WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic Day 3: Nitsche Back at the Final Table
The World Poker Tour Emperors Palace Poker Classic reached a final table of six on Sunday, and headlining the sextet is German Dominik Nitsche. Nitsche reached this final table last year in South Africa, winning the event and earning $206,153.
Leading the final table is Eugene Du Plessis. Du Plessis, a local player, finished Day 3 with 2.6 million chips.
WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic Final Table
| Seat | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wesley Wiegand | 365,000 |
| 2 | Rob Fenner | 335,000 |
| 3 | Eugene Du Plessis | 2,635,000 |
| 4 | Dominik Nitsche | 875,000 |
| 5 | Daniel Brits | 1,225,000 |
| 6 | Ronit Chamani | 310,000 |
Day 3 began with 27 players, and they were all guaranteed to walk away with at least $4,661. The goal of the day for the players was to reach the final six, guaranteeing them a minimum of $26,504 and a shot at the $132,128 first-place prize.
After a handful of eliminations, Tom Koral bowed out in 22nd place. Koral was all in and at risk with KxKx preflop, and he was dominating Ka Kwan Lau's pocket jacks, but there was a jack on the flop to give Lau a set. The turn and river were both bricks, and Koral hit the rail.
Jason Strauss busted in 19th place with a big pair, but unlike Koral he was dominated preflop. Strauss was at risk with the Q?Q? against Harold Brooks' K?K?, and the kings held up.
Benjamin Cole was in great shape to double up with 17 players remaining, but instead he hit the rail when Daniel Brits hit a miracle river card. Brits moved all in on a board of J?10?5?Q?, Cole called with the Q?Q? for a set of queens, and Brits showed the K?Q? for a pair of queens and a open-ended straight draw. The A? spiked on the river, and suddenly Cole was eliminated in 17th place, earning $6,738.
Before the unofficial final table was formed, Nitsche received a big double up. Nitsche was all in with the 4?4? on a flop of Q?4?2? against the A?K? Aston Soon Shiong. Shiong couldn't find a diamond on the turn (10?) or a jack or a diamond on the river (8?), and Nitsche doubled.
Siong was later eliminated in 14th place, and the next players to exit were Kevin Andriamaheta, Lau, Robbie Sham, and Mauro De Rose. At the final table, the three players to fall short of Day 4 were Harold Brooks, Nahum Lum, and Matt Lawrence.
The day ended when Lawrence three-bet all in with the 7?7?, and Brits, the original raiser, called with the 9?9?. The bigger pair held up, and the final six was formed.
The event will play down to a champion on Monday, and PokerNews will provide you with a recap of the day's events.
*Photo and data courtesy of the WPT Blog.
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