2012 World Series of Poker Presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky
Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
Official Report
Event #61
Final Report (End of Day Ten)
No-Limit Hold’em World Championship
Buy-In: $10,000
Number of Entries: 6,598
Total Net Prize Pool: $62,031,385
Number of Places Paid: 666
First Place Prize: $8,531,853
July 7th through October 31, 2012
HEADLINES
Greg Merson Wins 2012 World Poker Championship
24-Year-Old Poker Pro Shines in 2012 WSOP Main Event
American Captures World Poker Title for First Time Since 2009
Early Chip Leader Jesse Sylvia Finishes as Runner Up, Jake Balsiger Takes Third
Final-Table Showdown Lasts 18 Hours
World Watches Live Telecast from Start to Finish
It’s Official: Greg Merson Also Wins 2012 “WSOP Player of the Year” Race – Edges Out Phil Hellmuth
2012 WSOP Ends with a Bang – Numerous Records Shattered Over Course of 68-Gold Bracelet Season
OVERVIEW
It's official. Greg Merson is the 2012 World Champion.
The 24-year-old professional poker player from Laurel, Maryland celebrated his ultimate moment of triumph at 6 am early on a Wednesday morning, following an all-night marathon playing session that nearly broke the all-time duration record.
Merson's victory took place at the Penn and Teller Theatre, upon a stage accustomed to acts of magic. But Merson was the poker player with the proverbial magic wand, turning what had started out as a dream into a world championship victory. What began last summer at the Rio Las Vegas, with 6,598 entrants, ranking as the fifth-largest live poker tournament in history, concluded on Halloween morning, October 31st.
Indeed, for Merson this was truly an experience of tricks and treats. He collected a whopping $8,531,853 in prize money for first place. Merson was also presented with the game's ultimate symbol of achievement – the gold and platinum bracelet encrusted with diamonds, which was custom designed by Jason of Beverly Hills. He also earned the undisputed title as 2012 World Champion.
Merson received an added bonus by virtue of his victory. He officially locked up the 2012 WSOP Player of the Year honor, which is a points-based system that rewards the player who posts the greatest accumulation of results over the course of all 68 gold bracelet events played in calendar year 2012. Merson edged out WSOP Europe champion Phil Hellmuth by a small margin.
This was Merson's second gold bracelet victory this year. He previously won the $10,000 buy-in Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em Championship, which concluded last July.
Merson's path to glory was not easy. In fact, he was put to the test as is only fitting for a competition with as much intensity as the WSOP Main Event.
“I’ve played a lot of long cash games in my career, which helps you prepare for something like this, but this whole stage is something you can’t ever really prepare for,” Merson said shortly after winning the tournament and tearfully placing his gold bracelet on the wrist of his mother. “I couldn’t feel better for everyone who I’m sharing this victory with.”
Following a 103-day recess after making the final table, Merson gradually increased his chip count to the point where he had seized the chip lead away from early favorite – friend and rival Jesse Sylvia. By the end of the first of two final table sessions, which concluded late on Monday night, Merson had the chip lead when play was reduced to the final three.
But if Merson or anyone else thought the end was near or victory would be easy, they would be in for a long wait. The final trio of twentysomethings consisting of Merson, Sylvia, and Jake Balsinger became deadlocked in the ultimate test of mental and physical endurance – played out before a worldwide viewing audience following the poker action on ESPN and partner networks.
The three finalists battled all night long, leaving even the most battle-tested observers weary and blurry-eyed. After each of the three traded off the chip lead more than a few times, Merson re-emerged as the dominant force throughout the 12-hour final session. Once Balsiger was eliminated in third place after nearly 250 hands of three-handed play, Merson enjoyed the chip advantage over his final opponent and finally closed out the victory on a hand that came unexpectedly just as the sun was rising over the Las Vegas valley.
Merson ended up winning the World Championship with K-5 offsuit, an unusual hand which somewhat embodied what had been a most unusual closing session to the Main Event. Merson scooped the final pot of the tournament with king-high, besting Sylvia's queen high (he had Q-J).
With that, Greg Merson became the 2012 World Champion.
Alas one long journey is over. And now, another is about to begin.
THE WINNER – GREG MERSON
The winner of $10,000 buy-in WSOP Main Event Championship was Greg Merson from Laurel, Maryland (USA).
Merson is a 24-year-old professional poker player. He has been playing full-time for about five years.
