James McManus, Columnist

A $10 Million Poker Finale for the Ages

The World Series of Poker Main Event recommenced at the Rio casino in Las Vegas this week, after a nearly four-month hiatus so ESPN could broadcast the finals almost live over two nights.

November 12, 2014 at 10:40 PM UTC

By James McManus

James McManus is the author of "Positively Fifth Street" and "Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker." He has written about the game for the New York Times, Harper's, the New Yorker, Foreign Policy, Esquire and Grantland. He teaches writing and literature at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

They knew when to hold 'em, fold 'em, etc.
Photographer: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

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The World Series of Poker Main Event recommenced at the Rio casino in Las Vegas this week, after a nearly four-month hiatus so ESPN could broadcast the finals almost live over two nights during the November sweeps. There was a 30-minute delay because the hole cards were shown to the television audience.

After 244 hands played over 12 hours, six of the nine finalists were eliminated, leaving Norway's Felix Stephensen, Stockholm native Martin Jacobson, and Dutchman Jorryt van Hoof to compete for the gold bracelet and $10 million first prize.