Image courtesy of WPT Media
1:45am: Day 4 of the WPT World Championship complete!
After six 90-minute levels of play, 37 players have bagged through to the antepenultimate day of competition in the WPT World Championship, with England’s Benny Glasser finishing on top of the leader board once again, bagging up 28,800,000 in chips!
Rounding out the top five were Krasimir Yankov (26,100,000), Alexander Farahi (15,400,000), Jean-Claude Moussa (14,475,00) and Igor Kurganov (11,300,000), with WPT Ambassador Brad Owen amongst the other notables to have advanced to Day 5.
Daniel Negreanu (image credit: WPT Media)
America’s Michael Rocco was able to recover from his earlier setback against The Ukraine’s Andriy Lyubovetskiy to finish the night with 7.75 million in chips, but one of the biggest stories developing is that of living poker legend Daniel Negreanu, who could overtake fellow WPT Champions Club Member Carlos Mortensen on the WPT All-Time Money List with a deep run here at The Wynn.
The full seat draw and live updates for this tournament are now available at worldpokertour.com.
WPT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: BY THE NUMBERS
Players Remaining/Total Entries37/2,960Recommencing Blinds100,000/200,000 (200,000)Average Stack8,000,000 (40 BBs)Next PayoutUSD $99,600 (AUD $148,405)
Some more good news tonight, with the televised final table of the WPT Ladies Championship having been set. Lina Niu leads the way with 5.65 million, with Kathy Liebert also in the mix, along with esteemed commentator Jamie Kerstetter, who hosted this morning’s WPT Ladies Meet-Up Game.
The final table will commence streaming on YouTube and Twitch tomorrow from 3:30pm local time, with all players guaranteed at least USD $21,934 (AUD $32,685), while our eventual champion will earn themselves a cool USD $105,136 (AUD $156,669).
The WPT Ladies Championship final table (image credit: WPT Media)
WPT LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP – FINAL TABLE CHIP COUNTS
NameCountryChipsLina NiuCanada 5,565,000Olga IermolchevaUkraine5,065,000Kathy LiebertUnited States2,340,000Cindy SpierUnited States2,230,000Jamie KerstetterUnited States1,405,000Dusti SmithUnited States680,000
And just before we go, we’d like to once again congratulate our three amazing Aussie players: Lynn Gilmartin, Pratik Mehta and Yita Choong on their efforts in the WPT World Championship today. In total, they’ll be bringing home a combined USD $190,900 (AUD $284,443) in prize money, and we are all so very proud of what you’ve accomplished here on the world stage!
But that doesn’t mean that our time here in Sin City has ended! PokerMedia Australia will be back on Sunday for one last hurrah, and we’ll be hard at work to bring you more coverage and feature stories with some of our international superstars are that still here at The Wynn.
So, with all that said and done, it’s time for us to wrap up and rest up to prepare for our final chapter of the PMA Vegas Diaries. Until tomorrow, from all of us here at The Wynn, it’s ‘bye for now!
11:15pm: Yita Choong eliminated in 45th place (USD $83,900)
The WPT World Championship dream is officially over for the green-and-gold, with Yita Choong felted at the hands of America’s Scott Matte in 45th place.
The previous level proved arduous for the Sydneysider, who was first put to the sword by Michael Rocco in one of the last hands before the break. Action folded to Rocco who completed the small blind before Choong checked his option in the big blind to go heads-up to a flop of Q♦7♦3♠.
Rocco led out for 125,000, but after Choong raised to 375,000, Rocco came back with a re-raise of 700,000 straight. Choong called, and he then flatted after Rocco opened for 450,000 on the turn of the 3♠.
The dealer then peeled off the river 9♥ and Rocco flicked out a bet of 1.4 million, which was precisely what Choong had behind. After more than five minutes in the tank, a clock was called, and Choong agonised over the decision before letting his hand go.
Yita Choong
The final hand then played out around 10:30pm local time; action folded around to Choong who open-shoved for his last 950,000 from the cut-off with K♥8♣, only to then see Matte iso-shove out of the small blind with A♥A♦.
Choong found no help after the board was spread 10♠6♣3♠5♦2♦, and he cut a forlorn figure as he headed to the exits with payout slip in hand, good for USD $83,900 (AUD $125,058). Definitely not the result we had hoped for, but a phenomenal effort nonetheless.
