Top 10 WSOP final table hands

Because the action ran close to approximately 8:30 .m. ET, many of you may not have seen the entire coverage. Thus, let me describe to you my top 10 hands from Monday night's action in chronological order.

Déjà vu for Newhouse (hand No. 56)

Day 1 of the WSOP Main Event final table began very slowly. All the players were cautiously feeling each other out. Early on, the chip leader, Jorryt van Hoof began to assert himself, but all eyes were on back-to-back November Niner Mark Newhouse. He entered the final table with a healthy 26 million, which was third in chips. Many pundits predicted that Newhouse would be crowned the 2014 champion, avenging last year's ninth-place finish. In my interview with him, he said: "I would say, as far as what the worst place to finish emotionally, I used to think it was 10th because you're right there at the final table bubble. But now I think ninth is even worse just because you actually do take this four-month break, come back and then it's just over."

After a couple of hours of play, Newhouse's stack had dwindled, putting him in fifth chips position heading into this pivotal hand. With blinds 250,000/500,000, antes 50,000, van Hoof raised from hijack with a meager 8s-7h. Mixing it up, Newhouse decided to just call with his pocket tens (10h-10c). Suddenly, New Jersey native William Tonking, who had been playing very solid, reraised to 3.75 million with pocket queens (Qd-Qc). After van Hoof quickly folded, Newhouse decided to call.

After the dealer spread Jh-4c-2d on the flop, Tonking fired out 3.5 million with Newhouse calling. When the dealer turned the 4h, Tonking decided to slow down and checked, which prompted Newhouse to bet 4.5 million. Eyeing Newhouse's stack, Tonking took his time and eventually made the call, building a pot of almost 25 million chips. When the Jc fell on the river, Tonking checked again. Surprisingly, Newhouse announced that he was all-in and at risk as the smaller stack. After Tonking asked for a count of Newhouse's remaining stack (which was 10.2 million), he eventually made the call to eliminate Newhouse once again in ninth place.

The entire Penn and Teller Theater was in utter shock and even ESPN announcer Norman Chad stated on air: "It doesn't seem possible." With this massive pot, Tonking briefly took over the chip lead. After Newhouse's elimination, the play became conservative once again. It would take almost another 50 hands before the next player was eliminated. Nevertheless, between hands No. 100 to No. 115, there were four significant pots that set off fireworks among the some of the players. The first hand would silence the Brazilian rail and end the Carnivale celebration for 2014.

No Carnivale for Politano (hand No. 100)

With blinds 300,000/600,000, 75,000 ante, the action folded to Bruno Politano, the first Brazilian ever to make a WSOP main event final table. Short-stacked with only 12.5 big blinds remaining, he decided to push all-in with Qs-10c. After the other short stack, Billy Pappas folded and Felix Stephensen snap-called with 7s-7c sitting in the big blind. The first major race of the night was on. The Brazilian contingency rose to its collective feet while holding its breath and crossing its fingers.

Unfortunately for the Brazilians, their prayers were not answered as the board ran out 6h-3h-2c-Kc-9h, ending the magical run for the Brazilian in eighth place.

As the short stacks began to get smaller, the action began to heat up. Just six hands later, another player was all-in for his tournament life. However, this time he got his chip stacks in as a favorite. Nebraska native Dan Sindelar had started out the night playing incredible poker, making all the right moves during the first couple of levels. But during the following hand, the poker gods brought his night to an abrupt end.

From under-the-gun, Stephensen raised to 1.3 million with As-10h. The Dutchman, van Hoof, reraised to 3 million, holding Ah-3h. Next, sitting on the button, Sindelar moved all-in for about 9 million. A pot committed chip leader reluctantly made the call for 6 million more chips versus Sindelar's pocket jacks (Jd-Jc).

The flop of Ad-7h-2h plummeted Sindelar's chances, as the Js would be the only card to save his tournament. Unfortunately, the 3d and Qs completed the board, ending the 30 year-old poker pro's main event. With this hand, van Hoof began pulling away as the clear chip leader among the remaining players.

With van Hoof and Tonking holding about two-thirds of the chips in play, the other players began to become short stacked. In this hand, the two shortest stacks battled each others in the blinds that would dramatically change the fate for one player on the river.

As the action was folded to Jacobson in the small blind, he decided to put maximum pressure on Pappas by pushing all-in. Looking down at Ks-Js, Pappas decided to risk his tournament life and called. After Jacobson revealed Qd-3d, Pappas realized that he needed to hold to stay alive in the tournament. However, the dealer flopped Ad-Qs-2s. Nevertheless, the lone amateur at the table still had numerous outs.

The 8d on the turn did not help; however, the Kh miraculously saved the Foosball world champion's tournament, allowing him to double up to about 13 million chips. After this hand, Jacobson would now be the short stack with only 9 million.

After doubling up a few hands earlier, Pappas finally had a little breathing room. With blinds still at 300,000/600,000, 75,000 antes, the Lowell, Massachusetts native raised to 1.4 million from the cutoff seat. The action folded to Andoni Larrabe, the youngest player remaining, sitting in the big blind. After a moment, the Spaniard attempted to put maximum pressure on Pappas by shoving all-in. The move was ill-timed as Pappas held pocket kings (Kd-Kc) versus Larrabe's Kh-Qh. As the board ran clean, As-Ah-Ad-4s-2h, Pappas was the recipient of the only true gift of the night. Now in four hands, Pappas went from the short stack to third-largest chip stack with six players remaining.

Larrabe would not recover from this costly error and was eliminated in hand No. 140 when he shoved his short stack holding Jc-10c into van Hoof's Kh-5h, ending his night in sixth place.

With five players remaining and the blinds 400,000/800,000, antes 100,000, Jacobson had finally gotten some traction. Having been the short stack for most of the night, he had recently doubled up (his Ad-8h held versus Tonking's Ks-Jh on Hand No. 145) and began asserting himself, suddenly becoming the second-largest chip stack. However, the following hand sent him downward trend once again. Sitting in the cutoff seat, Jacobson raised to 1.7 million with Ac-9s. Folded to the small blind, Stephensen looked down at 7d-7c and pushed all-in for about 12 million. After a moment, Jacobsen decided to risk a third of his stack and another race would alter the landscape of the final table. There was little drama on this flop as the dealer spread 8d-7s-2c. However, there was a glimmer of hope when the 6d fell on the turn. Unfortunately, there was no miracle on the river as the 3h completed Stephensen's double up.

Although Stephensen doubled up over Jacobson, the next several hands didn't go the Norwegian's way. After losing several hands, Stephensen couldn't get any traction, while van Hoof could do no wrong, holding more than half the chips in play. With blinds 500,000/1,000,000, antes 100,000, Pappas raised to 2.25 million with Kd-10d from the button. Upon looking down at Ad-8d in the small blind, Stephensen decided to risk his tournament with his suited ace. Unfortunately, van Hoof in the big blind pushed all-in as well. After Pappas folded, van Hoof flipped over his Jd-Jc and Stephensen was close to being sent home in 5th place. However, the dealer delivered a phenomenal flop of Ah-6s-5c. The turn (10s) and the river (7s) did not help van Hoof, but allowed Stephensen to get back into the tournament.

The Foosball world champion battled the short stack for the early part of the night, although he was given a well-timed double-up midway through the night to become a contender. However, his stack began to shrink as the night progressed. Once again, he would battle with Jacobson as he shoved all-in from the button. Looking down at Ad-Jh, Pappas shoved all-in as well. When Jacobson revealed his pocket fives (5s-5c), another critical coin flip was center stage. Pappas had Jacobson covered by only 50,000 chips. Unfortunately, when another set was hit on the flop (Qs-6c-5d), it all but sealed Pappas' fate. The turn (7c) and river (2d) did not save him and he was eliminated on the very next hand when his 7s-7c ran into van Hoof's Jh-Jc.

At this stage, it seemed everyone else was playing for second place as van Hoof had over half the chips in play while the other three all had 25 to 40 million chips. One of the players would have to make a move to separate himself from the others. This specific hand accomplished that mission.

After Jacobson raised to 2.5 million from under-the-gun, Stephensen called from the button with Kd-Qs. After a flop of 10h-6s-3s, Jacobson led with 2 million, but Stephensen decided to see another card and called. When the Qh hit the table, Jacobson continued and bet 5 million. Hitting top pair, Stephensen continued along making the call. On the river, the Qd completed the board. This card prompted a check from the Swede. However, Stephensen this time bet out big to the tune of 11.5 million. After almost three minutes of contemplation, Jacobson finally decided to make the call with Ac-Kc. Unfortunately, he was wrong and his stack went plummeting to 15 million while Stephensen's rose to 57 million.

Tonking can't find a duck (hand No. 224)

The New Jersey native started out the final table with a bang, eliminating Newhouse and taking over the chip lead. However, afterward, Tonking played very conservatively and went slight card dead. After a couple of levels, he once again became one of the short stacks again and risked his tournament life during the following hand.

With four players remaining at blinds 500,000/1,000,000, 100,000 antes, van Hoof raised to 2.2 million with Qd-7d. Looking down at 2h-2c, Tonking decided it was his time to three-bet all-in. Unfortunately, Jacobson woke up with pocket tens (10h-10d). After van Hoof folded, Tonking saw the bad news, but the dealer gave him some hope with an all club flop (Jc-5c-4c). However, the turn (6d) and river (Qs) did not cooperate and Toking was eliminated in fourth place.

These three Europeans professional poker players will return to the Penn and Teller Theater stage tonight (9 p.m. ET on ESPN). Each is guaranteed $3.8 million, but their sights are set on the $10 million first prize.