[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
Pot-Limit Omaha W/ReBuys (Event 34)

EVENT #34

Wednesday, June 18, 2008 to Friday, June 20, 2008

Buy-in: $1,500

Prizepool: $2,407,125

Entries: 320 Rebuys & Add-ons: 1,350

Top 12 in The Money

1.Layne Flack $577,725
2.Daniel Makowsky $355,050
3.Jacobo Fernandez $222,659
4.Dario (Ryu) Alioto $180,534
5.Ted Forrest $144,427
6.Kyle Kloeckner $114,338
7.Michael Guzzardi $90,267
8.Tim West $72,213
9.Francis (Frank) Vizza $54,160
10.Kevin O'Donnell $36,106
11.Michael Schwartz $36,106
12.Nathan Hagens $36,106

[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
Seven Card Stud (Event 35)

EVENT #35

Wednesday, June 18, 2008 to Friday, June 20, 2008

Buy-in: $1,500

Prizepool: $520,065

Entries: 381

Top 12 In The Money

1.Michael Rocco $135,753
2.Al Barbieri $83,210
3.Levon Torosyan $50,186
4.Maxwell Troy $37,184
5.Giacomo D'Agostino $28,083
6.Dan Kalpakis $21,842
7.Andre Boyer $16,642
8.Jeff Siegal $14,041
9.Charles Moore $11,441
10.Roy Rose $11,441
11.Bryan Devonshire $8,841
12.Sabyl Cohen Landrum $8,841

[OLD HEAD]

39th Annual World Series of Poker
No-Limit Hold'em (Event 36)

EVENT #36

Thursday, June 19, 2008 to Saturday, June 21, 2008

Buy-in: $1,500

Prizepool: $3,340,155

Entries: 2,447

Top 12 In The Money

1.Jesper Hougaard $610,304
2.Cody Slaubaugh $389,128
3.Aaron Kanter $258,862
4.Danny Wong $217,110
5.Doug Middleton $177,028
6.Justin Wald $140,286
7.Rick Solis $106,884
8.Owen Crowe $81,833
9.John Shipley $56,782
10.Jeremy Schofer $36,741
11.Bryan Paris $36,741
12.Tom Braband $36,741

[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
World Championship Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (Event 37)

EVENT #37

Thursday, June 19, 2008 to Saturday, June 21, 2008

Buy-in: $10,000

Prizepool: $2,209,000

Entries: 235

Top 12 In The Money

1.David Benyamine $535,687
2.Greg Jamison $331,350
3.Jason Gray $209,855
4.Toto Leonidas $171,197
5.Mike Matusow $138,062
6.Eugene Katchalov $110,450
7.Ram Vaswani $88,360
8.David Chiu $71,792
9.Hieu Ngoc (Tony) Ma $55,225
10.Berry Johnston $38,657
11.Shunjiro Uchida $38,657
12.Chau Giang $38,657

[OLD HEAD]

World Series Of Poker 2008



LAS VEGAS – – It took until just the second event of the 2008 World Series of Poker Presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light to know it was going to be another strong year. A record 3,929 poker enthusiasts put up $1,500 each to compete in the first No Limit Hold’em event and things have continued to build nicely since.

The 3,929 entrants were the most-ever for a non-Main Event field and, through 30 events at the 2008 WSOP, the statistics are on target for another stellar year. Among the numbers, thus far (through 30 events):

• 24,642 entrants
• 821 average entrants per event
• $59,117,189 in total prize money awarded
• $1,970,573 average prize pool per event
• $439,545 average first place prize per event

The storylines at the 2008 World Series of Poker are as colorful as ever:

• KC’s Finest: The Hinkle Brothers, from Kansas City, Missouri became the first-ever set of brothers to win bracelets in the same year. Grant won Event #2 and $831,432, with Blair winning Event #23 and $507,563. The Hinkle’s become only the second set of brothers to win bracelets at the WSOP, joining the Pearson’s, Puggy (1973) and J.C. (1994).

• Is The Tide Turning?: Amateurs have had a lot of success at the World Series of Poker in recent years, including the record six consecutive years the Main Event has been won by an amateur. But this year professional poker players have won 23 of 30 (77%) of the bracelets handed out thus far. One of the best pros never to win a bracelet has shed that label. Erick Lindgren won his first bracelet and currently is tied for the lead in the WSOP Player of the Year standings, while notables Daniel Negreanu, David Singer, Barry Greenstein, Max Pescatori and Mike Matusow have all captured gold during the first half of this WSOP.

• The Real “World”: The World Series of Poker has seen an astounding influx of international players participating and cashing at the WSOP in recent years. In 2007, a record 87 countries and territories had entrants in the WSOP. This year shows that players cashing in tournaments are consistently from all corners of the globe. Through 30 events, 37 different countries have had an entrant cash. They are: Argentina; Australia; Austria; Belgium; Bolivia; Brazil; Canada; China; Denmark; England; Faroe Islands; Finland; France; Germany; Gibraltar; Guatemala; Hungary; Indonesia; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Lebanon; Lithuania; Mexico; Monaco; Netherlands; Norway; Peru; Romania; Russia; Scotland; Slovakia; Sweden; Switzerland; United States and Venezuela.

• Where’s Vermont?: Through 30 events, all of the states in United States (and D.C.) have had at least one entrant cash in this year’s World Series of Poker – except Vermont.

• Sporting an Appearance: Baseball great Orel Hershiser, hockey star Jeremy Roenick, Miami Heat basketball player Earl Barron and Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss have all been seen playing during this year’s WSOP.

The Name Game: These folks are standing out at this year’s WSOP: (through 30 events)

• Most events entered this year:
o Thomas McCormick (23)
o Sirous Jamshidi (22)
o Amnon Filippi (21)
o Justin Bonomo (21)
o Phil Ivey (21)

• Most event cashes this year:
o Nikolay Evdakov (6)
o Rolf Slotboom (5)
o Tom Schneider (5)
o Kathy Liebert (5)
o Alex Jacob (5)
o Roland Isra (5)

• Highest cash percentage this year:
o Kathy Liebert - 62.5% (5 of 8 events entered)
o Sarah Bilney - 50% (4 of 8 events entered)
o Tom Lee - 50% (3 of 6 events entered)
o Peter Debest - 50% (3 of 6 events entered)
o Calen McNeil - 50% (3 of 6 events entered)

• Most final tables reached this year: 2 (11 players tied)
o Chris Bjorin; Andy Bloch; Alex Bolotin; Scott Clements; Jacobo Fernandez; Fu Wong; Minh Ly; Daniel Negreanu; J.C. Tran; Theo Tran

• Money leaders at this year’s WSOP:
o Grant Hinkle - $831,462 (1 cash)
o Phil Galfond - $817,781 (1 cash)
o Nenad Medic - $810,608 (2 cashes)
o Scott Seiver - 781,866 (3 cashes)
o Duncan Bell - $666,697 (1 cash)

• Tracking the Big Three: Phil Hellmuth, 11 bracelets, and Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson with 10 each have been busy trying to add to their lofty totals. Here are their results, thus far, at the 39th annual WSOP:
o Hellmuth: Events entered: 15; Events Cashed: 2; Total Money Won: $106,896
o Brunson: Events entered: 7; Events Cashed: 1; Total Money Won: $16,243
o Chan: Events entered: 9; Events Cashed: 2; Total Money Won: $273,946

The 39th annual World Series of Poker continues through July 14th at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The Main Event will begin on July 3rd, with the Final Table being determined on July 14th. The nine players who advance to the Final Table will return to the Rio on November 9th to play down to just two players. The final two, will go head-to-head late in the evening on November 10th to determine the champion and winner of poker’s ultimate prize on November 11th, when it will be aired same-day in primetime on ESPN.

ABOUT THE WSOP
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2007, the event attracted more than 54,000 entrants from 87 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded just under $160 million in prize money as players competed for game’s most coveted trophy, a WSOP bracelet. Harrah’s License Company, LLC., an affiliate of Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., has owned and operated the WSOP since 2004 and over the last four years, fostered an increase in player participation by nearly 300-percent. In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe.

ABOUT HARRAH’S ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, more than 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casinos on four continents. The Company's properties operate primarily under the Harrah's®, Caesars® and Horseshoe® brand names; Harrah's also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos and the World Series of Poker®. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.

[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
Pot-Limit Hold'em (Event 38)

EVENT #38

Friday, June 20, 2008 to Sunday, June 22, 2008

Buy-in: $2,000

Prizepool: $1,101,100

Entries: 605

Top 12 In The Money

1.Davidi Kitai $244,583
2.Chris Bell $155,805
3.Keith Greer $94,694
4.John Von Halle $77,077
5.Lee Watkinson $63,313
6.Robert (RCW) Cheung $50,100
7.Ayaz Mahmood $39,089
8.Benjamin (Ben) Roberts $30,830
9.Michael Greco $22,572
10.Benjamin Zamani $14,314
11.Michael Binger $14,314
12.Charles Lehr $14,314

[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
No-Limit Hold'em (Event 39)

EVENT #39

Saturday, June 21, 2008 to Monday, June 23, 2008

Buy-in: $1,500

Prizepool: $3,712,800

Entries: 2,720

Top 12 In The Money

1.David Woo $631,550
2.Matthew Wood $389,844
3.Eric Beren $278,460
4.Habib Khanis $233,906
5.Thom Werthmann $191,209
6.Curtis Early $150,368
7.Thanh dat Tran $113,240
8.Michael Glasser $85,394
9.Jim Paras $58,290
10.Paul Kerr $36,756
11.Michael Polcari $36,756
12.Russell Spaid $36,756

[OLD HEAD]

World Series Of Poker 2008




2ND ANNUAL ANTE UP FOR AFRICA STAR-STUDDED CELEBRITY POKER TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO THE 2008 WORLD SERIES OF POKER® AT RIO ALL-SUITE HOTEL & CASINO

July 2nd Event Proceeds To Benefit Victims of the Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur



Las Vegas, NV — More than a dozen celebrities and athletes are returning and expected to join poker's most notable players to raise public awareness and funds to support the victims of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan, at the 2nd annual Ante Up For Africa tournament at the 2008 World Series of Poker presented by Milwaukee's Best Light.

Created by Oscar nominee Don Cheadle and poker pro Annie Duke, the Ante Up for Africa tournament will begin at 2 p.m. July 2nd at the Rio® All-Suite Hotel & Casino, home of the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Last year's Ante Up For Africa event featured more Hollywood celebrities and poker professionals than any other charity tournament ever and raised more than $700,000.

"After the success of last year's tournament, we are looking forward to another exciting year while raising awareness for an ongoing crisis," said poker pro Annie Duke. "It is exciting to bring the world of poker and entertainment together and we are once again asking players who win prize money to donate half of their winnings to our charities."

Among those confirmed to participate, subject to availability, are Hollywood stars Cheadle, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler, Ray Romano, Charles Barkley, Jason Kidd, Kevin Pollack, Cheryl Hines, George Lopez, Joe Trohman (Fall Out Boy) with many more expressing their interest to play. Also playing, subject to availability, will be poker professionals Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Andy Bloch, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Laak, Erik Seidel, Phil Gordon, Rafe Furst, Barry Greenstein and others.

The tournament will feature a fast-paced structure designed to complete the competition within five hours. Seating for the tournament is limited and anyone who wants to participate is encouraged to pre-register at http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/pd...for-Africa.pdf

"The poker community has a unique opportunity to help ease the suffering in Darfur," said Jeffrey Pollack, commissioner of the World Series of Poker. "The stars are coming out for this special event once again and we encourage everyone to register early before we sell out."

"I was elated that we raised over $700,000 last year," said Cheadle, "I am so grateful for everyone's participation and generosity in helping us continue to bring the plight of the refugees of Darfur to the forefront of people's minds. I hope we can raise even more this year."

Cheadle, an accomplished poker player, and Duke, who has more than $4 million in tournament winnings, are committed to raising both public awareness about the tragedy in Darfur and funds to aid its victims. As the world's richest sporting event, the WSOP is covered by more than 600 journalists from around the globe each year and attracts players from more than 85 countries.

Proceeds from this year's tournament will go to two charities: ENOUGH, Home | Enough, a joint initiative of the International Crisis Group and the Center for American Progress, which aims to end crimes against humanity in Darfur, northern Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and to prevent future mass atrocities wherever they occur and Not On Our Watch, Not On Our Watch, founded by actors George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, and Brad Pitt, which has endeavored to focus global attention and resources towards putting an end to mass atrocities around the world. The group has adopted the crisis in Darfur, Africa, as its inaugural campaign. Drawing on the powerful voices of artists, activists and cultural leaders, NOOW generates lifesaving humanitarian assistance and protection for the vulnerable, marginalized and displaced

[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
2-7 Triple Draw Lowball - Limit (Event 40)

EVENT #40

Sunday, June 22, 2008 to Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Buy-in: $2,500

Prizepool: $547,400

Entries: 238

Top 12 In The Money

1.John "Razor" Phan $151,911
2.Shunjiro Uchida $95,795
3.Gioi Luong $61,582
4.Robert Mizrachi $41,055
5.Ben Ponzio $28,738
6.David Sklansky $20,527
7.William Baxter $15,053
8.Suk Min Sung $15,053
9.Mike Wattel $12,316
10.Richard (Rick) Chase $12,316
11.Greg (Fossil-Man) Raymer $9,579
12.Dario (Ryu) Alioto $9,579

[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
Mixed Hold'em - limit/no-limit (Event 41)

EVENT #41

Sunday, June 22, 2008 to Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Buy-in: $1,500

Prizepool: $996,450

Entries: 731

Top 12 In The Money

1.Frank Gary $219,562
2.Jonathan Tamayo $140,093
3.Nick Binger $84,814
4.Chris Rentes $69,348
5.Alex Jalali $56,875
6.David MacHowsky $44,901
7.Mats Gavatin $34,923
8.Michael Chu $27,439
9.David Sorger $19,956
10.Todd Witteles $12,472
11.Justin St. John $12,472
12.Sam Hiatt $12,472

[OLD HEAD]

World Series Of Poker 2008

Player Of The Year Standings

06/25/2008



The Milwaukee's Best Light Player of the Year Standings are a cumulative measure of performance during the 2008 World Series of Poker. Players will only receive points for open bracelet events.

There will be ZERO points awarded for the following events:


All satellite and "Second Chance Tournaments"
$1,000 World Championship Ladies Event No-Limit Hold'em (Event 15)
$1,000 World Championship Seniors No-Limit Hold'em (Event 42)
$10,000 World Championship No-Limit Texas Hold'em (Event 54)
$500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em (Event 55)


Players With 120 Points Minimum

Name.. WSOP POY Points.. Bracelets.. Cashed.. 2008 WSOP Earnings

Jacobo Fernandez.. 222 pts.. 0.. 5.. $648,421
David Benyamine.. 220 pts.. 1.. 4.. $941,651
John "Razor" Phan.. 215 pts.. 2.. 4.. $606,014
Barry Greenstein.. 190 pts.. 1.. 5.. $413,261
Erick Lindgren.. 185 pts.. 1.. 4.. $567,088
Daniel Negreanu.. 170 pts.. 1.. 4.. $378,224
Vanessa Selbst.. 163 pts.. 1.. 3.. $350,391
Chris (Jesus) Ferguson.. 160 pts.. 0.. 4.. $674,564
David Singer.. 160 pts.. 1.. 4.. $340,363
Mike Matusow.. 150 pts.. 1.. 2.. $675,924
Farzad Rouhani.. 140 pts.. 1.. 3.. $265,443
Scott Seiver.. 135 pts.. 1.. 4.. $785,393
Andrew Bloch.. 135 pts.. 0.. 3.. $585,620
Theo Tran.. 130 pts.. 0.. 5.. $553,138
Jose-Luis Velador.. 125 pts.. 1.. 3.. $586,135
Chris Bell.. 125 pts.. 0.. 3.. $321,006
Ted Forrest.. 125 pts.. 0.. 2.. $287,847
Fu Wong.. 125 pts.. 0.. 2.. $311,452
Robert Mizrachi.. 123 pts.. 0.. 4.. $128,314
Alexander Kostritsyn.. 120 pts.. 0.. 5.. $309,640
Chris Bjorin.. 120 pts.. 0.. 4.. $278,657
Max Pescatori.. 120 pts.. 1.. 4.. $264,780
Rob Hollink.. 120 pts.. 1.. 2.. $507,291
Greg Jamison.. 120 pts.. 0.. 2.. $381,949
Kyle Kloeckner.. 120 pts.. 0.. 2.. $266,748

[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
Seniors No-Limit Hold'em World Championship (Event 42)

EVENT #42

Monday, June 23, 2008 to Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Buy-in: $1,000

Prizepool: $2,018,380

Entries: 2,218

Top 12 In The Money

1.Dan Lacourse $368,832
2.Dale Eberle $235,141
3.Marc Fluss $156,424
4.Jerry Yamachika $131,194
5.Fred Berger $106,974
6.Charles Wood $84,771
7.Peter Silverstein $64,588
8.Edward Clark $49,450
9.Martin (Marty) Wilson $34,312
10.Ronald Puelo $22,202
11.Mike Allis $22,202
12.Chris Platt $22,202

[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
World Championship H.O.R.S.E. (Event 45)

EVENT #45

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 to Sunday, June 29, 2008

Buy-in: $50,000

Prizepool: $7,104,000

Entries: 148


1st $1,989,120
2nd $1,243,200
3rd $781,440
4th $568,320
5th $444,000
6th $355,200
7th $284,160
8th $230,880
9th-10th $177,600
11th-12th $159,840
13th-14th $142,080
15th-16th $124,320

[OLD HEAD]

World Series Of Poker 2008


IN MEMORY OF DAVID "CHIP" REESE

“Being the best is not just about winning one day or two days – it’s every day,”

The H.O.R.S.E Event is under way in Vegas and this year there will be a special award presented to the winner. The management of the World Series Of Poker will present the winner with the first "Chip Reese Memorial Trophy"
in memory of one of the best cash poker players ever. He was also the winner of the 2006 H.O.R.S.E. Event.

Many players consider this event to be the 'Crown Jewel' the 'Masters' of poker,I agree.

'Chip' died on December 4,2007.

“This year it’s something special extra out there,” said Erick Lindgren, who considered Reese both a friend and a player worth looking up to. “The whole time I’ll be thinking about Chip and what he would have done, which is patience. He was very patient and I’m going to play every hand and every street as well as I can.”

The trophy isn’t the only item in the room honoring Reese. Doyle Brunson, who considered Reese to be the closest of his close friends, found his own personal way of remembering Reese at the tables.

“See this cross here,” Brunson said, holding out a small gold cross on a chain around his neck. “His ashes are in here, so he’s with me.”


Here is the recap of the 2006 Event presented by Nolan Dalla.



World Series Of Poker 2006 Recap H.O.R.S.E.

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Saturday, July 15, 2006

Event #20 ($50,000 H.O.R.S.E.) - Recap
provided by - Nolan Dalla - WSOP Media Director

Event #20

H.O.R.S.E. World Poker Championship

Rotation of Games: Limit Hold’em, Omaha High-Low Split, Razz, Seven-Card Stud, Eight-or-Bettor, No-Limit Hold’em

Buy-In: $50,000

Number of Entries: 143

Total Prize Money: $6,864,000

Defending Champion (2005): None -- First-Time Event

Standing the Test of Time

Poker Legend Chip Reese Outlasts the Competition and Wins $1,784,640 in First WSOP Victory in 24-Years

Poker marathon lasts 43-grueling hours over four days and nights


Las Vegas, NV – The latest World Series of Poker match was a throwback to an earlier era when poker all was about seemingly endless games, creaky bones, and weary faces. Card after card after card had been tossed and turned and reshuffled again and again. Exhausted spectators who had been standing and cheering hours earlier were now crashed around all sides of the gallery. And in the middle of the darkened poker room, an overhead beam illuminated a green felt table, anchored on each side by two aspiring champions, their faces chiseled with determination.

It all began four long days earlier. The biggest buy-in poker tournament on the planet took place at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Consider that it cost fifty grand -- more than the list price of a brand new Cadillac just to sit down in the big game. The 20th event on the 2006 World Series of Poker schedule attracted the toughest compilation of poker talent ever assembled inside one arena. While the world championship main event is still two weeks away, a spectacle that will shatter every previous record in poker history, this far more exclusive competition proved to be the ultimate test of overall poker skill.

Players played a rotation of poker’s six most popular games – symbolized in the acronym H.O.R.S.E. – which stands for Hold’em (both limit and no-limit), Omaha High-Low Split, Razz, Seven-Card Stud, and Eight or Better. A field of 143 of the world’s best poker players competed over a grueling four-day marathon, which became as much a test of mental and physical endurance as poker skill. For instance, the first day took 14 hours to complete. The second day was even longer. Day Two began at 12 noon and ended at 9:00 am the next day. After playing 21 straight hours, the nine surviving players got some well-deserved rest and returned for a final table which began at 9:00 pm on Friday night.

The 2006 World Series of Poker presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light offered spectators and an ESPN television audience one of the most extraordinary final tables ever assembled in the history of the game. The nine players in the H.O.R.S.E. championship had previously won a whopping 27 WSOP gold bracelets combined. Present were former world champions, living poker legends, celebrity superstars, and a few aspiring younger champions who hoped for a breakthrough victory.

The nine finalists in the event were as follows:

SEAT 1: Jim Bechtel – 1993 World Series of Poker champion; one WSOP gold bracelet
SEAT 2: Doyle Brunson – Inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame; 1976 and 1977 World Series of Poker champion; ten WSOP gold bracelets
SEAT 3: David “Chip” Reese – Inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame; three WSOP gold bracelets
SEAT 4: Dewey Tomko – High-stakes poker player; runner-up in the main event twice; three WSOP gold bracelets
SEAT 5: Andy Bloch – Formally on the M.I.T. blackjack team immortalized in the book “Breaking Vegas”; Harvard Law School graduate; successful winning poker player for past ten years
SEAT 6: T.J. Cloutier – Former professional football player; top tournament player in lifetime cashes, final table appearances, and wins; six WSOP gold bracelets
SEAT 7: David Singer – Top tournament professional with many cashes and millions won at the poker table
SEAT 8: Patrik Antonius – Top European poker pro; many tournament cashes and wins throughout Europe
SEAT 9: Phil Ivey – Superstar poker icon; five WSOP gold bracelets

The first player to exit was the charismatic European pro, Patrik Antonious. Just three hands into play, the perilously short-stacked Finnish player was eliminated. Ninth place paid $205,920.

The next player out took everyone by surprise. Many hoped, and some even expected poker legend Doyle Brunson to win his record-breaking 11th gold bracelet in this tournament. Those hopes were demolished when “Texas Dolly” went out in eighth place. Brunson, the genial Texan with a million dollar smile and arguably poker’s greatest player ever, collected $274,560.

Dewey Tomko, who finished second in the WSOP main event on two occasions, had to settle for seventh place. Tomko had spent over twenty years traveling in the same tight-knit poker circles with colleagues Brunson and Reese. So, it was fitting that three of poker’s most revered icons were seated side-by-side in this event. The three-time gold bracelet winner from Florida received $343,200.

David Singer, who has recently emerged on the poker tournament scene as one of the game’s top players was hoping for a monstrous career breakthrough in this event. He certainly proved he can compete with the best in the world by making it to the big stage against such fierce competition. But Singer fell short of victory and ended up with a sixth-place finish. Singer earned $411,840.

T.J. Cloutier has won just about everything in poker except the main event of the World Series. Cloutier, who lives in Dallas, has the best overall tournament record of any player alive. However, Cloutier came up short in this event and ended up as the fifth-place finisher. His prize amounted to $480,480.

Jim Bechtel, a no-limit specialist from Arizona was the next victim of elimination. Bechtel, winner of the 1993 World Series of Poker championship, received $549,120 for his fourth-place finish.

When play became three-handed, Phil Ivey was at a competitive disadvantage. Even a supremely-gifted player like Ivey needs chips and good cards to win. He got neither during his final hour at the table and ended up with mixed results – a disappointing third-place showing, but a healthy profit amounting to $617,760

The final contest between Andy Bloch and Chip Reese posed two gladiators of similar styles and character. Reese first arrived in Las Vegas 31-years ago, fresh out of college (Reese is a graduate of Dartmouth University). He was on his way to attend law school in California, but instead found his passion and talent for cards and gambling. Since 1974, Reese has won tens of millions of dollars in high-stakes poker games and earned a well-deserved reputation as the world’s best all-around player.

Bloch arrived in Las Vegas with a shorter, albeit similar story. Bloch graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later earned his degree from Harvard University Law School. Like Reese before him, Bloch opted to gamble professionally rather than work in a more conventional career. He also shared Reese’s cerebral personality to a large extent – favoring substance over style, tranquility over bravado, and contemplation over haste.

At 1:00 am, as $1.7 million in cash was brought out to the table, no one in the audience nor over the worldwide listening audience on the Bluff Radio Network (carried live by Sirius) could possibly have forecasted the epic match that was to follow. When the sun cracked over the horizon the following morning, the two contenders were still sitting there face to face – thinking, planning, contemplating, strategizing, and searching for the evasive holy poker grail that would pummel the defiant into submission.

Together, they played an astonishing 300-plus hands heads-up, twice as many hands as it took to eliminate the first seven players. At one point, spectators who had left the night before began returning to the poker room again, and saw that neither player had yielded an inch in the battle of endurance and psychology.

At precisely 9:12 am, Chip Reese and Andy Bloch shattered a WSOP-record that many thought might never be broken. In the 1983 main event, Tom McEvoy and Rod Peate battled for seven straight hours. This epic duel clocked in at 7 hours, 6 minutes.

Bloch started the duel with a slight chip lead. In fact, he held the lead during most of the match. At one point, Bloch enjoyed a better than 3 to 1 chip advantage. Bloch had his opponent all-in a few times, but was never able to finish off the resilient Reese. On one occasion, Reese was extremely lucky catching a miracle card to make an inside straight to defy the odds stacked against him. Another time, Reese caught a flush to survive.

The poker game of all poker games finally ended when Reese had seized the chip lead midway through the morning and pushed all-in before the flop with ace-queen. Bloch had taken a few tough beats and was so low on chips he had to call with nine-eight. The final board showed J-7-7-4-4, giving Reese the win with the higher kicker (ace).

As the runner-up, Andy Bloch received $1,029,600. But the money was the last thing that seemed to matter to Bloch, who was so groomed to win his first gold bracelet. Very few people outside the poker world understand that this match was not about money. It was about proving something of incalculable value -- impossible to describe and too foreign to comprehend.

The winner, David “Chip” Reese collected $1,784,640 in prize money and the gold bracelet, presented by World Series of Poker Commissioner, Jeffrey Pollack. It was Reese’s fourth WSOP career win, and his first since 1982. From a historical perspective, the triumph validates the unofficial title Reese has carried throughout his storied poker career, as the world’s best all-around poker player.

“Being the best is not just about winning one day or two days – it’s every day,” Reese said in a post-tournament interview. “Doyle Brunson was once asked who he thought the best poker player was, and Doyle said, ‘I don’t know, come back and ask me again in twenty years.’ Being the best is proving it over the long run.”

Perhaps it is fitting that this championship -- what may very well be the most prestigious poker event to have ever been played – would ultimately evolve to a contest of raw strength and iron willpower. A victory in such an illustrious event should not be easy. It must be hard. It must be difficult. By its very spirit and magnitude, winning must be the end result of toil, trial, and tribulation. In this championship, and indeed over the past 30 years, Chip Reese has stood the test of time.

__________________
SHOW NO EMOTION

[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better (Event 43)

EVENT #43

Tuesday, June 24, 2008 to Thursday, June 26, 2008

Buy-in: $1,500

Prizepool: $982,800

Entries: 720

Top 12 In The Money

1.Martin Klaser $216,249
2.Casey Kastle $137,985
3.Michael Fetter $83,538
4.Erik Seidel $68,304
5.Jon Maren $56,019
6.Chad Burum $44,226
7.Joseph Haddad $34,398
8.Larry Wright $27,027
9.Tom Chambers $19,656
10.Daniel Klein $12,285
11.Derek Kadota $12,285
12.Gary Hutzler $12,285

[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
No-Limit Hold'em w/ReBuys (Event 44)

EVENT #44

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 to Friday, June 27, 2008

Buy-in: $1,000

Prizepool: $3,240,174

Entries: 879 Rebuys & Add-ons: 2,508


Fri, 27 Jun 2008 05:52:49 Final-Table Seat Assignments Set.
2pm PDT is the kickoff time for the finale in Event 44, $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em w/ Rebuys.

A late surge in Thursday's session by Jesse Chinni has carried him to a dominant lead entering the finale,
where he'll have over a 2:1 margin over second-place Rene Mouritsen.

The complete seat assignments, hometowns and chip counts for the finalists:

Scott Freeman (Los Angeles, California) -- 675,000
Max Greenwood (Toronto, Canada) -- 728,000
Curtis Kohlberg (Weston, Massachusetts) -- 209,000
Rene Mouritsen (Aarhus, Denmark) -- 1,007,000
Alex Bolotin (Brooklyn, New York) -- 308,000
Albert Iversen (Aarhus, Denmark) -- 921,000
Aliaksandr Dzianisau (, Russia) -- 186,000
Phung Ngo (Commerce , Michigan) -- 556,000
Jesse Chinni (Ellicott City, MD) -- 2,160,000

[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
World Championship H.O.R.S.E. (Event 45)

EVENT #45

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 to Sunday, June 29, 2008

Buy-in: $50,000

Prizepool: $7,104,000

Entries: 148


Player..... Chip Counts

Lyle Berman 507,000
Patrick Bueno 485,500
Barry Greenstein 473,000
Minh Ly 451,000
Chris Reslock 435,500
Joseph Michael 401,000
Erick Lindgren 397,500
Justin Bonomo 384,000
Daniel Negreanu 374,500
Doyle Brunson 366,000
Andy Bloch 362,500
David Bach 347,000
Stephen Zolotow 345,500
Huck Seed 328,000
Bill Chen 326,000
Mark Gregorich 325,500
Raymond Davis 322,500
Mike Wattel 322,000
Michael DeMichele 319,500
Rob Hollink 317,000
Chad Brown 295,000
Gabe Kaplan 278,500
Raymond Dehkharghani 272,000
Stephen Wolff 255,000
Brandon Adams 252,000
Pat Pezzin 248,000
Abraham Mosseri 235,000
Edwin Ting 225,500
Greg Mascio 219,000
Layne Flack 219,000
Steve Sung 208,000
Rafi Amit 206,000
Matt Glantz 202,500
Jim Bechtel 202,000
Farzad Bonyadi 201,500
Douglas Ganger 199,500
David Oppenheim 199,500
Tom Dwan 195,000
John Cernuto 190,000
Phil Ivey 177,000
James Mackey 175,500
Joe Bunevith 159,500
Isabelle Mercier 146,000
Michael Mizrachi 143,000
Phil Galfond 138,500
Katja Thater 136,500
Tad Jurgens 135,500
Keith Sexton 121,500
Paul Fisher 116,000
Jeffrey Lisandro 114,000
Ralph Perry 113,500
Mickey Appleman 112,500
Kenny Tran 111,500
Robert Williamson III 104,000
Scotty Nguyen 101,000
Marcel Luske 99,000
Thor Hansen 96,500
Billy Argyros 88,500
Greg Mueller 86,000
Alex Kostritsyn 71,500
Max Pescatori 63,500
Dario Minieri 50,000
George Lind 49,500
Lee Markholt 47,000
John Hanson 32,000
Roy Thung 16,000
Allen Kessler 7,500

[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
No-Limit Hold'em w/ReBuys (Event 44)

EVENT #44

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 to Friday, June 27, 2008

Buy-in: $1,000

Prizepool: $3,240,174

Entries: 879 Rebuys & Add-ons: 2,508

Top 12 In The Money

1.Maxwell Greenwood $693,392
2.Rene Mouritsen $445,523
3.Albert Iverson $267,314
4.Scott Freeman $223,572
5.Jesse Chinni $183,069
6.Aleksandr Dzianisau $144,187
7.Curt Kohlberg $111,786
8.Phung Ngo $87,484
9.Alex Bolotin $63,183
10.James Rosen $39,854
11.Ivan Demidov $39,854
12.Peter Feldman $39,854

[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
World Championship H.O.R.S.E. (Event 45)
EVENT #45
Wednesday, June 25, 2008 to Sunday, June 29, 2008
Buy-in: $50,000
Prizepool: $7,104,000
Entries: 148

Eight Players Left.... Sunday 06/29/2008

Erick Lindgren 3,680,000
Scotty Nguyen 3,535,000
Barry Greenstein 1,955,000
Matt Glantz 1,445,000
Lyle Berman 1,430,000
Huck Seed 1,200,000
Michael DeMichele 905,000
Patrick Bueno 695,000

[OLD HEAD]

2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed (Event 46)

EVENT #46

Thursday, June 26, 2008 to Saturday, June 28, 2008

Buy-in: $5,000

Prizepool: $3,783,500

Entries: 805

Top 12 In The Money

1.Joe Commisso $911,855
2.Richard Lyndaker $570,551
3.Edward Ochana $368,891
4.Sam Trickett $245,927
5.Thomas Lutz $174,041
6.Davidi Kitai $120,693
7.Will Failla $82,858
8.Jim Wong $82,858
9.Steven Ware $63,941
10.Bryan Pope $63,941
11.Alex Jacob $45,023
12.Leo Kam $45,023