WSOP Main Event: Asian Hopes Fade and Ladies Fall as Interesting Field Remains

Asian hopes rest on one player

There aren’t many things worse than busting out of a massive event late on, with the biggest prizes coming into view on the horizon. Sure, you get more money than if you’d gone out earlier, but you also get that crushing sense of what might have been. Of the Asian survivors in the field at the end of day 4, all but one of them will be feeling that way right now. Ka Kwan Lau managed to build a stack of 3.9 million through the course of the day, but as for the other Asian hopes, most fell quite early in the day.

Konosuke Sakurada hit the rail in 243rd for $36,708, before Aditya Sushant followed in 216th for $42,285. Naixuan Shi and Raiden Kan quickly departed thereafter, in 213th and 212th, both taking home $42,285 for their efforts. In what was quickly becoming an Asian exodus from the tournament, Ruoyang Wang busted in 207th, before Pakinai Lisawad hit the rail in 192nd. Both players receiving the same payouts as Kan and Shi. Of the seven Asian players remaining at the start of the day, we had lost five in the space of twenty four eliminations. Gan Siong stuck around for a while longer, before departing in 161st for $49,108, leaving Hong Kong player, Ka Kwan Lau to carry the hopes of a continent going into day 6.

Fallen ladies and notables

The ladies in the field also had a torrid day, with Maria Ho the first to be eliminated in 242nd place for $36,708. She was followed by Jennifer Shahade in 204th for $42,285, and Stacy Matuson in 169th for $42,285. The steady stream of female players hitting the rail continued through the day, with Louise Francoeur departing in 142nd for $49,108, Melanie Weisner finishing 127th for $49,108 and Gaelle Baumann in 102nd for $49,108. She was the last woman standing, just as she was in 2012.

Of the notable names who came back to contest the Main Event on day 5, Shaun Deeb fell in 221st, with Max Altergott finishing 193rd. Both players picked up $42,285 in prize money. Sorel Mizzi (157th), Todd Brunson (154th), Marc-Andre Ladouceur (139th) and former champion Greg Raymer (122nd) all took home $49,108 for their deep runs, as did 2016 bracelet winner Michael Gathy, who finished 107th. Winner of last year’s $50K Poker Player’s Championship and 2015 WSOP Player of the Year Mike Gorodinsky, busted in 87th for $67,855.

Still standing

Of the 6,737 players who started this tournament, just 80 will survive to see the sixth day. Those players are now well and truly fighting to find their path to the final table, with some interesting names and stories that still have chapters ahead of them in this event. 2014 Big One for One Drop winner Daniel Colman, who controversially refused interviews after his famous $15.3 million win, has a great chance in this event with 6,345,000 chips. Antoine Saout, the man who finished 3rd in the 2009 Main Event is also very much a danger, as he will bring 6,705,000 to the table day 6. High stakes pro Tom Marchese has 7,155,000 while double bracelet winner Paul Volpe is one spot above him in the chip counts with 7,290,000. Having formerly led this event, Kenny Hallaert had a rollercoaster ride through today, but finished on an upswing. He sits in 3rd with 10,050,000. New Zealander Jan Suchanek is in 2nd with 10,305,000, while Jerry Wong leads the way with 11,555,000. Further down the order we have double bracelet winner Cliff Josephy (6,175,000), Australian pro James Obst (4,880,000), UK pro Max Silver (3,545,000) and bracelet winner Tony Gregg (1,405,000).

The most coveted bracelet in the world and $8 million is awarded to the last survivor of the Main Event, and tomorrow should give us a clearer idea which of these players might be among the final nine. Come back tomorrow for a day 6 report filled with chip climbers and casualties.

Top Ten Chip Counts

Remaining players after Day 5:  FULL LIST & CHIP COUNT