2007 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE)

Event 3 - £10,000 No-Limit Holdem Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2007 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE)

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
77
Prize
£1,000,000
Event Info
Buy-in
£10,000
Level Info
Level
21
Blinds
15,000 / 30,000
Ante
4,000

The Shak Stack

Blimey!
Blimey!
From the Empire...

Beth Shak now has over 30,000 chips after pushing all in for 11,325 on the river of a {A-Spades}{2-Spades}{7-Clubs}{3-Spades}{6-Hearts} board. Paul Jackson looked in pain when he folded, especially after calling a 1.1k to 6k reraise on the turn. I assume he feared the flush.

Paul Jackson's made of strong stuff though. He may not be a man of steel like me, but he's more than capable of jumping back up after taking a knock. Many of you may recall him from THAT hand with Phil Ivey at the Poker Million, so you don't need me to tell you that he has a good feel for the game.

Tags: Beth ShakPaul Jackson

Down to Four Tables at the Sportsman

Young Zimnan Ziyard was just eliminated by Matthew Gilbert, bringing the total number of players remaining at the Sportsman Casino down to just 36. He got it all in with {A-Hearts}{K-Hearts} preflop, and Gilbert took him on with {5-Clubs}{5-Spades}. "Coinflip!" could be heard buzzing at the back of the room, and you know that however many chips players start with, and however long the clock, this kind of situation is still going to bust a goodly proportion of them.

So, with a tense Gilbert saying, "Low, low, come on, nice and low," the flop brought {2-Diamonds}{2-Clubs}{2-Spades}. Pretty low. But now the fourth deuce wasnt such a great low card any more...so he was happy to see the following {6-Spades}{Q-Diamonds}, giving the table a little thump but immediately shaking the hand of his opponent. Zimnan Ziyard headed slowly for the door, pursued by a particularly persistent camera with one of those mics on a stick. He said he was "gutted," but proceeded to good-naturedly give his opinion on what was one of his first major tournament appearances, it sounded like from behind the filmers.

Feature Table Update

Phil Hellmuth on the feature table
Phil Hellmuth on the feature table
From the floor of the Empire Casino:

Ten-time WSOP bracelet winner Johnny Chan is currently on the rail, sipping champagne and watching The Phil Hellmuth Show:

"How can he win, Johnny, how can he win? Now I know what he looks like when he's weak. Everytime he raises weak now, I just move in -- how can he win?"

Phil is referring to a hand earlier in the orbit, where Thor Hansen ran a bluff through him and then showed him the hand.

"Every great player knows not to show me their hands. Johnny, you haven't shown be a bluff in 20 years!"

Tags: Phil Hellmuth

Who's Got Chips? (a.k.a. the Sarah Taylor Watch)

Sarah Taylor still has a lot of chips and she's still smiling...
Sarah Taylor still has a lot of chips and she's still smiling...
From the floor of the Empire Casino...

I took a quick walk around and took a peek at some stacks:

Sarah Taylor - 70,000
Patrick Bruel - 65,000
Erick Lindgren - 55,000
Vicky Coren - 17,000
Sherkhan Farnood - 22,000
Barry Greenstien - 28,500
Ted Forrest - 12,500

Tags: Sarah Taylor

Greensleeves Plays No More

Cristiano Blanco
Cristiano Blanco
THE SPORTSMAN -- After all of those posts from DaveShoelace about Cristiano Blanco getting it in ahead and losing, and then getting it in ahead and winning, I was almost expecting him to turn over the best hand when he reraised Terry Cook all in preflop (10,425 over the initial bet of 1,500). But Cook called quickly:

Cook: {Q-Clubs}{Q-Hearts}
Blanco: {K-Hearts}{4-Hearts}

The flop: {A-Spades}{J-Diamonds}{Q-Diamonds} (and with the pessimism or just perversity almost all poker players seem to possess, everyone was now murmuring about the ten for the straight).

Turn: {4-Diamonds}
River: {9-Hearts}

No straight, and we're down another player.

Tags: Christiano BlancoTerry Cook

"Tapis! Tapis!"

French live wire and masseuse-hogger Bruno Fitoussi has just doubled up formidable Finn and shampoo-advert-inspiring Jani Sointula.

It all started when Bruno limped from utg+1. Jani raised to 1,575 from late position, only for Bruno to respond by announcing tapis (see, I knew my French A-level would come in handy one day).

Back to Jani, and after a momentary pause, he decided to make the call, pushing his remaining 8k or so over the line.

Jani Sointula = {10-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}
Bruno Fitoussi = {7-Spades}{6-Spades}

Board = {3-Spades}{K-Clubs}{Q-Clubs}{J-Diamonds}{9-Hearts}

Jani survives, although his elation was characteristically hidden by his constant poker face that he had surgically added many moons ago.

Tags: Bruno FitoussiJani Sointula

Five Random Questions We've Been Asked in Media Row

From the floor of the Empire Casino...

We have our laptops set up along the side of the wall near the tournament tables. Railbirds wander up from time to time and ask us random questions. Here are a few of our favorites:

1. "What are you doing?"

2. "Is that someone famous?" (While pointing to an unknown player.)

3. "Can I check BetFair.com to see how my cricket bets are going?"

4. "Where's that Italian kid with the scarf?"

5. "Where's Bill Ivey?"

Liz Lieu Eliminated

Liz Lieu
Liz Lieu
THE FIFTY -- Liz Lieu moved all in with {A-Diamonds}{10-Clubs} on board of {A-Hearts}{7-Clubs}{5-Clubs}{4-Spades} and got a call from an opponent with {6-Clubs}{8-Hearts} who had just made his straight. Lieu was already drawing dead, and sweetly said, Nice hand, sir," with a giggle as she made her exit.

"It happens," she said to me as I gave her a sympathetic smile. (Maybe the Poker Diva can offer me some anti-tilt lessons when she's not crushing the cash games.)

With Liz's departure, the room is suddenly very... male.

Tags: Liz Lieu

Straight on the River

Actionjack
Actionjack
As short stack Deepak Parmar moves in from the button, Paul Jackson takes just seconds to call 1,450 extra with {A-Clubs}{7-Clubs} but is over the moon to see his opponent flip {A-Spades}{6-Hearts}.

"Nervous?" I ask Paul.

"He's the one that should be nervous," replies Paul.

Either way, both players got their fair share of excitement, the flop coming an oooooooh-inducing {5-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds}{4-Diamonds}. Some sickos in the crowd were calling out for another diamond, but it didn't arrive as the dealer popped out a blank {10-Hearts}.

However, Paul was still straighting, and he did indeed straighten up on the {3-Hearts} river, much to the chagrin of Parmar who, admittedly, took his exit like a man.

Tags: Deepak ParmarPaul Jackson