Balsiger eliminated in third place, wins $3.799 million; Merson-Sylvia to play for title
It took almost 11 hours and some 250 hands of no limit hold’em poker, but the World Series of Poker’s Main Event is at its final two players.
Jake Balsiger of Tempe, Ariz. was eliminated in third place and earned $3,799,073. The bust out took place at 4:45 a.m. Play actually began Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Rio.
The 21-year-old Arizona State University senior ran out of luck when his queen-10 couldn’t match Greg Merson’s king-queen.
Merson will now play Jesse Sylvia for the world poker championship and first place prize of more than $8.53 million. The runner-up collects $5.295 million.
Merson will enter heads-up play with a chip advantage. He has 117.6 million in chips. Sylvia has 80.6 million.
