Home / Poker News October 2012 / October Nine Update – Greg Merson Wins Main Event
October Nine Update – Greg Merson Wins Main Event
Posted by: James Carter. - Wed, 2012-10-31 08:16
The 2012 October Nine is over: Jesse Sylvia and Jake Balsinger were at each other’s throats for much of the final day of action and – as it often happens in such cases – Greg Merson stepped in, in the end to win it all.
Balsinger was the first one to bite the dust at the end of a rather drawn-out and fiercely contested three-handed stage.
Hand #382 was Balsinger’s last.
He was in the SB and Jesse Sylvia was on the button. Sylvia was the one who started the war with a raise, in response to which Balsinger pushed all-in. Merson thought about it for a while, and after a thorough count of his opponent’s chips, he pushed all-in. Sylvia was wise enough to get out of the way at this point.
Balsinger turned over a Q,10o, clearly dominated by Merson’s K,Qo. The flop fell three 6s and nothing changed. The Jc on the turn didn’t change anything either. The 5h on the river sealed the deal for good in Merson’s favor and the heads-up stage of the
poker tournament was set.
The heads-up bout between Merson and Sylvia lasted only 17 hands. The last hand of the
2012 WSOP Main Event saw Greg Merson seemingly try to take advantage of his position on the button. Sylvia raised him, in response to which he shoved all-in, sending his opponent into the tank. After some deliberating, Sylvia made the call, tabling Qs, Js. Merson had Kd,5d and the race was on.
The flop was 6,3,9o and not much changed. The 6s fell on the turn, followed by the 7c on the river to put Sylvia away for good and to hand the bracelet and the top prize to the newest WSOP Main Event Champion: Greg Merson.
