Sebastian Ruthenber Wins 2008 WSOP Event #33

Date: Fri, Jun 20, 2008

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A WSOP world championship poker title was on the line Thursday evening and it was staged at a table in the corner of the Amazon room. Fans wanting a peek at some of poker's hottest stars crowded around the rail jousting for position. Steve Sung, Marcel Luske, Annie Duke and Chris Ferguson were among the eight final table contestants vying for a share of the $1,226,700 prize pool. This world championship of Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo attracted a crowd of 261 players paying the $5K entry fee.

The Day 2 play turned into a marathon session when the eliminations to reach the eight final table players lasted until 7AM Thursday morning (You have to be tough and skilled to play poker at this level). The lucky eight returned for a 5PM final table start. Sung went out in seventh place for $46,001, Annie Duke left with $73,602 for sixth, Marcel Luske lasted to fourth place and $95,069, and Bob Lauria collected $125,737 for third. This left Sebastian Ruthenber and Chris Ferguson to play heads-up for the championship and play they did. The two traded chips and the lead until the wee morning hours before Sebastian Ruthenberg finally took command and put Chris Ferguson all-in for the win. Sebastian Ruthenberg takes away the gold and $328,756 while second place finisher Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson received $202,406.

Congratulations to Sebastian Ruthenberg for winning the $5,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low World Championship and his first WSOP gold bracelet.

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Jose Luis Velador Wins 2008 WSOP Event #32

Date: Fri, Jun 20, 2008

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Jose Luis Velador eceived his first WSOP bracelet after defeating Anthony Signore in heads-up play at Thursday's feature table. The win was good enough for $573,734 in cash from the total prize pool of $3,144,960. The victory was no easy task because of the 2,304 players that entered the event. Anthony Signore finished second and received $366,387. Osmin Dardon completed the top three to collect $243,734 for third place.

Congratulations to Jose Luis Velador for scooping his first WSOP champion's bracelet.

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Charles Barkley to gamble again, this time for charity

Date: Fri, Jun 20, 2008

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Former NBA player Charles Barkley is $440,000 lighter after repaying his Wynn Las Vegas marker (including attorney fees). And after promising not to gamble for the next couple years, he'll be back in Vegas soon to play poker.

But this time it's for charity.

The annual celebrity poker tournament "Ante Up for Africa" takes place July 2 at Rio amidst the World Series of Poker. Half a player's winnings on a $5,000 buy-in is requested to be donated to the cause that will help Darfur.

Barkley plans to play, and if he cashes, he will give all his winnings to the charity.

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Dario Minieri Wins 2008 WSOP Event #31

Date: Thu, Jun 19, 2008

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Another marathon final table that stalled at three players even though they were going all-in every couple of hands. The chips moved around the table as Lady Luck let the flops favor the short stack. Finally Justin Filtz moved all-in with pocket aces and was called by Seth Fischer holding big slick. A King on the flop and another on the turn gave Fischer a winning set and sent Filtz to the rail in third place. Filtz collected $214,139 for his troubles.

Heads-up the all-ins continued and again the Great Poker God favored the short stack. One all-in saw Dario Minieri call Fischer all-in bet with a 3,4 of spades. Fischer showed pocket Kings but the turn and river were fours to give Minieri the winning set. Dario never looked back and continued to charge until he had Fischer all-in, covered and needed a King to stay alive. The King didn't come and the youthful Dario Minieri claimed the victory and his first WSOP bracelet. In addition to the jewelry Dario also received $528,418. Seth Fischer's second plae finish was good for $330,519.

Congratulations to Italian, Dario Minieri, champion of the 2008 WSOP event #31, $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Six-handed.

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WSOP on ESPN TV Schedule

Date: Thu, Jun 19, 2008

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In case you were wondering when you can watch the 2008 WSOP on ESPN, here's a quick guide to the WSOP broadcast schedule which will appear on Tuesday nights. Check local listings for specific times.

