The Six Final Tablists

Seat 1: William Ross – 1,285,000

William Ross starts the day second in chips but it could have been so very different. After starting Day 3, 14th in chips the blinds quickly caught him up, and Ross found himself playing a shove or fold strategy most of the day. His first break came in level-19 when he won a vital flip against Ayaz Manji. It was pocket nines for Ross against the ace-king of Manji and his hand held up to avoid an early bath. Level 20 saw Ross eliminate his first player of the day. It was Max Sartirana moving all-in with [Qx] [Tx] and Ross calling from the big blind with [Ax] [7x]; suddenly Ross had some chips to play with. But Ross, like everyone else, became a virtual bystander as Dominik Nitsche started to collect every chip in play. Then before you know it Ross was shoving once more, until another vital double up through Wesley Weigand.

Then in level-24 it was another hand that could have spelled the end for Ross, when he found himself all-in with pocket queens versus the pocket aces of Muaaz Gani. Ross was heading for the door before a pretty lady showed her face on the flop to give him a second chance. Ross cemented his second place in the chip counts with the elimination of Sunil Devachander. It was another all-in pre flop encounter with the [Ac] [Qd] of Ross outlasting the [As] [Ts] of his opponent.

Whatever happens from now on in, this will be the biggest live cash of Ross’s career.

Seat 2: Andrew Anthony – 365,000

Andrew Anthony is the Lazarus of this tournament. The man just will not lay down and die, and despite starting the day with the short stack he will have no fear when it comes to putting his chips into the middle. Not only does Anthony have his fearless never say die attitude, but he will be the most highly supported player from the rail, if the shenanigans of Day 3 are anything to go by.

In the race from 27 to 6, Anthony doubled up as early as the first level of play. It was a flip with pocket jacks beating the ace-king of Aston Soon Shiong, in what would become one of many showdowns that would go Anthony’s way. Two levels later and Anthony was at it again. This time he was holding the ace-king and Ryan Price was holding the pocket queens. Anthony’s tournament was on the line for a second time, until the King popped his regal head up on the flop, to hand Anthony his second life.

The tournament went quiet for Anthony for the next three hours, before doing something that no-one else had managed to do: win an all-in against Dominik Nitsche. Nitsche had trapped Anthony perfectly when he just flatted behind a Muaaz Gani raise, holding pocket kings, and sure enough Anthony shoved from the button with [As] [Th]. Anthony was staring defeat in the face for a third time until an ace on the flop brought him yet more respite.

His next showdown would be one he would enter ahead and lose. Maybe there was a particular formula here? It was [Ac] [Jc] for Anthony and [As] [Qh] for Bradpiece and five community cards later Anthony was down to just 45,000 chips, with the blinds at 12k/24k with a 4k ante. He was surely running out of oxygen…wasn’t he?

In his very next hand Anthony picked up [Td] [7d] and flopped two-pair to triple up, then he shoved and picked up the B&A uncontested before doubling up through his nemesis Dominik Nitsche: AA v JJ. So as you can see, Anthony doesn’t avoid the flips, but he does tend to win most of them!

This is Anthony’s first recorded live tournament cash of any kind.

Seat 3: Jason Strauss – 1,270,000

Jason Strauss has a certain air of calm about him and he will be one of the players who may be able to test Nitsche. He has played superbly throughout, after rising to prominence during Day 2, where he finished fifth in chips. Not only has Strauss played well, but also he even managed to deliver one of the cruelest suck outs of the tournament so far; just ask poor Sunil Devachander.

Day 3 started perfectly for Strauss after eliminating Feng Guang Li in the first few minutes. Li moved in with [Ah] [Kc] and Strauss was way behind with his [As] [Ts]. The [Kh] [Ks] [7s] brought a little something for everyone, and despite the [3h] on the turn not changing things, the [Js] on the river certainly did. The nut flush for Strauss and Li was so confused he didn’t leave his seat for a clear minute after play had ended.

Two levels later and Strauss was responsible for eliminating our final lady. Sascha Dreyer moved in with [Kd] [Qs] and Strauss called with [As] [Js]. Dreyer caught a [Kh] on the flop to hand her the lead, but the [Ad] came to the rescue of Strauss, on the river, to make sure we would not have a female WPT winner in Johannesburg.

