World Series of Poker Daily Summary for June 7th, 2008

Saturday at the WSOP was business -- or rather busy --as usual. Another six-pack of events saw action in the Amazon Room – two events found their champions, a final table was set and another event neared the same stage, while two more tourneys leaped from the gates.

Event #9 brought a much-deserved gold bracelet for circuit veteran Rep Porter, who emerged from a tightly bunched field to take the $372,979 in this $1,500 no-limit hold'em short-handed event. Porter started the day in third behind chip leaded John Corkright (who eventually finished fourth), and held off Nathan Templeton for the win. Templeton cashed for $231,981 in his runner-up run.

Farzad Rouhani claimed Saturday's other bracelet, starting with the lead and finishing the same way in Event #10, the mixed-format $2,500 Omaha/Stud Hi-Low tourney. Rouhani held off a strong push one of the biggest names at this final, "Miami John" Cernuto, before wrapping up his $232,911 payday. Cernuto's second-place showing was good for $142,784

Many of poker's biggest names were busy in events on their second day. The weekend's showcase event, #10, $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout, saw a powerful field of 36 winnowed to six as stars such as John Juanda and Tony G couldn't negotiate through the second round. Today's final will consist of Sirous Jamshidi, Greg "FBT" Mueller, Thomas Roupe, Phil Tom, Tim West and Leo Wolpert. Elsewhere, the traditional Event #12, $1,500 Limit Hold'em, played well into the night before play was halted with 18 players still alive. The top two, though are familiar throughout poker, being Vinny Vinh and Erick Lindgren, who will try today for his second bracelet of this series.

Event #13, $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em began at noon on Saturday, and moved to within sight of the money bubble after ten levels of play. The field is currently topped by Eli Elezra, with Theo Tran, making his third deep run of the series, in second spot. The evening start went to Event #14, the $10,000 Seven-Card Stud World Championship, which eliminated just over half its field in an opening day's play. Alexander Kostritsyn leads here but it's anyone's event, and dozens of poker's most famous pros remain in the hunt.

Sunday's action at the WSOP also includes the kickoff of another pair of tourneys. The noon start time is reserved for one of the WSOP's oldest traditions, Event #15, $1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold'em World Championship, which began with 1,192 entrants, slightly down from last year. At 5:00 pm, Event #16, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better begins. Both are three-day events and will conclude in Tuesday's action.