Congratulations to Sherkhan Farnood, Event #57 Champion!

It took over 14 hours of final table play for Sherkhan Farnood to emerge as the WSOP's newest bracelet winner. Coming into the final eight as the second-shortest stack, Farnood outlasted some of the game's most celebrated and decorated players like Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, and Jeffrey Lisandro to take the bracelet home to Afghanistan. He was never intimidated by them in the least on his way to victory.

Farnood had come close to a bracelet several times before, making the final table of the £5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event at last year's WSOP-Europe and finishing second in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha with Rebuys at the 2006 WSOP.

The Kabul native pointed out in his post-game interview that this was not the first bracelet to be won by an Afghan, but the second (Qushqar Morad won the $5,000 Seven-Card Stud Event in 2002). He was also eager to remind us that he is not a professional player, but a businessman, and sent his love out to his wife who had been diligently following the action from Dubai.

Congratulations to Sherkhan Farnood, on a game (and a marathon one at that) well played!

2008 World Series of Poker Europe

2008 World Series of Poker Europe

Congratulations to Sherkhan Farnood, Event #57 Champion!