Tuesday Night on ESPN:

July 22 - $10,000 Pot Limit Hold'em (2 hours)
July 29 - $1,500 NL (2 hours)
Aug 5 - $1,500 Pot Limit Hold'em (2 hours)
Aug 12 - $1,000 NL w/ Rebuys (2 hours)
Aug 19 - $50,000 HORSE (2 hours)
Aug 26 - $10,000 PLO (2 hours)
Sep 2 thru Oct 28 - $10,000 Main Event Championship (18 hours)
Nov 4 - Main Event Final Table

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Rob Hollink Wins 2008 WSOP Event #30

Date: Wed, Jun 18, 2008

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Another first time bracelet winner in event #30, $10,000 Limit Hold'em World Championship. Rob Hollink overcame a field of 218 players to win his first WSOP bracelet and $496,931 in cash. After a relative short heads-up match between Rob Hollink and Jerrod Ankenman the two found themselves all-in for all the marbles. Hollink showed the A,5o to Ankenman's 10,7 of spades. The flop gave Hollink two pair and left Ankerman needing running spades for the flush. A heart on the turn took away the flush draw but it was a 3 giving Ankenman a straight with a 6 on the river. When the Queen showed on the river Rob Hollink had his WSOP bracelet and a world championship title.

Jerrod Ankenman received $307,380 for second place. A determined Tommy Hang hung in long enough to take down the $194,674 third place money. Well known pros JC Tran finished fifth for $128,075 while Andy Bloch collected $81,968 for seventh.

Congratulations to Rob Hollink for winning the 2008 WSOP $10,000 Limit Hold'em World Championship.

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John Phan Wins 2008 WSOP Event #29

Date: Wed, Jun 18, 2008

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John Phan joined the elite group of poker players that own WSOP bracelets after taking down the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em event. It was just another crazy day at the 2008 WSOP that saw Phan and his heads-up opponent Johnny Neckar trade chips and the lead for over 6 hours. Phan convinced Neckar to agree to both players going all-in in the blind before the flop. Remember, the difference between first and second place money is $157,000 and change, so this unusual move may be a first at the WSOP. One time was not enough asnd theu played another all-in blind hand.

Finally after the theatrics the two settled down and played poker for the bracelet and title which was soon awarded to John Phan when his A,9o trumped Neckar's Q,J of diamonds. John Phan received $434,789 for his win while Johnny Neckar goes home with $277,452. Third place money of $167,973 was claimed by Matt Vengrin.

Congratulations to John "the Razor" Phan for winning his first WSOP bracelet and thanks for the show.

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Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond Wins 2008 WSOP Event #28

Date: Tue, Jun 17, 2008

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Monday's featuer table was played on the ESPN set and televised via ESPN360.com. This was one star studded group that took their seats at the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha w/ Rebuys final table. Well known poker pros David Benyamine, Johnny Chan, Kirill Gerasimov, John Juanda, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Hellmuth were joined by relative unknowns Brian Rast, Adam Hourani, and Phil Galfond. This intimidating bunch owns 28 WSOP bracelets including 3 from the Main Event, but when the cards finally settled there wasn't a single pro remaining for heads-up table.

The heads-up play was between two of the unknowns, Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond and Adam Hourani. They demonstrated that it takes a lot more than a reputation to get them off their game and neither showed any signs of intimidation by the high talent table. Even the constant barrage of verbal jabs from Hellmuth had no apparent effect.

In the end Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond ruled the day and defeated his worthy heads-up opponent Adam Hourani for the win. Phil Galfond takes down the $817,781 plus the bracelet. Adam Hourani leaves with $493,748 for second and poker pro David Benyamine collects $316,307 for third place.

Congratualtions to the kid from Madison for standing his ground and staying true to his game to take become the 2008 WSOP $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha w/ Rebuys champion.

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Vitaly Lunkin WIns 2008 WSOP Event #27

Date: Tue, Jun 17, 2008

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Vitaly Lunkin played seesaw poker with his heads-up opponent until the wee hours this morning before pulling into the chip lead and finally calling Brett Kimes all-in. The two players gave an exhibition in cautious poker play and for a while it appeared neither was prepared to gamble for the coveted bracelet and the $628,417 in cash reserved for the winner. Twice Lunkin had Kimes all-in only to see him make a river hand to double up and play some more; but finally, Brett's luck went south and he had to settle for second. Vitaly Lunkin collected the winner's booty and proudly held the gold bracelet high above his head for all to see.

Brett Kimes received $387,837 for his three days of play . The third spot was captured by Bobby Firestone along with the $277,026. The event attracted a capacity crowd of 2,706 players vying for the win.

Congratulations to Vitaly Lunkin for topping the record field and taking home the gold.

