Benny Glaser Leads Final Six at WPT World Championship with Glory Up for Grabs

The final table of the record-breaking WPT World Championship has been reached and it is British mixed game specialist Benny Glaser who leads the remaining six players to Tuesday’s final table. With players such as Adam Adler and Frank Funaro in the chasing pack and Eliot Hudon putting a sprint on in reaching the last day, it was a frantic finish to a mammoth day to set up the last showdown for $4 million.

Negreanu Stunned by Cruel Exit in 17^th

The penultimate day of action in the $10,400-entry 2022 WPT World Championship saw 37 players reduced to just six, but it took a mammoth 17 hours at the felt to find those final six players. As American player Colton Blomberg described, play reached impasse after impasse, which was extremely demanding on all the players’ senses.

While play was fairly standard down to the final three tables, the last player to bust before two tables were reached was an unfortunate famous name. Daniel Negreanu, known as ‘Kid Poker’ to millions, was all-in with a full house on the turn with deuces over tens, against kings, only for a king to land on the river in brutal two-outer fashion.

Negrenau’s exit was the signal for tables to be chopped down to two tables of eight. By the time Jason Gooch was busted in 13^th place for $269,900, losing with ‘The Hellmuth’ (queen-four) to Glaser’s ace-eight, the final dozen players were ready to showdown to make the last table. Bryce Yockey followed Gooch from the door, skittled in 12^th for $338,500 when his queens were outrun in horrible fashion by Adam Adler’s pocket tens, which four-flushed on the turn.

Final Six Reached After Epic Conclusion

After Adler’s fortunate run-out, Krasimir Yankov’s tournament came to a close as the former chip leader busted in 11^th place. His ace-king couldn’t overtake Jean-Claude Moussa’s pocket jacks, as a ten-high board sent him home with $338,500 too. With one player needing to leave before the final nine would assemble at one table, Rami Owera was the unlucky player, busting with king-jack to Glaser’s pocket sevens with all the money in before the flop and a nine-high board coming.

Michael Rocco was eventually the first player to leave the final nine, with hand #104 proving fatal for his chances of becoming champion. Rocco’s pocket kings lost to Glaser’s ten-three after a three on the flop was followed by one on the turn. A whole 42 hands later, Drew O’Connell left the party in 8^th place, cashing for $547,000 when his pocket sixes were outrun by Adam Adler’s ace-king after two kings landed on the flop.

It took some time, but eventually, Lucas Foster was the unlucky player to depart in seventh place, missing out on the million-dollar minimum as he busted just outside the final six. Foster busted with pocket nines, as Eliot Hudon’s ace-queen hit an ace on the flop to reduce the field to six and chip up to second place in the process. To everyone’s collective relief, the final table was set.

Glaser’s Lead Trimmed by Hudon

The final six are formed and with a million for sixth place and $4 million for the winner, it’s sure to be a very special atmosphere when play resumes on Tuesday night. The World Poker Tour will be live streaming the event, and it will be Benny Glaser who leads the way. Glaser’s lead is not as big as it was, but he still has 133.6 million chips, good for 83 big blinds. WPT Tournament Director Matt Savage congratulated all the players on reaching the final table.

Behind Glaser, it is Eliot Hudon who has the best chance of overtaking him. With 80.8 million chips, Hudon goes into the final day with 51 big blinds. That is the only stack over 20 big blinds between Glaser and glory, so Hudon’s start will very much impact the rest of the final table. Between the two of them, Glaser and Hudon have 134 big blinds, with the other four players totalling 51 big blinds between them.

Of those four shorter stacks, Adam Adler  has 17 big blinds, with Frank Funaro (13 big blinds), Jean-Claude Moussa (12 big blinds) and Colton Blomberg (9 big blinds) all still in with a chance of glory.