Seat 1: DJ Alexander

By Kevin Taylor

Chip Count: 2,730,000 (34 big blinds)
Age: 32
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Twitter: @_HerfavoriteDJ

For DJ Alexander, 2017 has been a year of close calls and bitter disappointment. He started the year with a fourth-place finish in a WSOP Circuit main event, and he just missed out on major final tables during WPT Choctaw and the the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open. However, the toughest beat came in the Millionaire Maker at the WSOP, where he finished runner-up after having his pocket aces cracked by pocket threes.

“After taking second in the Millionaire Maker… it was pretty devastating,” Alexander told WPT.com. “When you get in that spot, and get it in as a 4-1 favorite and lose, it’s pretty heartbreaking.”

However, it looks like Alexander’s fortunes might be turning at this final table. First, Alexander managed to crack Jared Griener’s pocket aces with ace-ten. Then on the bubble of the televised final table, Alexander came from behind again, beating pocket kings with ace-jack.

“I mean, getting to this spot is hard,”Alexander said. “A lot of people never get here, so I’ve been pretty fortunate. But the last month, I’ve been pretty unfortunate getting really close to these final tables, but it’s part of the game.”

In addition to poker, Alexander is a big fantasy football fan. So much so that he was drafting from his iPad last night while playing down to the final six players.

Given his close calls, Alexander is not taking this opportunity for granted, knowing how special a WPT final table is.

“It would mean everything,” Alexander said. “Since I missed out on winning a bracelet this summer, I mean, a WPT title? Especially a televised one? It would be great! I barely missed out on a final table at WPT Choctaw and that was a televised final table as well.”

Alexander is from the Houston area and has pledged to donate five percent of his winnings from this event to Tropical Storm Harvey relief funds.

“That’s actually extra motivation,” Alexander told PokerNews.com. “I mean, I’m already motivated enough, but yeah, I’m just trying to win the max money for those back home.”