All 6 of the players at the final table had a shot at the $1.5 million first prize. Here’s how the six players stood in the opening moments of final table play:
Isaac Haxton 9,216,000
Jonathan Little 2,366,000
Jon Ford 2,324,000
Ryan Daut 2,301,000
Robert Mizrachi 1,450,000
Frank Rusnak 1,166,000
It took nearly sixty hands, ten trips around the table for the first elimination to come. Jon Ford came in for a raise to 280,000 and Rusnak called. The flop came Jh 9s 9c. Ford moved all-in and Rusnak called. Ford had just been caught with his Ac Kd. Rusnak held Kh Ks. The turn was a 3s, but the river was the Ah. Rusnak, stood up in sixth place, $247,234 richer.
Jonathan Little looked down and moved All-In with Jc Jd. Robert Mizrachi called with Ad Kh. The board then came Ts 2s 6c 8c Ah. Mizrachi and doubled up. Little was crippled. On the very next hand, he moved All-In with Ac Qd. Ryan Daut called With Kd 6d, caught two sixes on board, and sent Little home in fifth place with $317,873.
Isaac Haxton raised to 400,000 and Mizrachi called. They saw a flop of Th 3s 3c. Both players checked. The turn was the Jc. Mizrachi bet out 400,000 and Haxton called. The river was the 8c. This time, Mizrachi checked, Haxton moved All-In. Mizrachi called to see Haxton’s Qh 9s for the straight 8 to Q Mizrachi then mucked his Kh Jh, he exited in fourth place, earning $409,703.
Ryan Daut bet 350,000, Ford held 2c 2d and moved All-In for more than 2,300,000 more. On another day, Daut held Kc Kd and instantly called. The board brought Ford no help and he was out on the next hand when his Ad 8d couldn’t hold up over Haxton’s Kc 3d. Ford left in third place with $550,980.
And so it looked like Daut had fought his way to a second place finish. After all, Haxton held so many chips, it was hard to believe anybody at the final table could come back and beat him. Going into heads up play, he had more than 13 million chips to Daut’s five million. But he fought his way into a chip lead and when Daut moved All-In with Ad Th. Haxton decided to gamble and make the call with Qd 8h. The board, Jd 6c 5h 9h 5c, was no help to Haxton. He was out in second place, picking up $861,789.
Daut had just proved a massive chip lead at the final table never guarantees a win. Daut walked away with the championship, earning $1,535,255.
--Steven Eddleston
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