The final table of the $1,675 No Limit Hold’em World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah’s Atlantic City final table is set and Adam Teasdale is in the hunt to win this event for the second time in three years.
The Wisconsin native won this same event in 2012 for $194,040 and heads to the final day sixth in chips with 866,000 and has a chance to win another ring and add $148,345 to his career earnings.
While Teasdale has won this event before, he is facing a stacked final table led by Mike Dentale, who is the chip leader with 1.6 million in chips. Dentale, who has over $750,000 in career tournament earnings, has been the chip leader at the end of each day of this event. James Petolicchio and Joseph Liberta round out the top three in chips with 1.343 million and 1.25 million, respectively.
While he is one of the shortest stacks heading into the final day, Mukul Pahuja is the most accomplished player left in the field. Pahuja is fresh off of a third place finish at the WPT Montreal Main Event and has over $3.2 million in career tournament earnings and like Teasdale, would be looking for his second Circuit ring from Atlantic City.
At the day’s start, there were 86 players returning to Harrah’s to play down to a final table, but making the money was the first thing on everybody’s mind. With the top 54 players making the money, the field would start hand-for-hand play shortly after the first break when Ryan Eriquezzo was eliminated in 56th place.
It only took a few hands for the bubble to pop and it was Norman Michalek who did the dirty work as he busted Justin Liberto in 55th place when his pocket fives defeated Liberto’s A-5 after Liberto moved all in for his last few big blinds and was called by Michalek. Michalek guaranteed everybody a min cash of at least $2,650, but would go on to bubble the final table, finishing in 10th place on the last hand of the night. He took home $11,102 for his run.
Over the next six hours of play, those 54 were dwindled down to the final nine that will play for the ring. Notables that busted short of the final table, but earned themselves at least a min-cash were Tim West, Ralph Massey, Paul Sokoloff, Bracelet winner Brian Lemke, Julie Cornelius, Bracelet winner Gregory Kolo, Roman Valerstein and Jake Schwartz. Schwartz made the deepest run of the group, finishing 18th for $7,521.
The final nine players will come back to Harrah’s on Monday at noon to play down to a winner. There are 15 minutes left in the current level before the levels are increased to 75 minutes in length. Everybody is guaranteed a payday of at least $13,766, but they all have their sets set on the top prize of $148,345, the ring and the seat into the national championship.
Here are a look at the final table chip counts:
- Michael Dentale – 1,600,000
- James Petolicchio – 1,343,000
- Joseph Liberta – 1,250,000
- Jake Toole – 1,171,000
- Gajan Jeganathan – 1,107,000
- Adam Teasdale – 866,000
- Jesse Cohen – 794,000
- Mukul Pahuja – 761,000
- David Matthews – 373,000
WSOP.com will have complete coverage of the final day’s action from nine players down to a Circuit champion.