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

Tinsley Still Fighting

From early position, Mark Owens raised it up to 50,000. Alex Tinsley shoved behind him for 157,000 total. Action folded back to Owens, who made the call with {K-Hearts} {9-Clubs}. Tinsley opened {A-Diamonds} {Q-Hearts} for the preflop lead. He took the post-flop lead as well on a board of {Q-Clubs} {4-Diamonds} {5-Clubs}. Owens caught a pair when the turn came {9-Hearts}, but the river {J-Spades} settled the score in Tinsley's favor. He doubled up to 330,000 on the hand courtesy of Owens, who is down to 770,000.

Chop It Up?

If you followed our coverage of last year's Main Event, you might remember we brought you the occasional update on what a chop would be worth to the remaining players at various stages of the tournament.

The feedback we got was positive, so we figured we'd try it again. Keep in mind that no deals have been discussed and that these scenarios are purely hypothetical and are reported mainly for entertainment purposes to give you a rough idea of how the prize pool would look if it were spread evenly. The results will often surprise you.

So with just 140 players remaining, if all of them were to agree to call it a day and split the remaining prize pool evenly, they'd each walk away with $348,735. That is just slightly more than 16th-place money.

Mikael Johansson Eliminated

Mikael Johansson - Eliminated
Mikael Johansson - Eliminated
Action folded around to Jason Glass in late position and he raised to 44,000. Mikael Johansson moved all in for 220,000 from the cutoff seat and when action folded back to Glass, he made the call. The players showed:

Glass: {K-Clubs} {K-Hearts}
Johansson: {6-Clubs} {6-Diamonds}

Despite flopping an inside straight draw, and turning a "double gutter," Johansson got no help from the {7-Clubs} {5-Spades} {3-Hearts} {9-Clubs} {5-Hearts} board and was eliminated in 141st place. Glass took down the pot and now works with a stack of just over 700,000 chips.

That's One Way to Build a Stack

Albert Kim recently took a hit when he ran kings into aces. He got involved again in a three-way pot with Joe Bishop and James McManus. Bishop opened the pot for 55,000, a raise which Kim called. From the small blind, McManus made it 180,000. Bishop called that raise, only to see Kim reraise behind him for a total of 680,000. McManus and Bishop both folded.

Without taking a flop, Kim increased his stack by over 360,000 chips.

Don't Count Out Deng Dong

Victor Ramdin opened the pot with a raise to 42,000. He was called by Nikolay Losev and Sylvain Coeur before recently crippled Deng Dong raised all in for a total of 50,000 from the big blind.

All three players made the call for a four-way flop that came {A-Spades} {K-Spades} {6-Diamonds}. The action checked through to the {J-Spades} turn. Ramdin and Losev again checked to Coeur, who shoved all in for about 300,000. Ramdin went into the tank for several minutes before finally, reluctantly, folding his hand. Losev also got out of the way, allowing Coeur to take his 300,000 back and battle Dong for the main pot.

Dong: {9-Spades} {8-Spades}
Coeur: {K-Diamonds} {J-Clubs}

Dong showed a made flush against Coeur's turned two pair. The river {10-Spades} made Dong the winner and brought an exasperated groan from Victor Ramdin, who said he folded {Q-Spades} {Q-?} and would have made a royal flush.

Regardless, Dong quadrupled up to about 200,000.

Look Who's Talking

Greg "FBT" Mueller has just arrived to the ESPN feature table area to observe the action, with Mike Matusow and Chino Rheem leaving their seats to go over and say hello. The three of them stood together offstage to have a conversation for a few minutes during a recent hand, and although we couldn't decipher anything that was being said it was rather humorous to observe that all three were constantly moving their mouths at the same time!

I’m sure there was some sparkling conversation, but I wonder who was actually doing the listening in that threesome?

Tags: David RheemGreg MuellerMike Matusow

Greg Byard Knocks Out Andy Schultz

Andy Schultz - Eliminated
Andy Schultz - Eliminated
After a {6-Spades} {A-Diamonds} {10-Diamonds} flop, the last of Andy Schultz's 320,000 ended up in the middle as he'd flopped top pair with {A-Clubs} {K-Spades}. But Greg Byard had all sorts of outs holding {7-Diamonds} {9-Diamonds}, and, after picking up even more outs when the {9-Hearts} hit on the turn, Greg caught the {3-Diamonds} on the river to make his flush and knock Schultz out of the tournament.

Save the Drama for Your Mama

Jeff Madsen
Jeff Madsen
Jeff Madsen was just all in for about 330,000 against Andrew Teng, who had him covered. Teng had {Q-Spades}{K-Clubs}, and Madsen {A-Hearts}{A-Clubs}.

When the "all in and call" was announced, Mark Vos wandered over to have a looksee. The board ran out {10-Diamonds}{5-Hearts}{10-Spades}{3-Spades}{7-Clubs}, and Madsen's aces held up.

"Boring," joked Vos, wanting to see a more interesting board that would make the players sweat. Madsen liked it just fine, though, and is now up to 690,000.

Tags: Andrew TengJeff MadsenMark Vos

Patience Pays Dividens For Crowe

Owen Crowe
Owen Crowe
Owen Crowe has been very quiet so far today, so much so that he often goes unnoticed seated in between the fast-talking Chino Rheem and Mike Matusow.

However, he recently got involved in some action with a raise preflop to 37,000. Phi Nguyen made the call, as did Cristian Dragomir from the small blind.

The flop came {2-Diamonds}{10-Diamonds}{8-Hearts} and Dragomir checked to Crowe, who fired out 66,000. Nguyen announced a raise, making it 216,000 to go. Dragomir thought for a long time before giving up his hand. Crowe made the call.

The turn was the {5-Diamonds} and Crowe checked to Nguyen, who fired out a healthy 270,000 chips. Crowe deliberated and made the call.

The river was the {10-Spades} and both players quickly checked. Crowe showed {A-Diamonds}{A-Clubs} to take down the pot and move to over 1.3 million chips.

Tags: Owen CrowePhi Nguyen