Andrew Wilson Leads Final 16 in WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open

The latter stages of the latest World Poker Tour major event have been reached. Day 3 of the Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open saw 80 players start the day, but only 14 of them ended the day still sat in front of chips. Of them, British player Andrew Wilson leads them into the penultimate day at the felt.

Early Elimination See Silver’s Value Fall

With 80 players kicking off the action in with a chance of scooping the $785,000 top prize, it was Kyle Merron who flew highest on Day 2 and began Day 3 with the lead. It was a slim one, though, and the lead would change hands on multiple occasions throughout a day where no single player stood out until the end of the play counts.

Of the early eliminations, ‘Barstool Nate’ Silver was a big one to leave his chair as he busted in 66^th place of the 1,541 total entries, cashing for $11,000, a fine return on a buy-in of $3,500. While he was one example of a player heading for the rail, another survived in the form of Frank Funaro. His pocket deuces needed to hold against Max Kingstone’s ace-queen and did so to leave just 64 players in the event. Funaro would eventually cash in 48^th place for $16,500.

Others weren’t so fortunate, missing out on the really late stages of Day 3 as they saw their hopes dashed. Jonathan Akiba (60^th for $12,450), four-time WPT champion Darren Elias (56^th for $14,200), Alex Keating (54^th for the same) and Giuseppe Iadisernia (49^th for the same) all bowed out.

Close But No Cigar

Jim Collopy was one big name who seemed to be flying until he had his wings clipped. His aces were not good enough when he called on a lop with two kings, as Andrew Wilson’s ace-king had flopped trips to move ahead, where he stayed to send the American home. Ron McMillen – who won a WSOP Online bracelet in 2020 after playing his first-ever online tournament – busted in 35^th place for $19,300.

Other big names fell short on a day of dramatic runouts. Brock Wilson busted in 34^th place for $19,300, while the overnight chip leader Kyle Merron lasted only a short time longer, exiting in 32^nd for $22,900. The elimination of Martins Adeniya in 19^th place for $33,100 saw just 18 players remain.

After David Nowling’s exit in 18^th place for the same amount as Adeniya, one more player would bust for that score to end the night’s action. As it turned out, that player was Anthony Zinno, whose ace-king couldn’t hit against the pocket jacks of Ted McNamara. The all-queen flop was a dramatic one but it wasn’t enough for Zinno, who needed to find an ace, king or the case queen to survive. He couldn’t do so, as a four on the turn was followed by a six on the river to end play for Day 3 and proclaim Andrew Wilson the chip leader.

Wilson the Man to Catch

With just 16 players remaining, the next prize is $40,500, but no-one will want that. Everyone still in with a chance of winning wants to get their name on the WPT Mike Sexton Champions Cup, and with it claim a $10,400 WPT World Championship seat and the top prize of $785,800. Andrew Wilson leads the remaining 16 players and has a big pile too, having amounted 12,875,000 chips across the day.

Wilson won’t have it all his own way, however, with Brian Altman (10,225,000), Ted McNamara (8,825,000), Chad Eveslage (7,350,000) and Joshua Kay (6,100,000) all making the top five. Ukrainian Denys Shafikov (3,175,000) will provide competition as one of only three players who don’t hail from the United States in the top ten.

Last year’s winner, Gediminas Uselis, still has chips and of the final 16 players, will come into Day 4, the penultimate day of the event, in seventh place with 4,575,000 chips, the equivalent of 37 big blinds. Uselis has a real chance of achieving something that so few players in poker history can lay claim to – winning a major title in back-to-back years.