2008 World Series of Poker Europe

Event 1 - £1,500 No Limit Hold'em
Day: 1a
Event Info

2008 World Series of Poker Europe

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
aj
Prize
£144,218
Event Info
Buy-in
£1,500
Prize Pool
£615,000
Entries
410
Level Info
Level
23
Blinds
20,000 / 40,000
Ante
5,000

Hassan Beats the House

Mohammed Hassan has moved several rungs up the chip ladder, spectacularly propelled by some timely pocket rockets.

His opponent called a raise with K-Q, and found himself most pleased with the A-Q-Q flop. Hassan, however, also seemed rather happy. A little less happy perhaps with the second ace on the turn, Hassan's opponent nevertheless got his chips in, and was horrified to see that Hassan was holding not one ace for a bigger house but two for quads. "Sick," was all our opponent had to say. Sick, indeed.

Tags: Mohammed Hassan

The Ladies Besmirch Singleton

As he rose from his seat, Peter Singleton was seemingly lacking confidence and perhaps sensing the worst as his {Q-Hearts}{Q-Diamonds} came up against an inferior {A-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds}. But he was right to feel negative, as the board came a teasing {10-Diamonds}{A-Hearts}{10-Hearts}{J-Hearts}{9-Diamonds} to send him home.

"Well played," congratulated Singleton on departure.

Tags: Peter Singleton

"A Cartoon Table"

According to Peter Singleton, he's currently playing on what he described as a "cartoon table." "Which character are you?" I inquired. "Hmm," he pondered, "I think I'm the Wily E Coyote... and I'm up against eight Road Runners."

As Peter mused over frustrating times, I grabbed a few chip counts from the Road Runners:

Jim Reid -- 16,000
Daniel Negreanu -- 8,500
Simon La Thangue -- 8,875
Michel Abecassis -- 33,500
Richard Wheatley -- 12,500

Tags: Peter Singleton

Linton On the Rampage

Pete Linton, playing his usual aggressive and unpredictable game, seems to be somewhat flummoxing Karsten Johansen, among others. With a fair few chips in the middle preflop, Johansen checked to Linton on the {J-Hearts} {8-Diamonds} {A-Spades} flop, and Linton promptly made it 1,850 to go from underneath his baseball cap. Johansen, with a hesitant hand and an unsure expression, passed his cards back to the dealer.

Tags: Karsten JohansenPete Linton

Thor No More

Thor Hansen - Original Scandie
Thor Hansen - Original Scandie
Another table has broken, and from an initial 191 runners who started today with hopes of the first WSOPE bracelet adorning their wrists, 134 are still competing through level four. Thor Hansen is one of those out in the last 10 minutes, and literally while attaching said photo of the Norwegian poker legend, another exit was occurring two seats along from him - that of Ed Rogers, whose {A-?} {K-?} was no good all in preflop against {A-?} {A-?} as so often is the case.

Some counts from table ex-Hansen (also broken during the time it took to type this, and I'm using all ten fingers - the pace has really picked up):

Will Brewin - 5,900
Luis Nunes - 3,200
Jonathan Weekes - 7,225
Yevgeniy Timoshenko - 12,600
Simeon Tsonev - 7,350

Tags: Thor Hansen

Buffenbarger Survives

Last year's unfortunate main even bubble boy Jeff Buffenbarger survived a hairy moment. He was all in for 1,925 with {9-Spades}{7-Spades} versus {J-Spades}{10-Spades} on a {8-Spades}{9-Clubs}{K-Spades} flop, but dodged numerous outs as the turn and river came a raggy {2-Hearts}{3-Diamonds} respectively.

'Michigan' Jeff, as he is often known, now has around 5,500.

Tags: Jeff Buffenbarger

Lloyd Down Dirty

Garrulous Brit Stuart Lloyd has suffered some kind of disaster but it hasn't quieted him down any. He moved all in for his pittance preflop with {Q-Clubs} {10-Clubs} and found a caller in Dahe Liu with {A-Diamonds} {K-Diamonds}. "Is that all you've got?" said Lloyd. "I'm making a comeback here." And indeed he did, of sorts -- the cards came out {10-Spades} {7-Spades} {5-Diamonds} {9-Clubs} {7-Clubs} to give him two pair. "Flush," he announced for some reason, and raked in his grand total 500 or so chips. "Happy days."

Tags: Dahe LiuStuart Lloyd

Layne Has Been Slain

damn, should have gone paper
damn, should have gone paper
Although he delighted his fellow players with his cheeky banter and upbeat humor, Layne Flack is now livening up the rail after running into aces. The bullets were raised up preflop, and with one caller in the middle, Flack decided to squeeze by pushing all in preflop with {K-?}{Q-?}. Obviously he received a sharp call, and although he improved his hand with a second king, it wasn't quite enough as the aces held up.

Tags: Layne Flack

The Abacus Takes the Sidepot

Early pace setter Simon La Thangue has suffered a recent setback and is now back on 11,300 as a result.

I didn't catch the preflop action, but with a chunky pot waiting patiently in the middle and short-stacked lady all in, La Thangue and Michel Abecassis proceeded to create a sidepot of their own.

With the board reading {2-Clubs}{4-Diamonds}{3-Diamonds}{Q-Diamonds}, La Thangue check-called a bet of 1,500 on the turn, as well as 2,200 on the {9-Hearts} river, but found his {J-Clubs}{J-Hearts} pipped on the turn by the Frenchman's {A-Spades}{Q-Spades}.

But not all the chips were going to the Abacus, as the all-in lady turned over {A-Hearts}{Q-Hearts} for a split pot.

Tags: Michel AbecassisSimon La Thangue