There’s just over half an hour to go before Day 4 comes to a close, and PokerMedia Australia will be back later on to wrap up today’s proceedings. Stay with us!
10pm: Pratik Mehta eliminated in 50th place (USD $71,400)
Yita Choong is now the last Australian player remaining in the WPT World Championship after Pratik Mehta was sent to the rail by Austria’s Wojtek Barzantny in 50th place.
In earlier action on Mehta’s table, WPT Champion and WSOP six-time bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu was involved in a huge three-way pot against Kyna England and Drew O’Connell. After Negreanu min-clicked from the +1 position, action folded to England who ripped in her last 900,000 from the cut-off.
O’Connell then re-jammed from the big blind and Negreanu called short before the cards were tabled.
Negreanu: Q♥Q♦
O’Connell: 9♥9♦
England: A♠9♠
England then headed to the payout desk to collect for her 54th place finish after the board ran out 10♠10♥4♠4♦3♦.
Pratik Mehta
Several hands later, Barzantny raised from the cut-off; Mehta defended his big blind, and then check-raised to Barzantny’s opening bet after a flop of A♣Q♦10♦. Mehta then open-shoved on the turn of the 5♥ and Barzantny called, but although Mehta was ahead with Q♥10♥ for two pair, Barzantny spiked the 7♦ on the river to flush him out of the tournament.
A brilliant effort from Mehta, who has now collected USD $71,400 (AUD $106,460) and his biggest tournament result to date. GG, sir!
UPDATED AUSSIE CHIP COUNTS (end of Level 25)
NameChipsYita Choong1,325,000Pratik MehtaBUSTED!
WPT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: BY THE NUMBERS
Players Remaining/Total Entries46/2,960Recommencing Blinds75,000/150,000 (125,000)Average Stack6,434,783 (43 BBs)Next PayoutUSD $83,900 (AUD $125,072)
8pm: ‘Til (the table of) death do us part
As Yita Choong and Pratik Mehta grinded on through to the dinner break, PokerMedia Australia caught up with a few more Aussies at The Wynn, including Tim Duckworth, who reminded us that we still need to get him on for another crack at the PMA Podcast.
At the very least, we’ll be having a beer or two after tonight’s Day 4 session to share old war stories in preparation for that episode, but it’s also a reminder of just how far we’ve all come since the early days – and especially in Duckworth’s case, given that he’s now based here in Las Vegas as the Content & Live Reporting Manager for PokerGO.
Tim Duckworth (image credit: WPT Media)
We also caught up with Ashleigh Lawrence, who along with fellow Royal Flush Crew Member Alex Gray, have flown into Las Vegas early this morning in preparation for the WPT World Championship finale. WPT CEO Adam Pliska couldn’t help but chuckle as Gray’s jaw almost hit the floor upon walking into the Encore Ballroom for the very first time.
The Wynn Las Vegas has truly delivered a player experience unlike anything else we’ve witnessed at other major events in recent years, and for Sydney’s Hasan and Elisa Onay, they’ve been making the most of every opportunity here in Sin City to showcase their talent and meet with some of their poker idols.
For Hasan, his moment came when he first jumped into a recent episode of ‘Live at the Bike’ in Los Angeles before he was seated next to WPT Ambassador Phil Ivey in last week’s USD $200/$400 super high stakes cash game last week.
Video courtesy of WPT Media (YouTube)
“It was awesome to sit down next to [Ivey] and meet him,” Hasan said. “It was the biggest Hold’em game I’ve ever been involved in. I wasn’t there for too long, but everyone there was super tough in their own way and it was cool to get that experience.”
“I didn’t think anyone was going to watch it to be honest, but then I look down at my phone and I see hundreds of messages from everyone back at home, so that was really cool!”
Meanwhile, Elisa has been hitting it big at the blackjack tables here at The Wynn, which has softened the blow after she was unable to progress further in the WPT World Championship, but that wasn’t before she managed to sneak in a few selfies with two of the biggest names in poker.
Elisa Onay in action during Day 1 of the WPT Ladies Championship
“The first photo I managed to get was with [2022 WSOP Main Event Champion] Espen Jorstad,” she said, “And Daniel Negreanu … number one, fangirl forever!”
Still, the Sydney newlyweds aren’t messing around, as they’ve made a commitment to keep sharing in their love of poker and travel, and the WPT World Championship is definitely on their list for next year.
