Something that is always fun to do during a Main Event is to go back through the chip counts and see where the final table players were in the chip counts each day. Where were the names that we would eventually learn and become a part of poker history hiding in the end of day reports?
That's exactly what I have done for each of this year's final tableists. After looking through them all, there were some consistencies found. For the most part the chip counts are steady as each player remained comfortable in chips on each day. There are only a few days where any of these nine were in the bottom half of chips, let alone in the bottom 10% or lower. There was only one really treacherous end of day chip position for any of these players (Daniel Holzner's Day 6).
At the same time, these players were also not often in the very top part of the end of chip counts either, with the notable exception of Juan Maceiras.
Quick note; 6 of the 9 started on Day 1D, 2 started on Day 1C and only Maceiras used Day 2 late-reg on Day 2D.
(Chip count - position at end of day)
Adam Walton
Day 1c: 60,200 - (1,1419 out of 2,326)
Day 2abc: 244,000 - (730 out of 3,542)
Day 3: 1,339,000 - (25 out of 1,517)
Day 4: 3,405,000 - (17 out of 441)
Day 5: 3,625,000 - (74 out of 149)
Day 6: 12,225,000 - (21 out of 49)
Day 7: 79,475,000 - (2 out of 15)
Day 8: 143,800,000 - (1 out of 9)
Walton had an forgettable Day 1 as he finished with nearly the starting stack. He made steady progression on Day 2 before an explosion on Day 3 where he jumped into the top 2%. Day 4 was similarly successful as he remained among the top stacks.
Day 5 was Walton's toughest day as he slid to the middle pack of chip counts and would tread water on Day 6 to remain in the middling stacks.
Day 7 would be a huge move and set him up as a serious contender, particularly at the end of the night and had a similar late day surge on Day 8 to take the overwhelming chip lead into the final table.
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Steven Jones
Day 1c: 148,500 (203 out of 2326)
Day 2abc: 336,000 (287 out of 3,542)
Day 3: 808,000 (161 out of 1,517)
Day 4: 720,000 (311 out of 441)
Day 5: 2,770,000 (93 out of 149)
Day 6: 6,250,000 (36 out of 49)
Day 7: 67,700,000 (4 out of 15)
Day 8: 90,300,000 (2 out of 9)
Steven Jones had a good Day 1, more than doubling his stack. He coasted until Day 4 where he would actually lose chips. He was on the lower end of the chip counts after Days 5 and 6 before making his big move on Day 7, mostly off of the feature tables and then solidifying a 2nd place slot late on Day 8.
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Daniel Weinman
Day 1D: 80,000 (1,297 out of 3,202)
Day 2D: 362,000 (220 out of 3,542)
Day 3: 863,000 (136 out of 1,517)
Day 4: 2,850,000 (36 out of 441)
Day 5: 5,340,000 (39 out of 149)
Day 6: 24,375,000 (3 out of 49)
Day 7: 21,750,000 (10 out of 15)
Day 8: 81,700,000 (3 out of 9)
Daniel Weinman was pretty steady throughout, staying in the top 10% on most days. Day 6 was his breakout day rising to the third largest stack. But on Day 7 he would actually lose chips and be one of the shorter stacks for most of the day before his Day 8 boon.
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Jan-Peter Jachtmann
Day 1D: 132,200 (343 out of 3,202)
Day 2D: 415,000 (132 out of 3,542)
Day 3: 403,000 (575 out of 1,517)
Day 4: 1,375,000 (182 out of 441)
Day 5: 5,465,000 (37 out of 149)
Day 6: 14,975,000 (15 out of 49)
Day 7: 70,775,000 (3 out of 15)
Day 8: 74,600,000 (4 out of 9)
Jachtmann's arc has been steady. He had very good Days 1 and 2 before a step back on Day 3. He recovered on Days 4 and 5. Day 7 would really be his big move as he finished third in chips and recovered on Day 8 after slipping to as low as being 8th out of 10 at one point to move back up to 4th.
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Juan Maceiras
Day 1: N/A (Late regged Day 2)
Day 2D: 372,000 (201 out of 3,542)
Day 3: 1,004,000 (86 out of 1,517)
Day 4: 3,985,000 (6 out of 441)
Day 5: 4,790,000 (47 out of 149)
Day 6: 40,500,000 (2 out of 49)
Day 7: 108,000,000 (1 out of 15)
Day 8: 68,000,000 (5 out of 9)
Maceiras' arc is the most interesting. He is the first Day 2 late regger of the final table and he used it to his advantage with a strong Day 2. Day 4 was huge for him, finishing with the 6th largest stack out of 441. Day 5 was more steady before surging on a huge Day 6 that saw him go toward the top which would continue on day 7 as he took the huge chip lead.
Day 8 looked as though it was going to go just as well before a miracle river card denied ending the day with him as the big chip leader. He lost half his stack from that point to slip down to a middle stack of the final table.
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Ruslan Prydryk
Day 1D: 44,400 (2,379 out of 3,202)
Day 2D: 278,500 (516 out of 3,542)
Day 3: 423,000 (546 out of 1,517)
Day 4: 1,380,000 (180 out of 441)
Day 5: 4,610,000 (49 out of 149)
Day 6: 14,150,000 (17 out of 49)
Day 7: 45,750,000 (6 out of 15)
Day 8: 50,700,000 (6 out of 9)
Prydryk's path has a more middling trajectory than the others. He had the poorest Day 1 of any of the final tableists after bagging a stack shorter than starting. He stay lower in chips after Day 3. His strongest day was Day 6 before evening out again in the most recent two days.
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Dean Hutchison
Day 1D: 187,300 (81 out of 3,202)
Day 2D: 147,000 (1,753 out 3,542)
Day 3: 888,000 (128 out of 1,517)
Day 4: 1,600,000 (136 out of 441)
Day 5: 2,000,000 (111 out of 149)
Day 6: 10,800,000 (26 out of 49)
Day 7: 17,500,000 (11 out of 15)
Day 8: 41,200,000 (7 out of 9)
Hutchison has had the lowest trajectory path overall. After a great Day 1 he dipped to a poor Day 2 where he lost 40,000 chips. He has been on the lower half of the chips counts for the last four days.
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Daniel Holzner
Day 1D: 52,300 (2,140 out of 3,202
Day 2D: 267,500 (581 out of 3,542)
Day 3: 507,000 (429 out of 1,517)
Day 4: 2,255,000 (71 out of 441)
Day 5: 2,735,000 (95 out of 149)
Day 6: 2,050,000 (47 out of 49)
Day 7: 14,750,000 (12 out of 15)
Day 8: 31,900,000 (8 out of 9)
Holzner held the single most perilous position for any of the final table players when he was third to last in chips after Day 6. He has been a short stack since then but has short stack ninja'd his way to the final table anyway.
Toby Lewis
Day 1D: 59,400 (1,919 out of 3,2020)
Day 2D: 97,000 (2,477 out of 3,542)
Day 3: 348,000 (654 out of 1,517)
Day 4: 1,210,000 (208 out of 441)
Day 5: 4,275,000 (63 out of 149)
Day 6: 15,250,000 (14 out of 49)
Day 7: 50,000,000 (5 out of 15)
Day 8: 19,800,000 (9 out of 9)
Lewis has had a fairly unremarkable path to this point, with not being that low or that high throughout. Day 6 was the day he moved up the most and he continued that momentum after a good Day 7. Day 8 began well enough for him, but things went south when ten-handed play began to moved him down to where he finds himself as the short stack now.