Merson is primarily a cash-game player. He prefers live action to tournaments.
Merson attended the University of Maryland.
Merson is single, but has a girlfriend.
Merson is friends with Olympic gold medalist and swimmer Michael Phelps, who is also from Maryland.
Merson entered eight events at the 2012 WSOP. He cashed four times.
With this victory, Merson now has two wins, two final table appearances, and six cashes at the WSOP.
Merson is to be classified as a professional poker player, since he has been playing full time for about five years. He started out playing online.
Merson is a huge fan of Baltimore spots teams, especially Major League baseball's Orioles. During both days at the the final table, Merson wore a Baltimore Orioles jersey – with the number of center fielder Adam Jones. Merson wore a different athletic jersey on every day of the Main Event.
Young players have done exceptionally well in the WSOP Main Event. With Merson's win, the last five world champions were aged 24, 23, 21, 21, and 22 respectfully at the time of their victories.
Merson collected $8,531,853 in prize money. He was also presented with the game's most coveted prize -- the custom-designed WSOP gold and diamond bracelet.
Merson was presented the gold bracelet by the famous jeweler, Jason of Beverly Hills, who designed the custom memento.
As the WSOP Main Event Champion, Merson achieves instant fame, fortune and immortality. Merson is now universally acknowledged as the reigning World Champion.
Merson now owns two WSOP gold bracelets. He won his first title in the closing stages of the summer series (Event 57), where he collected $1,136,197 in prize money.
WINNER QUOTES
PENDING (BEING TRANSCRIBED AND WILL BE POSTED SOON)
THE FINAL TABLE
For the purposes of WSOP records and results, this official final table was comprised of the final nine players (top nine finishers).
Since 2008, due to the altered format of playing the final table during the fall following the summer sessions, the finalists have been called the November Nine. However, this year's finale was shifted one week forward due to the U.S. Presidential election (the Nov. 6th date posed a conflict). Hence, for the first time ever, this year's finalists were deemed the October Nine, or “Octo-Nine" by some.
Each of the players who made it to the final table was guaranteed $754,798 in prize money. All players were paid that sum in full when play was suspended for the recess. Seven of the top nine finishers become instant millionaires, since the seventh-place finisher was guaranteed to collect $1,258,040 in prize money.
The final table included two former gold bracelet winners – Steve Gee and Greg Merson.
Following several years of international representation, this year's collection of finalists was the most American-centric of any in the last 20 years. Eight players were from the United States. One player was from Hungary.
When final table play began, the players and chip counts were as follows:
Seat 1: Russell Thomas (Hartford, CT) – 24,800,000 in chips
Seat 2: Jake Balsiger (Tempe, AZ) – 13,115,000 in chips
Seat 3: Jeremy Ausmus (Las Vegas, NV) – 9,805,000 in chips
Seat 4: Steve Gee (Sacramento, CA) – 16,860,000 in chips
Seat 5: Greg Merson (Laurel, MD) – 28,725,000 in chips
Seat 6: Jesse Sylvia (Las Vegas, NV) – 43,875,000 in chips
Seat 7: Robert Salaburu (San Antonio, TX) – 15,155,000 in chips
Seat 8: Andras Koroknai (Debrecen, Hungary) – 29,375,000 in chips
Seat 9: Michael Esposito (Seaford, NY) – 16,260,000 in chips
Five of the nine finalists were aged in their 20s. The ages of final table players were – 21, 24, 24, 26, 27, 30, 33, 44, and 57. The average age of players was 33 years.
The oldest player among the final nine was Steve Gee – at 57-years-old.
The youngest player among the final nine was Jake Balsiger. At 21-years-old, he had the chance to become the youngest World Champion in the WSOP’s 43-year history. Instead, he finished in third place.
Six of the nine finalists were professional poker players. The exceptions were amateurs Jake Balsiger (college student), Russell Thomas (actuary), and Michael Esposito (commodity broker).
Only one player at the final table wore sunglasses – Greg Merson. Since 2003, at least one or more players have worn sunglasses at the final table.
Three-handed play lasted nearly 11 hours, which was the longest (non-elimination) stretch of the entire finale. In fact, it was the longest period (measured in actual playing time) any WSOP tournament has ever gone without an elimination. The final three played 247 hands during that period.
Heads-up play lasted about 30 minutes and 17 hands. By contrast, the longest WSOP Main Event heads-up match in history lasted about 7.5 hours, which took place in 1983 (no official time record was kept that year).
