It took a week, but the $1,100 World Poker Tour Prime event that is part of its World Championship series has its final six players. And let’s congratulate them, because they made it through a record-breaking field of 10,516 entries who generated a prize pool of $10,196,640.
To quote my Aunt Joanne: Holey Moley.
The final six will play down to the winner in front of WPT’s cameras at the Wynn on Tuesday, Dec. 19.
They are:
Jay Lu, 25, of Los Angeles, who has less than $50,000 in tournament winnings. Well, he’s guaranteed at least $290,000 for making the final table in this one, just like all the others. He leads the final six with 77 big blinds.
“Hey, man, I’m just glad to be here,” Lu told the WPT. “I’m playing my game, [even though] I play very few tournaments. This is an exciting thing to do. I think whatever got me here is gonna continue working, hopefully.”
It must be!
Calvin Anderson has the next biggest stack with 62 bigs. He is the biggest threat at the table. Just look at his major results: 2018 WSOP $10,000 Razz Championship for $309,220; 2nd, 2023 March Wynn Millions Poker Series $2,200 No Limit Hold’em for $257,600; 10th, 2023 WPT EveryOne for One Drop for $257,600; 1st, 2014 WSOP $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo for $190,538.
And the list goes on and on and on.
“I mean, it’s crazy,” he told the WPT. “I mean, this is the dream – a low buy-in, massive field. I mean, I kind of specialize in these, but to actually make it this deep is never even remotely expected. It’s really fortunate. I’m excited.”
I mean, yep.
Right behind him is Bob Buckenmayer with 48 big blinds. He is 79-years-old.
He’s had several deep runs in tourneys, including a 39th finishing in the 2015 WSOP Main Event.
“I know what I need to do in every spot, and I just do it,” he told the WPT.
Jon Glendinning, sitting in fourth with 28 big blinds, already surpassed his lifetime total of $192k by making the final table of the TV event.
“It’s pretty surreal,” said Glendinning. “It’s like winning three tournaments in a row just to be here. It’s amazing to play with so many great players throughout this thing and still be in.”
Valeriy Pak is right behind him with 25 bigs. He brings in more than $1 million in tournament cashes.
Last is Aaron Pinson, who brings 24 big blinds to the final table, and although he has a quarter-million in tournament cashes, he’s in awe of the situation he’s found himself in.
“I’m kind of thoughtless right now,” said Pinson. “It’s a lot of money. I’m trying not to really even grasp it, to be honest, until it’s over.”
The players now have a week off until they appear again in front of the cameras.
They are playing for a $1,386,280 first prize.
