2008 World Series of Poker Europe

£10,000 WSOP Europe Main Event
Day: 2
1a1b2345
Event Info

2008 World Series of Poker Europe

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
k♠6♣
Prize
£868,800
Event Info
Buy-in
£10,000
Prize Pool
£3,620,000
Entries
362
Level Info
Level
28
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000

Battle of the Double J's

[user4144]
[user4144]
Juanda - such a rascal
Juanda - such a rascal
With John Juanda (or Johnson, to give him his full title) raising it up to 4,300 from the cut-off, the action found its way to Juha Helppi who made it a total of 15,000 from the big blind. Without too much hesitation, Juanda announced all in for around 45,000 more, thus putting the decision back on the Finn.

Helppi initially looked displeased, and I was sure he was going to fold in prompt fashion, but as the clock ticked, it was clear he had a big hand. "I want to play more hands," he cried. "You probably know what I've got now."

After another couple of minutes, and before I'd resisted the urge to become the first blogger in history to call the clock, Helppi asked, "Do you have ace king?" "Maybe," replied a coy Juanda, now grinning like a Cheshire cat. "How about queens?" After his final request was met with silence, Helppi sighed deeply before adding, "I was so ready to go all in with this hand too when you first raised."

Soon after, Helppi made what appeared to be a very reluctant fold indeed. With all eyes fixated on Juanda, the American went to muck, much to their chagrin, but was stopped in his tracks by the camera crew who asked him to show the hand to the mobile camera. Juanda duly obliged, meaning we'll have to wait until the TV broadcast to find out what he had. In the meantime, astute detective work led me to learn that Helppi passed pocket queens.