Newhouse repeats as first out at WSOP final table
It took more than three hours and 56 hands for the first elimination to occur at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event.
And for the second straight year, Mark Newhouse hit the rail first.
Newhouse, who made history in July by becoming the first player since 2004 to reach back-to-back Main Event final tables, was knocked out in ninth place as the 45th annual $10,000 buy-in No-limit Texas Hold ’em World Championship resumed Monday at the Rio’s Penn &Teller Theater following a nearly four-month hiatus.
“Back to reality,” Newhouse said.
Jorryt Van Hoof of Eindhoven, Netherlands, led with a little more than 75 million chips at 10:30 p.m. as six players remained. Play continued early this morning, and the final two or three players will return to the Penn &Teller Theater at 5:30 p.m. today to compete for the $10 million first prize. ESPN will broadcast the final table on a 15-minute delay beginning at 6 p.m.
Newhouse, 29, garnered much of the media attention this summer for his run to back-to-back Main Event final tables, which is regarded as one of the greatest accomplishments in poker history. The one-time Las Vegas resident now living in Los Angeles also is the only player to make the “November Nine” twice since the format was implemented in 2008.
Newhouse tweeted on July 6, “Just bought into the main event day 1c. Not (expletive) finishing 9th again,” and unlike last year, when he started the final table as the second-smallest stack, Newhouse entered the action Monday in third place with 26 million chips.
“I didn’t feel pressure,” Newhouse said. “I was feeling relaxed; I’ve been here before. Whatever happens, happens.”
But Newhouse was eliminated by William Tonking of Flemington, N.J., shortly after 8 p.m., earning $730,725. Newhouse started his final hand with a little more than 22 million in chips and pushed all-in for his final 10.2 million with two jacks, two fours and a two on the board.
Tonking called and showed a pair of queens in his hand, which bested the pocket 10s of Newhouse.
“I considered folding the flop,” Newhouse said. “I decided to take a shot at it. It didn’t work out.”
Bruno Politano, the first Brazilian to reach the Main Event final table, went out in eighth place at approximately 10:15 p.m. when the pocket 7s of Felix Stephensen held up against his queen-10. Politano earned $947,172.
The Penn &Teller Theater featured an electric atmosphere at times with five foreign players among the “November Nine.” Politano had the most boisterous rooting section with supporters decked out in yellow and green soccer jerseys singing in Portuguese between hands. And it was easy to spot the fans of Stephensen, who is originally from Oslo, Norway, as they sported Viking helmets with flashing LED lights in the horns.
Even the American players had plenty of backing. When Las Vegas resident Dan Sindelar won a pot, his fans chanted “Go, Big Red” to acknowledge his Nebraska roots, while “Bil-ly Pap-pas” was belted out for William Pappaconstantinou of Lowell, Mass., a professional foosball player and the lone amateur left from the original field of 6,683 players.
Sindelar was in third place at the first break, but was eliminated in seventh place by Van Hoof late Monday and took home $1.24 million.
The biggest talking point was the final hand before the first break involving Van Hoof, the chip leader at the time, and Andoni Larrabe. Van Hoof pushed all-in after the river with two-pair, and Larrabe, who started the hand in fourth place, folded despite making a straight. Had Larrabe called, it would have given him a commanding chip lead.
Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ.
