When Vivian Saliba was 17 years old her dad first took her to a card club in Sao Paulo.

Seven years later, she's snagged her first WSOP Main Event cash.

At 24 years old Saliba was the youngest female to enter this year's Main Event. She finished 421st out of 7,221 players at poker's world championship event in Las Vegas, earning $27,743.

She's been playing poker professionally for the last two years but this was her first time competing in the WSOP Main Event.

"Playing the Main Event is a dream," Saliba told PokerListings.com.

She's come a long way from the 17-year-old who first tried poker with her dad in a card club in Brazil. Saliba said her dad used to play every weekend and one day, when she was upset over breaking up with a boyfriend, he took her along.

“I fell in love with the social aspects of poker and I actually cashed in my first tournament,” she said. “I didn't know what I was doing at all but I made so many friends and started going every weekend with my dad.”

From Social Poker to Going Pro

Five years later, after playing a lot of poker and working in the industry, Saliba turned pro and began focusing on PLO cash games. She says because she's so used to Pot-Limit Omaha, adapting to No-Limit Hold'em in the Main Event was a challenge.

Saliba has played poker professionally for two years.

"I made so many mistakes on Day 1 but I was able to make up for it on the other days,” said Saliba.

“I was really pissed after I bagged Day 1. Even though I was happy to make it through the day, I was so frustrated with my performance.

"I've been playing so much PLO and it's really different compared to No-Limit.

“Basically I wasn't expecting such a weak field. I thought the players would be better. So the things I was doing really didn't work well on these kinds of players. I was just burning chips.”

Saliba came back from Day 1 and turned things around, making it all the way to Day 4 before being eliminated. She says the deep Main Event structure had a lot to do with it.

"I'm pretty proud of how I played starting Day 2,” she said. “I didn't make the same mistakes I made on Day 1.

"I've been playing pretty solid and most of the decisions I've made have been right. I'm just happy I've been playing well and running well.

“The structure's so good that even when you make mistakes and lose chips, you have the chance to come back.”

Poker in Brazil Exploding

Saliba says poker's popularity in Brazil is going through the roof, despite some challenges with playing live.

Saliba is on the inside of Brazil's poker boom.

“In Brazil we don't have casinos but we do have poker clubs,” she said.

“But it's a big problem because the clubs charge rake as if poker was a casino game. It's five per cent no cap for PLO, Hold'em. The rake is basically unbeatable.

“I was able to win a little bit but I felt like I was being robbed by the rake so I decided not to play those games anymore.

Saliba says playing cash games here in Las Vegas is far more profitable, simply because of the much lower rake.

Despite live cash games being tough in Brazil, poker is growing in a big way online and in live tournaments.

“Online poker is even bigger than the live games in Brazil,” said Saliba. “And we also have some really good tournaments like the BSOP. The structure is good and the fields are big so that's kind of the live scene in Brazil.”

Brazil's Joao Sousa Monteiro outlasted four other 888poker qualifiers to not only cash in the WSOP Main Event, but also win a $10k buy-in for next year.

Monteiro qualified for this year's Main Event for just $30 on 888poker and also won a spot on Team Brazil in 888poker's “8-Team” promotion along with team captain Bruno Politano and legendary football player Denilson.

They were up against four other teams representing Canada, Germany, Sweden and the UK.

Monteiro made it all the way to Day 4, finishing 583rd out of 7,221 players and earning $22,449. Since he was the last remaining 8-Team qualifier, Monteiro also won a buy-in to the 2018 World Series of Poker Main Event.

Monteiro has been to Las Vegas 11 times before, first visiting in 2010 for a vacation with his family. On that trip he noticed people playing poker and the game caught his attention.

When he got home to Brazil he signed up for poker coaching and began studying and playing.

Monteiro works as a physical therapist and consults for fitness centers. In addition to playing poker, he studies boxing and jiu-jitsu as a hobby.

Poker Perfect for Travel

Since learning the game Monteiro's played a few WSOP preliminary events but this was his first time playing the Main Event.

Monteiro and his 888poker teammates.

He's also been to the PCA twice and cashed in some other smaller tournaments for a total of around $75,000.

It turns out poker provides Monteiro the perfect opportunity to see the world with his family.

"I love traveling around the world to play poker and to take my wife and kids with me," said Monteiro. "And also the chance to win some money."

Had Monteiro gone on to win the WSOP Main Event, he would have been eligible for the $1.85 million overlay offered to players who qualified through 888poker.

Even though he was eliminated on Day 4, Monteiro was ecstatic about the result and the experience.

"I'm not a pro so it's not my salary. My wife doesn't want to do any more shopping so I don't know what we'll do with the money," he joked.

"I'm so thankful for the good vibes and my team helped me so much in the tournament.”

Monteiro said his two favorite moments of the trip were the 888poker party and the first hand he was dealt in the Main Event.

2016 November Niners Michael Ruane and Kenny Hallaert are still in with 85 left and a chance to make back-to-back WSOP Main Event final tables.

Both Ruane and Hallaert have middle-of-the-pack stacks but if either of them make the final nine they'll be the most recent person to do it since Mark Newhouse in 2013 and 2014.

Hallaert has had a huge summer already, having made two WSOP final tables, while Ruane's last live tournament cash was his 4th-place finish in last year's Main Event.

Former November Niners Antoine Saout and Ben Lamb are also still in with a chance to make their second WSOP Main Event final tables.

Germany's Robert Hegele leads overall with American Joshua Horton as the only other person with over 9 million.

Day 5 of the saw the field cut from 297 down to just 85. Everyone who's still in is guaranteed at least $85,382.

Kenny Hallaert

Here's the top ten chip counts, courtesy of WSOP.com:

Other name-pros advancing to Day 6 include Bryan Piccioli, Marcel Luske, Brandon Meyers, Dario Sammartino, Jonas Mackoff, Conor Drinan and Martin Finger.

The plan for Days 6 and 7 call for the field to be cut down to the final nine, all of whom will be guaranteed a $1 million payday.

And unlike every year since 2007, the final table will play out July 20-22 and forgo the three-month November Nine break.

Carrel Puts on Clinic, Busts KK

Brit Charlie Carrel was on the feature table, streamed live on ESPN and PokerGO, and gave viewers a peek at how a top-level poker player operates.

Charlie Carrel

Carrel famously turned a $15 first deposit into a poker career that's generated millions of dollars and he's done it all in about four years.

He also won the PokerListings.com Spirit of Poker Award in 2015 in the Rising Star category.

His live tournament earnings total $5.9 million and he ran his stack up to over 5 million today before being dealt an unlucky kings versus aces cooler against Alexander Greenblatt late in the evening to bust.

Carrel exited in 88th and added a $72k-score to his list of results.

A long list of other name-pros joined Carrel in the payout area today including five former November Niners: Chino Rheem, Tom Cannuli, Eoghan O'Dea, Jake Balsiger and Matt Gianetti.

Also out? Chip Jett, Minh Ly, Nick Maimone, Kathy Liebert, Isaac Haxton, Sam Chartier, Dominik Nitsche, Greg Mueller, Kyle Bowker, Sam Stein, Randy Lew, Max Pescatori, JP Kelly and Vitaly Lunkin.

Tomorrow all 85 remaining players will return and resume play at 11am.

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

Marcel Luske has come close to final-tabling the WSOP Main Event twice before and this year he's deep again with a chance to finally make it.

Luske is one of the original Dutch poker pros and he's got tournament results stretching all the way back to 1999.

In 2003 and 2004 Luske finished 14th and 10th in the Main Event. This year he made it to Day 6 with 52 players remaining at time of publishing.

He's already guaranteed a $145,733 payday but he told PokerListings.com he's got his sights set on the prestige and massive prizes waiting at the final table.

Luske also recently signed a sponsorship deal with partypoker, joining a team that includes Mike Sexton, Boris Becker, Sam Trickett and many more.

Luske spoke to PokerListings.com on a break from Day 6 of the 2017 Main Event to explain what this opportunity means to him and how he approaches this critical stage of poker's biggest tournament.

PokerListings.com: What's your approach to this tournament, especially at this really important stage?

Marcel Luske: Every day it's like playing a one-day tournament. You play your table, keep track with the average. It's important not to get too far below average but it's more important to think about it in terms of how many big blinds you have.

"It takes a lot of patience."

How playable is your stack and how fast is the structure moving? If you have 30-50 big blinds you shouldn't care if someone else has four times your stack because it's still very playable.

It takes a lot of patience.

You don't want to stare yourself down and worry about someone else who has a huge stack.

There's a small edge if you're patient because some people start feeling shortstacked in their imagination when they compare themselves to the chip leaders.

