Luis Velador, who gave an outstanding display of talented poker and was among the chip leaders on many occasions, is out of the World Series of Poker main event with the unwanted distinction of being the final table bubble boy, exiting at tenth for $565,193.
Velador was well positioned as the 10 survivors of the day’s starting field of 27 players entered the final stages of play with the formation of the nine-player final table just ahead, but he lost a big pot to Andori Larrabe and unable to recover.
His exit left nine poker players from six countries constituting the final table, which now takes a break until reconvening in November to play down to the ultimate winner.
Mark Newhouse equalled Dan Harrington’s feat of achieving a back-to-back main event final table and remains in contention; it was he who busted Velador out to set the final table.
The remaining contestants will each be paid $730,000 before breaking until November, when there will be many more millions within their reach when the action recommences on November 10.
Congratulations to nine men who have lasted through more than a week of top level competitive poker involving 6,683 other entrants, a field that included most of the world’s top poker players.
Here are this year’s November Niners in chip stack order:
Jorryt van Hoof – 35,575,000
Felix Stephensen – 34,275,000
Andoni Larrabe – 21,700,000
Dan Sindelar – 20,400,000
Mark Newhouse – 19,400,000
Billy Pappas – 19,300,000
Martin Jacobson – 15,200,000
Bruno Politano – 13,525,000
William Tonking – 11,750,000