2008 World Series of Poker

39th Annual World Series of Poker Main Event
Event Info

2008 World Series of Poker

Event Info
Buy-in
$10,000
Entries
6,844
Players Left
9
Next Payout
Place 9
$900,670
Level Info
Level
33
Blinds
120,000 / 240,000
Ante
30,000

Big Pot, No Showdown

Jeremy Joseph
Jeremy Joseph
Had a fairly big hand just before the end of the level involving David Saab (button), Suresh Prabhu (small blind), and Jeremy Joseph (big blind).

There was 120,000 in the middle when the flop came {A-Spades}{3-Spades}{7-Hearts}. The blinds checked, and Saab bet 80,000. Prabhu called, then Joseph reraised to 300,000. Both Saab and Prabhu called.

The turn was the {9-Hearts}. Prabhu checked, Joseph pushed all in for about 1.26 million, and Saab and Prabhu both folded.

Joseph has 2.3 million, Saab has 2 million, and Prabhu 1.58 million.

Tags: David SaabJeremy JosephSuresh Prabhu

Scherer Doubles with Rockets

Just before the end of the level, Niklas Flisberg and Anthony Scherer got it all in on a flop of {Q-Clubs} {6-Spades} {4-Clubs}. Scherer, who started the hand in the big blind, held {A-Diamonds} {A-Clubs}. Flisberg turned over {Q-Spades} {8-Clubs} for top pair. The board ran out {9-Diamonds} {7-Hearts}. Scherer, the player at risk of elimination, managed to double up to just over two million in chips when his rockets held up. Flisberg is down to 1,220,000.

The Return of Riesenberg

After a rough start today, Jason Riesenberg had tumbled all of the way down to just 85,000. He's worked his way back, though, and just now doubled through when his pocket sevens outlasted Ylon Schwartz's {A-Hearts}{Q-Hearts}.

Riesenberg is back up to 950,000, while Schwartz has slid down to 240,000.

Tags: Jason Riesenberg

Hellmuth Makes Yet Another Big Laydown

Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth
Action folded around to Phil Hellmuth in late position and he raised to 50,000. Alfredo Fernandez reraised to 150,000 from the small blind and Hellmuth made the call.

The flop came {10-Clubs} {10-Diamonds} {7-Spades}. Fernandez shoved all in for about 1,150,000 which was extremely close to Hellmuth's remaining stack. The call would have been for his tournament life or very close to it.

Hellmuth thought for a bit, at one point saying, "So sick -- he's probably cold-shoving eights or something."

Hellmuth eventually folded {Q-Clubs} {Q-Spades} face-up and as Fernandez stacked the pot, he tossed his {Q-Hearts} {Q-Diamonds} face-up into the muck.

An obviously frustrated Hellmuth kept his composure.

Keith Ferrera is Out

Keith Ferrera
Keith Ferrera
Nothing seemed to go right for Keith Ferrera today, up to and including his last two hands in the Main Event. He ran pocket sevens into Stephane Hornet's pocket aces to lose all but 180,000 of his chips, and then he lost the last of his chips to Dennis Phillips just moments later. Ferrera pushed on the button with {10-Diamonds} {10-Spades}, Phillips called from the small blind with {K-Spades} {9-Spades}, and after the flop came {Q-Clubs} {6-Diamonds} {4-Hearts} and the turn the {5-Spades} it looked like Ferrera would double up...but the {K-Clubs} spiked on the river to give Phillips the pot and send Ferrera out of the tournament.

Doug Ashmore Eliminated by Jonathan Plens

Doug Ashmore
Doug Ashmore
Jonathan Plens opened the pot for 44,000 from UTG and Doug Ashmore called from the big blind. The flop was {K-Clubs} {6-Diamonds} {2-Clubs}. Ashmore checked, Plens bet 60,000 and Ashmore called. The turn was the {A-Spades}. Ashmore checked again, Plens bet 150,000, Ashmore raised all in for 417,000 and Plens made the call.

Ashmore: {A-Clubs} {5-Clubs}

Plens: {6-Spades} {6-Hearts}

Ashmore's top pair and flush draw were up against Plens' flopped set of sixes. The river, though, was the {10-Spades} and Ashmore was eliminated. After the hand, Plens was up to 1,811,000.

Tags: Doug AshmoreJonathan Plens

Cantu Wins the Battle of the Brandons

Brandon Becker might be thinking "Wait -- he has 8-5 offsuit...?"
Brandon Becker might be thinking "Wait -- he has 8-5 offsuit...?"
Brandon Cantu is running hot. Really hot. He opened a pot from the cutoff with a raise to 55,000. Brandon Becker reraised to 200,000 from the small blind. Cantu took about five seconds when the action got back to him before shoving all in. Becker insta-called all in for less -- about 1.1 million.

Cantu: {8-Diamonds} {5-Hearts}
Becker: {A-Clubs} {K-Diamonds}

Caught with his hand in the cookie jar, it turned out that Cantu wasn't in the absolute worst shape. In fact, after the flop came down {8-Hearts} {5-Diamonds} {7-Spades}, he was sitting pretty. The {A-Hearts} turn gave Becker some life, but he was eliminated with the {3-Diamonds} blank on the river.

Cantu now has over 3.2 million in chips.