You know that Martin Jacobson was crowned world champion, but how did he get there? Here is the story of the 2014 WSOP Main event final table in ten hands
10 Newhizzle whamboozled!
Mark Newhouse vs William Tonking
Players: 9 Blinds: 250k/500k/a50k
Action
Van Hoof raises to 1.1m with 8♠-7♥, Newhouse calls with T♥-T♣ and Tonking three-bets to 3.75m with Q♦-Q♣ in the small blind. Van Hoof folds and Newhouse calls. The flop is J♥-4♣-2♦. Tonking bets 3.5m and Newhouse calls. Tonking check-calls a 4.5m bet on the 4♥ turn. The river is the J♣. Tonking checks and Newhouse moves all-in. Tonking tanks but eventually calls to KO Newhouse.
Analysis
Newhouse makes a brave bluff-shove but departs in ninth for the second time at the Main Event final table. He could have played it safe by checking back but there were a lot of chips in the middle. It’s a gutsy call by Tonking that will have put Newhouse on temporary suicide watch.
9 No Sindelar-a story
Dan Sindelarvs Jorryt van Hoof
Players: 7 Blinds 300k/600k/a75k
Action
Bruno Politano has been eliminated when Felix Stephensen opens to 1.3m with A♠-T♥. Van Hoof three-bets with A♥-3♥ before the short-stacked Dan Sindelar moves all-in for 9.15m with pocket Jacks. Stephenson folds and van Hoof calls. An Ace on the flop eliminates Sindelar in seventh place.
Analysis
At this point everything is going perfectly for chip leader van Hoof. Even when he gets caught three-betting light, and has to get it in badly, he gets lucky on the flop to knockout another player.
8 Bad timing
Andoni Larrabe vs Billy Pappas
Players: 6 Blinds: 300k/600k/a75k
Action
Billy Pappas raises to 1.4m from the cutoff with pocket Kings and Larrabe decides to jam all-in with K♥-Q♥. Antonio Esfandiari says he hates the play on commentary. Pappas calls and gets a big double-up when the board runs out with no drama.
Analysis
Larrabe opts to play this hand way too aggressively, when he could have taken a flop, and pays for it by running into Pappas’ Kings. The young Spaniard can’t recover and is KO’d in sixth place shortly after.
7 Full time for Pappas
Billy Pappas vs Martin Jacobson
Players: 5 Blinds 500k/1m/a150k
Action
Jacobson moves all-in on the button with 5♣-5♠ and Pappas (who covers him by just 50k!) calls with A♦-J♥. The board runs out Q♠-6♣-5♦-7♣-2♦ to all but eliminate Pappas.
Analysis
It’s a standard coinflip but one which dramatically changes the story of the final table. Jacobson’s double-up finally gives him some breathing room while, for the amateur Pappas, it’s the end of a memorable road. When he’s finished spending his money Pappas will look back at this hand and wonder what would have happened had it gone the other way.
6 Tonking’s marvellous medicine
William Tonking vs Martin Jacobson
Players: 4 Blinds: 500k/1m/a150k
Action
Van Hoof raises from early position with Q♦-7♦ and Tonking moves all-in for 20BBs with 2-2 on the button. It should get through but Jacobson wakes up with T♥-T♦ in the small blind and moves all-in himself. Van Hoof folds. The board fails to produce a Two and Tonking is eliminated in fourth place.
Analysis
Tonking picks a great spot but is unlucky to run into Jacobson’s Tens. This 50m pot shoots Jacobson up the chip counts and sets him up perfectly for three-handed action.
5 One great big Hoof
Jorryt van Hoof vs Felix Stephensen
Players: 4 Blinds: 500k/1m/a150k
Action
Stephensen raises to 2.25m and van Hoof three-bets to 6m with K-J. Stephenson four-bets to 13.25m but van Hoof five-bet shoves. Stephenson quickly folds.
Analysis
Van Hoof’s dominant display is the story of day one. He hasn’t put a single step wrong and seemingly has strong reads on his opponents. This brilliant five-bet shove with K-J is the highlight of a performance that looks destined to end in the Main Event bracelet. Van Hoof is wishing that they could play straight through to the end at this point.
4 The extraction machine
Martin Jacobson vs Felix Stephensen
Players: 3 Blinds: 600k/1.2m/a200k
Action
Jacobson opens to 3.6m blind on blind with A♠-A♦ and Stephensen calls with K♠-J♥. Jacobson bets 4m and Felix floats the flop to see a K♣ turn. Jacobson now bets 10m and is called. The river is a Q♠. Jacobson bets 15m and Stephensen calls to lose a huge pot.
Analysis
Tremendous play by Jacobson here, especially by betting on a scary river for value with his Aces. Many players would have checked here but Jacobson knows where he is at all times and manages to extract maximum value.
3 Felix gets the cream
Felix Stephensen vs Jorryt van Hoof
Players: 3 Blinds 600k/1.2m/a200k
Action
Van Hoof raises to 2.6m on the button with J-5 and Stephensen calls with 9-8. The flop is 9♣-4♣-3♥ and it goes check-check. Stephenson bets 4m on the 5♥ turn, van Hoof calls, and the river is the K♣. Stephensen moves all-in for 17.1m and van Hoof calls with a pair of Fives to give Stephensen a huge double-up.
Analysis
Van Hoof played flawlessly at the final table until this point when he makes a huge error. Van Hoof’s incorrect river call makes him the short stack and propels Stephenson to heads-up.
2 Hoofed out of the building
Jorryt van Hoof vs Martin Jacobson
Players: 3 Blinds: 800k/1.6m/a200k
Action
Van Hoof raises to 3.6m on the button with A♦-5♦ and Jacobson three-bets to 9.2m with A♠-T♣ from the small blind. Van Hoof four-bet jams all-in for 46.2m and Jacobson snap-calls. A Ten on the flop eliminates van Hoof.
Analysis
Jacobson completely owns this situation once again. He knows that van Hoof is capable of jamming light and, once he three-bets, is ecstatic to get it all-in preflop with A-T. Jacobson is now heads-up with a big chip lead and on his way into the history books.
1 A new champion
Martin Jacobson vs Felix Stephensen
Players: 2 Blinds: 800k/1.6m/a200k
Action
Stephensen raises to 3.5m with A♥-9♥ and Jacobson shoves all-in with T♥-T♦. Stephenson calls to create a near-60m chip pot which would get him back in the game. The board runs out 3♠-9♣-T♣-K♦-4♣ to give Jacobson a set, the bracelet and $10m.
Analysis
Jacobson finally clinches the title by getting it in good preflop. The hand plays itself but Jacobson was only in such a good spot due to his incredible play throughout the final table. Congratulations to the new world champion Martin Jacobson!
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