2008 World Series of Poker

39th Annual World Series of Poker Main Event
Day: 2b
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

Tilt-a-Phil?

Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth
We picked up a hand with everybody's favorite whipping boy, Phil Hellmuth, on the flop. The board showed {10-Hearts} {A-Spades} {9-Clubs}, and the under-the-gun player led out for 5,200. He was called by Hellmuth before a third player in the hand, Tony Clark, raised to 16,000. Clark's raise folded the under-the-gun player and brought the action back to Hellmuth. He called, then checked the {4-Clubs} turn. Clark immediately moved all in for about 29,000. That sent Hellmuth into the tank, where he started talking to his opponent.

"If you have ace-queen, you're dead," said Hellmuth. There was no response.

"Buddy, what are you doing?" Hellmuth asked. He then asked Clark whether or not he was overplaying ace-queen.

After several minutes, Hellmuth still hadn't acted. One of the players at the table called for a clock, and a floor was summoned to the table. Hellmuth seemed surprised, and asked who called for the clock.

"I did," said Ramzi Jelassi, a player who has engaged in several verbal sparring matches with Hellmuth today. When Hellmuth asked how long he'd been thinking, Ramzi told him it was four minutes. Hellmuth seemed to think, based on that response, that it was fair that a clock had been called.

As the floor counted him down, Hellmuth finally made the call, slamming his chips into the middle. Clark turned over {10-Diamonds} {10-Spades} fo a set of tens, far ahead of Hellmuth's {A-Diamonds} {K-Clubs}. The river bricked out {2-Clubs}, allowing Clark to double up at Hellmuth's expense.

"You probably won't make it 'til the end of the day," said Hellmuth. He then got out of his chair and went to talk to his wife on the rail.

That hand seemed to light a fire under Hellmuth. He started playing every hand. First, after Matt Vengrin raised from late position to 3,000, Hellmuth raised all in. Vengrin called with {A-Diamonds} {K-Diamonds} and was a dominating favorite over Hellmuth's {A-Clubs} {Q-Spades}. The board ran out {Q-Clubs} {J-Diamonds} {8-Clubs} {4-Hearts} {Q-Hearts} to make trip queens for Hellmuth and send Vengrin to the rail.

We stepped away from the table for two minutes, only to come back and see him involved in the very next pot, on the river. Hellmuth bet 20,000 into a 20,000-chip pot with the board showing {5-Diamonds} {10-Clubs} {Q-Clubs} {9-Diamonds} {Q-Hearts}. Ryan Hughes made the call; Hellmuth very confidently slammed his {Q-Spades} {9-Spades} down on the table and proclaimed, "Nuts!"

Hellmuth played one more hand immediately thereafter, getting a player to call a raise to 9,000 on the turn (after that player bet 4,000) and a bet of 10,000 on the river. Hellmuth showed {Q-Diamonds} {Q-Hearts}, an overpair to the board. His opponent mucked.

After all of that, Hellmuth's stack is at 143,000. He still seems to be muttering to himself about the Clark hand, but we did hear him say, "None of that matters now." We'll see if he actually believes it.

Grudi Grudev Eliminated

According to another player at Grudev's former table, Grudi Grudev was all in preflop and was called by another player. Grudev held {K-?} {K-?} and his opponent {J-?} {J-?}. Grudev was ahead but the flop and turn came and gave Grudev's opponent a straight draw. Unfortunately, the straight got there and Grudev was eliminated from today's event.

Tags: Grudi Grudev

Kris Kuykendall Doubles Up

After a flop of {8-?} {5-?} {3-?}, Kris Kuykendall got action on his all-in wager. Kuykendall showed {Q-?} {Q-?} and was way ahead of his opponent who held {9-?} {9-?}.

The turn fell a {K-?} and the river was a {Q-?} to put the exclamation point on the hand for Kuykendall. He is up to just shy of 85,000 after the hand.

Tags: Kris Kuykendall

The Iceman Goeth

Iceman Chilled
Iceman Chilled
David Rosenbloom raised from under the gun and Teddy "Iceman" Monroe reraised all in for 13,000. Rosenbloom called.

Rosenbloom: {A-Diamonds} {A-Clubs}
Monroe: {K-Diamonds} {K-Hearts}

Board: {J-Hearts} {10-Diamonds} {7-Hearts} {5-Spades} {A-Hearts}

After the hand, Iceman said, "I put him on aces. He got lucky."

Tags: Teddy Monroe

By the Numbers

There are some interesting details surrounding this year's World Series of Poker now that the final numbers are in.

First and foremost, the 2008 WSOP is now officially the largest and richest series in the history of poker. That record is underscored by a number of individual bests for this year. Firstly, through the 55 events, we have seen a total field of 58,720 entrants, which represents an 8% increase over last year. Included in that is the incredible turnout for Event #2. That $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event drew 3,929 runners -- the largest field ever for a preliminary event.

The growth of the individual events has resulted in a big swell in the money up for grabs as well. This year's events gave away a total prizepool of $180,676,248, an increase of more than $20,000,000 from last year.

Additionally, it is becoming increasingly clear that poker is an international game, as evidenced by the trend in recent years. Players from 118 different countries came to Las Vegas this year to participate, which is up from 87 last year -- a 36% increase. To put that in perspective, 2004's WSOP was represented by just 24 countries. So far, 57 of those 118 countries have had their players tally a cash finish at least once. What's more, players from every U.S. state and Canadian province have been paid out somewhere along the line.

Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack commented on the international progress of our game: "The results this year demonstrate the increasing global appeal of our events and the universal recognition that winning a World Series of Poker gold bracelet is poker's ultimate achievement."

With 54 events in the books already, we still have one more of those coveted gold bracelets to give away. This one will be good enough for the second largest payout in poker history: $9,119,517. Not a record, but an impressive number, nonetheless.

Kings Hold for Wyrick

A middle position player moved all in for 12,000 and Richard Wyrick made the call. Wyrick's {K-Diamonds} {K-Hearts} were in great shape against his opponent's {A-?} {10-?} and held up on the {9-Hearts} {6-Diamonds} {3-Clubs} {2-Diamonds} {4-Hearts} board to increase his stack to 42,000.

One Ow-Ow-Ow-Outer

We came on this one with the flop showing {8-Diamonds}{J-Diamonds}{4-Hearts} and about 30,000 already in the pot.

The turn brought the {4-Diamonds}. Mohamad Kowssarie's opponent checked, he bet 15,000, and his opponent called.

The river was the {9-Diamonds}. Kowssarie's opponent again checked, and this time Kowssarie bet 60,000, enough to put his opponent all in. His opponent called instantly with his last 45,000, turning over {8-Clubs}{8-Spades} for the full house.

But Kowssarie had {10-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds}. He'd rivered the straight flush.

Kowssarie has knocked out another, and he is now up to 340,000.

Tags: Mohamad Kowssarie

John Skrabutenas Eliminated

On a flop of {3-Clubs} {7-Spades} {6-Clubs}, John Skrabutenas moved all in after his opponent had raised to 55,000. His opponent instantly called and showed pocket tens while John turned over pocket nines. John failed to improve and was eliminated from the field.

Matros Eliminates a Player

On a flop of {3-Diamonds} {2-Hearts} {Q-Hearts} , Matt Matros checked to a player in the cutoff, who bet out 11,500. Matros then raised enough to put his opponent all in. His opponent made the call. Matros showed {K-Clubs} {Q-Diamonds} , while his opponent showed {8-Diamonds} {8-Hearts}. The turn and river bricked out for Matros' opponent and Matros moved up to 168,000.

Tags: Matt Matros

Cory Albertson Doubles Up

Cory Albertson opened for a raise and got one called. The flop was {A-Hearts} {Q-Spades} {9-Diamonds}. Albertson bet 4,000, his opponent raised to 14,000 and Albertson called. The turn was the {5-Hearts}. Albertson checked, only to face a 20,000 bet and promptly moved all in over the top. His opponent called.

Albertson had flopped a set with {9-Clubs} {9-Spades} while his opponent was looking for a miracle with {A-Spades} {K-Hearts}. The river was the {10-Spades} and Albertson doubled up, increasing his stack to 190,000.