2013 WSOP Main Event Final Table Quiz

Answer: Carlos Mortensen

Carlos Mortensen won the WSOP Main Event (ME) in 2001 for $1.5 million. He was the last pre-Moneymaker pro to win the ME prior to the Moneymaker Effect when thousands of amateur players began to play the event.

Mortensen was short stacked when play was down to ten handed and ended up being knocked out in tenth place. Mortensen's deep run proved he still has what it takes to play with the best. Mortensen is the only player to have won both the WSOP ME and the WPT Championship has some of the best tournament results on a percentage basis of any pro.

Robert Varkonyi won the 2002 ME for $2 million. Scotty Nguyen won the 1998 ME for $1 million. Doyle Brunson won back to back Main Events in 1976 and 1977 for $220,000 and $340,000. Both times Brunson won holding ten deuce when he won.

Answer: JC Tran

JC Tran was the most accomplished player to make it into the November Nine having won two WSOP bracelets, a WPT title, and over $8 million in career tournament earnings.

Tran and Mortensen tangled when Mortensen raised JC's big blind and JC called. JC held 8x7s and Mortensen held Ac9h. JC checked-called a flop of Tc6c3s when Mortensen continuation bet. The 9c hit on the turn giving JC a straight and Mortensen second pair. JC went all-in and Mortensen called to see the bad news that only a club would save him. The 2d fell on the river and Mortensen was eliminated.

Despite coming in as the chip leader, Tran was card dead for most of the final table. He was knocked out in Hand 161 when his Ah7s was out flopped by Jay Farber's KsQh. Tran pushed all-in preflop and Farber quickly called. The board ran out Kd9hJh5d6h giving Farber top pair and knocking Tran out. Tran won $2,106,893 for finishing in fifth place.

Answer: Israel

Amir Lehavot has dual US/Israeli citizenship. In 2011, he won the prestigious WSOP $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship. That year he also final tabled the WPT LA Poker Classic, finishing in fourth place. Lehavot also had 12 WSOP cashes in various events over the years.

He started the final table second in chips and went out in third place in Hand 171 when his pocket sevens were called by Riess' pocket tens. The board ran out clean and Lehavot was eliminated in third for $3,727,823.

Answer: Michiel Brummelhuis

Michiel Brummelhuis was the first player from the Netherlands to make the official WSOP ME final table. In 2004 Marcel Luske was knocked out tenth, just missing the official final table in the era prior to the November Nine. Although one of the less well-known players, Brummelhuis had seven WSOP cashes and had made to final tables previous to his run in the ME.

His end came in Hand 55 of the final table when Riess woke up with pockets Aces after Brummelhuis had pushed all-in with pocket nines. The board ran out clean and Brummelhuis was knocked out in seventh place for $1,225,224.

Answer: Jay Farber

Jay Farber was a VIP host in Vegas and often joked he worked a 9 to 5 job, only it was 9 PM to 5 AM. Because of his connections throughout Vegas, Farber had many poker friends with a wealth of knowledge and experience in being at the WSOP ME final table, including Ben Lamb and Jesse Silvia.

Farber headed into heads up play with the chip lead but ended up finishing second. Farber was knocked out on Hand 261 of the final table when his Qs5s lost to AhKh. Farber won $5,174,357.

Answer: David Benefield

Although David Benefield first made it big as a high stakes online cash game grinder, he soon found the life to be somewhat empty and has since moved on to pursue advanced degrees in business and language. He is now only a part time poker player. In fact he missed the 2012 ME because he was studying Chinese in Beijing at the time.

Benefield entered Day 7 of the ME in 27th place out of 27 players but was able to skillfully play his short stack throughout the day and entered the final table in 8th place. Although he did double up early on, he was knocked out in eighth place on Hand 38 when his Ks2s ran into Jay Farber's AcKd. The flop came 5dTsQc at which time Jay asked David if he would take the Js. David said yes and sure enough the dealer put the Js out on the turn. This gave Jay Broadway but also gave David 9 outs to the flush. The 2d hit the river and David was gone in eighth place, winning $944,593.

Answer: Dodgeball

Mark-Etienne McLaughlin and crew like to play dodgeball to unwind. "DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story" was a 2004 Ben Stiller movie hence the clue. McLaughlin's Main Event run capped off a great summer for Canadians at the WSOP which saw Canadians win 10 bracelets.

McLaughlin entered the final table third in chips with 26,525,000. He would go out on Hand 157 when his pocket Kings ran into Jay Farber's pocket Aces. The board ran out clean and McLaughlin was eliminated in sixth place for $1,601,024.

Answer: Mark Newhouse

Mark Newhouse won the 2006 World Poker Tour Borgata Poker Open for $1,519,020. According to his own account he made every mistake in the book with his bankroll and ended up squandering it away. He has vowed not to let that happen this time.

Newhouse entered the final table in ninth chip position and would go out ninth even though he was able to double up early on. Newhouse went out on Hand 36 when his pocket nines failed to hold up against Ryan Riess' Ace King offsuit. Riess hit a King on the flop and Newhouse failed to catch either of the remaining nines on the turn or river. He was eliminated in ninth place for $733,224.

Answer: Sylvain Loosli

Sylvain Loosli is an online cash game grinder who lived in London at the time of the 2013 WSOP with fellow Frenchman and poker pro Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier. Loosli has over $1 million in lifetime earnings online.

Loosli entered the final table sixth in chips and was able to turn that into a fourth place finish for $2,792,533. Loosli was knocked out on Hand 170 when his pocket sevens could not outrun Riess' pocket tens.

Answer: Ryan Riess

Ryan Riess entered the final table as the youngest player and fifth in chips. His bravado and self-confidence was something he did not shy away from. During the final table commentary after they played the clip of Riess making that statement Antonio Esfandiari said, "Did he really just say that? Did he go to the school of Phil Helmuth?..." Norman Chad then replied, "He does believe he is the best he has said it a number of times."

Riess ran very well at the final table catching numerous big hands when he needed to and was able to get maximum value out of those hands. Prior to heads up play Riess knocked out four players and Jay Farber knocked out three. Riess came into heads up play second in chips but was able to overcome the deficit to win the bracelet. He played 90 hands heads up with Farber before the night was over.