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Bodog Announces Poker Room Upgrades and Open Beta Testing

Date: Tue, Jun 17, 2008

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Bodog Poker made an announcement today about the release of a new and improved, resizable beta poker client for public testing. Bodog Poker's newest version features full screen mode, resizable tables, embedded chat and game details and on-demand player tools.

These changes were brought about with a lot of help from those who know best; Bodog's poker players. This release features the most sought after feature - resizing ability. This marks the first time all of the Bodog community can be involved in a public beta test. Feedback is encouraged as future versions will reflect the input received from you, the player. With every update, each beta version of the Bodog Poker client can be run independently, giving players the ability to choose between the established and beta clients during each session. Upcoming features, including the ability to play on more than three tables simultaneously, will follow the same process.

Morris Mohawk Gaming Group CEO Alwyn Morris had this to see in a press release "When Bodog Poker players asked for new features like resizable game play windows and full screen mode, we listened, integrating those features into the new beta client. These new features are just another step in Bodog's on-going evolution and players can look forward to much more in the future."

To get a first hand look, head on over to Bodog Poker.

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Barry Greenstein Wins 2008 WSOP Event #26

Date: Mon, Jun 16, 2008

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What better Father's day present than a WSOP gold bracelet? That's exactly what Barry Greenstein gave himself this evening after defeating Chris Klodnicki in heads-up play for the Razz gold. A hard fought battle was the mark of the final table and Greenstein earned this one after getting close to elimination and then staging a charge back to the front. This is Greenstein's third WSOP bracelet, having won one in 2004 and 2005. He also pockets $157,619 in cash which will mostly go to charity.

Chris Klodnicki played valiantly but was unable to overcome the hard charging Greenstein. He takes home $97,389 for his second place finish. Chris Voix was eliminated in the third spot for $58,743. The Razz tournament attracted 453 players and offered a total prize pool of $618,345.

Congratulations to Barry Greenstein and his Father's Day gold.

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Kenny Tran Wins 2008 WSOP Event #25

Date: Mon, Jun 16, 2008

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Well known high stakes cash game poker player Kenny Tran brought his winning ways to the final heads-up match of the 2008 WSOP $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em World Championship. Kenny Tran swept Alec Torelli in the best of three heads-up matches for the championship and his first WSOP bracelet. He also collected $539,056 after topping the field of 256 players that started this world championship event.

Alec Torelli received $336,896 for his second place finish. Vanessa Selbst and Jonathan Jaffe each received $108,288 after they made the final four. Congratulations to Kenny Tran for his winning ways and his first WSOP gold bracelet.

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Max Pescatori Wins 2008 WSOP Event #24

Date: Sun, Jun 15, 2008

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Max Pescatori won his second WSOP bracelet Saturday evening when he completed the elimination of the last player remaining between him and the championship. The "Italian Pirate" had to overcome a field of 457 players including many well known poker pros before he could claim the gold. A recent broken arm and surgery to repair the damage apparently had no effect on his poker abilities. Max picks up $246,471 for winning the three day event.

Kyle Kloeckner finished the event in second place to take down the $152,410 in cash. Although he traded the chip lead with Max a couple of times he couldn't overcome the pressure of Max's heads-up play and was reduced to watching his chips move across the table. Greg Hurst completed the top three and collected $94,599 for third place.

I have followed Max throughout his poker career and have always been impressed with his game and the ability to patiently wait for the right hands to strike. Congratulations to Max Pescatori for adding some more WSOP gold to his trophy case.

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Blair Hinkle Wins 2008 WSOP Event #23

Date: Sun, Jun 15, 2008

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Blair Hinkle kept the family name in the WSOP news when he won event #23, $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em. Blair's older brother Grant Hinkle won WSOP Event #2 earlier this month. The young player proved to be tough beyond his years as he marched aggressively towards his first bracelet and the $507,563 first place prize. The 1344 player field for this event was well salted with notable pros. A comment from one of the professionals was overheard when he said, "Blair Hinkle is one of the toughest players I've faced during this WSOP.

Mark Brockington finished second after a few minutes of head-up play that saw Hinkle holding second best pocket sixes which turned into sixes full, twice! Brockington collected $325,552 as first runner-up. Daniel O'Brien was eliminated in the third spot and received $198,132 for his efforts.

Congratulations to Blair Hinkle for hanging tough and winning his first WSOP bracelet. Needless to say, Mrs. Hinkle is very proud of her two sons, especially since this is the first time in WSOP history that brothers have won bracelets in the same year.

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