During the heads-up duel, the chip lead did not change.
The runner up was Jesse Sylvia, from Martha's Vineyard, MA. The 26-year-old professional poker player earned a consolation prize amounting to $5,295,149 in prize money.
The final hand took place when Merson had about a 3 to 1 chip lead. He was dealt K-5 offsuit versus Sylvia's Q-J offsuit. Neither player made a pair, which meant Merson's king-high played as the winning hand.
The third-place finisher was Jake Balsiger, the 21-year-old college student from Tempe, AZ. He attends Arizona State Univerity, where he's studying political science. Balsiger would have become the youngest World Champion in history had he won. Instead, he collected $3,979,073 for finishing third in his first WSOP Main Event ever.
The fourth-place finisher was Russell Thomas, from Hartford, CT. This was the fourth career WSOP cash for the 24-year-old actuary who works for Aetna Insurance. Thomas was eliminated during Hand #135 at the end of the eighth day of play (or end of first day of final table), which was played on October 29th. He collected $2,851,537.
The fifth-place finisher was Jeremy Ausmus, from Las Vegas, NV. This was his 14th career WSOP cash – nine of which took place at this year's WSOP. He is a 33-year-old poker pro. Ausmus lasted about six hours at the final table before exiting in fifth place on the 129th hand of play, which paid $2,155,313.
The sixth-place finisher was Andras Koroknai, from Debrecen, Hungary. Koroknai was eliminated on the 109th hand of the final table. He was the lone non-American at the final table. Koroknai now has three WSOP cashes to his credit. He became the first Hungarian in history to make it to the Main Event finale. Korknai is a 30-year-old poker pro. He earned $1,640,902 in prize money.
The seventh-place finisher was Michael Esposito, from Seaford, NY. He's now enjoyed three WSOP cashes during his poker career. “Espo,” age 44, works as a commodities trader in New York City. He plays poker purely as a hobby. Esposito went card dead during most of the final table and was eliminated about four hours into play on Hand #70. Seventh place paid $1,258,040.
The eighth-place finisher was Robert Salaburu, from San Antonio, TX. He was eliminated on the 65th hand of the final table. He is a 27-year-old professional poker player who was making his first-ever WSOP in-the-money finish. He collected $971,360 in prize money.
The ninth-place finisher was Steve Gee, a Chinese-born professional poker player now living in Las Vegas, NV. He lasted 30 hands at the final table before busting out. He came into the finale as one of only two gold bracelet winners (Greg Merson was the other). Gee's previous success came back in 2010 ($1,000 buy-in NLHE). Ninth-place paid $754,798.
Final table play began at 4:49 pm on Monday. The first session ended at 12:10 am (no dinner break). Tuesday’s session began at 5:50 pm. Play ended at 5:45 am. The total duration (both playing sessions combined) was 19 hours and 34 minutes. By contrast, last year's finale ran 16 hours, and 6 minutes. This final table lasted 399 hands, making it the longest WSOP Main Event final table in history.
Jesse Sylvia's second-place finish means the chip leader at the start of the final table has finished in one of the top two spots during each of the last four years. Darvin Moon finished second in 2009. Jonathan Duhamel finished first in 2010. Martin Staszko finished second in 2011.
MORE HISTORICAL INFORMATION:
This is the fifth year of the November Nine concept – which was revised to being called the October Nine instead, because of the special circumstances of the 2012 calendar. Prior to 2008, all Main Event final tables were played as a continuum tied to the bulk of the Main Event. However, starting in 2008, WSOP officials decided to delay the play of the final table and postpone the conclusion until November. For this reason, the Main Event finalists are (usually) known as the November Nine.
While the decision to delay the conclusion of the Main Event was initially controversial, most players and fans have come to accept and support the change. This year, the delay was particularly helpful to players, since the vast majority reside outside of the host city of Las Vegas. The 103-day hiatus allowed players to gather and bring their supporters to Las Vegas for what was to be one of the most exciting days of their lives.
The actual payouts for the top nine finishers were slightly higher than the initial announced prize. This was due to the excess funds (unpaid prize money) of $20,454,658 being placed in a money market account at Fidelity Investments. The added interest earned during the interim period amounted to slightly more prize money for each finalist.
