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The record-setting 2021 WPT Poker Showdown Championship celebrated our 10th anniversary with the World Poker Tour and the tournament is down to its final table; we had  2,482 entries but only six of them remain. They will head to Las Vegas to play it out in the PokerGo Studio on May 18 and one of them will walk away with $1,261,095.

We have a diverse group of players vying for the title with four of the six guaranteed to bank the biggest cash of their year no matter where they finish. Ken “Teach” Aldridge is the only WSOP bracelet winner at the final table and Sonny Franco is a former WPTDeepStacks Paris champ.

Here are the six players with a chance to put their name on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup and take home more than $1.2 million.

Seat 1.  Brek Schutten – 31,350,000

From Grand Rapids, MI, he has nearly $400,000 in earnings and this will be the biggest cash of his career no matter where he finished. Schutten has two WSOP Circuit final table appearances and this is his first SHRP Hollywood cash.

Seat 2.  Ken Aldridge – 10,600,000

From Pleasants Gardens, NC, the man they call “Teach” will cross over $2 million in career earnings with his results from this final table. He won a WSOP bracelet in 2009, has five WSOP final tables, and this is his second WPT final table. Aldridge also owns an SHRP trophy from winning the LHPO Six-Max PLO title in 2020.

Seat 3.  Steven Snyder – 15,975,000

From Charlotte, NC, his earnings will top $1,000,000 following the final table and this will also be the biggest cash of his career. Snyder owns three WSOP Circuit rings and this is his second WPT cash.

Seat 4.  Viet Vo –
4,150,000

From Pearland, TX, just like “Teach” in Seat 2, Vo will push his career earning over $2 million regardless of where he finishes at the final table. Vo has two WSOP Circuit ring, one other WPT final table, and an SHRP trophy from winning the 2015 LHPO Purple Chip Bounty event.

Seat 5.  Albert Calderon – 5,350,000

From Chandler, AZ, this is his first WPT cash and another player booking their biggest career payout from this final table. Calderon won the $1K Arizona State Championship event in 2019 for $237,000.

Seat 6.  Sonny Franco  – 31,900,000

From Morocco via France, Franco has more than $2 million in career earnings but this will still be his biggest cash as well. He won the WPTDeepStacks Paris title in 2020 and has three WSOP Circuit rings including a win in the WSOP Circuit Marrakech Main Event.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 33: 200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 2,482

Seat 1.  Brekstyn Schutten  –  31,350,000  (78 bb)
Seat 2.  Ken Aldridge  –  10,600,000  (27 bb)
Seat 3.  Steven Snyder  –  15,975,000  (40 bb)
Seat 4.  Viet Vo  –  4,150,000  (10 bb)
Seat 5.  Albert Calderon  –  5,350,000  (13 bb)
Seat 6.  Sonny Franco  –  31,900,000  (80 bb)

The final table will take place on May 18th at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be filmed for a later TV broadcast. When play resumes, there will be one hour remaining in the level, with blinds of 200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante. The button will be on Brekstyn Schutten and there will be a dead small blind.

Each player is guaranteed $261,700 at this point, with the first-place prize set at $1,261,095.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 33: 200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 2,482

Sonny Franco raised to 800,000 from the button, Brekstyn Schutten called from the small blind and Erik Cajelais three-bet all in from the big blind for 6,175,000. Franco called and Schutten folded.

Franco:
Cajelais:

The board came down , no help to Cajelais, ending his run in seventh place.

Sonny Franco – 32,000,000 (80 bb)
Erik Cajelais – Eliminated in 7th Place ($203,405)

The remaining six players are filling out paperwork and bio sheets for the final table, which will be played on May 18th in Las Vegas at the PokerGO Studio.

