2008 - This Year in WSOP History

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
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.

June 1

$10,000 World Championship Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #1, began 5/30)

Winner: Nenad Medic ($794,112)

Entries: 352 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 3

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #2, began 5/31)

Winner: Grant Hinkle ($831,279)

Entries: 3929 (378 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 4

$1,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #3, began 6/2)

Winner: David Singer ($214,122)

Entries: 713 (71 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 Limit/No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #4, began 6/2)

Winner: Erick Lindgren ($374,505)

Entries: 332 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 5

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #5, began 6/3)

Winner: Michael Banducci ($636,736)

Entries: 766$ (2258 rebuys) (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #6, began 6/3)

Winner: Thang Luu ($243,342)

Entries: 833 (81 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 6

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #7, began 6/4)

Winner: Matt Keikoan ($550,529)

Entries: 1592 (153 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 World Championship 8-Game (Event #8, began 6/4)

Winner: Anthony Rivera ($483,688)

Entries: 192 (24 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 7

$1,500 Short-Handed No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #9, began 6/5)

Winner: Ralph Porter ($372,843)

Entries: 1236 (126 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo (Event #10, began 6/5)

Winner: Farzad Rouhani ($232,911)

Entries: 338 (40 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 8

$5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em - Shootout (Event #11, began 6/6)

Winner: Phillip Tom ($477,990)

Entries: 360 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #12, began 6/6)

Winner: Jimmy Shultz ($257,049)

Entries: 883 (81 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 9

$2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #13, began 6/7)

Winner: Duncan Bell ($666,697)

Entries: 1395 (99 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 World Championship Seven-Card Stud (Event #14, began 6/7)

Winner: Eric Brooks ($415,856)

Entries: 158 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 10

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em - Ladies World Championship Event (Event #15, began 6/8)

Winner: Svetlana Gromenkova ($224,702)

Entries: 1190 (99 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,000 Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #16, began 6/8)

Winner: Andrew Brown ($226,483)

Entries: 1000 (54 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 11

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.

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em - Shootout (Event #17, began 6/9)

Winner: Jason Young ($335,565)

Entries: 1000 (100 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw (Event #18, began 6/9)

Winner: Mike Matusow ($537,862)

Entries: 85$ (272 rebuys) (14 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 12

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

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

Bernard Lee's Final Table Volume I Released
Lots of good hand analyses, with many examples from the 2005 and 2006 World Series of Poker.

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #19, began 6/10)

Winner: Vanessa Selbst ($227,933)

Entries: 759 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #20, began 6/10)

Winner: Daniel Negreanu ($204,863)

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, began 6/11)

Winner: Scott Seiver ($755,891)

Entries: 731 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$3,000 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #22, began 6/11)

Winner: Jens Voertmann ($298,253)

Entries: 414 (40 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 14

Grant and Blair Hinkle Become First Brothers to Win Bracelets in Same Year
27-year-old Grant wins 3,929-player $1,5000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $831,279 just 11 days before 22-year-old Blair wins 1,344-player $2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $507,613.

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

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #23, began 6/12)

Winner: Blair Hinkle ($507,613)

Entries: 1344 (99 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em/Omaha (Event #24, began 6/12)

Winner: Max Pescatori ($246,509)

Entries: 457 (45 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 15

$10,000 World Championship Heads Up No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #25, began 6/13)

Winner: Kenny Tran ($539,056)

Entries: 453 (64 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Seven-Card Razz (Event #26, began 6/13)

Winner: Barry Greenstein ($157,643)

Entries: 64$ (227 rebuys) (48 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 16

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #27, began 6/14)

Winner: Vitaly Lunkin ($629,417)

Entries: 2706 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 17

$5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #28, began 6/14)

Winner: Phil Galfond ($817,781)

Entries: 152$ (483 rebuys) (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$3,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #29, began 6/15)

Winner: Bon Phan ($434,789)

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, began 6/15)

Winner: Rob Hollink ($496,931)

Entries: 218 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #31, began 6/16)

Winner: Dario Minieri ($528,418)

Entries: 1012 (108 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 19

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #32, began 6/17)

Winner: Luis Velador ($574,734)

Entries: 2304 (198 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 World Championship Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo (Event #33, began 6/17)

Winner: Sebastian Ruthenberg ($328,762)

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, began 6/18)

Winner: Layne Flack ($577,725)

Entries: 320$ (1350 rebuys) (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud (Event #35, began 6/18)

Winner: Mike Rocco ($135,753)

Entries: 381 (40 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 21

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #36, began 6/19)

Winner: Jesper Hougaard ($610,304)

Entries: 2447 (198 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 World Championship Omaha Hi/Lo Split (Event #37, began 6/19)

Winner: David Benyamine ($535,687)

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, began 6/20)

Winner: Davidi Kitai ($244,583)

Entries: 605 (63 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 23

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #39, began 6/21)

Winner: David Woo ($631,550)

Entries: 2720 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 24

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 #40, began 6/22)

Winner: Frank Gary ($219,562)

Entries: 731 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 Limit Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw (Event #41, began 6/22)

Winner: Bon Phan ($151,911)

Entries: 238 (24 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 25

$1,000 Seniors World Championship - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #42, began 6/23)

Winner: Daniel Lacourse ($368,832)

Entries: 2218 (198 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 26

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #43, began 6/24)

Winner: Martin Klaser ($216,249)

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 place ($33,400), 1993 3rd place ($210,000), & 1996 3rd place ($341,250). Three bracelets: 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, began 6/25)

Winner: Max Greenwood ($693,392)

Entries: 879$ (2508 rebuys) (81 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 28

$5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #46, began 6/26)

Winner: Joe Commisso ($911,855)

Entries: 805 (78 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo (Event #47, began 6/26)

Winner: Ryan Hughes ($183,368)

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.

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.

$50,000 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #45, began 6/25)

Winner: Scotty Nguyen ($1,989,120)

Entries: 148 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #48, began 6/27)

Winner: Alexandre Gomes ($770,540)

Entries: 2317 (198 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

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, began 6/28)

Winner: Justin Cuong Van Tran ($631,170)

Entries: 2718 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 1

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.]

$10,000 World Championship Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #50, began 6/29)

Winner: Marty Smyth ($859,549)

Entries: 381 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #51, began 6/29)

Winner: James Schaaf ($256,412)

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, began 6/30)

Winner: David Daneshgar ($625,443)

Entries: 2693 (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, began 7/1)

Winner: Matthew "CT" Graham ($278,180)

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 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.]

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

July 8

$500 No-Limit Hold 'Em - Casino Employees Event (Event #55, began 7/7)

Winner: Jonathan Kotula ($87,929)

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, following 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.

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.

£1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #1, began 9/19)

Winner: Jesper Hougaard ($262,291)

Entries: 410 (45 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

September 24

£2,500 Limit H.O.R.S.E. (Event #2, began 9/22)

Winner: Sherkhan Farnood ($140,039)

Entries: 110 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

September 26

£5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #3, began 9/24)

Winner: Theo Jorgensen ($397,617)

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 record 484-hand final table.

£10,000 World Championship No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #4, began 9/27)

Winner: John Juanda ($1,580,096)

Entries: 362 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

November 9

Dewey Tomko and Henry Orenstein Inducted Into 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).

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, began 7/3)

Winner: Peter Eastgate ($9,152,416)

Entries: 6844 (666 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

December 17

Bernard Lee's Final Table Volume 2 Released
Lots of good hand analyses, with many examples from the 2007 and 2008 World Series of Poker.