The WSOP Main Event Championship final table has been played at multiple locations, including:
1970-1986 – Binion’s Horseshoe (original side)
1987-1996 – Binion’s Horseshoe (new side – formally The Mint)
1997 – Fremont Street (under giant canopy)
1998 -- Binion’s Horseshoe (new side – formally The Mint)
1999-2005 – Binion’s Horseshoe (Benny’s Bullpen – second floor)
2006-2007 – Rio Las Vegas (Amazon Room)
2008-present – Rio Las Vegas (Penn and Teller Theatre)
PAST WORLD CHAMPIONS
There are 36 different players who have won the WSOP Main Event Championship. Of this number, 27 past Champions are still living. Of this number, 20 played in the 2012 Main Event. Only two cashed:
1975/1976: Doyle Brunson
1983: Tom McEvoy
1986: Berry Johnston
1987/1988: Johnny Chan – cashed in 353rd
1989: Phil Hellmuth
1993: Jim Bechtel
1995: Dan Harrington
1996: Huck Seed – cashed in 527th
1998: Scotty Nguyen
2001: Carlos Mortensen
2002: Robert Varkonyi
2003: Chris Moneymaker
2004: Greg “Fossilman” Raymer
2005: Joe Hachem
2006: Jamie Gold
2007: Jerry Yang
2008: Peter Eastgate
2009: Joe Cada
2010: Jonathan Duhamel
2011: Pius Heinz
CELEBRITIES AND NOTABLE PLAYERS
The World Series of Poker has attracted celebrities and notable personalities since its inception. This year is no exception:
Poker Hall of Fame Inductees:
Doyle Brunson
Lyle Berman
Berry Johnston
T.J. Cloutier
Mike Sexton
Johnny Chan – cashed in 353rd place
Dewey Tomko
Erik Seidel
Dan Harrington
Barry Greenstein
WSOP Player(s) of the Year:
2004: Daniel Negreanu – cashed in 160th place
2005: Allen Cunningham
2006: Jeff Madsen
2007: Tom Schneider
2008: Erick Lindgren
2009: Jeffrey Lisandro
2010: Frank Kassela
2011: Ben Lamb
Non-Poker Celebrities:
Ray Romano (actor and comedian)
Rene Angelil (music manager – Celine Dion’s husband)
Shane Warne (sportsman/cricketer)
Jason Alexander (actor and comedian)
Kevin Pollak (actor) – cashed in 134th place
Jennifer Tilly (actress and former gold bracelet winner)
Teddy Sherringham (former professional soccer star)
Gabe Kaplan (actor and comedian)
Roberto Luongo (NHL goaltender for Vancouver Canucks) – cashed in 634th place
George St. Pierre (UFC/MMA Champion)
Special Consideration:
Antonio Esfandiari (“Big One for One Drop” Champion) – 501st place
MAIN EVENT NUMBERS AND STATS
The Main Event attracted 6,598 entries.
The top 666 finishers collected prize money.
Female players totaled 211 players -- representing 3.2 percent of the field. This is about the same percentage of females that played last year.
The average age of all participants was 37.73 years. This is about 6 months older (average) than last year’s 37.17 average age.
Specific age with the most players – 26 (there are 338 players aged 26 who entered this year’s Main Event)
Cities with largest WSOP player participation:
Las Vegas/Henderson, NV – 406 players
New York/Brooklyn, NY – 141 players
London, UK – 81 players
Los Angeles, CA – 75 players
Houston, TX – 58 players
Chicago, IL – 52 players
Moscow, Russia – 46 players
San Diego, CA – 39 players
Most Entrants by State/Province:
California – 819 entrants
Nevada – 436 entrants
New York – 416 entrants
Florida – 341 entrants
Texas – 333 entrants
Illinois – 224 entrants
New Jersey – 181 entrants
Ontario – 166 entrants
Massachusetts – 162 entrants
Ohio – 126 entrants
Every WSOP held over the past 12 years has included at least one multiple gold bracelet champion (meaning two or more wins within the same year). The last year the WSOP was comprised exclusively of single-event winners was back in 1999. The record for most multiple gold bracelet winners within a single year was in 2009, when five players managed to win two or more titles. Merson's victory in the last tournament of the year (Event 61) combined with his previous win (Event 57) means the streak of multiple winners will continue for at least another year.
