2008 - This Year in WSOP History

2008

February 2

Women in Poker Hall of Fame Debuts
Barbara Enright, Susie Isaacs, Linda Johnson, and Marsha Waggoner are the initial inductees in a ceremony at Binion's Horseshoe.

March 13

Rules Adjustments for 2008 WSOP
Excessive celebration can now be penalized, while showing a single card after a hand is now legal.

April 22

Des Wilson's "Ghosts at the Table" Released
The well-researched volume has great storytelling and myth-busting from poker's past including a long chapter on the World Series of Poker before ending with most of the 2007 Main Event.

May 1

New Main Event Format Announced With November Nine
Play will take a break after final table is reached in July and finish up in November. The final table had originally been scheduled to start on July 16.

June 1

$10,000 World Championship Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #1, 3 days [5/30 start])

Winner: Nenad Medic ($794,112 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 352 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 3

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #2, 4 days [5/31 start])

Winner: Grant Hinkle ($831,279 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 3,929 (378 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 4

$1,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #3, 3 days [6/2 start])

Winner: David Singer ($214,122 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 713 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 Limit/No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #4, 3 days [6/2 start])

Winner: Erick Lindgren ($374,505 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 332 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 5

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #5, 3 days [6/3 start])

Winner: Michael Banducci ($636,736 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 766 [2258 rebuys] (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #6, 3 days [6/3 start])

Winner: Thang Luu ($243,342 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 833 (81 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 6

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #7, 3 days [6/4 start])

Winner: Matt Keikoan ($550,529 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,592 (153 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 World Championship 8-Game (Event #8, 3 days [6/4 start])

Winner: Anthony Rivera ($483,688 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 192 (24 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 7

$1,500 Short-Handed No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #9, 3 days [6/5 start])

Winner: Ralph Porter ($372,843 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,236 (126 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo (Event #10, 3 days [6/5 start])

Winner: Farzad Rouhani ($232,911 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 338 (40 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 8

$5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em Shootout (Event #11, 3 days [6/6 start])

Winner: Phillip Tom ($477,990 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 360 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #12, 3 days [6/6 start])

Winner: Jimmy Shultz ($257,049 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 883 (81 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 9

$2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #13, 3 days [6/7 start])

Winner: Duncan Bell ($666,697 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,395 (99 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 World Championship Seven-Card Stud (Event #14, 3 days [6/7 start])

Winner: Eric Brooks ($415,856 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 158 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 10

$1,000 Ladies World Championship Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #15, 3 days [6/8 start])

Winner: Svetlana Gromenkova ($224,702 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,190 (99 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,000 Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #16, 3 days [6/8 start])

Winner: Andrew Brown ($226,483 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,000 (54 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 11

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em Shootout (Event #17, 3 days [6/9 start])

Winner: Jason Young ($335,565 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,000 (100 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Mike Matusow Wins $5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw for Third Bracelet
Defeats field of 85 (272 rebuys), including Jeff Lisandro heads up, for $537,862.

$5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw (Event #18, 3 days [6/9 start])

Winner: Mike Matusow ($537,862 & 3rd bracelet)

Entries: 85 [272 rebuys] (14 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 12

Bernard Lee's "Final Table Volume I" Released
The collection of Boston Herald articles includes lots of good hand analyses, with many examples from the 2005 and 2006 World Series of Poker.

Vanessa Selbst Wins $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 759 for $227,933.

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #19, 3 days [6/10 start])

Winner: Vanessa Selbst ($227,933 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 759 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Daniel Negreanu Wins $2,000 Limit Hold 'Em for Fourth Bracelet
Defeats field of 480 for $204,863.

$2,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #20, 3 days [6/10 start])

Winner: Daniel Negreanu ($204,863 & 4th bracelet)

Entries: 480 (45 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 13

Scott Seiver Wins $5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 731 for $755,891.

$5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #21, 3 days [6/11 start])

Winner: Scott Seiver ($755,891 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 731 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$3,000 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #22, 3 days [6/11 start])

Winner: Jens Voertmann ($298,253 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 414 (40 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 14

Grant and Blair Hinkle Become First Brothers to Win Bracelets in Same Year
22-year-old Blair wins 1,344-player $2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $507,613 just 11 days after 27-year-old Grant captured 3,929-player $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $831,279.

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #23, 3 days [6/12 start])

Winner: Blair Hinkle ($507,613 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,344 (99 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Max Pescatori Wins $2,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em/Omaha for Second Bracelet
Defeats field of 457 for $246,509.

$2,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em/Omaha (Event #24, 3 days [6/12 start])

Winner: Max Pescatori ($246,509 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 457 (45 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 15

$10,000 World Championship Heads Up No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #25, 3 days [6/13 start])

Winner: Kenny Tran ($539,056 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 453 (64 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Seven-Card Razz (Event #26, 3 days [6/13 start])

Winner: Barry Greenstein ($157,643 & 3rd bracelet)

Entries: 64 [227 rebuys] (48 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 16

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #27, 3 days [6/14 start])

Winner: Vitaly Lunkin ($629,417 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,706 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 17

$5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #28, 4 days [6/14 start])

Winner: Phil Galfond ($817,781 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 152 [483 rebuys] (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$3,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #29, 3 days [6/15 start])

Winner: Bon Phan ($434,789 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 716 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 18

Rob Hollink Wins $10,000 Limit Hold 'Em for Netherlands' First Bracelet
Defeats field of 218 for $496,931.

$10,000 World Championship Limit Hold 'Em (Event #30, 4 days [6/15 start])

Winner: Rob Hollink ($496,931 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 218 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #31, 3 days [6/16 start])

Winner: Dario Minieri ($528,418 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,012 (108 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 19

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #32, 3 days [6/17 start])

Winner: Luis Velador ($574,734 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,304 (198 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 World Championship Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo (Event #33, 3 days [6/17 start])

Winner: Sebastian Ruthenberg ($328,762 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 261 (24 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 20

Layne Flack Wins $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha for Sixth Bracelet
Defeats field of 320 (1,350 rebuys) for $577,725.

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #34, 3 days [6/18 start])

Winner: Layne Flack ($577,725 & 6th bracelet)

Entries: 320 [1350 rebuys] (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud (Event #35, 3 days [6/18 start])

Winner: Mike Rocco ($135,753 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 381 (40 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 21

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #36, 3 days [6/19 start])

Winner: Jesper Hougaard ($610,304 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,447 (198 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 World Championship Omaha Hi/Lo Split (Event #37, 3 days [6/19 start])

Winner: David Benyamine ($535,687 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 235 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 22

Davidi Kitai Wins $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em for Belgium's First Bracelet
Defeats field of 605 for $244,583.

$2,000 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #38, 3 days [6/20 start])

Winner: Davidi Kitai ($244,583 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 605 (63 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 23

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #39, 3 days [6/21 start])

Winner: David Woo ($631,550 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,720 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 24

$2,500 Limit Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw (Event #40, 3 days [6/22 start])

Winner: Bon Phan ($151,911 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 238 (24 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

John Phan Wins $2,500 Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw for Second Bracelet of Year
Defeats field of 238 for $151,911 one week after taking down $3,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $434,789.

$1,500 Limit/No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #41, 3 days [6/22 start])

Winner: Frank Gary ($219,562 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 731 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 25

$1,000 Seniors World Championship - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #42, 3 days [6/23 start])

Winner: Daniel Lacourse ($368,832 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,218 (198 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 26

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #43, 3 days [6/24 start])

Winner: Martin Klaser ($216,249 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 720 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 27

John Bonetti d. 2008 [age 80] (b. 6/12/1928)
Three WSOP Main Event final tables: 1990 8th ($33,400), 1993 3rd ($210,000), & 1996 3rd ($341,250). Won 1990 $5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw ($83,250), 1993 $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em ($122,400), & 1995 $5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw ($101,250). Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 2011.
Obituary | Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #44, 3 days [6/25 start])

Winner: Max Greenwood ($693,392 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 879 [2508 rebuys] (81 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 28

$5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #46, 3 days [6/26 start])

Winner: Joe Commisso ($911,855 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 805 (78 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo (Event #47, 3 days [6/26 start])

Winner: Ryan Hughes ($183,368 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 544 (56 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 29

Scotty Nguyen Wins $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. for Fifth Bracelet
Defeats field of 148 for $1,989,120.

$50,000 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #45, 5 days [6/25 start])

Winner: Scotty Nguyen ($1,989,120 & 5th bracelet)

Entries: 148 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #48, 3 days [6/27 start])

Winner: Alexandre Gomes ($770,540 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,317 (198 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Alexandre Gomes Wins $2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for Brazil's First Bracelet
Defeats field of 2,317 for $770,540 for the first bracelet for South America.

June 30

Nikolay Evdakov Sets Record With 10th Cash of Year
Finishes 28th in $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha for $25,069.

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #49, 3 days [6/28 start])

Winner: Justin Cuong Van Tran ($631,170 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,718 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 1

$10,000 World Championship Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #50, 3 days [6/29 start])

Winner: Marty Smyth ($859,549 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 381 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Phil Hellmuth Reaches Decade-High 24th Final Table of 2000s
Finishes 3rd in $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. for $93,168. [Hellmuth wouldn't add any in 2009 but would still finish one ahead of Chris Ferguson and John Juanda.]

$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #51, 3 days [6/29 start])

Winner: James Schaaf ($256,412 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 803 (80 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 2

John Hennigan Wins $5,000 Ante Up for Africa Charity Event
Defeats field of 88 for $136,860. Hennigan, second place finisher Michael DeGusta (2nd for $85,536), Phil Hellmuth (4th for $38,491), Ray Romano (8th for $18,176), and Casey Affleck (9th for $16,038) all donate their winnings.

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #52, 3 days [6/30 start])

Winner: David Daneshgar ($625,443 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,693 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 3

All In: The Poker Musical Debuts
Tim Molyneux creation tells the story of a fictional WSOP Main Event with one hour of songs.

$1,500 Limit Hold 'Em Shootout (Event #53, 3 days [7/1 start])

Winner: Matthew 'CT' Graham ($278,180 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 823 (90 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 5

Erick Lindgren Is WSOP Player of the Year
Cashes five times for over $1.3 million to narrowly edge Barry Greenstein.

July 6

Phil Hellmuth Enters Main Event as General Patton
Walks in with 11 models, one for each of his bracelets.

Phil Laak Disguises Himself as Old Man for Main Event
Laak spends hours getting made up to look like an old man for Day 1D. [He fooled his table for quite a while but didn't survive the day. The WSOP responded by adding a rule to ban playing in disguise.]

July 8

$500 Casino Employees Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #55, 2 days [7/7 start])

Winner: Jonathan Kotula ($87,929 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 930 (90 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 9

Motoyuki Mabuchi Rivers Quad Aces in Main Event... And Loses
His opponent, Justin Phillips, shows the King and Jack of Diamonds for a rivered royal flush to bust Mabuchi.

July 10

Veronica Dabul Becomes First Woman to Cash in Consecutive Main Events
Argentinian survives the money bubble after finishing 314th in 2007 for $39,445. [She would exit the next day in 235th for $35,383.]

July 11

Theodore Park Cashes in Record-Tying Fourth Straight Main Event
Finishes 284th for $35,383 after runs to 232nd in 2007 ($45,422), 332rd in 2006 ($47,006), and 498th in 2005 ($14,135).

July 12

Kara Scott Last Celebrity Standing in WSOP Main Event
Poker commentator finishes 104th for $41,816. [She would soon become a professional poker player.]

July 13

Phil Hellmuth Last Champ Standing in Main Event
Exits in 45th place for $154,400.

July 14

Tiffany Michelle Last Woman Standing in WSOP Main Event
Finishes 17th for $334,534.

July 15

WSOP Main Event November Nine Set
Dennis Phillips leads with 26.3 million chips, just ahead of Ivan Demidov.

September 22

Jesper Hougaard Wins WSOP Europe £1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em for Second Bracelet of Year
Defeats field of 410 for $262,291 three months after winning $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em in Las Vegas for $610,304. He becomes the first player to win bracelets in both WSOP Las Vegas and Europe (in the same year no less).

WSOPE £1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #1, 4 days [9/19 start])

Winner: Jesper Hougaard ($262,291 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 410 (45 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

September 24

WSOPE £2,500 Limit H.O.R.S.E. (Event #2, 3 days [9/22 start])

Winner: Sherkhan Farnood ($140,039 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 110 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

September 26

WSOPE £5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #3, 3 days [9/24 start])

Winner: Theo Jorgensen ($397,617 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 165 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

October 2

John Juanda Wins WSOP Europe Main Event
Defeats field of 362 for $1,580,096 and fourth bracelet after a final table that set WSOP records for hands (484) and time (19 hours and 10 minutes).

WSOPE £10,000 Main Event - NLHE (Event #4, 6 days [9/27 start])

Winner: John Juanda ($1,580,096 & 4th bracelet)

Entries: 362 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

October 19

Hal Kant d. 2008 [age 77] (b. 7/29/1931)
Grateful Dead attorney was Last Celebrity Standing in 1995 WSOP Main Event (26th for $17,300), 1996 (24th for $19,500), & 1999 (21st for $27,950). Won 1987 $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha ($174,000).
Obituary | Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

November 9

Dewey Tomko and Henry Orenstein Join Poker Hall of Fame
Tomko is 3-time bracelet winner and 2-time WSOP Main Event runner-up (1982 and 2001), while Orenstein reached a Main Event final table (8th in 1995) and won a bracelet (1996 $5,000 Seven-Card Stud for $130,000) but is better known for inventing the hole card camera (and Transformers toys).

November 11

Peter Eastgate Wins 2008 WSOP Main Event and First November Nine
Defeats field of 6,844, including Ivan Demidov heads up, for $9,152,416 to become the youngest Main Event champion at 22.

$10,000 Main Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #54, 8 days [7/3 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Peter Eastgate ($9,152,416 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 6,844 (666 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

December 17

Bernard Lee's "Final Table Volume 2" Released
The follow-up collection includes many good hand analyses, with numerous examples from the 2007 and 2008 World Series of Poker.