The Road to the Final Three: Ben Lamb (55,400,000)
Ben Lamb is the 2011 World Series of Poker Player of the Year. He surely played like it on Sunday, chipping up from 20.875 million in chips to over 55 million. He increased his stack by 165.39% and has all eyes on him heading into three-handed play. "It's Benba's world and we're all just living in it," was the yell from some of Lamb's fans during his run on Sunday and it really will be his world if he can come out on top with the victory.
Lamb didn't get involved into Hand #12, which was much to the surprise of many of the people watching the action. Over the course of the final table, Lamb played the second most hands behind Pius Heinz's 65 with 48 and did a lot of preflop raising and three-betting. In fact, he three-bet the most (10 times).
Although it took Lamb the longest to get involved in the action, he was the man who sent the first player out the door on the day -- Sam Holden.
Holden began the day as the short stack and three-bet shoved for 11.125 million over Lamb's open to 1.7 million. Lamb called holding the 
. Holden was dominated with the 
. The flop came down 
and then Lamb turned an unbeatable flush when the 
fell. The river completed the board with the 
and ended Holden's tournament to move Lamb into third place overall with over 34 million.
Lamb stayed right around that mark until Hand #73 came up. It was then that Lamb lost nearly half of his stack to a Phil Collins spike.
Collins open-shoved all in from the button for 13.575 million and Lamb called from the big blind. Collins held the 
and Lamb the . The 
flop didn't have much there for Collins, but the 
turn card are a very sweatastic one. The 
on the river slammed Collins with a flush and caused Lamb to fall to 15.325 million.
On Hand #97, Lamb would find his own river card to spike a much needed double up. Eoghan O'Dea raised to 1.6 million from the cutoff seat and Lamb reraised all in from the big blind for 14.225 million. O'Dera tank-called with the 
to be ahead of Lamb's 
.
The flop of gave Lamb a flush draw. The 
turn wasn't what he was looking for, but the 
on the river gave him the win.
At the dinner break, Lamb had chipped his way up to 46.3 million with four players left, but upon return was under constant pressure Pius Heinz was slipped back a bit. Then, Hand #174 happened. Or simply, Benba happened.
Matt Giannetti raised on the button to 2.6 million and Ben Lamb reraised all in from the big blind for 26.8 million. Giannetti called and everyone in the theatre jumped to their feet. Giannetti held the 
and had the most chips against Lamb's 
. The board ran out 
and Lamb mashed the flush.
Giannetti doubled back once, but then fell on the 178th hand to Lamb, who flopped quad kings. Giannetti raised all in for 12 million from the button and Lamb called from the big blind with the 
. Giannetti held the 
. The flop came down and that was the end of Giannetti in fourth place, sealing the deal for the final three players.