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What was once 75 is now down to the Final 10 at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Poker Royale, the World Poker Players Association Championship event, will decide who takes home $125,420 AND will play one final hand for a chance to split $10 MILLION with a lucky viewer!

Your host is recent Celebrity Poker Showdown Finalist and Saturday Night Live alumnus Kevin Nealon. Your "poker expert" this ep is Robert Williamson III.

Now, unlike my lengthy recaps of the WPT and CPS, since this show shows all hands but not all bets, I am forced to just recap the key hands through commentary. We start with the chip count for the Final Table:

CHIP COUNT - FINAL TABLE
Carlos Mortensen	129,400
Paul Wolfe	155,100
Bill Carroll	87,400
Yohanes Muruz	72,425
Kathy Leibert	65,100
James Van Alstyne	52,500
Jesse Jones	57,575
Lee Markholt	29,400
David Troung	32,500
Avery Cardoza	2025

Let's shuffle up and deal!

Hansen	Wolfe
4? 4?	9? 5?
Hansen, the SERIOUS short-stack, goes all-in with his "sailboats". Wolfe, the chip leader, actually TELLS Hansen that he'll "double him up" no matter what he has. It's a coin flip
FLOP: J? 5? 6?
The Flop give Wolfe a higher pair. Hansen needs a 4 or running spades to stay in the game.
TURN: 10? RIVER: 5?
5? 5? 4? 4? J?	5? 5? 5? J? 10?
OUT - 10th Place	WIN 4450

As Thor talks to Susan on the sidelines, he gives the poker mantra of "if you have a ship and a chair, you have a chance." Then he adds, "I just wish I had more chips."

Mortensen	Murez	Carroll
9? 6?	8? 8?	8? 7?
Mortensen tosses 2100 in with his suited "dinner for two"...but Murez's "smowmen" is much better. Carroll's suited connectors aren't MUCH better, but the ARE better. Murez is 5% fave.
FLOP: 6? 4? 3?
Mortensen has a pair of 6s...but Murez still leads with his 8s AND a straight draw. Carroll has a different straight possibility AND a flush draw. Mortenson leads out with 7000...and Murez raises to 15,000. Carroll mucks his draws (despite being the fave) and Mortensen asks how much Murez has left. He simply calls, a 79% "dog"
		WIN 98,125

CHIP COUNT
Bill Carroll	96,000
Paul Wolfe	158,275
Yohanes Muruz	98,125
James Van Alstyne	94,300
Carlos Mortensen	85,400
Kathy Leibert	70,300
Lee Markholt	50,900
Jesse Jones	48,600
David Troung	18,100

Mortensen	Wolfe	Markholt	Liebert
K? 10?	9? 8?	9? 7?	K? J?
18%	23%	21%	38%
Mortensen raises to 2100 with his "woodcutter". Wolfe calls his suited connectors. Markholt does as well...and Liebert calls with her "Kojak".
FLOP: Q? 6? J?
13%	11%	2%	74%
Hmmm...fascinating. Mortensen has a straight draw, Liebert a flush draw. Liebert checks and Mortensen bets 2100, causing Wolfe and Markholt to fold. Kathy calls.
20%			80%
TURN: 5?
No help...but it makes Liebert an 86% fave now. She checks...and Mortensen bets 9000. She ponders this for a while...then calls.
RIVER: 5?
Well, Liebert's won this hand with two pair...but SHE doesn't know it. Mortensen bets 30,000. Liebert says she's not sure she can call that... and, after some pondering, she folds.
WIN 98,125
Proof positive that you don't NEED "the nuts" to HAVE the "nuts".

Wolfe	Markholt	Muruz	Carroll	Mortensen
8? 8?	8? 5?	6? 6?	Q? Q?	J? 10?
10%	12%	13%	52%	13%
Wolfe thinks his snowmen are good for a raise to 2400. Markholt stays in, hopping to see a lucky flop. Muruz calls with his 6s. Carroll, rookie that he is, only CALLS with his "Seigfreid & Roy". And Mortensen, in the Big Blind, calls as well.
FLOP: 7? 4? 6?
7%	53%	35%	3%	2%
Ut oh...THIS should get interesting. Wolfe has a straight draw, Muruz has the Devil's Hand (666)...but Markholt flopped an 8-high STRAIGHT! It checks to Muruz, who puts in 11,000. Carroll and Mortensen folds back to Wolfe. Wolfe hears Muruz telling Mortensen to "send it in" and picks up a 'tell' of strength. Wolfe folds...and Muruz almost mucks his hand, forgetting that Markholt is still in the hand. Markholt raises another 11Gs. After some consideration, Muruz puts Markholt all-in...which Markholt quickly calls. Muruz needs a 6 for four-of-a-kind or a 7 or a 4 for a full house. Markholt is a 65% fave.
TURN: K? RIVER: Q?
	8?7?6?5?4?	6?6?6?K?Q?
	WIN 102,550

OK, let's get a REAL hand going here!