Reigning World Champions rarely perform well the following year after their victory. Chris Ferguson was the last World Champion to win a gold bracelet the year after winning, which happened in 2001. Perhaps it’s due to the increasing size of the fields. But there’s also great pressure on the Champions to do well – along with many distractions. What follows is a list of the seven World Champions to win a gold bracelet after winning their championships during the previous year:
Johnny Moss (1975)
Doyle Brunson (1977)
Bobby Baldwin (1979)
Stu Ungar (1981)
Johnny Chan (1988)
Hamid Dastmalchi (1993)
Chris Ferguson (2001)
STARTING THE MAIN EVENT – BY COUNTRY
(Nation / 2012 Number of Entrants / 2011 Number of Entrants)
United States – 4,579 / 4,606
Canada – 455 / 481
United Kingdom – 300 / 278
France – 168 / 213
Germany – 115 / 158
Russia – 97 / 111
Australia – 88 / 94
Italy – 86 / 108
Brazil – 76 / 82
Denmark – 49 / 46
Sweden – 46 / 77
Netherlands – 39 / 54
Spain – 34 / 42
Ireland – 34 / 35
Argentina – 32 / 22
Scotland – 36 / 36
Switzerland – 28 / 26
Wales – 2 / 4
Norway – 25 / 34
Japan – 21 / 25
Mexico – 19 / 12
Hungary – 17 / 24
Israel – 18 / 18
South Africa – 15 / 18
Belgium – 15 / 26
Austria – 14 / 24
Columbia – 13 / 9
China – 12 / 8
Ukraine – 11 / 4
Finland – 11 / 22
Bulgaria – 11 / 4
Lebanon – 10 / 4
Czech Republic – 9 / 11
Hong Kong – 8 / 10
Portugal – 8 / 19
Venezuela – 10 / 20
Lithuania – 7 / 8
Turkey – 7 / 4
Chile – 6 / 7
Malta – 6 / 7
Latvia – 6 / 3
Greece – 5 / 5
Slovakia – 4 / 6
Poland – 4 / 1
Peru – 4 / 3
Bermuda – 3 / 0
Trinidad – 3 / 2
Uruguay – 3 / 3
Cyprus – 3 / 4
Costa Rica – 3 / 3
Bolivia – 3 / 2
Belize – 3 /2
Philippines – 3 / 3
South Korea – 3 / 6
Serbia – 3 / 0
India – 3 / 2
New Zealand – 3 / 5
Estonia – 3 / 4
Turks and Caicos – 2 / 2
Romania – 2 / 4
Belarus – 2 / 0
Malaysia – 3 / 1
Paraguay – 1 / 0
Azerbaijan – 1 / 2
Bahrain – 1 / 1
Singapore – 1 / 4
Marshall Islands – 1 / 1
Tanzania – 1 / 0
Kazakhstan – 1 / 2
French Polynesia – 1 / 1
Cayman Islands – 1 / 0
Slovenia – 1 / 0
Isle of Man – 1 / 0
Iceland – 1 / 2
Croatia – 1 / 1
Guatemala – 1 / 3
Dominican Republic – 1 / 0
Ecuador – 1 / 0
Macedonia – 1 / 2
Bahamas – 1 /1
Monaco – 1 / 3
Uruguay – 1 / 3
American Samoa – 0 / 1
Andorra – 0 / 2
Indonesia – 0 / 1
Mongolia – 0 / 1
Montserrat – 0 / 1
Oman – 0 / 1
Saint Lucia – 0 / 6
Saudi Arabia – 0 / 1
Senegal – 0 / 1
Taiwan – 0 / 2
Unknown – 3 / 0
WOMEN IN THE MAIN EVENT
Special Note: The WSOP recognizes that player characteristics such as gender, race, etc., do not typically warrant special mention. However, since many members of the media and public wish to know details about female participation and status, the staff is providing this information for media use.
The field included a total of 211 female players. This figure represents 3.2 percent of the field.
The highest-finishing female in this year’s Main Event was Gaelle Baumann, from France. She was eliminated during Day Seven finishing in tenth place – which paid $590,442 in prize money. That’s the most ever for a female in the Main Event (Note: The 11th-place finisher Elisabeth Hille, from Norway also received the same payout). Prior to Baumann and Hille, the biggest Main Event payday for a woman was the $400,000 Tiuffany Williamson received for her 15th place finish in 2005.
Here are the highest-female finishers (by year) in the WSOP Main Event (Note: Only players who finished in-the-money were recorded):
No female cashed in the Main Event between the years 1970-1985.
1986 – Wendeen Eolis (25th)
1987 – None
1988 – None
1989 – None
1990 – None
1991 – None
1992 – None
1993 – Marsha Waggoner (19th)
1994 – Barbara Samuelson (10th)
1995 – Barbara Enright (5th)
1996 – Lucy Rokach (26th)
1997 – Marsha Waggoner (12th)
1998 – Susie Isaacs (10th)
1999 – None
2000 – Annie Duke (10th)
2001 – None
2002 – None
2003 – Annie Duke (47th)
2004 – Rose Richie (98th)
2005 – Tiffany Williamson (15th)
2006 – Sabyl Cohen-Landrum (56th)
2007 – Maria Ho (38th)
2008 – Tiffany Michelle (17th)
2009 – Leo Margets, a.k.a. Leonor Margets (27th)
2010 – Breeze Zuckerman (121st)
2011 – Erika Moutinho (29th)
2012 – Gaelle Baumann (10th)
MORE TOURNAMENT NUMBERS
This is the fifth-largest live poker tournament in history. Here are the six largest live poker tournaments in history:
2006 WSOP Main Event – 8,773 players
2010 WSOP Main Event – 7,319 players
2011 WSOP Main Event – 6,865 players
2008 WSOP Main Event – 6,844 players
2012 WSOP Main Event – 6,598 players
2009 WSOP Main Event – 6,494 players
2007 WSOP Main Event – 6,358 players
This was the fifth consecutive year the WSOP Main Event has followed the delayed final table format. In preceding years, final table play took place at the immediate conclusion of the WSOP tournament schedule, customarily played in late spring (or summer). The delayed final table format means that once the final nine players of the Main Event are determined, those players take a long recess and then return to Las Vegas later to play for the championship. Since the finale has taken place in November (since 2008), the nine final table survivors are usually referred to as the November Nine.
This year’s break between the date play was suspended (July 17) and resumed (October 29) meant a 103-day recess.
MORE ODDS AND ENDS
This is the 61st and final event on the 2012 WSOP schedule which is played in Las Vegas. Seven more gold bracelet events took place in Cannes, France held in September as part of the 6th Annual World Series of Poker Europe.
This marks the eighth consecutive year the WSOP has been held at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino. Prior to 2005, the WSOP was held at Binion’s Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas. As a testament to the expansion of the WSOP since Caesars Entertainment assumed ownership and control of the world most prestigious poker event, nearly three times the prize money has been awarded to winners within the Rio during the past seven years than during the entire proceeding 35-year period at the Horseshoe.
The total number of entries for all gold bracelet events held in 2012 was 74,766.
The total number of entrants in the WSOP Main Event (all 42 years combined) is 71,853.
Over the past seven years, the average attendance for the WSOP Main Event has been 6,776 entrants. Hence, this year’s figure (6,598 entrants) was slightly behind the post-UIGEA average.
This is the 1,029th gold bracelet to be awarded in WSOP history.
This was officially classified as WSOP schedule Event #61, since it’s the sixty-first gold bracelet of 61 to be awarded from the summer events held in Las Vegas.
WSOP -- FOR THE AGES
The youngest player to enter the 2012 WSOP Main Event Championship was Cody Teska – at 21 years and seven days. The all-time “youngest player” record was set last year by Logan Deen, from Cocoa, FL. He turned 21 on the day he took his seat in the 2011 Main Event, which means he holds a record that can be tied, but never broken (unless age restriction laws are changed in the future).
The oldest player to enter the 2012 WSOP Main Event Championship was Ellen “Gram” Deeb, from Troy, NY. She became the oldest female participant in Main Event history at the age of 91. Mrs. Deeb was introduced to the huge crowd, which gave her one of the day’s biggest ovations. After she stood to wave to the crowd, she grabbed the microphone from a tournament official and snapped, “I just have one thing to say! You are all playing for second!” Unfortunately, Mrs. Deeb was eliminated on Day One. The WSOP looks forward to welcoming her again in 2013.