Then one of the toughest beats of Day 3; if not the toughest. Strauss was staring at a board of [Ad] [Kd] [7c], in a three-bet pot, when Sunil Devachander led for 200,000 from the big blind. Strauss thought for a while before moving all-in for 490,000, and Devachander snap-called. It was [8d] [5d] for Strauss and [Ah] [Ks] for Devachander. Flush draw versus top two pair, and Devachander had Strauss covered. With Strauss baying for the flush the Poker Gods had other plans when they delivered runner-runner fives to hand the pot to Strauss with trip fives. When the final five hit the river the entire table, and crowd, went into a state of embarrassed silence.

Strauss starts the day third in chips and is one of the few players with any live tournament experience. He finished 596th at this years WSOP Main Event, and also finished in third place at the WSOPC event that was held in South Africa this year, recording his biggest cash to date of $71,368.

Seat 4: Dominik Nitsche – 2,915,000

If this tournament was a boxing match the white towel would have been flung into the ring late during Day 3. It was during this time that Dominik Nitsche was taking out more players than a Hulk Hogan clothesline. After eliminating Greg Ronaldson in 14th place, the skinny German then went on to eliminate Gareth Kalil in 13th place, Mike Robertson in 12th place, Rudolf Fourie in 11th place, Peter Khan in 10th place, Muaaz Gani in 9th place and Ryan Price in 8th place to finish as the chip leader with 2,915,000 chips giving him 42% of the chips in play.

With a field short on A-list poker stars Nitsche was one of the favorites from the off; his odds slashed even further after topping the field on Day 1A. Day 2 started just as Day 1A ended with Nitsche on top form. Only a late surge by Ryan Price prevented Nitsche from leading for a second consecutive day, and instead he had to settle for second place. Normal order resumed on Day 3, as we have said, and it is going to take something very special, either from the deck, or one of the five remaining players to stop Nitsche claiming his second major title of 2012.

Nitsche started his live tournament career in the same way that he finished Day 3: on fire. At the ripe young age of 18 he entered the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT), in Argentina, and duly won it for $381,030. He has incurred six-figure annual salaries ever-since, but in 2012 something special happened. Nitsche was aged 21 and finally allowed to explore the WSOP in Las Vegas. It took him a while to get used to the bling, bling of the slot machines, but he loved the fact that he could just sit and play poker every day. Then with the series coming to a close Nitsche won Event #59A for $654,797. A WSOP bracelet at his first time of asking. If Nitsche could follow up that impressive win with a WPT title, the whole of the poker world would likely stand and give the grinder a great big round of applause? If there is a more likeable pro on the circuit we would like to meet him or her.

Seat 5: Wesley Weigand – 455,000

Wesley Weigand has been rather unfortunate not to have grabbed more of the limelight during this tournament. On Day 2, Weigand took control of the event after eliminating Joe Cada. It was a ballsy five-bet bluff that got lucky on the turn and it gave Weigand a commanding chip lead; one he only lost right at the death when Ryan Price and Dominik Nitsche caught up with him.

Day 3 also started excellently for Weigand and for a long period of time looked to be the only player who seemed to have no fear when it came to playing pots with Nitsche. In fact, we would go so far as to say that Weigand had the better of those exchanges. Then after gaining maximum value from Gary Citron, after rivering a set of fives against the over pair, Weigand started to look very dangerous indeed.

But Weigand’s promise proved to be a false dawn as his stack was hit from all sides. It just seemed to be the pattern of things. Nitsche was eliminating everyone and Weigand was doubling everyone up. But Weigand is young and has only been playing tournaments for a few weeks after finding help through none other than Jarred Solomon. If Weigand can find a double up he can be a serious contender for Nitsche, just as he proved so many times midway through Day 3.

Seat 6: Jerome Bradpiece – 930,000

Jerome Bradpiece is one of the few players to enter this competition from the UK, but was in fact born right here in South Africa. Bradpiece had a great start to this competition when he finished Day 1B in third place, and played a great 15-20BB stack during Day 3 to bring him into the final table, fourth in chips.

There weren’t many people winning all-ins against Nitsche yesterday, but Bradpiece was amongst the elite managing to find pocket aces when Nitsche was playing for stacks with ace-king. Then he won a second big showdown, this time against Andrew Anthony – [As] [Qh] v [Ac] [Jc] – to give him enough chips to saunter to the final table.

Bradpiece has been recording live results as far back as 2006 making him the most experienced played on the felt in term of years played (although Nitsche has definitely played more major tournaments). He has accrued $725,833 in live tournament earnings with his best result coming back in 2007, when he won the GUKPT Walsall event for $236,645.

Bradpiece is another player who is capable of causing Nitsche problems if he can muster up a stack worthy of playing post flop poker.