2016 WSOP Main Event: Final Table Set

Day 7 of the 2016 WSOP Main Event saw a total of 27 players return from the original starting field of 6,737, and following more than 10 hours of intense action just 9 survived, all of whom are guaranteed at least $1 million for their hard-fought efforts. This year’s November Nine will now take a four months break until October 30th when they will return to the Penn & Teller Theater once more to decide an ultimate champion, and play for a huge first place prize worth $8 million.
Losers
Amongst the 18 players falling at the last hurdle on Day 7 was 8-times WSOPC winner Valentin Vornicu in 23rd ($269,430), UK pro William Kassouf in 16th ($333,288), Tom Marchese in 14th ($427,930), and Aussie pro James Obst in 13th ($427,930). The dubious honor of becoming this year’s final table bubble-boy belonged to US pro Josh Weiss, who moved all-in preflop from early position with his last 850,000 chips, only to be called by Gordon Vayo in the big blind. Despite being ahead, Weiss’s A-8 ultimately fell to his opponent’s Q-7 after the board ran out J-7-3-5-4, and so Weiss had to contend with the pain of exiting just short of the final table, albeit with a $650,000 payday to ease some of his pain.
Winners
The 2016 November Nine is headed by 2-times WSOP bracelet winner Cliff Josephy, a top pro and poker instructor with $2,641,620 in live earnings, as well as a further $4,120,232 won online under the screen name “JohnnyBax”. Lying in 7th place is Canada’s Griffin Benger, an accomplished pro and former Counter Strike Championship winner with $2,395,406 in live earnings, and $6,491,997 in online winnings under the screen name Flush_Entity.
Other experienced November Niners includes Gordon “Stlouis6” Vayo in 3rd, who has won $974,714 from live tournaments, and $1,427,685 online; Belgium’s Kenny “SpaceyFCB” Hallaert in 4th with $1,317,530 in live earnings, and $246,038 won online; Czech player Vojtech Ruzicka in 6th with $1,149,027 in live earnings, and Jerry Wong in 8th with $1,318,402 in winnings.
Less experienced November Niners includes Qui Nguyen in 2nd place; Michale Ruane in 5th; and Spain’s Fernando Pons in 9th.
2016 WSOP November Nine:
1: Cliff Josephy – 75,000,000
2: Qui Nguyen – 68,075,000
3: Gordon Vayo – 50,450,000
4: Kenny Hallaert – 43,325,000
5: Michael Ruane – 29,800,000
6: Vojtech Ruzicka – 27,450,000
7: Griffin Benger – 26,175,000
8: Jerry Wong – 10,325,000
9: Fernando Pons – 6,225,000