They're more likely to pay off and they're going to play looser and take more chances. No one's giving it away here because everyone's very good, but there is a small edge because in their minds they're feeling pressure to make something happen.

PL: Apart from the strategy, what's it like being deep in the biggest tournament of the year?

ML: It's fun but the only worry every player has is "Please don't let me get unlucky". For example I played a hand where I called in position with ten-nine and the flop came J-Q-K.

Perfect flop because the guy who opened made top two, led out and we got the money in and I doubled. So when you get it in that far ahead, you really don't want to get unlucky. But you have to take some chances.

PL: In 2003 and 2004 you almost made the final table in this tournament. How valuable is that experience?

ML: I definitely learned that a lot of people underestimate the value of your chips in this tournament. You can sit tight for a long time in this event and play three or four really key hands in the whole day.

"Sometimes your opponents will beat themselves."

Knowing that people blow up and tilt, you don't have to beat all your opponents. Some people will actually beat themselves.

PL: Do you see more people blowing up in this tournament compared to others?

ML: It's a long tournament and there's a lot of money on the line so some people make themselves crazy. You'll have good runs and other times you'll be cold as ice.

You can run cold for hours or even all day and that's when you have to survive.

PL: You recently signed with partypoker. Why did you choose to sign with them?

ML: I joined with partypoker mostly because after being with PokerStars for many years, the landscape began to change. I wanted to focus more on the social aspect of the game.

When I split with Stars I had more time to spend with my family and I started looking for more social, fun games to play. partypoker has a great team and they all play poker themselves and know what the game is supposed to be like.

It should be a social game that's fun and entertaining to play.

PL: We're not at the final table yet but how much would it mean to you to improve on that 10th-place finish from 2004?

ML: Of course it's very important. It's life-changing. Of course I want to get to the final table.

PL: Is it about more than just the money for you?

"It's about the prestige too."

ML: It's about the prestige too. If you look at my overall achievements, I have so many smaller cashes. In Europe for a long time the tournaments were a lot smaller than in the US.

I have $4.5 million in lifetime earnings but I think if I lived in America that would be a lot bigger. I'm proud of my achievements and I think I've played really well but I don't think that number really shows that. So this is a big opportunity for me.

It's also a big honor for me to have a sponsor like partypoker and I want them to get a lot of exposure out of it. I'm very grateful to partypoker because I'm really not the youngest player around. But I think it's a perfect match.

I'm really excited to see partypoker getting in the race and putting big money behind it. They want to do what's right for players and look after them and they're not afraid to invest in the long run.

The team is getting bigger with experienced people, a good mix of young and older people like me, Mike Sexton, Padraig Parkinson, Simon Trumper, Rob Yong.

They are heart and soul poker players and we're all working together to try to better the poker world.

Kathy Liebert says she never set out to pave the way for women in poker but after more than two decades crushing live tournaments, that's exactly what she did.

Liebert's first cash was in 1994 and since then she's racked up more than $6 million in live tournament earnings.

She was the first women to win a $1 million first-place prize, although she filled us in on the deal she made in that event, and when she started she was one of the very few female players traveling the live tournament circuit.

Liebert has finished 17th in the WSOP Main Event twice, won a WSOP bracelet in 2004 and made six WPT final tables. This year she made it deep in the Main Event again but busted on Day 5 in 251st place for just over $40,000.

After her elimination Liebert sat down for an extended interview with PokerListings.com, covering what it was like in the early years of her career as one of the only women in the game and the effect she had for female poker players who came after.

PokerListings.com: We're sorry to see you bust but what was the experience like for you today?

Kathy Liebert: I was in a pretty good mood today. I was not miserable. It felt good to be there and have a shot.

Sometimes you're playing these tournaments and it can be grueling and frustrating but I felt like I had a shot so today was fun.

PL: Does all your experience make it easier to brush yourself off and do it all over again after busting out deep in an event like this?

KL: I'm used to it. I used to play a lot more. For a long time I traveled and played most of the WPTs, and I did get a little burned out. I was running really bad for a while and it seemed like I was always getting coolered and taking ridiculous beats.

"I'm not grinding to pay the bills anymore."

So I cut back a little and I'm playing more locally, not traveling the world playing every big tournament.

But if I don't feel like playing I don't have to play. I'm not grinding to pay the bills anymore.

PL: Your results go all the way back to the mid-90s. What was it like back then being a woman in the poker world?

KL: In the 90s there were hardly any woman at all. They were saying I was the best woman player which was a compliment but there were only a few women playing. So when people called me the best woman player I'd say, “Can you even name five other woman players?”

It was a compliment but at the same time being one of the best women was kind of a joke because there were so few.

There were a few names that had come before me like Marsha Waggoner and Barbara Enright. They were good, successful players but they weren't traveling the circuit. We would see them once in a while but I was one of the very few women who was actually traveling and playing all the events.

When the World Poker Tour started I was playing most of them and sure, there'd be a couple women in the field but I can't think of another woman who was traveling and playing the big buy-in events regularly.

PL: Did you face additional challenges being a woman in a game with pretty much all men?

KL: I do think in general most people don't think women are as good but I just went and played. I didn't really worry about fitting in or whatever. I just did it.

Sometimes I felt a little disrespected but it didn't really bother me that much. I ignored it and just did my thing.

PL: Have you seen the poker world's attitude towards women change since then?

KL: Now I hear the whole 'She's a good player, for a women" thing a lot less. There are so many good female players now who are winning. Now if you're good people just say you're good.

Back then there were so few women playing that I really stood out. Now it's not that unusual.

Photo credit: Joe Giron.

PL: Do you see yourself as a pioneer for women in poker?

KL: I wasn't trying to pave the way for anyone. I just liked to play and I was doing well. I definitely heard from women who said stuff like, "If you can do it I can do it" and I did get a lot of support from other women.

It's tough. A lot of time you're not going to be happy. You're going to be frustrated. It's a tough lifestyle so it's really valuable when you have people encouraging you or looking up to you. But that wasn't the reason I was doing it. I wasn't trying to do it.

PL: Whether you were trying to or not, you did pave the way for women. Why do you think we see more women in the game now?

KL: Well, when you started being able to play on the internet a lot more women started getting good.

It's expensive to learn playing live so the internet was a huge factor. A lot of information became available online and a lot of the good women players today learned playing on the internet.

When I first started playing I wasn't able to play online or watch training videos or anything like that. I do think it's a lot easier for everyone now.

And the really good players embraced all the information that's available now and learned a whole new way of playing without having to go through the ten years of experience.

PL: We wanted to ask you specifically about the partypoker cruise where you won the $1 million first-place prize. Did you really take $1 million?

"We made a deal" in partypoker Million cruise.

KL: We made a deal. When we got nine-handed it was suggested to even out the money a bit because it was a million for first and like $8,000 for ninth but the shortest stack didn't like the deal because he wasn't going to get that much more.

But I think we evened it out a bit once he busted and I swapped some action with some other players.

When we got four-handed a deal came up again and actually this kid that had a lot of chips was beating Phil Hellmuth in every pot and holding over him.

The kid had never won anything in his life and he wanted to make a deal. Hellmuth and I refused to take any money out of our equity to make a deal so the kid actually sacrificed like $50,000 to make the deal.

I don't remember the exact amount I took but it was a lot less than a million, $400k, $500k maybe. But it was a huge win for me.

PL: How did that win influence the course of your career?

KL: Before the cruise I had had a fair amount of success but at the time I wasn't running great and was thinking of cutting back on playing. But because of that win I decided to play more and was able to play bigger buy-ins.

I was usually pretty conservative in terms of bankroll. There are people out there who win $100k and go out and play every $10k but if I had $100k I'd feel like I could risk like $20k and I'd put the rest in the bank and in stocks.

Having that win allowed me to play a lot more and a lot bigger.

PL: Have you ever gone broke as a poker player?

KL: I've had times when I've run really well and times when I've run really bad. But I've never gone broke because I never put it all on the line.

When I won money I always invested part of it. I know a guy who won a million here at the WSOP and now he's traveling everywhere, playing $25k and $50k tournaments. And okay, you might be a great player but it's very easy to go through a lot of money.

Even though I could afford to buy-in myself I also sold a lot of action because I never wanted to go broke.

Now I don't have to play to pay the bills. My goal was always to achieve financial freedom. I never felt like I had to go out and prove myself and try to be a superstar or something. I know I'm a good player and I don't have to play the biggest buy-ins to prove that.

I'm really happy now to have financial security and have the freedom to play when and where I want.

It's the end of Day 6 of the World Series of Poker Main Event, and the plot thickens.

Just 27 players remain in the signature event of the year and 3 of them - Ben Lamb, Antoine Saout and Michael Ruane - have made the final table before.

2015 WSOP bracelet winner Christian Pham has skyrocketed into the lead while notable names Bryan Piccioli, Jonas Mackoff, Benjamin Pollak and Marcel Luske are all still in the mix.

The runs of Dario Sammartino, Kenny Hallaert and Max Silver, however, have come to an end.

Pham Rises

Every year the Main Event sees its share of drama and tragedy and players who go on incredible runs.

Unexpected bracelet in 2015

Last night Christian Pham was on the good end of one of these runs. Sitting on 1 million chips with around 50 players left, he then went on a heater and finished the day as chip leader with over 30 million .

Pham, who has won both a WSOP bracelet and a WSOPC ring, made a particularly big step when he busted Jonathan 'Superman' Dwek with a rivered straight flush over a straight for more than 20m chips.

Pham famously won a bracelet in 2015 when he accidentally registered for a 2-7 event - a game he'd never played before - and went on to win.

He won his seat in the 2017 Main Event via a $535 satellite.

In second place is now Valentin Messina. The French player has two deep runs in the Battle of Malta and a second place in the EPT Malta under his belt.

Now he's the spearhead of the nation that has the second most players still in contention.

Lamb, Ruane, Saout go for 2nd ME FTs

Ben Lamb came third back in 2011(and won WSOP POY) when Pius Heinz beat Martin Staszko for the WSOP ME title.

Antoine Saout came third in 2009 when Darvin Moon eventually became the second luckiest player to Joe Cada.

A win in mind.

Now both players have made it to Day 7 once again. Lamb sits in fourth place on the leaderboard while Saout is in 15th.

Michael Ruane’s run looks even more unbelievable. Since his fourth place last year he hasn’t had a single live cash anywhere.

Now he sits in 16th with 27 left out of 7,221 players, which means he has now survived 13,927 Main Event players within one year.

European Players in Majority

Of the final 27, 13 are from the other side of the pond. The French are the strongest with four players still playing for the win – among them Saout and Benjamin Pollak, who finished the ME in 27th place in 2013.

Britain has three players left, of which John Hesp with his outlandish shirts is bound to become the darling of the public. Germany has Day 5 chipleader Robin Hegele and Florian Lohnert.

The Flying Dutchman abides.

In addition Portugal, Russia, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands still represent Europe while two Canadians and two Argentinians complete the armada of the Americas.

Mackoff and Luske repeat deep runs

Vancouver's Jonas Mackoff has travelled the worldwide poker circuit for years and come close to a big title several times.

Two years ago he finished the WSOP Main in 63rd but this year he'll have his best result yet. The same goes for Bryan Piccioli who busted on Day 6 last year with 84 players left but is now on to Day 7.

This year also marks the amazing comeback of the “Flying Dutchman” Marcel Luske.

It’s been rather quiet since Luske left the PokerStars pro team in September 2014. Now he’s back and having his best Main Event since his run to the last two tables in 2003 – the Moneymaker year.

Silver, Sammartino, Hallaert bow out

Belgian poker dealer turned pro Kenny Hallaert also dreamed of two final ME tables in a row, but one year after his 6th place he eventually had to leave the table with 64 players left at eight tables. Quite the feat for the small but strong Belgian community.

Sammartino: Crushed 2017 WSOP.

Dario Sammartino is having an incredible year and it took some bad luck to take him out of the Main Event. At this year’s WSOP Sammartino has cashed in eight events, of which just one had a buy-in under $10k.

Sammartino made the top 12 in four $10k Championship events, came 6th in the $25k PLO and 3rd in the $111,111 One Drop. His pocket queens were beaten by pocket threes with a three on the turn to end his ME.

Max Silver is one of the best players the British Isles has ever produced and he came into the day third in chips. Still, it wasn’t to be for the Londoner who exited in 45th. He’s still going home with a brand new bracelet under his belt, though.

The Marathon continues

The World Series of Poker Main Event certainly isn’t a sprint and will continue today with the field playing down to a final nine.

Americans, as always, make up the most players left but nothing has been decided and a long night is expected tonight.

WSOP Main Event Final 27

Place

Name

Country

Chipcount

1

Christian Pham

US

31,440,000

2

Valentin Messina

FR

28,590,000

3

Jack Sinclair

GB

27,535,000

4

Ben Lamb

US

25,685,000

5

Pedro Oliveira

POR

22,540,000

6

John Hesp

GB

20,880,000

7

Randy Pisane

US

18,370,000

8

Scott Blumstein

US

18,125,000

9

Richard Dubini

ARG

14,975,000

10

Bryan Piccioli

US

14,500,000

11

Richard Gryko

GB

13,760,000

12

Jonas Mackoff

CAN

12,050,000

13

Michael Krasienko

US

11,430,000

14

Robin Hegele

GER

11,150,000

15

Antoine Saout

FR

9,945,000

16

Michael Ruane

US

9,340,000

17

Benjamin Pollak

FR

8,870,000

18

Alexandre Reard

FR

8,580,000

19

Karen Sarkysian

RUS

8,105,000

20

Dan Ott

US

7,815,000

21

Damian Salas

ARG

7,800,000

22

David Guay

CAN

7,400,000

23

Scott Stewart

US

6,230,000

24

Florian Lohnert

GER

5,360,000

25

Jake Bazeley

US

3,915,000

26

Marcel Luske

NED

2,990,000

27

Michael Sklenicka

CZE

2,230,000

888poker's David Tuchman has been on the road in Las Vegas again, picking up poker players and dropping them off at the Rio for the Main Event.

In his first few spins as a substitute Uber drive he enjoyed the company of Doug Polk, Kara Scott and Justin Bonomo.

This time around he gets finger-fed by Maria Ho, assists Natasha Mercier in giving birth and meets Leon Tsoukernik's toddlers.

Never a dull moment in the 888poker Ride.

Maria Ho Craves Chicken Fingers

Tuchman meets Maria at the beginning of a Main Event dinner break and offers to take her wherever she wants for some nibbles. 

Turns out Maria’s secret pleasure is chicken fingers.

On a more serious note Maria reflects on how the game has become way too serious and that it’s not the point of poker to become the optimal GTO player. 

Much more, it’s about playing a great game with an element of luck involved while also having the chance to actually make money.

What other hobby can do that for you? Maria’s go-to karaoke song - which, if you've been to the PokerListings Battle of Malta, you might be familiar with - also makes an appearance.

Natasha Mercier Gives Birth

It’s nice to give Natasha Mercier a ride to the Rio. It’s also nice to hear that she learned poker from her grandmother. These are family connections like they should be.

It’s funny how the phrase “Jason won the flip" doesn’t refer to cards this time but to the sex of their child. It’s less funny, though, to hear “we have a problem” from a pregnant woman sitting in your car while you’re cruising down the highway.

But David is “always prepared” and in what's now the funniest episode of 888Ride Tuchman ends up with a baby in his car while Mercier can't be kept from playing the Main Event.

Tsoukernik's 1st Family Comes First

Leon Tsoukernik is one of the most interesting characters in the poker industry. Before he turned the King’s Casino from a poker room in the middle of nowhere into the most successful casino in Europe he enjoyed an education as an opera singer.

Tuchman picks him up at his 'humble' little apartment on Aria’s 58th floor where he's staying his wife and two small kids.

“This is my first family,' says Tsoukernik before they jump into the 888Ride to take him to his second 'poker' family. If you've ever wondered what a man who’s achieved what Tsoukernik has achieved still aspires to, watch this.

888poker ChampionChips Micro Series Begins July 23

While the Main Event nears its climax and completion check out the 888poker lobby for the next big online series about to begin.

888poker’s Micro ChampionChips Series starts on July 23 with 18 events to choose from starting at $1 to play. 

If you haven’t created an account at 888poker yet, head to our 888poker review page to get one in just a few minutes and qualify for our exclusive $888 bonus.

The PokerListings Daily 3-Bet is a deep breath, a textbook crow pose and a quieted mind primed for afternoon poker news success.

Got a hot tip for a future 3-Bet? Tell us where to find it in the comments below.

Today in the 3-Bet we find Christian Pham on a straight flush bender, Chris Ferguson atop the POY standings and Fedor Holz fedoring unabated.

1) River Miracles are Phamtastic

Is Minnesotan Christian Pham the luckiest man in poker?

Take 2, coming?

Back in 2015 Pham infamously won his first WSOP bracelet in a 2-7 event which he mistakenly registered for thinking it was a standard $1,500 NL event.

Having never played the game before, Pham went on to outlast an impossibly tough field to win $214k and a gold bracelet.

Two years later he's the chip leader with 27 players left in the Main Event - and had to hit a couple of near-impossible card sequences to do it.

First: Pham earned his seat in the $10,000 Main Event via a $575 satellite. Then after bobbing and weaving his way to Day 5 Pham needed a river six (and only a six) to chop and survive.

He hit it. Yesterday on Day 6 he rivered a straight flush to save him again and win a 20m-chip pot. Shortly after he hit yet another straight flush.

We should all be so lucky just once in our poker lives. Congrats to him, though, as he's clearly making the most of his good fortune.

He's locked up $263,532 already and will start with 31m chips when play begins today. Watch it all happen live starting at noon on ESPN and PokerGO!

2) Chris Ferguson Current WSOP POY

Much to the chagrin of many in the poker world, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson's 96th-place finish in the $1,111 Little One for One Drop over the weekend earned him enough WSOP Player of the Year points to finish the Las Vegas portion of the race in the #1 spot.

Unwelcome POY leader to some.

Given his still-in-question role in the Full Tilt debacle and the ongoing debate over the fairness of the new King's Casino sponsored POY formula, it doesn't sit well with a lot of veteran poker pros - even if he did set a new record (along with John Racener) for WSOP cashes with 17.

It's also not a done deal yet. With the return of the WSOP Europe this October the 11 events on the schedule there will also count in the POY award rankings so there's still lots of opportunity for Ferguson to be surpassed.

Racener (currently 4th) for sure will be grinding hard in Rozvadov to re-take the lead and the likelihood Ferguson travels to play is low - although the player leading after Vegas does get a free buy to the €10,000 WSOPE Main Event.

None of the 27 players left in the Main are in the current TOP 100 of the POY race. Check the current POY standings here.

3) Fedoring All Over Montenegro

After a brief (but still successful) stint in Vegas at the beginning of June (back-to-back $50k wins at Aria for $750kish), Fedor Holz has done a lot of things.

Still got it.

Worked full steam on his new Primed Mind app. Took a trip to Canada and Chicago with friends. Started a VLog. Even randomly ran into a poker legend on the streets of Banff.

What he hasn't been doing, to the dismay of poker fans worldwide? Playing any poker as he skipped the rest of the WSOP including the Main Event - an event he finished 25th in in 2015 no less.

But even a "retired from poker" start-up entrepreneur can't resist a good-value tourney, though.

Fedor quietly dipped his toes back in the poker water over in Montenegro this weekend for a HKD $250,000 6-Max Event run by Paul Phua.

As Fedor does - "Fedoring" should more or less be a verb for crushing poker tournaments by now - he's currently in the final 3 with a shot at 3.4m HKD - or around $444k.

And so it continues. As we've said before, there might be something to this Primed Mind thing.

Update: He won. As if that's a surprise.

This was 64-year-old recreational player John Hesp's first WSOP Main Event and with two tables left he's got a big following hoping he'll make the final nine.

Hesp told PokerListings.com this is his first time visiting Las Vegas and that his biggest previous tournament was probably a $250 buy-in.

Now Hesp is one of the big stacks with 13 players left. He's guaranteed at least $535,000 and chances are he'll end up with far more.

Hesp is here in Las Vegas checking an item off his bucket list: Playing in poker's world championship event.

He said one of the moments he'll remember forever is when Phil Hellmuth introduced himself, and gave him a signed copy of his book which is now sitting beside Hesp at the outer feature table.

"Hellmuth came across to the table and said it was great to meet me and it made my day,” said Hesp.

“He gave me a copy of his book. I opened it up and it said, 'To John. Please make the final table. Poker needs someone like you.'”

It's not just Hellmuth that's pulling for the Brit. Hesp's flashy clothing and gregarious personality have quickly made him the fan favorite as this year's Main Event closes in on the final table.

Rec Games to Poker's Biggest Stage

Hesp lives in the small seaside town of Bridlington in East Yorkshire, England and says he plays poker once or twice a month at a nearby casino called Napolean's.

He's been playing recreationally for 20 years and says he stepped up his poker schedule to three times a month in order to prepare for the Main Event.

Now that he's here he says he's having the time of his life.

“I've relaxed a bit and I'm starting to play a bit tighter,” said Hesp.

Hellmuth signed book now sits beside Hesp.

“I've said right from the start this isn't about the money for me but it is serious money and it is serious poker.

"I'm living the dream all the time right now.

“My first goal was to make the top 1,000, then 500, then 100, now we're down to 17. That's eight places away from the final table.

“It's significant so I have to adjust my game a bit. It's been my gut and my head that have been making decisions but I don't know which one it is sometimes.

“The poker gods have been shining on me but I can't rely on that forever.”

Should Hesp make the final table tonight he'll be guaranteed at least $1 million with a shot at the first-place prize of $8.15 million and the title of world champion.

Hesp said if he does make the final table his wife, son and son-in-law will be on the next plane from England to cheer him on.

Can Poker Revitalize Bridlington?

Bridlington, England.

Hesp told PokerListings that one of his biggest interests is helping revitalize his home town's economy, and he thinks poker could play a part.

“I'd love to be able to take a mini version of this to my home town,” explained Hesp.

“Bridlington is and always has been a tourist destination for people coming from the industrialized west riding of Yorkshire. When the mines and steelworks all closed down in recent years the tourism dropped right off.

“Bridlington went into decline and I think something like this could help rejuvenate the town. For all the people and the businesses, in a lot of cases their jobs are on the line.

“My interest is to try to help keep my community alive.”

Should Hesp go on to make the final table and potentially become the next world champion, he'd certainly have the name recognition and the resources to get this project off the ground.

Antoine Saout and Ben Lamb both made their second WSOP Main Event final tables tonight in Las Vegas while Michael Ruane came close to going back-to-back.

Ruane finished 4th in last year's Main Event but had to settle for 10th this year, narrowly missing consecutive final tables in the year's biggest poker tournament.

Ruane's run was ended in large part by his friend Bryan Piccioli when the two got in a big pre-flop all-in flip when the event got ten-handed.

Ruane's ace-king didn't improve against Piccioli's pocket tens and he was left with just 1.5 big blinds. He was all-in just a couple hands later with ace-six against Damian Salas from Argentina who had pocket jacks.

Ruane was eliminated in 10th and received $825,001.

Saout and Lamb Repeat

Saout and Lamb both previously finished third in the Main Event, in 2009 and 2011 respectively. They'll have a chance to improve on that result although both find themselves near the bottom of the chip counts.

Leading the final nine is Scott Blumstein, a poker pro from New Jersey who plays online under the screen-name SBlast2711

John Hesp and Kara Scott.

He's followed closely by fan favorite John Hesp, a 64-year-old recreational player in Vegas to cross playing the Main Event off his bucket list.

Hesp told PokerListings the biggest tournament he'd played before this Main Event had a buy-in of just $250.

Hesp's flashy fashion and friendly personality quickly got the poker community's attention when he appeared on the live broadcast. And the more we learned about Hesp, the happier we were that he was able to make the final table.

Blumstein and Hesp both have considerably more chips than their nearest competitors - roughly half the chips in play between them.

Click here for bios on all nine final-table players. Here are the official final-table chip counts:

Damian Salas scored today's final elimination.

Final Table Plays Out July 20-22

Unlike every year since 2007, the WSOP Main Event will not have a three-month delay before playing out the final table.

The final nine players get just two days off before returning to the Brazilia Room at the Rio Hotel and Casino to play down to a winner over the course of three days.

Action will be broadcast live on ESPN and PokerGO with hole-cards on a 30-minute delay.

This year sees an especially international final nine with Americans out-numbered by two Brits, two players from France and an Argentinian.

The group represents diverse nationalities but almost everyone who made it plays poker professionally. John Hesp is the only player that doesn't call himself a poker pro, although Damian Salas is a lawyer in addition to playing cards to earn a living.

Everyone who made it to the final table is guaranteed at least $1 million dollars with $8.15 million waiting for he eventual champion. Here are the final-table payouts:

The PokerListings Daily 3-Bet is a patchwork blazer, a Panama hat and all of the heart needed to capture all the afternoon poker news feels.

Have something you'd like to see in a future 3-Bet? Let us know about it in the comments.

Today in the 3-Bet we find a stunning 2-outer for Bryan Piccioli, the Main Event gets in the spirit and Yorkshire's John Hesp soars like the Eagle.

1) Bryan Piccioli Gets the 8

What's it feel like to be on the brink of elimination in the late stages of the WSOP Main Event, get it in ahead, watch your opponent flop trips, need a 2-outer on the river to survive and get it?

Well, like this:

corner pocket for @theczar19 #WSOPMainEvent
Watch live on PokerGO pic.twitter.com/eVsQmtS3AH

O.M.G. Something tells us Piccioli and his family will be toasting that moment - and the number 8 - every July 17 for the rest of their lives.

Not only did Piccioli survive to make the final nine after doubling up his 8m chip stack, he built it up to 33m and enters the final table 4th in chips.

After finishing 84th in the Main Event last year Piccioli has now secured himself a payout of at least $1m and possibly way, way more. Needless to say, he felt pretty good about it afterwards:

Piccioli feels good about 8s

2) ME Lets the Good Times Roll

PokerListings Editor-in-Chief Matt Showell is covering his 12th World Series of Poker this year and, after watching the Main Event play down for yet another year, tweeted this:

Amazing atmosphere at #WSOPMainEvent! Players having a blast, awesome rails cheering them on. Best vibe in many years. pic.twitter.com/niN3JjUeoS

If you were watching the action yourself on ESPN and PokerGO you likely got the same impression. Players were having a good time. The rail was electric.

Scott Stewart: Out, but in grand style.

Amateur John Hesp was charming his way to a huge stack. 13th-place finisher Scott Stewart ordered - and chugged! - a beer.

It was everything we've come to love about poker - fun, social, entertaining, complex, challenging - and it was happening on the biggest platform imaginable.

Major kudos to all involved - the players, the fans, the commentators, the production team - for putting on a spectacular show that highlighted the game of poker in its best light. Can't wait for Thursday!

3) John Hesp is the Hero Poker Deserves

A central component to all of that joy and good spirit? 64-year-old Yorkshire retiree John Hesp.

From his colorful attire to his charming personality to his surprisingly effective poker game, Hesp has been a delight to watch as he not only survived to make the final table but built up a massive 85.7 million-chip stack - second only to Scott Blumstein.

Hesp!

Some have called Hesp Moneymaker 2.0 but the UK's Mirror might have called it even better:

"It's an Eddie the Eagle story at it's finest."

If you're too young to remember who/what an "Eddie the Eagle" is/was, just watch this.

Edwards didn't win an Olympic medal, of course, but he did survive those treacherous jumps and became a global icon in the process.

As Phil Hellmuth put it, poker needed Hesp at this final table. And it got him. Now we can't wait to see if Hesp sticks the landing on his WSOP Main Event.

While the final table of the World Series of Poker is drawing all the buzz in Las Vegas, the next big WSOP event is already coming up fast.

The European edition of the WSOP is back after a two-year hiatus and will take place at King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic.

There will be 11 gold bracelets to play for from Oct 19-Nov. 10 with over €20 million in guaranteed prize pools.

Around the clock cash games and free catering are just a few more of the incentives calling poker players to the middle of Europe.

Another enticement? Winning a $13,000 package to the $4 million GTD main event on official WSOP qualifier 888poker.

Will new home mean record #s?

Biggest WSOPE Ever?

After past visits to London, Paris and Berlin the WSOPE is now moving to Europe’s largest and most successful casino. 

With the success King’s has had drawing players it should be a tournament series much larger than the previous ones.

The WSOPE 2017 will start with the opening Monster Stack event on Oct. 19 and end with the Main Event final table on Nov. 9. The lowest buy-in event will be €550 to play while the High Roller event on Nov. 1 has a €25,000 buy-in.

The much-anticipated High Roller for One Drop – which is re-locating to Rozvadov from its recent stop in Monaco – will be €111,111 to play.

The Main Event has two Day 1s on November 4/5 and it’ll be a six-day event with a €10,000+€350 buy-in.

Sub-Satellites as Low as 50 Cents!

With 888poker now the main sponsor of both the WSOP and the WSOPE it's the only place to go for satellites and qualifiers.

As usual you can use the 888poker Steps System to get your ticket to the direct satellites. That means you can start as low as 1c buy-in to make it to the WSOPE Main Event.

888poker also offers sub-satellites for the WSOPE starting at 50c buy-in. These satellites are only for the WSOPE; you can use your steps tickets for other live and online tournaments.

The direct WSOPE qualifier will run 2-3 times a week. It’ll have a $1,050 buy-in and hand out $13,000 prize packages for the 2017 WSOPE including Main Event seat, accommodation and some travel expenses.

Most Underrated Tournament Series

The WSOP Europe is probably the most underrated tournament series on the continent. Often treated like the black sheep in the family, it's expected the King’s Casino will give it more of the glory it deserves.

Annette's dazzling win in 2007 still her biggest score.

If you look at the results of past events you’ll recognize that the WSOPE has produced some great moments in poker.

The first WSOPE main event in 2007 was won by Annette Obrestad. The Norwegian prodigy steamrolled the event and then went on to runner-up the EPT Dublin Main Event just six weeks later.

Other WSOPE winners include John Juanda, Elio Fox, Adrian Mateos, Kevin MacPhee and Phil Hellmuth -- the only player to win the WSOP Main Event in Europe and in Las Vegas.

Phil Laak, Theo Jörgensen, Gus Hansen, Jeff Lisandro, Michael Mizrachi, Antonio Esfandiari, Noah Schwartz, Roger Hairabedian and Barny Boatman have all won bracelets at the WSOPE.

Daniel Negreanu won the High Roller event in 2013 and finished in 25th, 43rd, 5th and 2nd place in the Main Event, almost becoming the first player to win both the European and the Asia-Pacific WSOP.

Brand New Hotel & Casino Expansion

The disadvantage of the King’s Casino has hitherto been the lack of hotel rooms but that’s about to change with a new hotel next to the casino opening next month.

King's Lounge High Roller area coming soon.

Along with the new hotel there’ll be an extension of the already vast poker area including a new high roller area - works that were already in full swing when PokerListings visited the King’s Casino in February. 

“888poker works very hard to make big poker events like this accessible to all its players," said Senior Vice President & Head of B2C at 888 Holdings, Itai Pazner, "giving them the chance to win big money and compete for a coveted bracelet.

"I’m confident that the Event will be a huge success with Kings Casino delivering a professional, fun and unmissable live poker experience for all.”

World Series of Poker Europe 2017 Schedule

Event

Game

Buy-in

Guarantee

1

Monster Stack NLHE

€1,100

€500,000

2

PLO

€550

-

3

NLHE Super Turbo Bounty

€1,100

-

4

NLHE 6-max

€1,650

-

5

The Colossus NLHE

€550

€2,000,000

6

PLO

€2,200

-

7

PLO Hi-Lo

€1,650

-

8

Little One for One Drop NLHE

€1,100

€500,000

9

NLHE High Roller

€25,000

-

10

High Roller for One Drop NLHE

€111,111

€10,000,000

11

NLHE Main Event

€10,350

€4,000,000

If you want to play at the WSOP Rozvadov or any other 888Live events, start your own account via PokerListings’ 888poker review page to access our exclusive $888 sign-up bonus.

It started this past Sunday in the midst of the WSOP Main Event playdown but make no mistake: there's still a ton a value left in the 2017 PokerStars MicroMillions.

The MicroMillions is PokerStars’ ultimate small-stakes online tournament series with 129 events spread over two weeks and buy-ins as low as just 11 cents.

Just a few days into its 2017 schedule, the series caps off on Sunday, July 30 with the $1m guaranteed Main Event with just a $22 buy-in.

Low Buy-ins, Big Guarantees

Now in its 13th edition all tournaments in the MicroMillions have buy-ins under $22 and most have 5 or 6-digit guarantees.

Variety is in abundance, too, like for example the Total KO events with the prize pool distributed entirely in the form of bounties.

The focus is on No-Limit Hold'em Tournaments but there are also Omaha, Stud, Draw and plenty of mixed tournaments on the agenda.

Buy-ins range from $0.11 to $1.10 to $3.30 to $5.50 to the $22 buy-in for the 3-day Main Event on July 30. 

Kevin Martin is in.

$25,000 Invitational Freeroll

Another big highlight of the series will be the MicroMillions Invitation Freeroll on August 1.

All players who manage to reach a MicroMillions final table will be invited to join Team Pro Online members and Twitch streamers for a one-off $25,000 invitational.

The player who makes the most cashes across the entire MicroMillions series will also be invited to play.

Qualify for Free!

As always PokerStars offers a multitude of ways to find a seat for less than the stated buy-in.

65 cent Spin & Go qualifiers are already available in the lobby along with the usual MTT satellites.

If you don't already have an account with PokerStars, click through to our PokerStars review page to be eligible for our $600 sign-up bonus.

The remaining schedule for the 2017 MicroMillions below:

The PokerListings Daily 3-Bet is a long moment of reflection, a deep breath and nothing but confidence as you stride back into the afternoon poker news colosseum.

Have a tip to share for a future 3-Bet? Tweet us @PokerListings or drop a note below.

Today in the 3-Bet we find Ben Lamb and Antoine Saout then and now, a J-Pop star meets DNegs and Poker Central introduces the Poker Masters.

1) 2nd Chance at Big Show

No matter your level of poker skill (or how primed your mind is), it's hard to make the World Series of Poker Main Event final table.

Not a fresh-faced kid anymore.

Very, very hard. The amount of landmines you need to navigate in a 7,000-player field over seven days to even get a sniff of getting there is, well, astronomical.

Now imagine getting there and coming short, thinking you'll never get another shot like that. And then, all of a sudden, you do.

That's life for Antoine Saout and Ben Lamb right now as they wait for Thursday's final table to begin. Not many people (here's looking at you, Mark Newhouse) know how that feels.

While Saout's moment (3rd for $3.47m) came in 2009 and Lamb's (3rd for $4m) in 2011, we're sure the experience is still plenty fresh in their minds and they'll draw on everything they learned to be the last man standing this time.

How did things end last time? Saout's QQ lost to Cada's 22 in a huge pot that would have made him chip leader and Lamb lost a flip with KJ on the first hand 3-handed.

We imagine both have thought about those moments a lot since. And by the looks of it, they're more than ready to make up for lost time.

Tune in to ESPN Thursday at 5:30pm PT to see if their second times are the charm.

2) Gackt Meets Negreanu

Who, exactly, is "Gackt?" And what does he mean to the world of poker? We're still trying to sort it out but by the looks of it Gackt is an extremely popular singer/actor from Tokyo who happens to have a thing for poker.

How big of a thing? Well, he played the $1,111 Little One for One Drop over the weekend (and cashed) and - here's the shocker - finished 4th for $75k in a $25k Aria High Roller.

That ain't bad. He also found some time to get a shout out from poker's #1 pop star Daniel Negreanu for his fans:

We'll keep an eye out for more Gackt appearances on the poker tour. Want to get with Gackt too? As he says in his Twitter bio: "If u want 2 feel me, Touch my heart n thought."

3) A Tradition Unlike Any Other

Have you ever sat back and thought, "poker really needs a tournament series where the winner gets an impeccably tailored purple jacket?"

Us too! Thankfully, Poker Central has heard our silent pleas and come up with a series that will deliver exactly that. It's called the Poker Masters and it will debut this Fall as a week-long high-stakes series. Here's the schedule:

Looks good in purple.

Sept. 13 – Event 1: $50k buy-in (2 days)
Sept. 14 – Event 2: $50k buy-in (2 days)
Sept. 15 – Event 3: $50k buy-in (2 days)
Sept. 16 – Event 4: $50k buy-in (2 days)
Sept. 18 – Event 5: $100k buy-in (3 days)

Live streams of feature/final tables will be broadcast on PokerGO. Each $50k will have one re-entry; the $100k will be a freezeout. Each will also have 30-second shot clocks like in the Super High Roller Bowl. Sounds fun, yeah? Even better:

"At the end of the series the player with the highest total earnings across the five events will be crowned the Poker Masters Champion and take home the Poker Masters Purple Jacket™. The custom jacket is designed and tailored by world-renowned fashion designer Waraire Boswell, who dresses A-list celebrities and athletes including Will Smith, Kobe Bryant, Pharrell Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and LeBron James, among others."

Cool idea. Just eyeballing it, we'd say Fedor is a 46R.

As one of poker's preeminent mental coaches, Jared Tendler has worked with three former Nov. 9ers to prep them for the biggest moment of their careers.

Working with Jorryt van Hoof, Max Steinberg and Kenny Hallaert has given Tendler a crash course in what poker players need to perform their best in a high-pressure environment like the World Series of Poker Main Event.

And while strong poker strategy is essential, he says, it's also very important to be able to stay calm and not let your ability to think clearly get derailed.

With van Hoof finishing third in 2014 for $3.8 million, Steinberg fourth in 2015 for $2.6 million and Hallaert sixth for almost $1.5 million last year, he clearly knows of what he speaks.

We grilled Tendler on a few key points this year's Main Event final-tablists should focus on on their days off but his advice also applies to anyone who makes a big final table and wants to make sure the pressure doesn't interfere with making the best decisions possible.

Jorryt van Hoof sought Tendler's counsel.

PokerListings: How valuable was the previous November Nine break for players to be able to work with coaches to prepare?

Jared Tendler: For some players it was massive. Both from a mental and tactical perspective they were able to make some significant improvements.

They also got to intensively study their opponents and run simulations for many different scenarios they could face.

It’s impossible to know how much that translated at the table vs how they would have performed had they done nothing.

But at the end of the day, it’s important for peace of mind knowing they did everything they could to prepare.

The three players I worked with over the last three years can say that and I know it made a big difference for how they felt going in and how they performed. On the other side, the 4-month break was a huge grind and responsibility. Their lives effectively stopped as everything they did was in preparation for the final table.

The players this year won’t get the benefit of preparing, but they won’t have to wait either. 

PL: Given that there's now only a two-day break what are some things you'd suggest the players focus on to prepare?

JT: For the amateurs, rest up and enjoy the experience. For the pros, fine tune and game plan.

The amateurs don’t have time to improve and the biggest mistake is to try to cram a bunch of info into their heads. Go relax and maybe spend some of the $1m you just made.

Better to relax than cram.

The pros can make the same mistake in overloading themselves. But since they’ll have a much clearer understanding of their game and their opponents, it’s important to get some work done.

I’d suggest a mix of resting up and prepping by shoring up their biggest tactical and mental leaks—typically the easiest things for pros to fix—and reviewing the coverage to get a stronger sense of their opponents’ game.

PL: What common pitfalls do you see when people are in high-pressure situations like the WSOP Main Event final table?

JT: Under pressure players fall back to their bad habits. The intense pressure shuts down a player’s ability to think through the hand normally and they make mistakes—sometime massive mistakes.

When the pressure is particularly high, thinking disappears entirely and they’re either like a deer in headlights or they just make a snap decision to get it over with.

Pressure affects people differently but each person tends to have a distinct pattern of how they react to it. It’s important to pay close attention to how your decision-making changes and that’s one thing I recommend the pros focus on. This way they can fight against the pressure and make a better decision.

Pressure affects everyone differently.

PL: Can you give us an example of a technique that would help players focus, relax and be able to make good decisions in the moment at the final table?

JT: It’s tough to give an example of something simple that would have such a profound effect to help players handle the intense pressure of a final table as if it were nothing.

Listening to the coverage tonight during Day 7 I heard Antonio mention that the players just need to treat the event like it was a $10 buy-in, or like any other tournament, and not let the money or the title get to them.

On the surface that sounds like decent advice but I doubt players can embrace that idea enough to have it ease their nerves.

Mental trickery like that rarely works under intense pressure. The reality is that the pressure can be a great thing. It can be a motivator to play their very best.

And the key to making that more likely is to make sure you’re clear on the corrections to your biggest weaknesses. When you know that the pressure can’t make you play that bad, it tends to give players a big confidence boost.

Some players will also benefit from a simple breathing technique. It may sound a little hokey but taking deep breaths where you breathe into your stomach, rather than your chest, gives the body a physiological signal to relax.

It’s easy to test this even when you’re relaxed—take several deep breaths in through your mouth. You’ll notice the air goes right into your chest and that’s how we automatically breath when under intense pressure.

If you instead breathe into your stomach, you can at least physically get your emotions in a better place. Then, push/force yourself to focus and think through each factor in the hand, and you’ll make better decisions. Maybe not perfect, but better is better than terrible.

Hallaert still reaping benefits.

PL: You worked with Kenny Hallaert last year and he had a tremendous summer in 2017. What kind of things did you work on with him?

JT: Unfortunately, I can't go into the specifics about what we worked on. It's all confidential. But what I can say is that I've essentially done the same kind of work with all my final table clients.

Obviously the details differ for each player but the major areas that we worked on include:

1) Figuring out their biggest mental leaks and come up with in-game solutions for each one.

2) Finding ways to optimize their mental warm-up and cool-down to make it more likely for them to be in the zone.

3) Helping them to structure their learning so they absorb more, and avoid getting overwhelmed.

4) Minimizing any off the table distractions.

5) Strengthening/training their decision-making process.

With Kenny, I can say that he brought a lot to the table before we started. There wasn't a lot that he and I needed to do to help get him ready. And it's great to see him doing well.

He's a guy who truly loves poker and it's always fun for me to work someone with that kind of passion.

The PokerListings Daily 3-Bet is an unconventional style, a flair for the dramatic and all the hopes of the poker everyman pinned to your afternoon poker news chest.

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Today in the 3-Bet we find where to watch the WSOP Main Event playdown, more on the poker Granddad of the moment and life after the WSOP begins.

1) How to Watch the Main Event

Today's the day! The final nine players in the 2017 WSOP Main Event reconvene at the Rio starting at 5:30 pm PT to begin the march to a new champion.

No 3-month break. No extensive coaching. Just a short respite to catch their breath and right back in to the fray to scrap for $8.15m.

It's the way the Main Event should be, yeah? Even better, all the action is ready to be aired live (on delay) over the next 3 days for the world to watch along.

Front row seat on PokerGO

Where can you watch it? Depends where you live but, thanks to the new PokerGO streaming service, there's a pretty good chance you can watch wherever you are. Here's how:

2) The John Hesp Way

There's an overwhelming sentimental favorite at the final table this year and that man, of course, is 64-year-old John Hesp.

Bottomless zest for Hesp.

The gregarious, unconventional and charismatic Granddad from Bridlington, UK, has captured more than few of hearts over the past few days with his general élan and joie de vivre at the tables.

It's been a decided contrast to the hoodies/tanking/seriousness of years past and people are, unsurprisingly, eating it up. 

Also eating it up? Mainstream media from around the world.

As Hesp explained on his Facebook page it's been a veritable deluge of attention from outlets around the globe and a thrill he couldn't have imagined.

For a guy who's never read a poker book, never had a lesson or even played much more than a £10 tourney, it's an astonishing turn of events. 

So what happens now? Well, the rubber hits the road tonight and Hesp will have his unconventional play - and 85m-chip stack - put to the test in front of the world. Can it withstand the heat? One thing Hesp says for sure, as he told the Yorkshire Post: he's not going to change his approach one bit.

“I have been bold and unorthodox in my playing style. Since the start professionals from all over the world have been coming up to me saying ‘we simply can’t work you out’ and that’s the way I like it.

“I have never read a poker book or had a coaching lesson. I go with the natural instincts of my head and my gut ...

“I came here to play poker the John Hesp way and I have had the most awesome life-changing experience."

We wouldn't have it any other way.

3) Jason Mercier's Gonna Be OK

After an 11-cash, two bracelet, Player of the Year whirlwind summer in 2016, Jason Mercier had a tough act to follow in 2017. And despite a few more modest bracelet bets for inspiration, things didn't quite work out as well this year.

With 10 cashes and one final table it wasn't all loss for Mercier but he did leave Vegas this time around on a more somber note. Still, it's good to know his neighbors care about his well being. And it's safe to say he's got a lot to look forward to with the birth of his son in the Fall.

Leaving Vegas like ... me and marshmellow are pooped. Pregnant wife all smiles. #SmilesNotPiles pic.twitter.com/WvZXUKyT9Y

Back in the real world ... pic.twitter.com/D8xn5TqfGP

Ben Lamb’s amazing return to the WSOP Main Event final table didn’t last long.

On just the fourth hand of play Lamb, who was playing from the short stack, 3-Bet all-in with A♥ 9♥ and English pro Jack Sinclair snapped him off with A♣ Q♥.

The board bricked and Lamb found himself on the rail in ninth place for a consolation prize of $1,000,000.

“I’m just kind shocked a little bit,” said Lamb after busting.

“I’m not going to beat myself up about it though. I picked up A-9 suited and I had less than 20 big blinds. I felt great about it.”

Lamb: "You Don't Get Many Chances Here"

Lamb fell a little short of his last experience in 2011 where he finished third for $4.02m but the Oklahoma native was positive about the tournament.

“Honestly I had so much fun in this tournament,” he said.

Ben Lamb talks to Kara Scott.

“I’m obviously disappointed with ninth place. I think a week or two from now it will probably set in that I had a chance to win this tournament and you don’t get many chances to win this tournament.”

Lamb joined a very elite crowd by making the final table for the second time. Only Mark Newhouse (who went back-to-back in 2012-13) and French pro Antoine Saout have performed the same feat in the post-Chris Moneymaker era of poker.

Of course Saout is still live in the 2017 Main Event final table and was fighting from the short stack at the time Lamb busted from the tournament.

The gravitas of the situation was not lost on Lamb and he admitted the chances of making a third WSOP Main Event final table were quite low.

“The odds of making it to the final table once, let alone twice is staggering,” he said.

“As a realist my mind says I probably won’t be here a third time but next year I’ll give it my all. I’ll try and do it. If I could make it to Day 4 or 5 I like my chances.”

No November Nine This Time

There was one major difference between the 2017 final table and the one that Lamb appeared at in 2011: The nearly four-month hiatus between making the final table and actually playing it out has been eliminated.

Despite a worse result, Lamb was a big fan of the change — at least from a player’s point of a view.

“I actually prefer this as a player but for promotional purposes it’s probably better to have the November Nine, he said.

“With the November Nine you have all this time. You’re thinking about it so long it haunts you.

"With two days I didn’t have enough time to really realize I was at the final table. Honestly I had so much fun in this tournament. I think I’ll just be happy when I look back at it.”

Playing for the Win

Lamb may have busted early but he said his eyes were planted firmly on the $8m first-place prize up top.

“I was going for the win,” he said. “I just didn’t get a chance to build the stack up. I wish I was still in there playing though. It looked like it was going to be a lot of fun. John’s [Hesp] already got the crowd going crazy.”

By finishing ninth, Lamb, who is primarily a cash game player, boosted his lifetime live tournament earnings to $8.2m.

The 2017 WSOP Main Event final table will play out over a three-day span. The goal today is to get down to six players and then come back on Friday to play to the final three. A winner will be declared on Saturday.

The first day of the 2017 Main Event final table didn’t disappoint with amateur John Hesp putting on one hell of a show before getting trapped by Scott Blumstein in one of the biggest hands in WSOP history.

From the instant the final table started Hesp seemed to be on a roll and, after Ben Lamb busted in the first five hands, managed to take control of the overall chip lead with 123m chips.

That’s when disaster struck, however, as New Jersey's Scott Blumstein, who was second in chips, picked up pocket aces and went to war with Hesp who turned two-pair with ace-ten.

By the time the smoke cleared a gargantuan 156m-chip pot was shipped directly to Blumstein and Hesp was left with fumes of his former glory.

With Hesp declawed, action at the final slowed right down and it took several hours for the next elimination, which ended up being English pro Jack Sinclair.

Action had slowed enough that organizers decided to stop play with seven players remaining at approximately 11 p.m. instead of the previously scheduled six players.

The final table resumes again at 5:30 p.m.

Here’s a look at the chip counts at the end of play:

Ben Lamb Falls Early in Ninth

Ben Lamb was one of the biggest storylines at the 2017 Main Event final table but wasn’t able to find an early double up.

Ben Lamb busted first.

Instead Lamb made a move with Ace-Nine and had the misfortune of running into Jack Sinclair’s Ace-Queen.

The board bricked and Lamb had to accept a consolation prize of $1,000,000 for coming ninth place.

It wasn’t quite the $4.02 million he received for finishing third in 2011 WSOP Main Event but a seven-figure score nonetheless.

Both Lamb and his rather sizable rail headed for the exit barely 15 minutes into the day.

That left Antoine Saout as the only former November Niner still in play.

Saout, Lamb and Mark Newhouse are the only players who have two Main Event final tables to their names in the post-Moneymaker era of poker.

Lamb told PokerListings he was looking to win the entire tournament rather than stick around for a few pay jumps, which helps explain the somewhat aggressive play with Ace-Nine.

Hesp Runs into Blumstein’s Top Set

With Lamb out of the way it was John Hesp’s time to shine. Hesp was very talkative at the table and had the crowd, and Phil Hellmuth, firmly behind him.

John Hesp could only shrug after losing to top set.

Fortune appeared to be on Hesp’s side and fans were getting visions of Chris Moneymaker’s iconic Main Event victory in 2003 but that came to a sudden stop when Hesp got involved in a massive hand with the Blumstein.

At that point Hesp was the chip leader but Blumstein wasn’t far behind.

Blumstein opened for 2.2 million and Hesp called from the big blind. The flop came A-7-5 and both players checked.

A ten peeled off the turn and Hesp checked but Blumstein fired a 3.1 million-chip bet. Hesp responded by check-raising to 7m. Blumstein re-raised to 17m and that prompted Hesp to shove all-in.

Blumstein snap-called to create a 156m-chip pot. He quickly flipped over pocket aces for the stone-cold nuts. Hesp could only muster A-T and was drawing dead with two-pair.

“It was nice playing a big pot with aces, and if I was going to play a big pot with John, it was going to be with top set,” said Blumstein after play ended.

After the hand Hesp saw his stack dwindle to just 24m after previously being up over 100m.

Jack Sinclair Hits Rail in Seventh

It wasn’t long after that momentum-shifting Hesp vs. Blumstein hand that English pro Jack Sinclair hit the rail in seventh place.

Jack Sinclair

Sinclair had the misfortune of shoving with K-J and Bryan Piciolli found pocket aces to make the easy call.

The flop brought a king, which gave Sinclair some outs, but that was as close as he came as both the turn and river bricked.

Sinclair spent some time as the chip leader in the 2017 Main Event but ending up settling for 7th place and a $1.2m payday.

Prior to today Sinclair’s biggest score was a $9.4k finish in a partypoker Millions Live event.

Play continued for about 35 minutes after Sinclair was eliminated but there were no more bustouts.

Organizers made the decision to end play at 11 p.m. Las Vegas to save some action for the next two days.

All eyes will be on Blumstein as it appears to be his tournament to lose at this point but he's not getting overconfident.

“How can you be upset after a day like that?” said Blumstein. "I'm not going to be counting my chickens before they hatch, though. We still got a ways to go."

Blumstein's biggest challenge will likely be French pro Benjamin Pollak who is second in chips with 77m and played very solidly today.

Play will resume at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow with the goal of going down to the final three players. The three last players will play to a winner on Sunday.

The PokerListings Daily 3-Bet is a chiseled jawline, perfect hair and just a hint of a French accent to drive the afternoon poker news fans wild.

Got a tip for a future 3-Bet? Tweet us @PokerListings or drop a note in the comments.

Today in the 3-Bet we find Scott Blumstein tapping into Fedor's mind, Kitty Kuo pulls for handsome to win and Phil Galfond professes his love for Nick Schulman.

1) All the Chips & Primed Mind?

After that epic 156k pot/cooler that crushed the dreams of a million John Hesp fans last night, Scott Blumstein enters play in the Main Event today with HALF of the chips in play.

That's a pretty extraordinary advantage. And one that makes him a heavy, heavy favorite to ride this ME out to the $8.15m win.

As if that wasn't enough? He's also got the power of Elliot Roe and Fedor's Primed Mind app on his side:

If Scott isn't going to win with Elliot's coaching and representing @primedmind then I don't know. GOOD LUCK! #getprimed pic.twitter.com/03WaDQ3L2P

Gl to the rest of the table. They're going to need it.

2) Ben Pollak: Just Handsome Enough to Pull This Off

If there is one lingering problem for Blumstein off in the distance it might be French pro Benjamin Pollak.

Starting the final table third in chips behind Hesp and Blumstein, Pollak impressed with his play and more than doubled his stack to 77m.

Now alone in second he's still 100m(!) behind but hasn't flinched under the glare of the cameras and could be the last real threat to Blumstein running away with this thing.

He also has the support of pro Kitty Kuo, who feels his general handsomeness is enough to pull him across the finish line ... as long as he can fold 52o.

I really want this guy win wsop ME, b/c he is handsome enough but please fold 52o, all of u bluff turn then u bluff river for sure pic.twitter.com/UDq3loUChj

3) Phil Galfond Can't Live Without Nick Schulman

Is Nick Schulman now the consensus favorite as the best poker commentator in the business?

We've been on the Takeover train since last year's Super High Roller Bowl but with the endorsement of the great Phil Galfond (and Pretzel the Dog, among others), it must be real now, yeah?

So. So. Good. Tune in to PokerGO again at 5:30 PT tonight (if you live outside the US) to hear Nick's silky sounds and sweet monologues.

Some odd FT hands - each an opportunity to learn.

If I learned one lesson tonight, it's that I can't live w/o Nick Schulman in the booth.

While Nick's incredible commentary is due to his experience and knowledge, his voice sounds like the most soothing songbird on top of that

I certainly don't want to wish ill on Nick Schulman, but I so wish he would commentate full time instead of play. He is just unreal good.

When Nick Schulman goes on a little monologue it's just so clear how thoughtful and introspective he is and he's almost always just spot on.

Amateur poker sensation John Hesp made it all the way to the final four of the biggest poker tournament in the world but no further.

Hesp was relegated to the rail in the 2017 WSOP Main Event after he made a final stand with 9♣ 7♣ and French pro Benjamin Pollak called him off with A♦ J♠. The board bricked and that sent the Englishman off in fourth place to receive a consolation prize of $2.6m.

The gregarious Hesp had no regrets about his final table experience.

“If I’ve done anything with my life I think I’ve managed to show that this game doesn’t have to be boring and people can have fun,” he said.

Hesp left behind a final table that appears to belong to American Scott Blumstein as he has a staggering 226m chips.

His closest competition is fellow American Dan Ott with 88.3m and bringing up the rear is the aforementioned Pollak with 45m.

Action resumes at 5:30 tomorrow when the final three will play to winner and one of them will take home $8.1m and the title of World Champion.

Salas Busts First After Slow Start

It took more than two hours to find the first elimination of the day but once Argentinian Damian Salas busted that seemed to break the dam and a flurry of bustouts ended the day.

Salas, who was criticized for his slow play at the final table, made his last stand with A♣ T♥ on a A♥ 3♥ 2♦ board after Dan Ott shoved with 4♦ 4♠.

Ott hit a miracle five on the flop to eliminate Salas in seventh place. The Argentinian picked up $1.42m for his run in the tournament.

“It was a great honor for me to represent Argentina and Latin America,” said Salas through a translator after busting.

“I’m very proud of how I played. I hope that everyone in Latin America is happy with me.”

The energetic Bryan Piccioli had a huge fanbase at the final table but they were silenced when Piccioli ran A♣ 7♥ into Ott’s pocket kings.

Piccioli picked up $1.6 million for finishing sixth. The Allegany, NY, native, who hit a two-outer during the final-table playdown, was still smiling even after busting.

“I honestly feel kind of relieved,” said Piccioli. “I played Day 1a so I’ve been playing for like 13-calendar days at this point.”

Saout Busts Fifth in Second WSOP Main Event Final Table

Antoine Saout

Antoine Saout was amazingly one of two players at the final table who had already experienced the November Nine.

Ben Lamb busted in ninth place yesterday but Saout made it all the way to the final five players before busting today.

The French pro probably thought he was heading for a double up against chip leader Scott Blumstein when he rivered trip jacks with K♣ J♦ but Blumstein actually had the fortune of turning a straight with 5-3.

Saout hit the rail in fifth to earn $2m. It wasn’t quite the $3.4m he earned for finishing third in the 2009 WSOP Main Event but it brings his overall earnings in the Main Event to over $5m.

The finish also takes Saout up to second on the all-time French winner’s list with $8.5m. He now trails only Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier who has $13.3 million.

John Hesp: “I Want to Stay an Amateur Player”

For many fans the main attraction at the 2017 Main Event was 64-year-old English recreational player John Hesp.

Throughout the marathon tournament, Hesp constantly admitted how starstruck he was by the whole experience and showed a reverence for the game.

Hesp was a favorite at the final table and every player seemed to genuinely enjoy the Bridlington native, even though they were competing against him.

Don’t expect Hesp to go pro now that he has a $2.6m cash to his name, however.

“I play poker recreationally and I will continue to play it recreationally,” he said.

“I won’t be turning into a professional poker player. I want to stay an amateur and I want to keep having fun… I mean If I get invited to a few tournaments I’d be honored to do that.”

"I Hope My Personality Brings Some Light and Fun to This Game"

It’s been a whirlwind ride for Hesp, who prior to this 2017 Main Event had just $2,000 in lifetime live tournament earnings.

John Hesp's final hand.

“The days have all been running together,” said Hesp.

“I had a ball though. I Googled my name three days ago and couldn’t believe it. Prior to that I would have been well down the results. It was only then I began to appreciate the international interest in me.”

Hesp was interviewed by a Chinese news team several days ago and was told the interview would be sent out to over a billion people.

“Who knows,” he said. “They may come on board! [with poker]”

Hesp won a staggering $2.6m but said it wouldn’t change much in his life.

“The money is nice but it's secondary,” he said.

“Before I came here I wasn’t a multi-millionaire in any shape or form but you don’t need to have lots of money to be rich in life. I was rich in life before I came here and I’m richer now, even without the money.”

There's no doubt that Hesp will not be quickly forgotten at the WSOP.

"I hope my personality -- if you want to call it that -- will bring some light and fun to this game," he said.

Here's a look at the results thus far from the 2017 WSOP Main Event final table: