Action folded to Jason Mercier in middle position and he raised to 80,000. The chip leader, Chris DeMaci, then three-bet to 235,000. The blinds folded as did Mercier. It wasn't the confrontation between the big stacks that we were hoping for, but DeMaci managed to add a little to his massive stack.
The players have been announced and the cards are in the air!
Level: 25
Blinds: 20,000/40,000
Ante: 4,000
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
The players have been called to their seats, and the last-minute instructions and group photos are all out of the way.
We've got some introductions ahead of us, and the cards should be in the air within a couple minutes.
Five days of poker are behind us, and today is the final day of Season 1 at the PokerStars.net NAPT Los Angeles. We've moved house and left The Bicycle behind in Bell Gardens. Our made-for-TV final table is being filmed at the Crystal Casino in lovely Compton, and 441 Productions is hard at work making last-minute preparations to the familiar starlit NAPT stage.
We've got ourselves a good one today. PokerStars still has two of its team pros in contention, and Jason Mercier is the heavy betting favorite, beginning the day in second place. Canadian Pro Anh Van Nguyen is second from the bottom, but a good cash today will move him up into the millionaire's club for career tournament earnings.
Everyone's chasing Chris DeMaci, though. The big stack since Day 3, DeMaci only needed one enormous pot on Day 4 to coast into the final table as the commanding chip leader. His 6.283 million chips gives him about a third of the chips in play and a cushion of more than 2 million from his nearest challenger, Mercier.
Here's how the table will set up when the players join the action:
Seat 1: Jacob Toole - 1,975,000
Seat 2: Joe Tehan - 1,907,000
Seat 3: Michael Binger - 1,670,000
Seat 4: Anh Van Nguyen - 1,058,000
Seat 5: Jason Mercier - 3,800,000
Seat 6: Al Grimes - 982,000
Seat 7: Ray Henson - 3,268,000
Seat 8: Chris DeMaci - 6,283,000
We're scheduled to get rolling in just about an hour, at 2:00 p.m. We've got a tableside seat, and we'll be bringing you all of the action live and in technicolor. Sit tight; we'll be back with the shuffle up and deal.
Chris DeMaci is the overwhelming chip leader heading into Wednesday’s final table with 6,283,000 in chips. DeMaci grabbed the chip lead near the end of Day 3 and hasn’t relinquished it since. The 27-year-old professional poker player lives in Newport Beach, California. DeMaci has earned more than a million dollars playing online MTTs and $250,000 more playing live tournaments. DeMaci started playing poker with buddies in high school and was hooked after he saw the movie Rounders. DeMaci needs to finish sixth place or higher to best his largest live cash to date – a 2009 WSOP final table appearance where he collected $98,933 in prize money.
Bio courtesy of the NAPT
Born and raised in Houston, Ray Henson knows a thing or two about Texas Hold’em. The 32-year-old pro made a big splash in 2007, finishing 12th at the WSOP Main Event, earning $476,000 in prize money. Now guaranteed a minimum payout of $60,000, Henson is the newest member of the poker-millionaires club. “Rayzerr” is an avid sports fan and spends most of his free time with his kids. Henson enters the final table with a very healthy 3,268,000 in chips.
Bio courtesy of the NAPT
At 54, Al Grimes is the elder statesman of the NAPT Los Angeles final table. Hailing from New York City, Grimes plays poker professionally, though his tournament resume is limited. Grimes’ only known major live score was a sixth place finish in the 2010 Borgata Winter Open where he pocketed $115,000 and change. Grimes has his work cut out for him, entering the final table as its only non-millionaire with 982,000 in chips.
Bio courtesy of the NAPT
EPT Title? Check. NAPT Title? Check. WSOP Bracelet? Check. Career earnings in excess of $5 million dollars? Check. Under 25? Check. Who are you left with? Team PokerStars USA Pro Jason Mercier. The guy is still paying a premium for car insurance, yet he’s won enough money to buy his own car dealership. Or two. Mercier celebrated his 24th birthday this week in Los Angeles and is looking to gift himself with a $725,000 birthday present on Wednesday night. Mercier is a Florida native and grew up playing basketball competitively. A loyal Floridian, Mercier can often be seen rocking his #6 Miami Heat jersey around the poker room. Jason enters the final table second in chips with 3,800,000.
Bio courtesy of the NAPT
Anh Van Nguyen is a Vietnamese-born, Canadian citizen, currently residing in Toronto. One of the newest members of Team PokerStars Canada, Nguyen was a poker dealer before turning pro several years ago. His nickname “Van Diesel,” Nguyen polished his poker skills in local charity casinos in Toronto and underground clubs before taking his game mainstream. Nguyen has just under a million dollars in career tournament earnings to his name. When he was 13-years-old, Nguyen lied about his age to get a job at McDonalds where he worked until he was 16. Nguyen enters the final table with 1,058,000 in chips.
Bio courtesy of the NAPT
