Day 7 of the 2022 World Series of Poker Main Event started with 35 players left in contention for poker’s biggest prize, and it took almost three full levels to shed the field to its final 18 hopefuls. Each of them is guaranteed at least $323,100 at this point, but everyone’s eyes are locked on securing a birth at the final table and cementing a place in poker history.
Several exciting moments already happened along the way, briefly recapped below.
Salas Bows Out
Damian Salas
In 2017, Argentina’s Damian Salas, known as “Pampa” to his friends, made it all the way to the final table of the Main Event. Ultimately won by Scott Blumstein, Salas came up just short and finished in 7th place for $1,425,000.
In the COVID-year, Salas won the international leg of the almost fully-held online series on GGPoker, before taking on heads-up against Joseph Hebert to be officially crowned the 2020 Main Event champion.
In case it wasn’t clear how good of a player Salas really is, he made his third deep run in the span of six years but saw another shot at the Main Event title evaporated on Day 7. Mostly short-stacked throughout the final days, Salas ultimately bowed out in 27th place after open-shoving king-ten into king-queen.
Kenny Tran Survives With Runner-Runner
Kenny Tran
For the old-school poker fans, the name Kenny Tran surely brings back a smile. Known under his moniker “Sick Call” Kenny Tran back in the day, Tran, as advertised, was famously known for making light calls and being correct in the years after the Moneymaker boom.
Tran’s last registered cash on The Hendon Mob is back in 2017, but as if the clock has turned back 15 years, he’s there among the final two tables as cards go back in the air. Tran almost wouldn’t have been there, as a runner-runner against Aaron Mermelstein saved his tournament.
In level 34, with blinds at 250,000/500,000, Tran got it in with the against Mermelstein’s and found himself in a deep hole. The flop didn’t bring much help, but the turn opened up a backdoor flush draw. The river was the and Tran celebrated with a fist pump. Mermelstein, on the other hand, never recovered and busted in 20th place.
Will Efthymia Litsou Make the Main Event Final Table?
Efthymia Litsou
Every year it’s being brought up: Barbara Enright was the last woman to make the Main Event final table, all the way back in 1995. That dry spell for the ladies was nearly broken back in 2012, when Gaelle Baumann and Elisabeth Hille ultimately finished in 10th and 11th place for Enright to remain the last woman to make it.
Now, ten years later, Efthymia Litsou has a shot of making it as she’ll still in the field with just 18 left. Litsou will be nurturing a short stack of 18 big blinds when cards go back in the air, so a timely double or two will be needed to make it in.
Learn more about the “cool, calm & collected” Litsou
The Karim Rebei Show
Karim Rebei
Among the bigger stacks with two tables left is Karim Rebei, who’s unconventional aggressive style has been a feast to watch. You can read a special feature on Rebei here.
2022 WSOP Main Event Final Two Tables – Seat Draw and Chip Counts
Nearly the entire level is still to be played at blinds of 300,000-600,000 and a big blind ante of 600,000. Below is the redraw of the final two tables.
| Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Feature | 1 | Karim Rebei | France | 34,750,000 | 58 |
| Main Feature | 2 | Matija Dobric | Croatia | 78,125,000 | 130 |
| Main Feature | 3 | Asher Conniff | United States | 26,400,000 | 44 |
| Main Feature | 4 | David Diaz | United States | 21,850,000 | 36 |
| Main Feature | 5 | Jimmy Setna | Canada | 37,450,000 | 62 |
| Main Feature | 6 | Adrian Attenborough | Australia | 40,650,000 | 68 |
| Main Feature | 7 | Matthew Su | United States | 45,300,000 | 76 |
| Main Feature | 8 | Jeffrey Farnes | United States | 36,675,000 | 61 |
| Main Feature | 9 | Aaron Duczak | Canada | 7,000,000 | 12 |
| Feature B | 1 | Kenny Tran | United States | 29,150,000 | 49 |
| Feature B | 2 | Robert Welch | United States | 10,425,000 | 17 |
| Feature B | 3 | Vadim Rozin | Canada | 12,600,000 | 21 |
| Feature B | 4 | Efthymia Litsou | United States | 10,600,000 | 18 |
| Feature B | 5 | John Eames | United Kingdom | 29,175,000 | 49 |
| Feature B | 6 | Philippe Souki | United Kingdom | 27,100,000 | 45 |
| Feature B | 7 | Espen Jorstad | Norway | 30,525,000 | 51 |
| Feature B | 8 | Michael Duek | Argentina | 22,125,000 | 37 |
| Feature B | 9 | Tom Kunze | Germany | 21,325,000 | 36 |
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Yori Epskamp
Senior Content Manager
A former professional poker player from the Netherlands with a background in sports marketing and journalism. Yori has been a part of PokerNews since 2016 and manages the content team.