Official chip counts will be posted shortly.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Return to Level 33: 200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 2,482

Seat 1: Brekstyn Schutten – 29,325,000 (73 bb)
Seat 2: Erik Cajelais – 7,575,000 (19 bb)
Seat 3: Ken Aldridge  – 11,600,000 (29 bb)
Seat 4: Steven Snyder – 17,775,000 (44 bb)
Seat 5: Viet Vo – 4,150,000 (10 bb)
Seat 6: Albert Calderon – 6,350,000 (16 bb)
Seat 7: Sonny Franco – 22,550,000 (56 bb)

1st: $1,261,095
2nd: $899,295
3rd: $593,140
4th: $438,500
5th: $326,750
6th: $261,700
7th: $203,405

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 32: 150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 2,482

Ken Aldridge raised to 600,000 from under the gun, Steven Snyder three-bet to 2,250,000 from the next seat over, Aldridge four-bet all in for 5,425,000 and Snyder called.

Aldridge:
Snyder:

The board came down , safe for Aldridge to double up.

Ken Aldridge – 11,600,000 (39 bb)
Steven Snyder – 17,775,000 (59 bb)

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 32: 150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 2,482

Steven Snyder raised to 600,000 from middle position and Brekstyn Schutten called from the small blind.

They checked to the turn of a board where Schutten bet 600,000. Snyder called.

The river was the , Schutten bet 1,400,000, Snyder raised all in for 8,775,000 and Schutten thought for a bit before he called with for an eight-high straight.

Snyder, however, tabled for an ace-high flush to double up.

Steven Snyder – 20,500,000 (68 bb)
Brekstyn Schutten – 16,500,000 (55 bb)

Schutten, however, has chipped back up considerably since then and is back above the 24 million mark.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Return to Level 32: 150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 2,482

Seat 1: Brekstyn Schutten – 25,500,000 (85 bb)
Seat 2: Erik Cajelais – 15,850,000 (53 bb)
Seat 3: Ken Aldridge  – 8,275,000 (28 bb)
Seat 4: Steven Snyder – 11,225,000 (37 bb)
Seat 5: Viet Vo – 5,900,000 (20 bb)
Seat 6: Albert Calderon – 12,050,000 (40 bb)
Seat 7: Sonny Franco – 20,525,000 (68 bb)

1st: $1,261,095
2nd: $899,295
3rd: $593,140
4th: $438,500
5th: $326,750
6th: $261,700
7th: $203,405

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31: 125,000/250,000 with a 250,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 2,482

Ken Aldridge raised to 600,000 from under the gun, Zachary Vuong called from middle position and Erik Cajelais called from the big blind.

The flop was and Cajelais checked to Aldridge who continued for 1,700,000. Only Vuong called.

The turn was the , Aldridge bet effectively 1,150,000 and Vuong called all in.

Aldridge:
Vuong:

Vuong had the inferior kicker and found no help from the river, ending his run in eighth place.

Ken Aldridge – 10,400,000 (42 bb)
Zachary Vuong – Eliminated in 8th Place ($145,820)

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31: 125,000/250,000 with a 250,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 2,482

Sonny Franco raised to 525,000 from under the gun, Zachary Vuong three-bet to 1,800,000 from the button and Franco called.

They checked to the turn of an board where Franco bet 250,000. Vuong called.

The river was the , Franco bet 1,800,000 and Vuong called.

Franco showed for an ace-high straight, Vuong mucked and Franco collected the pot.

Sonny Franco – 21,100,000 (84 bb)
Zachary Vuong – 4,550,000 (18 bb)

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31: 125,000/250,000 with a 250,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 2,482

The final table redraw has taken place and here is the lineup:

Seat 1: Brekstyn Schutten -17,950,000 (72 bb)
Seat 2: Erik Cajelais – 17,400,000 (70 bb)
Seat 3: Ken Aldridge  – 9,500,000 (38 bb)
Seat 4: Steven Snyder – 9,550,000 (38 bb)
Seat 5: Zachary Vuong – 9,075,000 (36 bb)
Seat 6: Viet Vo – 4,100,000 (16 bb)
Seat 7: Albert Calderon – 16,100,000 (64 bb)
Seat 8: Sonny Franco – 14,200,000 (57 bb)

1st: $1,261,095
2nd: $899,295
3rd: $593,140
4th: $438,500
5th: $326,750
6th: $261,700
7th: $203,405
8th: $145,820

Play will stop for the night when just six players remain, and those six will play the final table on May 18th at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas.