The 2011 World Series of Poker drew 6,865 runners and created a prize pool worth $64,531,000 that will be distributed among the top 693 players. Here is a look at the payouts for the top 99:
We caught up with the action to see Patrik Antonius bet 6,200 on a board of . His opponent decided to put in a raise, making 12,800 and Antonius three-bet all in. His opponent called off his last 15,000 only to run into the top pair of Antonius' . We missed his opponent's hand but he failed to improve on the turn and river and Antonius was able to scoop the pot, bringing him up to 220,000 in chips.
The cutoff (also coincidentally the player who won a huge side pot with against Ramdin's flopped straight earlier) got into a major raising war against Victor Ramdin. When we arrived, there was already a 3,600 bet in front of the former (judging by the pot, there might have been some limpers) and Ramdin had made it 8,400 on the button.
Then the cutoff virtually clicked it back, making it 17,000 to play. Ramdin recounted his stack before deciding to just flat call in position as the flop came down . The cutoff quickly lead out for 22,000 and Ramdin tanked for a minute as the rest of the players at the table got more and more interested in the hand. Alas, just as their interest had piqued, Ramdin elected to fold to his nemesis.
We were walking through the orange section and we noticed a player who has graced the ESPN cameras before. It was Darus Suharto, who made the final table of the 2008 Main Event, finishing in 6th. Suharto has laid relatively low since that result, posting just five live results in the last three years. However, he is here today and he just won a nice sized pot.
We missed the action before, but Suharto had a short stack all in in a coin flip. Suharto held , and his opponent had . The flop came out , giving his opponent more outs for a counterfeit. The came on the turn, and Suharto would have to dodge a king, queen, jack, or five on the river. That card was the , which was safe for Suharto. He took the pot, and now has a stack over 60,000.
Erik Cajelais fired out 2,300 on a flop against one player, then another 4,000 on the turn - both times he was called. On the river Cajelais checked and immediately folded when his opponent threw out several orange 5k chips into the middle.
Al "Sugar Bear" Barbieri has been eliminated, his chair remaining empty for a short while before being filled by Erik Cajelais. Soon after Cajelais was in action, trying to see if the seat would work out better for him.
Cajelais opened with a raise to 2,000 from middle position, and the big blind defended. The flop came . Cajelais' opponent checked, he bet 3,200, and his opponent called. Both then checked the turn.
The river brought the and a bet of 5,000 from the big blind. Cajelais sat for a moment, then tossed his cards away. He has about 60,000 now.
We caught up to the action to find Robert Varkonyi raising to 6,000 from the button. A player in early position had made it 2,000, and another player from middle position called, now they both faced a raise from Varkonyi. The player from early position fiddled around with his chips for a few moments before eventually making the call. The player in middle position followed suit and also put the chips in.
After the dealer spread out a flop the player in early position checked, and it was the middle position player who bet out 3,000. Varkonyi made the call while the early position player dropped his cards in the muck.
The on the turn brought with it a bet of 3,000 from the player in middle position and a raise to 9,000 from Varkonyi. Varkonyi's opponent barely thought about it and threw in the appropriate amount of chips.
A river changed nothing for Varkonyi's opponent who bet out again, this time only 2,000. Varkonyi's head slowly drooped like he just witnessed the worst possible out come for the hand. Varkonyi stared at the felt in front of him for a moment or two before he threw out a bet large enough to put his opponent all in who had around 30,000 in chips. Varkonyi's opponent fooled around with some chips in his hand for a while before ultimately folding. Varkonyi was awarded the pot and received a handful of "nice hands" from the players at his table
While we didn't catch the elimination hands of either Randy Dorfman or Luca Pagano, we did notice another big stack in Scott Mackenzie, who has 220,000!
A player opened to 2,000 from under the gun, two players called behind, and Sam Simon three-bet to 8,000 from the big blind. He received two callers, and the flop came down . All three players checked.
The on the turn paired the board, and Simon led for 8,000. The early position player called, and the river was the . Simon quickly tossed out two orange T5,000 chips, and his opponent tank-called.
Simon showed for sixes full of eights, his opponent mucked, and Simon shipped a nice pot.
![[user153638]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. His opponent decided to put in a raise, making 12,800 and Antonius three-bet all in. His opponent called off his last 15,000 only to run into the top pair of Antonius' 
. We missed his opponent's hand but he failed to improve on the turn and river and Antonius was able to scoop the pot, bringing him up to 220,000 in chips.
against Ramdin's flopped straight earlier) got into a major raising war against Victor Ramdin. When we arrived, there was already a 3,600 bet in front of the former (judging by the pot, there might have been some limpers) and Ramdin had made it 8,400 on the button.
came on the turn, and Suharto would have to dodge a king, queen, jack, or five on the river. That card was the 
, which was safe for Suharto. He took the pot, and now has a stack over 60,000.
turn - both times he was called. On the river 
Cajelais checked and immediately folded when his opponent threw out several orange 5k chips into the middle.
. Cajelais' opponent checked, he bet 3,200, and his opponent called. Both then checked the 
and a bet of 5,000 from the big blind. Cajelais sat for a moment, then tossed his cards away. He has about 60,000 now.
river changed nothing for Varkonyi's opponent who bet out again, this time only 2,000. Varkonyi's head slowly drooped like he just witnessed the worst possible out come for the hand. Varkonyi stared at the felt in front of him for a moment or two before he threw out a bet large enough to put his opponent all in who had around 30,000 in chips. Varkonyi's opponent fooled around with some chips in his hand for a while before ultimately folding. Varkonyi was awarded the pot and received a handful of "nice hands" from the players at his table
. All three players checked.
on the turn paired the board, and Simon led for 8,000. The early position player called, and the river was the 
. Simon quickly tossed out two orange T5,000 chips, and his opponent tank-called.
for sixes full of eights, his opponent mucked, and Simon shipped a nice pot.