Martin Staszko Reaches Last Three At WSOP 2011 Final Table

Perhaps the most mysterious player at the 2011 WSOP Main Event Final Table, 35 year-old Martin Staszko from the Czech Republic has now reached the final three at this year’s competition.
Currently lying behind Pius Heinz (Germany) and Ben Lamb (USA), Stszko started the day as the chip leader on a 40.175 million stack and playing a considered, patient game ended the day pretty much where he started with a 42,700,000 in chips.
The “expert” Chess player with a rating just below that of a “master,” was dealt A-9 and eliminated a severely short-stacked Bob Bounahra (A-5) in 7th, and a likewise desperately short-stacked Eoghan O’Dea (Q-6) in 6th holding pocket eights to keep himself  in contention throughout the day.
However, a card dead Martin Stszko then proceeded to hemorrhage chips and eventually found himself the shortest stack at the table before getting in his last 21 million holding As-8c only to be called by Heinz with pocket sixes. The Czech survived on a 8-8-5 flop to double up to over 44 million and after Matt Giannetti was eliminated by Ben Lamb, the remaining three players bagged-up their chips until Tuesday.
With the blinds resuming at 600k/1.2m and an ante of 200k, the players will start as follows:
Pius Heinz (Ger) 107,800,000
Ben Lamb (USA) 55,400,000
Martin Stszko (Cze) 42,700,000
Martin Stszko is the first Czech player to reach a WSOP Main Event final table and incredibly has only been playing poker for a year, before which he worked in an auto plant.
However, since turning pro in 2010, Stszko has notched up 7 live tournament cashes for $91,732, and apparently has $180,763 in online winnings under the screen name “filfedra.”
 
The 35 year-old is now guaranteed at least $4,021,138 for reaching the last three of the Main Event but will instead be aiming to take down the $8,715,636 top prize and book himself a place forever in WSOP history.