Jacob Balsiger, a previously unknown poker player from Tempe, Arizona, had one other World Series of Poker cash in 2012 prior to the Main Event, which came in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament for $3,531. He was in a good position to make a run at the WSOP final table, with 3,675,000 chips to start Day 6. He was in 13th place with 97 players left, which represented almost double the average stack of 2,040,000 chips. He entered the 2012 WSOP October Nine in eighth place with 13.1 million in chips and finished in third place for $3.7 million.

On Day 5, Balsiger was involved in eliminating the oldest player remaining, 76-year-old three-time WSOP bracelet winner Perry Green. Green, who finished as the runner-up in the 1981 WSOP Main Event to Stu Unger, was honored earlier in the day by announcing the “Shuffle up and deal” command.

On Green’s last hand, Danny Wong raised to 44,000 on the button and Green and Basiger flatted from the small blind and big blind, respectively. With all three players checking a flop of 8-7-4, Green pushed in his remaining 300,000 in chips on the turn when a jack was turned over.

Balsiger called with 8-7 offsuit and Wong folded, putting Green way behind with K-J. Green was unable to improve on the river, sending him to the rail and boosting Balsiger’s chip count up to 2.8 million.

Later on Day 5, Balsiger was involved in a one million chip pot with David Klugman, where Balsiger got Klugman to fold after betting 600,000 on the river. While we do not know what either player was holding, there was a small controversy since Klugman was asked to show his cards to a hole card camera for future television coverage.

Klugman called for a floor person without realizing one was standing right behind him and was told, “Sir, if you don’t show your cards to the camera, you’re going to get a one-round penalty.” Klugman then flashed his cards to the camera and quickly mucked his hand. Balsiger reached the high point of his early WSOP run with 3.9 million in chips after this hand.