2008 World Series of Poker Europe

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

Not Always Bluffing

Remy Biechel raised to 750 and only the big blind called before the flop came {Q-Clubs} {8-Diamonds} {6-Hearts}. Biechel continued the aggression with a 750 bet once it was checked to him. The big blind called before the turn came {A-Hearts}.

The big blind took the lead in the with a 1,800 bet that Biechel called before the river came {7-Diamonds}. The big blind checked to face a bet of 2,500 from the Frenchman. The big blind called but mucked upon seeing his opponent's {6-Clubs} {6-Spades}

Level: 6

Blinds: 200/400

Ante: 50

The Mouth Silenced

Mike Matusow
Mike Matusow
Mike "The Mouth" Matusow has just been eliminated from the tournament by Costas Artemi.

Holding two black kings, Matusow moved all in over the top of a preflop raise made by Artemi, and Artemi made the call.

At the showdown, Matusow saw that his kings were well ahead of the {A-Diamonds} {K-Hearts} produced by Artemi.

Robert Williamson III, who replayed the hand for us, explained that two diamonds came on the flop giving Artemi a potential backdoor flush draw, but the real damage was done on the turn when an ace plunked off the deck, giving Artemi what would eventually be a winning pair of aces.

Matusow left the tournament area quietly, reportedly in search of a way in which he could register for a high stakes tournament about to start on an unnamed online poker site.

Tags: Mike Matusow

Fear The Limper

Savan Trivedi limps for 300 in early position, before Roberto Truijers pushes all in for his last 3,500 or so. It's passed to the big blind who think for ages, clearly worried by the limp and eventually elects to fold. Trivedi on the other hand, throws another three of the yellow 1,000 chips nonchalantly into the middle.

Truijers shows {A-Hearts} {10-Diamonds} to Trivedi's {Q-Clubs} {9-Hearts} with the board running out {K-Clubs} {8-Diamonds} {J-Diamonds} {9-Clubs} {8-Spades}. Truijers lets out a triumphant, "Yes!" which leaves the table slightly baffled as it's pointed out by the dealer the river is an eight and not a seven. Suddenly realizing his mistake he then apologizes, before leaving the table.

Tags: Savan Trivedi

Bellande Climbing Toward the Chip Lead

The money went in on a {Q-Spades} {7-Spades} {3-Spades} flop, Jean-Robert Bellande holding {A-Hearts} {Q-Diamonds} and his opponent needing some serious help with the {7-Diamonds} {10-Diamonds}. The turn though came the {4-Hearts} and the river fell the {9-Hearts} adding a nice chunk to the Survivor alum's stack, which now sits at the 35,000 mark.

Value Bluff

The board has already been dealt and reads {5-Clubs} {6-Clubs} {K-Diamonds} {6-Spades} {10-Spades}. The two players involved are Remy Biechel in the cut off and Hussein Yilmaz on the button. A colleague informs me that Biechel has check called on the flop and turn creating a pot over 11,000.

Beichel fires 7,250 in to the pot at this stage though and after some consideration Yilmaz folds to be shown {3-Hearts} {4-Hearts} by the Frenchman!

Tags: Remy Beichel

A Timely Find

Michael O'Sullivan raised from early position and found Kenneth Gregersen reraising him out of the blinds. O'Sullivan quickly moved his remaining chips in, with Gregersen calling, showing {A-Spades} {K-Hearts} but finding himself needing one of three bullets if he was to kill off O'Sullivan's cowboys {K-Spades} {K-Diamonds}.

The board came out {2-Spades} {3-Diamonds} {2-Clubs} but when the {4-Spades} came on the turn, O'Sullivan put his hands on his head wincing as if he knew what was coming next. But he was worrying in vain as instead the harmless {8-Clubs} came out instead boosting his stack up to 13,000 and knocking Gregersen back down to roughly 8,000.

Tags: Kenneth Gregersen

Vanity, Thy Name is Phil

Author and makeup aficionado Phil Laak
Author and makeup aficionado Phil Laak
And this time, I'm not talking about Hellmuth.

Another Phil, the one of the Laak variety was just spotted leafing through a copy of BLUFF-Europe... and reading his own article.

Laak penned a piece in this month's issue about pulling the wool over everyone's eyes at the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas this past summer when he showed up in a wig and latex makeup designed to completely conceal his appearance and make him appear like an old man.

Laak looked rather satisfied with his work as he read along.

Waiting To Pounce...

Play has slowed right down on the remaining two tables on the upper floor of the Empire Casino. Beneath the glittering chandeliers, the aggression factor seems to have ebbed a bit, and many of the players look content to just wait for their table to break so they can find richer pickings elsewhere. This looks to be to the benefit of Savan Trivedi, the current chip leader, who has seemingly amassed every single green 25 denomination chip on his table.