4, Buchanan’s pocket tens were in good shape until an Ace hit the river (to be honest, Blain had fourteen outs twice after a Q-3-2 all diamond flop and holding the Ace of diamonds). Still, Buchanan’s run at this year’s Vegas/Europe WSOP was quite memorable, with over $700,000 in winnings…but no gold.

After Blain was eliminated in fifth place, the final four players – and, in particular, Moorman and Fox – began to settle the proceedings. The 1-2 punch of Moorman and Fox began to eat away at the stack of Brian Roberts before Moorman knocked him out in fourth place. Fox would then take out Moritz Kranich in third to set up the heads up battle between Moorman and Fox.

Going into heads up play, Fox had built nearly a 2:1 lead over Moorman. Over the span of 27 hands, Moorman was unable to grind away any of Fox’s chips, instead giving up some of his own. On the 201st hand of the tournament, Moorman got his remaining chips to the center holding A-7, only to see Fox have him outkicked with an A-10. The 4-3-6 flop provided some excitement, but another six and an eight on the river sealed the championship for Elio Fox.

1. Elio Fox (United States), €1,400,000
2. Chris Moorman (United Kingdom), €800,000
3. Moritz Kranich (Germany), €550,000
4. Brian Roberts (United States), €400,000
5. Dermot Blain (Ireland), €275,000
6. Shawn Buchanan (Canada), €200,000
7. Jake Cody (United Kingdom), €150,000
8. Max Silver (United Kingdom), €115,000

With the completion of the World Series of Poker Europe, the final pages for 2011’s World Series play will be determined next month, when the “November Nine” reconvene at the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio in Las Vegas. For now, however, Elio Fox can bask in the glow of being the champion of the largest ever WSOP-E Championship Event.

Silver’s live tournament results date back only to last year, but his cashes have all been impressive, none less than five figures in U.S. dollars.  Last year, he won the UK & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) Dublin Main Event and followed that up with a win in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event at the European Poker Tour (EPT) London stop.  He didn’t cash for a year after that, but is back on a roll, placing fourth in that same UKIPT Dublin Main Event last month and pulling another fourth place finish in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout event at the WSOPE just last week.

Perhaps the biggest hand of the day involved the man just behind Silver in the standings, Chris Moorman.  With the tournament on the money bubble, Moorman raised pre-flop to 12,000 (blinds were 2,500/5,000) and the chip leader going into Day 3, Constant Rijkenberg, re-raised to 31,000 and Moorman called.  After the flop of J-4-4, Rijkenberg put out a 25,000 chip bet, which Moorman took up to 56,000.  Rijkenberg called and a 5 was dealt on the turn.  This time, Rijkenberg checked, Moorman bet 114,000, and Rijkenberg called.  Rijkenberg checked again after a 9 fell on the river, at which point Moorman moved all-in for his remaining 229,000 chips.  Having 190,000 chips more than Moorman, Rijkenberg made the call.  We don’t know if it was a crying call or if Rijkenberg truly thought he had the best hand, as he mucked when Moorman flipped over Q-Q.

That hand elevated Moorman’s chip stack to 810,000 and he didn’t look back the rest of the day.  Rijkenberg fell to 190,000 and was eventually eliminated.

The first player eliminated Wednesday will receive €32,000, after which the next few payouts will jump to €37,000.  The six figure payouts don’t show up until there are just eight players remaining, with the winner of the entire tournament cashing in for €1,400,000.

Play continues today at the Hotel Barriere in Cannes, France, as the remaining players jockey for the final table and the coveted World Series of Poker Europe Main Event bracelet.

2011 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event – Day 3 Chip Leaders

1.    Max Silver – 1,780,000
2.    Chris Moorman – 1,769,000
3.    Amir Lehavot – 1,398,000
4.    Shawn Buchanan – 1,267,000
5.    Dermot Blain – 1,200,000
6.    Jeremy Kottler – 943,000
7.    Brian Roberts – 901,000
8.    Elio Fox – 889,000
9.    Andrew Moseley – 863,000
10.    Giuseppe Sammartino – 838,000

Leading the field of the WSOP Main Event at the end of Day 2 was Constant Rijkenberg, one of just two players with over 400,000 in chips.  With 462,800, he is about 33,000 ahead of last year’s 13th place finisher, Hoyt Corkins.  In addition to Corkins, the top ten is full of big names.  Jake Cody, a bracelet winner this summer and one of four poker “triple crown” winners (WSOP bracelet, World Poker Tour title, and European Poker Tour win) is in 4th place, Erik Seidel is continuing his amazing run this year, currently sitting in 9th place, and Shawn Buchanan is in 10th place.

Rijkenberg only has five live tournament cashes in his career, but one of them is quite a doozy.  In 2009, he took down the European Poker Tour (EPT) San Remo title, scoring almost $2 million in the process.  But that wasn’t the end of Rijkenberg’s notoriety for that event.  It turns out that Rijkenberg was staked for EPT San Remo, which is something perfectly normal for large buy-in tournaments.  Poker players will often seek “backers” who front a portion of the buy-in in exchange for a portion of the winnings.  In Rijkenberg’s case, it turned out that he sold anywhere between 130 and 160 percent of his action, meaning that backers gave him more money than he needed for the buy-in.  Of course, they didn’t know that, and when Rijkenberg won the whole thing, all hell broke loose once backers started adding up the numbers.

Rijkenberg’s mistake was cashing in the event.  Not that it’s a scam that’s pulled off frequently, but when it is, the idea is to bust out without cashing and therefore not have one’s backers expect any sort of payout.  It is, in essence, the scam from “The Producers.”   Rijkenberg may have actually intended to bust out quickly, as reports of his play were that he was very reckless, but he may have inadvertently run into very big hands.

Play is currently under way in Day 3 at the Main Event as the 115 remaining players try to make the money, which starts when there are just 64 players left.

2011 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event – Day 2 Chip Leaders

1 Constant Rijkenberg – 462,800
2 Hoyt Corkins – 429,900
3 Rifat Palevic – 353,500
4 Jake Cody  – 323,200
5 Giuseppe Sammartino – 305,900
6 Tom Bedell – 301,900
7 Andy Moseley – 301,400
8 Hyacinthe Bonnin – 296,000
9 Erik Seidel – 291,900
10 Shawn Buchanan – 291,400