LAS VEGAS " Nine rounders plodded through the last of a field of 6,844 players to reach the pinnacle of poker on Tuesday, the final table of the World Series of Poker main event.
Dean Hamrick, a 25-year-old poker player from East Lansing, Mich., was eliminated in the last hand Tuesday morning when his ace-jack failed to beat the pocket queens of 23-year-old amateur Craig Marquis of Arlington, Texas.
Both players bet the last of their chips before seeing any community cards. Hamrick picked up an inside straight draw on the flop, giving him additional possibilities to win the hand, but he failed to pair his ace or make the straight and was eliminated in 10th place. He won $591,869.
"It's the worst you're ever going to feel to win half a million bucks," Hamrick said. "I guess at least it's a good story."
The hand ended a marathon 11-hour, 38-minute session of play, excluding breaks.
The final nine players now will have to wait four months for their chance at the top prize. Tournament officials changed the structure of the final table this year to coincide with the television airing of the event, giving the players extra time to study, promote themselves and generate hype.
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