The 2017 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event is down to the final few tables from the 7,221-entrant field, and one player who is no longer in contention for the $8,150,000 first-place prize is SnapShove Founder Max Silver.
The third-largest WSOP Main Event of history saw 85 players return on Day 6 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Germany’s Robin Hegele was the chip leader with 9,990,000 in chips, while Silver sat third overall with 8,665,000 in chips. Players were guaranteed $72,514, but eyes were on surviving the day and being part of the 27 players advancing to Day 7 where a $263,532 payout would be assured.
Silver had won his first WSOP bracelet just a few weeks earlier in Event #53: $3,000 Limit Hold’em 6-Handed, and he was in prime position to best his 33rd-place finish in the 2016 WSOP Main Event. His day began by doubling Gregory Goldberg to slip to 6,290,000 in chips, before he pushed back up the leaderboard in a pot against Michael Zelman.
In a hand with Michael Sklenicka, Silver took a big hit for almost half of his chip stack when his triple-barreled bluff was picked off by Sklenicka. Down to 4,250,000 in chips, he would then double Frenchman Alexandre Reard when all the money went in on the river of an ace-high board with Silver’s ace-queen suited bested by Reard’s ace-king.
Now with just 11 big blinds, the final blow happened a few hands later. Scott Blumstein opened in middle position and Scott Stewart called from the button. Silver moved all-in from the big blind with pocket sevens, and after Bumstein folded, Stewart called with pocket jacks. Unfortunately for the founder of SnapShove, the board bricked out, and Silver was eliminated in 45th place for $176,399 in prize money.
Over a remarkable 13-month stretch, Silver recorded 15 WSOP cashes, captured his first WSOP bracelet, placed 33rd out of 6,737 entries in the 2016 WSOP Main Event, and followed it up with a 45th-place finish out of 7,221 entries in the 2017 WSOP Main Event. Beyond the WSOP, he finished 4th in the EPT Malta €25k No-Limit Hold’em High Roller for €164,030 and won the €2,150 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo Six Max at the Monte Carlo PokerStars Championship for €43,000. A true breakout year for the founder of SnapShove.