“The turnout has been absolutely incredible and the staff are so helpful!” said Elisa. “The tournaments, the structures, everything about it has been amazing … I reckon we’ll definitely see a whole lot more Aussies over here next year.”
Our 56 remaining players in the WPT World Championship will resume play at approximately 8:15pm local time; live updates and full payouts are also available at worldpokertour.com.
Elisa & Hasan Onay
UPDATED AUSSIE CHIP COUNTS (end of Level 24)
NameChipsPratik Mehta2,625,000Yita Choong1,225,000
WPT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: BY THE NUMBERS
Players Remaining/Total Entries56/2,960Recommencing Blinds75,000/125,000 (125,000)Average Stack5,285,714 (42 BBs)Next PayoutUSD $71,400 (AUD $106,520)
5:30pm: Choong and Mehta A-OK
Time for a quick-fire update on our remaining two Aussies in the WPT World Championship, and we’re pleased to report that both Pratik Mehta and Yita Choong both still alive as we head back from the next break of the day.
Mehta has continued to nurse his short stack through, returning to a stack worth 11 bigs, while Choong has now been seated alongside America’s Kyna England, who is one of several women still in this tournament along with Arden Cho, Julie Dang and LoriAnn Persinger, who’s seated on the feature table, now streaming on YouTube and Twitch (cards-up, 30-minute delay).
Meanwhile, Day 1B of the Mystery Bounty is in full swing, with 1,092 entries taken in for today’s flight, and the WPT Ladies Championship is now down to the last three tables, with Kathy Liebert, Katie Linsdey and Jamie Kerstetter amongst the notables remaining.
UPDATED AUSSIE CHIP COUNTS (end of Level 23)
NameChipsYita Choong4,650,000Pratik Mehta1,100,000
Pratik Mehta chats with Hasan & Elisa Onay on the rail
WPT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: BY THE NUMBERS
Players Remaining/Total Entries67/2,960Recommencing Blinds50,000/100,000 (100,000)Average Stack4,471,910 (48 BBs)Next PayoutUSD $53,200 (AUD $79,409)
4pm: Lynn Gilmartin eliminated in 91st place (USD $35,600)
The dream run may not have been as deep as she had hoped, but it’s still an incredible result for Lynn Gilmartin, who has become the first Australian player in history to cash in the WPT World Championship!
About halfway through Level 22, Gilmartin moved her last 900,000 effective from middle position holding K♦J♦ and the action folded to David ‘ODB’ Baker who called with A♣Q♠.
Baker then paired his Queen on the flop of Q♣6♠5♦ and then held as the turn and river completed 5♠, 3♠, ending the Australian Poker Hall of Famer’s run in 91st place for a payout of USD $35,600 (AUD $53,087).
Lynn Gilmartin
Although she initially felt like her heart had shattered into a million pieces, Gilmartin was still delighted with how things turned out, telling PokerMedia Australia that she was so grateful for all the help and encouragement she’d throughout her journey, especially from her husband, Angel Guillen.
“We’re such a strong time, now more than ever that we have our son,” Gilmartin said. “Angel’s been taking such great care of Bodhi while Mumma gets up sneaks off early in the morning to go hunting. He’s been great with sending me tips and giving me advice and it’s just been so lovely.”
“I’m so appreciative for the support I’ve been getting from around the room, the players have been so excited to see me on the other side of the felt. I felt like a winner already … it’s been a thrilling ride and I definitely could get used to this. I will be doing it again!”
Angel Guillen watches from the rail
And there was clearly nobody else prouder for her efforts than Guillen, who has also taken this experience to learn more from Gilmartin about himself as players.
“I’ve been blessed to see how she’s developed her game and her confidence,” he said. “As she’s advanced every day, I’ve seen her composition at the tables has grown, and I see her as another professional player … not one that’s robotic, but able to process things inward and in a healthy place.”
“She’s handled the beats well, she’s not getting frustrated, or getting [her chips] in desperate … she’s been very patient and showing the qualities that you need as a tournament player.”
UPDATED AUSSIE CHIP COUNTS (end of Level 22)
NameChipsYita Choong2,975,000Pratik Mehta1,650,000Lynn GilmartinBUSTED!
WPT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: BY THE NUMBERS
Players Remaining/Total Entries82/2,960Recommencing Blinds50,000/75,000 (75,000)Average Stack3,609,756 (48 BBs)Next PayoutUSD $41,250 (AUD $61,513)
2pm: Sweet Yita!
