Cunix Leads Compelling WPT Jacksonville BestBet Open Final Table
Will Failla (third in chips) currently leads the WPT Player of the Year race, and will ensure himself the outright POY lead heading into the final event of Season X -- the $25K buy-in WPT Championship at the Bellagio -- if he manages to finish fourth or better today.
The World Poker Tour's Season X is winding down, with the Jacksonville BestBet Open its penultimate event before the $25K WPT World Championship at the Bellagio in Las Vegas at the end of May. Today should provide some compelling poker from Jacksonville, where six players remain to battle for the $400,600 first prize, led by Shawn Cunix of Ohio.
A total of 320 entered the $5,000 buy-in WPT Jacksonville BestBet Open Main Event. That turnout created a total prize pool of just over $1.5 million, to be divided among the top 36 finishers.
Monday's Day 3 saw the money bubble burst, and by the end of play yesterday the field had been trimmed to six. Among those making the cash were Brian Hastings (35th, $9,610), Allen "Chainsaw" Kessler (34th, $9,610), Ralph Robinson (25th, $12,124), Darryll Fish (24th, $12,124), 2011 November Niner Matt Giannetti (22nd, $12,124), Fred Goldberg (20th, $12,124), Peter Campo (11th, $25,134), Matt Marafioti (9th, $34,005), and Byron Kaverman (7th, $47,312).
There are a number of interesting storylines in play for today's final table which will be streamed (with hole cards) on the WPT site on a 30-minute delay starting at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Second in chips to leader Shawn Cunix is James Calderaro, a player known in part for a couple of deep runs in WSOP Main Events, including a 13th-place finish in 2009 for a more than $630K score.
In third is Will Failla, gunning for his second WPT title of the season following his win at last year's Legends of Poker. Also of interest with regard to Failla is his continuing quest for WPT Player of the Year honors. Failla led that race for most of Season X, losing it briefly to Joe Serock before grabbing it back thanks to this finish in Jacksonville.
Failla will ensure himself the POY lead with a fourth-place finish today. If he finishes fifth and Daniel Buzgon (currently in sixth) wins, those two will be tied heading to the Bellagio, and if Failla finishes last and Buzgon wins, Buzgon will have the lead.
Tony Dunst would normally be a commentator for the WPT stream, but he'll be busy today as he sits fourth in chips to start play. And fifth-place Darren Elias also is part of an interesting story for today's final table -- he, Buzgon, and Failla all finished in the top 11 at the Borgata Poker Open last fall, where Buzgon was the best finisher among the trio in third.
Here's how the chips stack up to start play today:
1. Shawn Cunix -- 2,770,000
2. James Calderaro -- 2,110,000
3. Will Failla -- 1,535,000
4. Tony Dunst -- 1,315,000
5. Darren Elias -- 1,280,000
6. Daniel Buzgon -- 570,000
Prices quoted in copy are correct at time of publication but liable to change.
