2008 World Series of Poker

39th Annual World Series of Poker Main Event
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

Official Statement from the WSOP on Phil Hellmuth's Penalty

The following statement was just released by the World Series of Poker regarding Phil Hellmuth's penalty, which was overturned at the start of play today:

"This morning Phil Hellmuth met with Jack Effel, WSOP Tournament Director, Howard Greenbaum, Harrah's Regional Vice President for Specialty Gaming, and Jeffrey Pollack, Commissioner of the WSOP. Based on that meeting and an official review of the situation, it was decided that the penalty imposed on Mr. Hellmuth at the conclusion of play last night was excessive."

"Warnings and penalties are intended to correct inappropriate behavior and our rulings should be as fair as possible, given the circumstances," said Pollack. "In this instance, the punishment did not fit the crime."

"Phil has now been warned and put on notice in a way that he never has been," Pollack added.

Geert Jans Eliminated in 62nd Place ($115,800)

Geert Jans Eliminated
Geert Jans Eliminated
Nikolay Losev opened with a raise from the cutoff to 85,000 before Geert Jans made it 280,000 to go from the small blind. Losev made the call.

The flop came {6-Hearts}{7-Clubs}{Q-Hearts} and Jans led out with a bet of 250,000. Losev instantly moved all in and Jans snap-called for his tournament life.

Jans: {A-Clubs}{A-Spades}
Losev: {Q-Diamonds}{J-Diamonds}

Jans held the lead with a pair of aces, but the {Q-Clubs} on the turn gave Losev trip queens and the lead in the hand. The river was the {9-Spades} to send Jans to the rail in 62nd place.

Tags: Geert JansNikolay Losev

Thomas Keller Eliminated in 61st Place ($115,800)

Thomas Keller - 61st Place
Thomas Keller - 61st Place
The main event run of Thomas Keller has come to an end. Short-stacked all day, Keller put the last of his roughly 150,000 chips in before the flop holding {K-Spades} {Q-Clubs}. Jeremy Joseph was his lone opponent and he held {7-Hearts} {6-Hearts}.

The board ran out {J-Spades} {6-Diamonds} {3-Hearts} {10-Diamonds} {10-Spades} and Keller's king-high was no good. He hit the rail in 61st place while Joseph chipped up to about 1,800,000.

Hellmuth Takes a Hit

Kelly Kim raised to 90,000 from early position and action folded around to Phil Hellmuth in the big blind and he called. The two went heads up to the flop.

The flop came {K-Hearts} {6-Spades} {5-Diamonds}. Hellmuth bet 90,000 and Kim called. Hellmuth immediately stood up to survey the situation and the dealer put the {Q-Hearts} on the turn.

Hellmuth checked and Kim bet 150,000. Hellmuth thought for almost a minute before finally calling and then checking dark.

The river fell the {Q-Diamonds} and Kim bet 250,000. Hellmuth called and Kim showed {A-Clubs} {K-Spades}. Hellmuth mucked and Kim stacked the pot.

Gert Andersen On the Rise

Gert Andersen
Gert Andersen
On a flop of {8-Hearts} {7-Spades} {3-Diamonds}, Jeremy Joseph bet 250,000 from late position into his lone opponent, Gert Andersen who was on the button. Andersen called and the {9-Clubs} hit the turn. Joseph then check-called a bet of 500,000 from Andersen.

The river fell the {8-Spades} and Joseph check-called Andersen's bet again, this time for 1,000,000. Andersen showed {6-Clubs} {5-Clubs} and Joseph mucked his {Q-Clubs} {Q-Diamonds} face up.

Andersen is now the dominant chip leader with approximately 9,000,000 while Joseph is crippled with just about 500,000.

Stein Doubles through Neff

Scott Montgomery opened with a raise from under the gun to 115,000 before Peter Neff made it 258,000 from middle position. The action folded to Craig Stein in the small blind, who moved his short stack all in. Montgomery folded and Neff made the call.

Neff: {Q-Hearts}{Q-Spades}
Stein: {A-Clubs}{A-Spades}

The board ran out {9-Hearts}{7-Hearts}{2-Clubs}{4-Clubs}{A-Hearts} to give Stein a set and a double-up to 890,000. Neff is left with 1.4 million.

Tags: Craig SteinPeter Neff

Mark Owens Eliminated in 60th Place ($115,800)

Mark Owens - 60th Place
Mark Owens - 60th Place
Michael Carroll raised to 90,000 from middle position and Mark Owens moved all in for 429,000 from late position. Carroll made the call and the players showed:

Carroll: {A-Spades} {K-Spades}
Owens: {J-Hearts} {J-Clubs}

It was a race situation and Owens came up short when the board ran out {8-Hearts} {5-Hearts} {3-Clubs} {K-Clubs} {7-Clubs}. Owens was eliminated in 60th place while Carroll climbed to about 1,200,000 chips.

Justin Sadauskas Eliminated in 59th Place ($115,800)

Justin Sadauskas - 59th Place
Justin Sadauskas - 59th Place
After Paul Snead raised to 90,000 Mauro Lupo made the call. Justin Sadauskas moved all in from the big blind and Snead snap-called. After Lupo got out of the way Justin learned why Snead called so fast, as Paul's {K-Clubs}{K-Spades} had his {10-Clubs} {10-Spades} in deep trouble. Even though he was well ahead Snead didn't feel comfortable--he walked to the rail and held hands with his wife.

But there was nothing for him to worry about, as the board ran out {5-Hearts} {8-Clubs} {Q-Clubs} {9-Hearts} {Q-Spades} and Sadauskas was eliminated.

Saab Dented Then Doubles

David Saab
David Saab
Joe Bishop opened with a raise from middle position to 105,000 and David Saab made the call in the big blind.

Saab checked in the dark as the flop came {A-Hearts}{8-Spades}{K-Clubs} and Bishop checked behind. The turn was the {10-Clubs} and Saab led out for 125,000. Bishop made the call. The river was the {3-Clubs} and Saab fired out 200,000 with Bishop calling once more. Bishop showed {A-Clubs}{Q-Hearts} which was good to take down the pot, as Saab slipped to 1.15 million.

Next hand Albert Kim raised to 90,000 from the button and Saab made it 225,000 from the small blind. Kim made the call. The flop came {9-Hearts}{J-Spades}{A-Clubs} and Saab led for 200,000. Kim moved all in and Saab snap-called with {A-Diamonds}{K-Hearts} to hold the best hand against Kim's {A-Spades}{Q-Spades}.

The turn brought the {4-Diamonds} and river the {7-Hearts} and, after taking a hit, Saab finds a double to move up to around 2.3 million, with Kim now back to 5.6 million

Tags: David Saab

Jeremy Gaubert Eliminated in 58th Place ($115,800)

Jeremy Gaubert - 58th Place
Jeremy Gaubert - 58th Place
Mike Matusow has again been pretty tight today but just before the break he found a good spot to gamble, getting all his chips in with {J-Spades}{J-Hearts} against the short-stacked Jeremy Gaubert who held {A-Clubs}{K-Hearts}.

The flop came {8-Clubs}{J-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds} and Matusow jumped from his chair and screamed "Did I tell you? Did I tell you? They can't beat me!!!"

The turn and river bricked {9-Diamonds}, {Q-Spades} and Matusow takes down the pot to move up to 2.4 million chips and eliminate Gaubert in 58th place.

After the hand, a fan from the rail yells out "YES! I got money on you Mikey!"

Matusow's reply: "Go bet more!"

Tags: Jeremy Gaubert