A fantastic start for all three Aussies, who are now close to making it into the top 100 here in the WPT World Championship heading into the first break of the day.
It was a particularly profitable level for Yita Choong, who scored two early doubles through Conrad Simpson; the first big move came after pre-flop raise from Amir Marmar before Baker three-bet to 225,000 from the cut-off.
Choong shoved for 660,000 from the small blind, Marmar folded and Simpson called, showing A♥J♣, but Choong had him dominated with A♠A♣ as the board ran clean 8♣3♣7♦7♠3♠.
Yita Choong
Lynn Gilmartin also found some breathing room after scoring a full double through Andrew Ostapchenko, getting her money in good with Q♠Q♥ against his K♣10♠, with neither hand improving on the run-out of J♠6♣2♠4♥5♥.
Meanwhile, Pratik Mehta has been holding steady, chipping up to 2.75 million before Daniel Negreanu got moved onto his immediate left, but it was the guttural screaming and cursing of American pro Michael Rocco that caught our attention on Table 203, who was all but eviscerated at the hands of Ukrainian WSOP Europe bracelet winner, Andriy Lyubovetskiy.
All the money was in the middle after the turn on a board of 7♠A♠8♥5♦5♥; Rocco clapped and pumped his fist after he tabled 8♦7♣, but Lyubovetskiy’s A♣Q♥ scored the full double after he counterfeited with the river 5♥, increasing his stack to more than 4.5 million.
UPDATED AUSSIE CHIP COUNTS (end of Level 21)
NameChipsYita Choong4,510,000Pratik Mehta2,750,000Lynn Gilmartin1,125,000
Pratik Mehta and Daniel Negreanu
WPT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: BY THE NUMBERS
Players Remaining/Total Entries102/2,960Recommencing Blinds30,000/60,000 (60,000)Average Stack2,901,961 (48 BBs)Next PayoutUSD $32,650 (AUD $48,740)
Saturday 17 December 2022
From wherever you’re watching in Australia, New Zealand or around the world, hello there and welcome back to PokerMedia Australia and our continued coverage of the WPT World Championship!
Yesterday, it was to our delight that we discovered that our green-and-gold duo became a trio, with Sydney’s Pratik Mehta advancing to Day 4 along with WSOP Millionaire final tablist Yita Choong, and WPT Anchor Lynn Gilmartin.
Together, the three of them carry the hopes and dreams of the Aussie poker nation, and should one of them reach the summit in three days’ time, they are not only guaranteed millionaires, but they’ll also join Joe Hachem, Mel Judah and David Tang in the WPT Champions Club, immortalising themselves onto the coveted Sexton Cup.
WPT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: AUSTRALIAN DAY 3 QUALIFIERS (2,960 entries, 128 survivors)
TableSeatNameChipsBBs1035Pratik Mehta1,085,000223036Lynn Gilmartin650,000133012Yita Choong805,00016
Pratik Mehta
Lynn Gilmartin
Yita Choong
REMAINING PAYOUTS (AUD/USD)*
PlaceAmount (USD)Amount (AUD)*1st$4,136,000$6,176,7572nd$2,830,000$4,226,3593rd$2,095,000$3,128,4274th$1,608,000$2,401,1985th$1,301,000$1,942,7616th$1,001,050$1,494,8507th$704,000$1,051,1308th$547,000$816,7169th-10th$429,000$640,53211th-12th$338,500$505,40813th-14th$269,900$402,98315th-16th$217,100$324,10017th-20th$176,200$263,04221st-24th$144,300$215,41925th-32nd$119,300$178,05933rd-40th$99,600$148,65641st-48th$83,900$125,22449th-56th$71,400$106,57357th-64th$61,350$91,57365th-72nd$53,200$79,40673rd-80th$46,650$69,62981st-88th$41,250$61,56989th-104th$36,500$54,479105th-120th$32,650$48,731121st-128th$29,450$43,955*AUD conversions as of 16 Dec 2022 and subject to change (Source: xe.com)
Cards will be back in the air at 12pm local time, with recommencing blinds at 25,000/50,000 (50,000) and average stack of 2,312,500 (46 BBs). There’s only one thing left to do: bookmark PMA on your browsers and keep refreshing for updates, and leave your messages of support for all of our players through our socials. Let’s bring it home!
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All images courtesy of the World Poker Tour. WPT, World Poker Tour and the Spade Card Design are registered trademarks of WPT Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.
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