Wolfe	Mortensen	Truong
A? K?	7? 6?	A? 6?
Wolfe raises to 2400 with Big Slick. Mortensen sees a cheap flop with suited connectors and Truong an even CHEAPER flop with... well, not much. Wolfe is over a 2-to-1 fave to win.
FLOP: K? 4? 9?
Wolfe has a pair... but Truong has a flush draw. Wolfe bets 8000. Mortensen gets out of the way... and the short-stacked Truong goes all-in, which is quickly called by Wolfe. Any of 9 more clubs will win it for Truong. He's a 2-to-1 "dog", though.
TURN: 7?
And that's one of them clubs. Wolfe is drawing dead; Truong has doubled-up!
RIVER: 4?
K? K? 4? 4? A?		A? 9? 7? 6? 4?
		WIN 47,700

Van Alstyne	Mortensen	Wolfe
A? K?	K? 9?	7? 7?
Van Alstyne hasn't been in too many hands. So, when he raises to 2400, most people fold to get out of the way. But not the aggressive Mortensen, who calls with his "pedigreed dog", nor Wolfe, who see a cheap flop with his "mullets". Wolfe is a 40% have, Val Alstyne with a 38% chance.
FLOP: A? 3? 7?
Wolfe hit the "slot machine" (7-7-7). Van Alstyne has Aces and Mortensen...is drawing dead. Val Alstyne bets...and Mortensen raises on a bluff. After some thought, Wolfe re-raises. Val Alstyne calls...and Mortensen, seeing he's WAY outclassed, folds. Wolfe is a 19-to-1 fave; all that can beat him is a third Ace for Van Alstyne.
TURN: 6?
Van Alstyne now has a flush draw. Wolfe says "All-in"... and Van Alstyne calls all-in himself. An Ace or a spade will kep Van Alstyne in the game...
RIVER: Q?
BAM! Wolfe is drowned at the River!
A? K? Q? 7? 6?	10? 9? 8? 7? 6?
WIN 139,450

Wolfe was so shocked at the River, he dropped his good-luck picture of his daughter. And, with that pot, the stoic James Van Alstyne take the chip lead. And Wolfe, having doubled two people up in a row is...well,...see for yourself:

CHIP COUNT
Bill Carroll	113,700
James Van Alstyne	194,275
Carlos Mortensen	129,000
Kathy Leibert	71,000
Lee Markholt	69,550
Jesse Jones	43,025
David Troung	36,200
Paul Wolfe	35,800
Yohanes Muruz	27,450

Wolfe	Carroll
K? 5?	A? 8?
Wolfe MUST be on-tilt, since he's betting on a not-so-good hand. Carroll's no prize, either, but he calls as an almost 2-to-1 fave.
FLOP: J? A? 7?
Carroll has Aces AND a flush draw and checks. Wolfe bets 5500...and Carroll only calls.
TURN: 10?
Only a Queen can hurt Carroll now. He checks...and so does Wolfe.
RIVER: Q?
Un-@#$%ing-believable! Wolfe caught his straight on the River! Carroll checks... and Wolfe bets 9000. Carroll calls...and groans at what her sees.
A? K? Q? J? 10?	A? A? Q? J? 10?
WIN 37,200

Truong	Van Alstyne
7? 7?	A? J?
Truong calls the Big Blind... but the usually tight Van Alstyne raises with his "Ajax". Truong calls and is a SLIGHT fave.
FLOP: J? 6? 4?
Van Alstyne made a pair and is an 8-to-1 fave. He bets and Truong raises to $7000. After some consideration, Val Alstyne calls, wanting to wait for the Turn.
TURN: 10?
Truong checks...making Van Alstyne believe he was on a flush draw. He leads out with 8000. Truong calls, thinking Val Astyne is bluffing. The only card that can help Truong is...
RIVER: K?
...a seven. It goes check-check...and Van ALstyne wins another pot he's in.
7? 7? K? J? 10?	J? J? A? K? 10?
	WIN 36,200

CHIP COUNT
Kathy Leibert	88,450
James Van Alstyne	213,800
Carlos Mortensen	128,700
Paul Wolfe	85,350
Bill Carroll	76,600
Lee Markholt	48,500
Jesse Jones	36,050
Yohanes Muruz	29,300
David Troung	13,250

Jones	Mortensen
8? 8?	J? J?
Jones raises to 3000...but Mortensen with his Jacks makes it 11,000. Everyone else folds, leaving Mortensen an 81% fave. Jones thinks... and thinks... and re-raises all-in! Mortensen calls, leaving a 73,600 pot. Jones needs an 8 or four clubs on the Board to stay alive.
FLOP: 9? 6? J?
OUCH! Mortensen flopped trips Jacks! Jones is a 19-to-1 longshot now, needing the other two 8s or running cards to a straight.
TURN: 3?
Nope... not gonna happen.
8? 8? J? 9? 6?	J? J? J? 9? 6?
OUT - 9th Place $10,450	WIN 73,600

Jones, a charter member of the WPPA, is the first one to finish "in the money". The payouts get progressively higher for each person KOed.

Truong	Markholt
Q? J?	K? K?
Truong calls with his suited connectors...but Markholt, with "cowboys", re-raises. Truong waits for the table to fold around him... then goes all-in. Markholt calls quickly afterwards. Why not? He's an 83% fave, after all.
FLOP: 9? Q? 10?
Truong's flopped a pair AND a straight draw. A King, a Queen or an 8 will pull him ahead...but he's STILL a 7-to-3 "dog".
TURN: 2?
No help; Truong has an 18% chance to stay alive...
RIVER: 6?
Q? Q? J? 10? 9?	K? K? Q? 10? 9?
OUT - 8th Place $12,000	WIN 41,150

And, with that, the Final Table is set:

CHIP COUNT
Bill Carroll	130,350
James Van Alstyne	179,875
Carlos Mortensen	138,550
Kathy Leibert	104,350
Paul Wolfe	94,025
Lee Markholt	51,525
Yohanes Muruz	20,925

Which of these seven will survive to play for ten million dollars? Stay tuned!