Day 6 of the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event began with 97 players, from the original field of 6,598, still in the running for the $8.5 million first-place prize as well as the coveted title of WSOP Main Event Champion. Among the 97 hopefuls were a number of well-known players, but Day 6 would see virtually all of the “name” pros fall by the wayside as the 2012 WSOP Main Event played down to the final three tables on Sunday.
Among the casualties on Day 6 were Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Selbst, Gavin Smith, Erik Cajelais, 2009 November Niner Eric Buchman, 2011 November Niner Sam Holden, Jason Somerville, David “ODB” Baker, Leo Wolpert, Amnon Filippi, Tristan Clemencon, and online legend Taylor Paur. Also eliminated were three of the five female players that started the day, the aforementioned Selbst, Susie Zhao, and Marcia Topp.
Some notables that did manage to make it through to Day 7 –the final play-down when the 2012 WSOP Main Event final table will be decided– including two women in Gaelle Baumann and Elisabeth Hille, Lock Poker Pro Paul Volpe, 2012 bracelet winner Greg Merson, bracelet winner Steven Gee, Team PokerStars Pro Jan Heitmann, and Yuval Brohnstein who is working on his sixth cash of the 2012 WSOP (and hoping to reach his third, and most important, final table of the tournament series).
After making it this far, all of the remaining players have been fortunate, but with just 27 players left, being eliminated at this point (before the final table) will likely be a huge disappointment for all involved. Considering the next player eliminated will receive a $294,601 payday, while the winner of the tournament will clear over $8.5 million, there are also some serious financial ramifications!
Once the final table is set, probably late on Monday, the players will go on an extended break before returning to the Rio in October to play the final table (the final table is usually played in November, but with the presidential election WSOP officials decided on an October date).
Several players separated themselves from the rest of the field on Sunday, most notably chip-leader Marc Ladeucer who bagged-up over 15 million chips by the end of the night. Ladeucer will take over 3 million more chips than Daniel Streilitz (who is currently in second place on the leader-board) into Day 7 on Monday.
Here is a look at the Top chip-counts heading into the penultimate day of the 2012 WSOP Main Event:
1. Marc Ladouceur — 15,875,000
2. Daniel Strelitz — 12,790,000
3. Robert Salaburu — 10,915,000
4. Russell Thomas — 9,985,000
5. Elisabeth Hille — 9,770,000
6. Yuval Bronshtein — 9,735,000
7. Jamie Robbins — 8,750,000
8. Robert Corcione — 8,745,000
9. Cylus Watson — 8,500,000
10. Jeremy Ausmus — 8,300,000
