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

Stein Doubles through Neff

Scott Montgomery opened with a raise from under the gun to 115,000 before Peter Neff made it 258,000 from middle position. The action folded to Craig Stein in the small blind, who moved his short stack all in. Montgomery folded and Neff made the call.

Neff: {Q-Hearts}{Q-Spades}
Stein: {A-Clubs}{A-Spades}

The board ran out {9-Hearts}{7-Hearts}{2-Clubs}{4-Clubs}{A-Hearts} to give Stein a set and a double-up to 890,000. Neff is left with 1.4 million.

Tags: Craig SteinPeter Neff

Gert Andersen On the Rise

Gert Andersen
Gert Andersen
On a flop of {8-Hearts} {7-Spades} {3-Diamonds}, Jeremy Joseph bet 250,000 from late position into his lone opponent, Gert Andersen who was on the button. Andersen called and the {9-Clubs} hit the turn. Joseph then check-called a bet of 500,000 from Andersen.

The river fell the {8-Spades} and Joseph check-called Andersen's bet again, this time for 1,000,000. Andersen showed {6-Clubs} {5-Clubs} and Joseph mucked his {Q-Clubs} {Q-Diamonds} face up.

Andersen is now the dominant chip leader with approximately 9,000,000 while Joseph is crippled with just about 500,000.

Hellmuth Takes a Hit

Kelly Kim raised to 90,000 from early position and action folded around to Phil Hellmuth in the big blind and he called. The two went heads up to the flop.

The flop came {K-Hearts} {6-Spades} {5-Diamonds}. Hellmuth bet 90,000 and Kim called. Hellmuth immediately stood up to survey the situation and the dealer put the {Q-Hearts} on the turn.

Hellmuth checked and Kim bet 150,000. Hellmuth thought for almost a minute before finally calling and then checking dark.

The river fell the {Q-Diamonds} and Kim bet 250,000. Hellmuth called and Kim showed {A-Clubs} {K-Spades}. Hellmuth mucked and Kim stacked the pot.

Thomas Keller Eliminated in 61st Place ($115,800)

Thomas Keller - 61st Place
Thomas Keller - 61st Place
The main event run of Thomas Keller has come to an end. Short-stacked all day, Keller put the last of his roughly 150,000 chips in before the flop holding {K-Spades} {Q-Clubs}. Jeremy Joseph was his lone opponent and he held {7-Hearts} {6-Hearts}.

The board ran out {J-Spades} {6-Diamonds} {3-Hearts} {10-Diamonds} {10-Spades} and Keller's king-high was no good. He hit the rail in 61st place while Joseph chipped up to about 1,800,000.

Geert Jans Eliminated in 62nd Place ($115,800)

Geert Jans Eliminated
Geert Jans Eliminated
Nikolay Losev opened with a raise from the cutoff to 85,000 before Geert Jans made it 280,000 to go from the small blind. Losev made the call.

The flop came {6-Hearts}{7-Clubs}{Q-Hearts} and Jans led out with a bet of 250,000. Losev instantly moved all in and Jans snap-called for his tournament life.

Jans: {A-Clubs}{A-Spades}
Losev: {Q-Diamonds}{J-Diamonds}

Jans held the lead with a pair of aces, but the {Q-Clubs} on the turn gave Losev trip queens and the lead in the hand. The river was the {9-Spades} to send Jans to the rail in 62nd place.

Tags: Geert JansNikolay Losev

Official Statement from the WSOP on Phil Hellmuth's Penalty

The following statement was just released by the World Series of Poker regarding Phil Hellmuth's penalty, which was overturned at the start of play today:

"This morning Phil Hellmuth met with Jack Effel, WSOP Tournament Director, Howard Greenbaum, Harrah's Regional Vice President for Specialty Gaming, and Jeffrey Pollack, Commissioner of the WSOP. Based on that meeting and an official review of the situation, it was decided that the penalty imposed on Mr. Hellmuth at the conclusion of play last night was excessive."

"Warnings and penalties are intended to correct inappropriate behavior and our rulings should be as fair as possible, given the circumstances," said Pollack. "In this instance, the punishment did not fit the crime."

"Phil has now been warned and put on notice in a way that he never has been," Pollack added.

Cantu On the Climb

Brandon Cantu just took down another big pot when his {K-Diamonds} {Q-Spades} bested the {K-Spades} {J-Hearts} of Dennis Phillips. The board was {K-Clubs} {Q-Diamonds} {5-Spades} {9-Spades} {2-Spades} and Cantu managed to trim about 1,100,000 off of Phillips with his flop and turn bets.

Cantu is now sitting on about 6,200,000 while Phillips commands a stack of about 3,680,000.

Victor Ramdin Eliminated in 64th Place ($96,500)

Victor Ramdin - 64th Place
Victor Ramdin - 64th Place
Victor Ramdin moved all in for 162,000 from early position and Garrett Beckman made the call from the big blind.

Ramdin {A-Hearts} {3-Hearts}

Beckman {J-Spades} {J-Clubs}

The flop was {K-Clubs} {J-Hearts} {5-Hearts} and Beckman made a set of jacks, but Ramdin picked up a flush draw. It wasn't to be, though, as the {5-Spades} hit the turn and the {8-Clubs} fell on the river, eliminating Ramdin in 64th place.

After the hand, Beckman was up to 1.3 million.

Tags: Garrett BeckmanVictor Ramdin

Larry Wright Eliminated in 65th Place ($96,500)

Larry Wright - 65th Place
Larry Wright - 65th Place
Action folded to Kelly Kim on the button and he raised to 80,000. Larry Wright called from the small blind and it was heads up to the flop.

When the flop came {Q-Clubs} {10-Spades} {2-Spades} both players checked. The {J-Clubs} hit the turn and Wright checked. Kim bet 150,000 and Wright moved all in for 631,000 total. Kim called instantly and the players showed:

Kim: {A-Diamonds} {K-Spades}
Wright: {J-Diamonds} {9-Diamonds}

Wright was drawing dead and the {J-Spades} on the river was meaningless. Larry Wright was eliminated in 65th place and takes home $96,500 for his impressive finish.