Sami Rustom, a previously unknown poker player from Diamond Bar, California, recorded his first WSOP cash in fine fashion in the 2013 WSOP Main Event. Rustom was 2nd in chips to start Day 5 and ended the day as the chip leader going into Day 6 with 7,005,000 in chips. He ultimately went out of the Main Event in 39th place for $185,000.

Rustom knocked out a few pros along the way including David Benyamine, who was coming off a fourth place finish in the $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship, and Jeff Shulman on Day 3. With the blinds at 1,000/2,000 Rustom had the stone cold nuts on the turn with 8-7 offsuit on a 6h-Jc-5s-9h board. The river was a Kh, which allowed for a flush to possibly beat Rustom. Rustom lead out with a huge bet on the river with his straight and busted Benyamine when he called. Rustom then asked Benyamine if he had a set and Benyamine nodded that he did.

A little while later, Rustom went at it again with Jeff Shulman, this time with the pre-flop nuts of A-A. After a few pre-flop raises, Shulman got it all-in with Q-Q and the board of J-6-8-6-9 was of no assistance, sending Shulman to the felts.

On day 5, Rustom was able to assume the chip lead, making a gutsy call with 6-6 on a Tc-5d-2d-Qs board against Vincent Robert. Robert shoved all of his chips in for his tournament life and was drawing live with Ad- 4d for a potential flush, straight, or top pair on the river. With the river card coming out a harmless Th, Rustom increased his chip count by 1.0 million in chips to 4.3 million.

Later on Day 5, with the blinds at 15,000/30,000, Rustom got involved with 7-6 offsuit in a four-way pot with Sylvain Loosli, Dan Owen, and Simon Ravnsbaek. On a Ks-4c-5c flop, Loosli open the action with a 60,000 bet, only to be called by Owen and Ravnsbaek. Rustom took and aggressive line and check-raised the flop to 280,000 chips, to which Loosli and Owen responded by folding.

Ravnsbaek 3bet to 590,000 chips and Rustom called. There was no action on the turn of the 8d, which gave Rustom the nuts. The river was a 7c, which potentially once again put a flush on the board. Rustom bet out 500,000 in chips, Ravnsbaek called, and mucked when he saw the straight. This pot put Rustom at almost 7.5 million chips before he ended the day as the Day 5 chip leader with approximately 7.0 million chips.