$10,000 WSOP 2014 Main Event

Martin Jacobson Wins the 2014 WSOP Main Event

When play got heads-up, Martin Jacobson had a commanding lead with 142,000,000 to Felix Stephensen’s 58,500,000.

Jacobson continued to hammer away at Stephensen, moving all-in on him on several occasions.

Stephensen then started moving all-in himself but Jacobson folded every time.

Then, in the final hand of the tournament, Stephensen raised to 3.5 million from the button and Jacobson shoved. 

Stephensen called all-in for 28 million and showed A♥ 9♥. Jacobson turned over 10♥ 10♦ for the lead.

Each player walked over to their respective rail for respective support. One wanted to survive to try and stay in the game while the other was hoping to become the world champion.

The flop came 3♠ 9♣ 10♣ and the Jacobson rail exploded. Stephensen would need running cards to win and the K♦ that come on the turn wasn’t one of them.

A 4♣ ended the 2014 WSOP while the Jacobson crowd was already ecstatic and celebrating. 

Stephensen won $5,147,911 while Martin Jacobson won the bracelet, the title of world champion and $10,000,000.

Jorryt van Hoof Eliminated in 3rd Place ($3,807,753)

“I prefer to be the chip leader,” Jorryt van Hoof said during his post-bustout interview.

Van Hoof didn’t last long after he became the tournament short stack.

Shortly after coming back from break, van Hoof raised to 3.6 million from the button and Martin Jacobson three-bet to 9.2 million from the small blind.

Van Hoof re-raised all-in for about 45 million and Jacobson called.

Van Hoof turned over A♦ 5♦ and was dominated by Jacobson’s A♠ 10♣.

The 10♥ 5♠ 2♥ flop paired both players but Jacobson remained in the lead.

A black queen came on the turn and the second one came on the river to end the Dutchman’s main event.

Van Hoof spent 198 of yesterday’s 244 hands in the lead but only lasted 21 hands after he became the short stack.

“You have more options as the chip leader,” van Hoof said. It’s an undeniable truth of poker. After being beaten down to a short stack, van Hoof was left trying to double up to get back in the game.

Today was a day of many firsts for van Hoof. The first day he made it this deep in the main event, the first day he made several million dollars and the first day he ever wore sunglasses.

“I didn’t feel comfortable when I was wearing them,” van Hoof said. But the bright lights at the final table were getting to him.

Eventually, Jacobson got to him too.

• Average Stack 100245000
• Players Left 2
• Tables Left 1

Van Hoof Drops at Break

Jorryt van Hoof’s momentum has been halted and the Dutch player who held the lead for most of the final table is now the short stack.

The first big hit of the day for van Hoof’s stack came from Felix Stephensen. Stephensen –who lost more than half his stack to Jacobson after he ran a turned pair of kings into Jacobson’s pocket aces– was down to about 27 million and called van Hoof’s 2.6 million button raise from the small blind.

There was a 9♣ 4♣ 3♥ flop and both players checked. The 5♥ on the turn brought a 4 million bet from Stephensen and a call from van Hoof.

A K♣ completed the board and Stephensen moved all-in.

The crowd let out their initial all-in cheer and then went quiet while van Hoof thought. Eventually, van Hoof called and the Stephensen rail exploded when he showed 9♦ 8♠ to van Hoof’s J♣ 5♠.

Stephensen doubled to about 50 million while van Hoof dropped to about 65 million. Martin Jacobson led with 88 million.

Then Stephensen gave van Hoof another blow.

Stephensen called from the small blind, Van Hoof raised to 3 million from the big blind and Stephesen called.

Stephensen then bet 4.3 million on the 7♠ 5♦ 3♥ flop and van Hoof called, bringing a 4♠ on the turn.

Stephensen upped the bet to 8.5 million and van Hoof called again.

A 4♥ completed the board and Stephensen bet 15 million. Van Hoof thought again but went for the fold this time.

Van Hoof dropped to about 50 million while Stephensen rose to 60 million.

Van Hoof continued to drop while both Jacobson and Stephensen chipped up.

Then players went on break and van Hoof took his first ever final table break as the short stack while Jacobson enjoyed the luxuries of his large stack.

At the first break of the day, stacks were:

Martin Jacobson — 97,400,000

Felix Stephensen — 68,100,000

Jorryt van Hoof — 35,000,000

• Average Stack 66,830,000
• Players Left 3
• Tables Left 1

European Union

Idiot from Northern Europe.

It’s one of Phil Hellmuth’s infamous poker brat moments that’s garnered thousands –yes, thousands– of YouTube hits.

In was a geographically ambiguous burst of anger against a bad beat more than a generalization.

Norman Chad mentioned the outburst to start the broadcast which brought a wave of silence from a crowd that’s mostly from Northern Europe.

In fact, it could quite possibly be the largest gathering of Northern Europeans at the Penn and Teller theater in November since this is the first time the all three finalists have been European.

Since the November Nine began, there has always been at least one American in the top three and at times, they’ve occupied all three spots.

That was the case last year with Ryan Riess, Jay Farber and Amir Levahot all claiming the US as home soil.

The most diverse final three were in the inaugural November Nine in 2008 and in 2011. In 2008, the final three countries represented were Denmark, Russia and the United States.

Then in 2011, Europe had its largest clout with the Czech Republic and Germany in the final three.

Both those years, a European took the title.

This year, the only thing preventing a European from winning the bracelet will be a crazy birth certificate/adoption scandal.

In the previous European victories of 2008 and 2011, the winning country also had the most cashes.

If we apply that broken logic to this final three, Martin Jacobson would emerge victorious from this three-handed bout.

Not only that, but Jacobson also currently tops the all-time Swedish money list with $5.56 million in live tournament earnings.

That number is already guaranteed to go up and increase his lead.

With the guaranteed $3.8 million for third, both Stephensen and van Hoof are second in their countries all-time money list.

Van Hoof is currently about $100,000 behind Marcel Luske while Stephensen is about $80,000 behind Annette Obrestad.

All three players are also fighting to be the first player from their country to win the WSOP Main Event.

A Stephensen victory would also make Norway the third country to win both a WSOP and a WSOP-E Main Event.

The only other two countries are the United States and Spain.

We indeed live in a poker world.

• Average Stack 66830000
• Players Left 3
• Tables Left 1

Day 9 is Underway

Today, the 2014 WSOP comes to a close.

Back on July 6th, thousands of players started funneling into the Rio in hopes of becoming the next world champion. In total, 6,683 players paid $10,000 for a shot and now only three of them remain.

One of them is Martin Jacobson, who ended day 1A of the main event as the chip leader. Jacobson dipped back down throughout the tournament but surged back to the top as we reached the final table.

Then Jacobson took a few hits and made the November Nine 8th in chips.

Now Jacobson is starting the final three second in chips with 64.75 million.

The leader, of course, is Jorryt van Hoof from the Netherlands. Van Hoof is a Dutch pro who has –along with last year’s Dutch final tablist Michiel Brummelhuis– helped increase poker’s popularity in the Netherlands.

Van Hoof already has a large contingent of orange-clad fans and even has two in fuzzy, orange bear-like costumes.

Van Hoof had a large lead coming to the final table and held on to it throughout the majority of the day. Van Hoof also temporarily passed the 100 million mark but eventually finished the day with 89.625 million.

Our third player and short stack is also the youngs. Norway’s Felix Stephensen made the final three with 46.1 million and has a rail equipped with light-up viking hats.

All three players are fighting for their first WSOP bracelet and $10 million.

Bruce Buffer has announced the players and cards are now in the air.

• Average Stack 66830000
• Players Left 3
• Tables Left 1