Mark Newhouse makes back-to-back final tables in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event as the November Nine is cast in stone.
Johnny ‘Fuckin’ Chan.
He was the last man to win back-to-back WSOP Main Event titles, and I have said it numerous times before – nobody will ever repeat that feat.
It just seemed an impossible accomplishment. Chan waded through 152, and 167 player fields, when he triumphed back in 1987 & 88, and these days the numbers are scratching the surface of 7k.
But Mark Newhouse has changed my mind.
He has got my juices flowing once more.
Dreams do come true.
Alright, Mark Newhouse has never won the WSOP Main Event – but who the fuck cares. The lad from North Carolina has become the first player since Dan Harrington (2003 & 2004) to reach back-to-back final tables of the greatest competition in the world.
Hat tip to you sir. Hat tip to you.
Newhouse entered the final table of the 2013 Main Event as the short stack, and was unable to add to the $733,224 he had already locked up after what must rank as one of the best summer’s of his life.
He told CalvinAyre that finishing ninth was a bitter disappointment, but he will start the 2014 Main Event, in much better shape, with his 26m chips good for a third place on the starting grid.
Leading the November Nine is the young Dutch kid, Jorryt van Hoof, who becomes only the second player from the land of the tulips to make the WSOP Main Event final table, and the second in successive years, after Michael Brummelhuis finished seventh last year.
Hoof – who has cashed in five WSOP events – ended the day with 38,375,000 chips and the scalp of the dangerous Dan Smith. The pair getting it in, pre flop, for an 80bb pot with Smith holding ace-king-suited, and Hoof holding pocket fours. You can piece the rest together yourself.
Smith finished in 20th place for a $286,900 payday and he wasn’t the only well known pro to lose out as the race heated up towards the finishing line. Brian Roberts (26th), Yorane Kerignard (23rd), Leif Force (21st), Scott Palmer (19th), Andrey Zaichenko (17th), Eddy Sabat (16th) and Craig McCorkell (13th) will not be hearing their entrance music belt out of the tannoy come November.
The biggest tournament in the world always looks that much better with a star name seated at the table, and this year the Swede Martin Jacobson takes the honor. The Day 1A and Day 6 chip leader will start the final table in eighth place, but he remains the biggest threat to anyone hoping to take away the check for $10m spondoolas.
So after eight days of play we have four Americans, a Norwegian, a Swede, a Spaniard, a Brazilian and a Dutchman all preparing for the biggest November of their lives.
In the meantime it’s bye-bye to Vegas.
It’s been quite a trip.
Quite a trip indeed.
Final Table Seating Order
Seat 1: William Pappaconstantinou – 17,500,000
Seat 2: Felix Stephensen – 32,775,000
Seat 3: Jorryt van Hoof – 38,375,000
Seat 4: Mark Newhouse – 26,000,000
Seat 5: Andoni Larrabe – 22,550,000
Seat 6: William Tonking – 15,050,000
Seat 7: Dan Sindelar – 21,200,000
Seat 8: Martin Jacobson – 14,900,000
Seat 9: Bruno Politano – 12,125,000