WSOP MAIN EVENT ALL-TIME RECORDS
Most Main Event Wins (Career):
3 – Johnny Moss (first win was by a vote)
3 – Stu Ungar
2 – Doyle Brunson
2 – Johnny Chan
Most Main Event Cashes (Career):
10 – Berry Johnston
8 – Humberto Brenes
7 – Bobby Baldwin
7 – Doyle Brunson
7 – Jay Heimowitz
7 – Phil Hellmuth
7 – Mike Sexton
7 – Chris Bjorin
7 – John Esposito
6 – John Bonetti
6 – Johnny Moss
6 – Jason Lester
6 – Steve Lott
6 – Johnny Chan
5 – 17 players tied with 5 cashes each
Most Main Event Final Tables (Career):
5 – Doyle Brunson
5 – Jesse Alto
4 – Johnny Chan
4 – T.J. Cloutier
4 – Dan Harrington
4 – Berry Johnston
4 – Johnny Moss
4 – Stu Ungar
3 – 6 players tied with 3 final tables each
Most Consecutive Cashes in Main Event:
4 -- Chris Bjorin (2008 – 2011)
4 -- Diogo Borges (2008 – 2011)
4 – Theodore Park (2005 – 2008)
4 – Bo Sehlstedt (2004 – 2007)
4 – Robert Turner (1991 – 1994)
Youngest Winner:
Joe Cada (2009) -- 21 years, 11 months, 22 days
Oldest Winner:
Johnny Moss (1974) – 66 years, 11 months, 24 days
Most Consecutive Years Played at WSOP (entered at least one gold bracelet event):
39 – Howard “Tahoe” Andrew (1974 to present)
Most Consecutive Main Events Played (Career):
30 – Tom McEvoy (1983 to present)
Most Total Main Events Played (Career):
40 – Doyle Brunson (did not play years 1999 through 2001)
WSOP STATISTICS (ALL 2012 GOLD BRACELET EVENTS)
Through the conclusion of this tournament (and all gold bracelet events played in 2012, including WSOP Europe), the nationality of 2012 WSOP Champions was as follows:
United States (45): Brent Hanks, Leif Force, Cory Zeidman, Andy Bloch, Herbert Tapscott, John Monnette, Brian Hastings, David “Doc” Arsht, Brandon Schaefer, Adam Friedman, Matt Matros, Andy Frankenberger, Phil Hellmuth (2), Cliff Goldkind, Ben Scholl, Randy Ohel, Joe Cassidy, Brian Meinders, Gabe Scott, Ylon Schwartz, Larry Wright, Allyn Jaffrey-Shulman, Carter Phillips, David “Bakes” Baker, Max Steinberg, Chris Tryba, David “ODB” Baker, Ronnie Bardah, Greg Ostrander, Henry Lu, Joey Weissman, Michael “the Grinder” Mizrachi, Steven Loube, Kenny Hsiung, Greg Hobson,
Vanessa Selbst, Jim Willerson, Will Jaffe, Antonio Esfandiari, Greg Merson (2), Nick Schulman, Ryan Eriquezzo,
France (3): Roger Hairabedian, Giovanni Rosadoni
Canada (2): Simon Charette, Timothy Adams
Portugal (2): Francisco De Costa Santos, Jonathan Aguiar
Vietnam (2): Dung “Gomer” Nguyen, Yen Dang
Thailand (1): Chip Saechao
Bulgaria (1): Nick Jivkov
France (1): Aubin Cazals
Iran (1): Ashkan Razavi
The Netherlands (1): Vincent van der Fluit
Belgium (1): Michael Gathy
Japan (1): Naoya Kihara
Great Britain (1): Craig McCorkell
Germany (1): Jan-Peter Jachtmann, Dominik Nitsche
Ukraine (1): Okelsii Kovalchuk
Italy (1): Rocco Palumbo
Greece (1): Pete Vilandos
Czech Republic (1): Tomas Junek
Russia (1): Viacheslav Zhukov
Tunisia (1): Imed Ben Mahmoud
……….
Note: All results are now official and may be reprinted by media
For official news and the latest updates from the 2012 World Series of Poker, visit: WSOP.com
For statistics and historical information from the 2012 World Series of Poker, contact Nolan Dalla at: [email protected]
For official media photographs from the 2012 World Series of Poker, visit: www.pokernews.photoshelter.com
For official spectator photographs from the 2012 World Series of Poker, visit: www.imagemasterspoker.com
For specific media photo requests, email [email protected] and list "Urgent Media Request" as the subject line.
Note: All photos must be credited as follows: Photographer’s Name/WSOP
The 2012 World Series of Poker’s title sponsor is Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. For more information, visit: www.jacklinks.com