Graceful in Defeat, Kelly Minkin Bows Out of the 2018 WSOP Main Event

“At the end of the day, I can’t control the cards, so it wasn’t my time this year,” Kelly Minkin said with a smile after her 2018 WSOP Main Event run ended in 50^th place for $156,265.

During her run in this event, Minkin enjoyed the support of friends, family and the majority of poker fans following the action on Twitter, as her aggressive playing style and confidence resonated with many.

“I think that if you’re going to play the Main Event, you’re going to have to believe you’re going to win. You have to be confident you’re going to win.”

Just minutes after hitting the rail after busting with ace-ten versus the ace-king of Frederik Brink, Minkin reflected back on her second Day 6 bustout in poker’s biggest event.

“The last hand kinda played itself, so I’m happy with the result. At the end of the day, when I open that hand I busted on, I was prepared to shove if I got three-bet. I felt as though I would get three-bet like 80% of the time, and it was an unfortunate spot, but I’m happy with my play.”

Minkin played the majority of the last two days at the main feature table surrounded by tough players, but she never backed down and looked back with positive feelings about her plays. One play, in particular, went a bit viral when she stuck it in there with king-high after getting raised on the flop.

How "gangster" did @The_Illest get with the K8o? Enough to make the power go out five minutes later. @WSOP Main Event coverage was suspended Monday, but returns to @ESPN and PokerGO on Tuesday.
▶️ https://t.co/wtwTU6NmGw pic.twitter.com/Zf7tkygHHK

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) July 10, 2018

Talking about the hand Nick Schulman called ‘gangster,’ Minkin said with a big smile, “That hand was a little crazy, but his play made zero sense. I just wanted to take the pot down and I was fairly confident that I had the best hand. The euro guys are tricky though, and you have to deny equity when you can.”

In summary, Minkin picked up a ton of fans of both her play and her personality during her second deep run in the Main Event, riding a wave of support from friends and family into the third fifth-figure score of her poker career.

“It was so exciting having everyone on my side. The support and the love I got from the fans, my friends, family and other people on social media is overwhelming. I hope that it continues after this event.”

Finishing in the Top 50 of the WSOP Main Event for the second time in just three years, Minkin is just getting started and already looking ahead at 2019 as she heads for the Amazon Room exit.

“I got lucky to get to this point, and I guess I’m just going to have to come back and make the final table next year,”