Itās been a long road, but here we are; the final table is set for the conclusion of the biggest guaranteed live poker tournament ever held. $50,000,000 is in the pot, with $6,000,000 set aside for the winner. Everyone left has $750,000 locked up, and the final table field is a fascinating mix of characters and styles.
While every one of them is looking to make a statement of one kind or another, one player in particular has been the focal point for a debate over ācontroversial or politicalā attire at the table.
Justin Bonomo (pictured above), #2 on the all-time money list, is a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause. Itās a stance that has seen him frequently draw fire on social media - not that it takes much to do that - but one to which he is clearly and passionately committed. In a signalling of his beliefs, Bonomo elected to wear a black-and-white keffiyeh - a Palestinian headscarf - around his shoulders as a shawl during this series.
As yesterdayās Day 4 drew towards the business end, Bonomo shared this message on X.
The WSOP issued a statement of its own, that the issue wasā¦ āsimply a matter of broadcast clearance. Our future distribution platforms for Super Main Event do not allow garments deemed controversial or political in nature.ā
Bonomo did appear on the featured TV table, without his keffiyeh, but with the final table looming later today it seems the issue may not be quite resolved, and may even be headed for an escalation.
Virginia-born Bonomo - who has already committed to donating some of his winnings to charities supporting Palestine - claims that organizers in The Bahamas have cleared him to wear the flag, but that he expects them to change their minds when the time comes.
Will there be a peaceful resolution to this clash of ideologies, or will there be trouble in Paradise before the day is done? Will Bonomo's potentially controversial plans fall foul of any more small print, or even stir up any issues among his opponents? Play is due to resume at noon, and weāll be there to find out and share it all on our Instant Live page.
For more detail, check out our full story on Bonomoās WSOP controversy, or join the discussion at Ask The Org.
Moneymaker so close to being a history-maker (again)
One of the other major stories of the day was the possibility of Chris Moneymaker, the iconic player whose 2003 WSOP Main Event victory was a major inflection point in the history of poker, pulling off an unlikely repeat performance.
Victory for Moneymaker, a member of the PokerOrg Player Advisory Board, could have potentially been a catalyst for a new poker boom; a repeat win in such a major WSOP event would have made headlines worldwide, as a new generation of news editors fell in love with his perfect surname all over again. PokerOrg bagged an exclusive interview with Chris Moneymaker at the end of Day 3.
As it is, his deep run fell one spot short of the final table and the ACR pro went out in 10th place for $500,000. His conqueror was Liv Boeree, once a fellow PokerStars pro alongside Moneymaker, and someone who now shoulders a burden familiar to many women in poker.
Is it ever fair to put the spotlight on an individual as a representative of their entire sex, or gender? Fair or not, Boeree became the last woman in the field when Ana Marquez went out in 41st place, and will likely carry the hopes of many as the final table plays out. Moneymaker may be out, but a female victor in such a high-profile event could have a similar potential to inspire the next generation of poker players.
First, though, sheāll have to navigate a tough final 9 featuring the likes of Bonomo, Mustapha Kanit and chip leader Michael Addamo.
Addamo the āAddominatorā rolls over the field on Day 4
The action at the tables was fast and furious on a Day 4 that saw a field of 36 reduced to a final table in a flurry of eliminations - many of which came about courtesy of Australiaās Michael Addamo. The winner of a huge pot at the end of Day 3, Addamo wielded his big stack like a broadsword at times, applying constant pressure to smaller stacks and those hoping for a valuable ladder-up.
Addamoās Day 4 starting stack of 84M grew to 196M by the dayās end, keeping him at the head of the pack with room to spare. Other big stacks that survived alongside him included Christopher Ngyuen, who span a 49M stack up to 143M - good for second place in the counts - and Yinan Zhou who turned 49M into 88M on Day 4.
Liv Boeree, whose focus these days is rarely on poker, enjoyed an exciting day in which she cracked pocket kings twice in quick succession. The British former pro also put Mustapha Kanit to a tough test at one point, running a big bluff on the Italian, perhaps reading him for a weak hand. He was far from strong, holding only ace-high, but managed to find an impressive hero call and dent Boereeās growing stack.
Altogether 27 would-be champions fell out of the running en route to the final table of nine, including Matthias Eibinger, Sorel Mizzi, Christoph Vogelsang and Ren Lin, who brought his usual levels of fun and mischief to proceedings. Eventually, however, the elimination of Chris Moneymaker set up what should be a blockbuster finish.
With a line-up like this, we hope the final dayās play at WSOP Paradise will be dominated by the action on the felt rather than anything else.
Whatever happens, weāll be right there to bring you each side of every story on our WSOP Paradise Instant Live page. Action starts at noon, with the delayed stream beginning around an hour later.
WSOP $26K Super Main Event - final table
| Place | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Addamo | 196,800,000 |
| 2 | Christopher Nguyen | 143,100,000 |
| 3 | Mustapha Kanit | 141,200,000 |
| 4 | Liv Boeree | 111,400,000 |
| 5 | Marcelo Aziz | 105,500,000 |
| 6 | Yinan Zhou | 88,000,000 |
| 7 | Vadzim Lipauka | 66,300,000 |
| 8 | Justin Bonomo | 63,400,000 |
| 9 | Georg Lehmann | 48,400,000 |
Up close and personal
Our team in The Bahamas is on the floor grabbing players and footage whenever they can, to bring you the real feel of this incredible event.
And while we canāt describe exactly what it feels like to final table something like this, we can at least share what it looks like. Hereās the exact moment Chris Moneymaker was eliminated in 10th, the final table line-up was set, and the action broke for the day.
Come back at noon ET for more, courtesy of PokerOrg Instant Live.
You can catch yesterdayās action in full below.
