Here’s the WSOP Main Event player capsules
John Hesp (Seat 1)
Chip count: 85.7 million
Age: 64
Resides: Bridlington, England
Occupation: Semiretired business owner
WSOP earnings (not including 2017 Main Event): $0
Odds to win: 4-1
Notes: The oldest player remaining at the final table, he has become a fan favorite in his first Main Event. … Known for his colorful sports coat and white Panama hat. … Married father of four and has seven grandchildren. … Has $2,207 in documented live poker tournament winnings, all from small-stakes tournaments at Napoleons Casino and Restaurant in Hull, England. … Can become the first British-born player to win the Main Event and the oldest winner since Johnny Moss (66) in 1974.
Scott Blumstein (Seat 2)
Chip count: 97.25 million
Age: 25
Resides: Brigantine, New Jersey
Occupation: Professional poker player
WSOP earnings (not including 2017 Main Event): $0
Odds to win: 2-1
Notes: The youngest player remaining and the chip leader entering the final table. … Has more than $312,000 in documented live tournament winnings, including a first-place finish in an event at the Borgata Summer Poker Open last year, which helped bankroll his entry to the Main Event for the first time. … Graduated from Temple University with a degree in accounting. … Fan of the New York Jets, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Oakland Athletics.
Antoine Saout (Seat 3)
Chip count: 21.75 million
Age: 33
Resides: London
Occupation: Professional poker player
WSOP earnings (not including 2017 Main Event): $3,999,582
Odds to win: 10-1
Notes: Originally from Morlaix, France, he is making his second appearance at the final table of the Main Event. … Finished in the top 10 in chips after Days 3, 5 and 7 of the Main Event. .. Was the first Frenchman to reach the Main Event final table in 2009, when he finished third after taking a bad beat against eventual winner Joe Cada. … Was 25th in last year’s Main Event. … Had more than $5.5 million in career live tournament earnings entering the Main Event.
Benjamin Pollak (Seat 4)
Chip count: 35.175 million
Age: 34
Resides: London
Occupation: Professional poker player
WSOP earnings (not including 2017 Main Event): $532,038
Odds to win: 5-1
Notes: One of two Frenchmen at the final table. … The native of Paris had $2,967,782 in live poker tournament winnings heading into the Main Event, including a victory on the Estrellas Poker Tour and a fourth-place finish in a European Poker Tour event in 2015. … Finished 27th in the 2013 Main Event for $285,408. … Former engineering student at ECE Paris. … Was in 291st place out of 297 players to end Day 4 before steadily moving up the leaderboard.
Jack Sinclair (Seat 5)
Chip count: 20.2 million
Age: 26
Resides: London
Occupation: Professional poker player
WSOP earnings (not including 2017 Main Event): $4,088
Odds to win: 15-1
Notes: Primarily an online poker player, he has $13,500 in documented live tournament earnings. … His largest live tournament cash before the Main Event came in April at the partypoker Millions Live in Nottingham ($9,412). … Plays the drums and attended Surrey University for music and recording. … Coached by well-known German poker pros Philipp Gruissem and Anton Morgenstern. … Led for much of Day 7 and peaked over 100 million chips before bluffing off a large portion of his stack vs. Blumstein. … Would be first British-born winner of the Main Event.
Damian Salas (Seat 6)
Chip count: 22.175 million
Age: 42
Resides: Chascomus, Argentina
Occupation: Professional poker player/lawyer
WSOP earnings (not including 2017 Main Event): $177,983
Odds to win: 14-1
Notes: First Argentine player to make the Main Event final table. … Has $919,525 in career live tournament earnings and more than $3 million online. … Cashed in three of the seven events he played at this year’s WSOP. … Made the money in the Main Event twice previously, finishing in 418th place last year and 606th place in 2013. … Was fifth last year in WSOP $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout event. … Chip leader after Day 4 of tournament and fifth at the completion of Day 5. … Married with three children.
Ben Lamb (Seat 7)
Chip count: 18.05 million
Age: 32
Resides: Las Vegas
Occupation: Professional poker player
WSOP earnings (not including 2017 Main Event): $6,209,724
Odds to win: 12-1
Notes: The Tulsa, Oklahoma, native is making his second career appearance at the Main Event final table. … Enters play with the shortest stack at 23 big blinds. … Earned WSOP Player of the Year in 2011 when he made four final tables. … Third at the 2011 Main Event for more than $4 million and 14th in 2009 for $633,022. … Won lone career bracelet in 2011 in the $10,000 buy-in Pot-limit Omaha Championship for $814,436. … Primarily a high-stakes cash-game player and an avid golfer.
Bryan Piccioli (Seat 8)
Chip count: 33.8 million
Age: 28
Resides: San Diego
Occupation: Professional poker player
WSOP earnings (not including 2017 Main Event): $552,208
Odds to win: 6-1
Notes: Originally from Allegany, New York, and one of two players at the final table with a bracelet, winning the WSOP Asia-Pacific $1,100 Accumulator No-limit Hold’em event. … Has more than $8.2 million in documented live and online tournament earnings. … Was chip leader after Day 4 in 2016 before finishing 84th. … Hit a miracle 8 on the river against Saout with 11 players left to stay in the tournament. … Moved into fourth place after doubling up against 10th-place finisher Michael Ruane.
Daniel Ott (Seat 9)
Chip count: 26.475 million
Age: 25
Resides: Altoona, Pennsylvania
Occupation: Professional poker player
WSOP earnings (not including 2017 Main Event): $3,656
Odds to win: 18-1
Notes: A relative unknown who opens play fifth in chips. Cashed in two previous WSOP events this summer. … Played the $1,000 buy-in Tag Team No-limit Hold’em event and finished 69th with twin brother Dillon as his partner. … Also made the money in the $1,500 buy-in “Millionaire Maker” No-limit Hold’em tournament. … Graduate of Penn State with a degree in marketing. … Was sixth in chips after Day 5 and never fell out of the top 20.
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.
