When you fly across the ocean from Scotland and then fly across the entirety of the United States to play in the 2015 World Series of Poker, you really don’t want to see your name at the bottom of the chip counts at the end of a day. Then again, if that day is Day 6 of the Main Event and there are only 27 players remaining, that really isn’t so bad. The week will certainly pay for airfare.

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George McDonald was second-to-last in chips with 2.875 million as players at the final three tables jockeyed to make it to the last one in action in the 2015 WSOP Main Event. This was brand new territory for McDonald, who had just seven lifetime live tournament cashes to his name. He ended up in 12th place for $526,000.

Two, though, were at the World Series of Poker – a 42nd place finish in a $1,000 No Limit Hold’em event in 2006 and a 73rd place finish in a $5,000 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em event in 2011. He had won $47,138 in live tournaments entering the 2015 Main Event.

It could have been worse for McDonald. He was all-in pre-flop late on Day 6 for less than 2 million in chips with A-Q and was called by Max Steinberg with pocket sevens. You generally don’t want to race for your tournament life, but it worked out for McDonald, as he hit runner-runner trips to double-up and stay in the tournament.

He was actually up to 3.75 million chips at that point, so he apparently was not able to keep the momentum going as the night wound down, but doubling up and staying a short stack is better than catching a plane the next morning.

Image courtesy HendonMob