WSOP Event #55: The Magician Wins $18.3 Million

Only the 8-handed final table was left for Day 3 of WSOP Event #55 $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop, the biggest buy-in tournament in poker history. Antonio ’The Magician’ Esfandiari started in the chiplead, slightly ahead of Sam Trickett. Whoever had been to win the event was bound to jump right on top of the all time money list.

The Big One Final Table

They shuffled up and dealt on Level 18 (50,000/150,000/300,000) but it took until Level 20 (50,000/250,000/500,000) for the first elimination to occur: Brian Rast railed shortstack Richard Yong. Guy Laliberté then eliminated Bobby Baldwin, who was followed by Rast. Event organiser Laliberté himself was next in 5th place, Esfandiari sent him home in a flip.

Esfandiari and Laliberté

Phil Hellmuth finished 4th, shoving as shortstack and his A T getting busted by Trickett’s rivered straight. It did not take long for the heads-up to get set from then on: David Einhorn was sent packing by Esfandiari.

Antonio Esfandiari: 102,475,000
Sam Trickett: 41,500,000

Trickett was unable to come back and in 40 minutes, he was down on 38,000,000 (Level 22: 100,000/400,000/800,000). In the last hand, Esfandiari raised to 1,800,000, Trickett called and the flop came J 5 5 . Trickett checked, Esfandiari bet, Trickett check-raised to 5,400,000 and Esfandiari pushed in 10,000,000. Trickett 4-bet 15,000,000, Esfandiari shoved and Trickett called.

Esfandiari: 7 5
Trickett: Q 6

Turn: 3
River: 2

‘The Magician’ won the tournament with a three of a kind, together with the Big One bracelet for his second WSOP title and the $18.3 million first prize.

Antonio Esfandiari

The end results are as follows:

With the Big One, the all time live winnings money list has been altered, too. The Top 10 players currently are the following: