By Sean Chaffin
The lights, the cameras, the crowd, and a shot at life-changing money. That’s what several poker players face this week when the final tables of three events play out at HyperX Esports Arena in the WPT Champions Cup Finals.
The high-tech venue brings some extra excitement and this is the second round of final tables, all filmed to television on FOX Sports Regional Networks. The first rounds of final tables (WPT Gardens Poker Championship, WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open, and WPT L.A. Poker Classic) played out in March with plenty of WPT fans in attendance to take in the action.
The WPT production team is keen on an even better live experience this week. HyperX Esports Arena features a state of the art complete production facility, but also bars and food service to add to the atmosphere. The WPT will also be giving away prizes for those in attendance. Here’s a look at what to expect from the final tables:
WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown (May 30)
Many eyes will be on the longtime player and poker commentator Maria Ho when cards get back in the air. Ho comes into the final table second in chips with 16.7 million. The winner of this event takes homes $715,175 and earns an entry into the $15,000 Baccarat Crystal WPT Tournament of Champions.
Ho will attempt to add a Main Tour championship to her WPTDeepStacks title, but will face some formidable competition and some other interesting storylines. Chip leader James Carroll (18.5 million chips) hopes to add his name to the Champions Cup for a second time after just missing the TV final table at the LAPC (seventh for $155,900).
This final table also features two players from Montreal. Ami Alibay works as a bar/club owner and DJ and brings 8.2 million chips to the table. The other Montreal player is no stranger to this event. Eric Afriat brings 4.4 million chips and has a chance to do what no player on the WPT has been able to do: win the exact same event twice. Afriat won the same title in Season XII. Other players still in the mix include Chad Eveslage (3.4 million) and Jerry Wong (3.2 million). It should be fun seeing it all play out.
For a complete look at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown final table, click here.
WPT Choctaw (May 31)
Will chip leader Will Berry make it an Oklahoman finishing off his Choctaw run in Las Vegas for the title? Berry had a big run on Day 3 and brings 7.3 million chips to the table. He’s not only looking for his first WPT title, but a shot at the biggest cash of his career.
The winner takes home $379,990 and a $15,000 seat in the Baccarat Crystal Tournament of Champions only a few days later. It won’t be easy for Berry and a couple of other players stand out. Craig Varnell brings plenty of chips (6.2 million), some big skills, and already has a WPT500 win and WSOP bracelet on his resumé.
While they may have shorter stacks, Trung Pham, Austin Lewis, and Nick Pupillo all still have a shot at a WPT crown as well. Pupillo stands out with $2.5 million in live tournament winnings and will be a player to watch. Short stack Stacey Jones (980,000 chips), a former country music singer and nightclub owner from Odessa, Texas, brings some Southwest character to the final table. It should be an interesting final table when play gets underway in Las Vegas.
For a complete look at the WPT Choctaw final table, click here.
Baccarat Crystal WPT Tournament of Champions (June 3)
Who will be the Season XVII champion of champions? Whatever the makeup of this final table, there should be a savvy group of talented champions looking to score in this $15,000 buy-in event. The first day of action kicks off on June 1 with the final table played out on June 3. This event makes for some big names in the poker world, with former champions like Daniel Negreanu, Antonio Esfandiari, Darren Elias, Erik Seidel, Anthony Zinno, and numerous others regularly heading to Aria for a shot at the title.
For a complete look at the Baccarat Crystal Tournament of Champions, click here.
***
May and June may close out Season XVII, but there are still plenty of fireworks left. Follow all the action, personalities, and live updates at WPT.com.
Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas, and his work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.