2008 WSOP Event 3 Pot-Limit Hold'em

Individual Event Reports

Event #3 -- Pot-Limit Hold'em Day 1

This event had 714 players each paying $1,500 for the right to play. The players sat down for action at 12 noon, with blinds starting at 25/50 with everyone having 3,000 in chips to begin with. The goal is to play for 10 levels, each lasting 60 min in length. Early casualties include Layne Flack who was crippled by another player holding pocket A's to Flack who mucked his hand after losing most of his stack. He busted a few hands later. Following him was Mark Seif who went all-in with KK, only to lose to the other opponents Jack high straight. Andy Block with AK suited was busted by Jennifer Tilly holding KK. Others who did not make the cut include John Juanda, Allen Kessler, T.J. Cloutier, Lee Watkinson, Erik Seidel, Joe Sebok, Greg Raymer, Jeffrey Lisandro, Jennifer Tilly and Jean-Robert Bellande.

After a couple of hours, the payout schedule was put out. There will be 72 who will see money from this tournament. We know that 63 made it to the next round. Here is the cash for the final nine:

1. $214,131
2. $136,643
3. $82,725
4. $67,640
5. $55,474
6. $43,796
7. $34,063
8. $26,674
9. $19,646

Event #3 -- Pot-Limit Hold'em Day 2

The 9 for the final table has been reached from the 63 who began the round. Some of the busts that took place were Noah Schwartz (46th), Tom McEvoy (25th), Greg Merkow (19th), Bobby Law (18th) and Robert Fishman (16th). Michael Katz's attempt at the title was cut short when he ran into the pocket Q's of Brent Bibby, leaving Katz in a 36th place finish. Philip Yeh who was second in chips at the beginning of the day ended up falling back down the mountain after not being able to win a decent hand. The final blow came to Yeh when his pocket 7's backing his all-in move were put down by the pocket A's of Zack King, leaving Yeh in a 13th place finish. Scott Seiver who played very well today becoming chip leader at a couple of point in the tournament, ended up getting slapped by the hand of fate and began to lose chips like grains of sand through his fingertips. On Seiver's final hand he went all-in with A 9 of spades to lose to Russell Harriman with A 10 when another 10 came to the board on the flop.

Final Table action will continue at level 17 with blinds at 5,000/10,000. The names of the players are below with chip counts:

1. Joe Tehan -- 458,000
2. Jacabo Fernandez -- 428,000
3. Robert Lipkin -- 305,000
4. Al "Sugar Bear" Barbieri -- 271,000
5. Russell Harriman -- 242,000
6. Greg Alston -- 179,000
7. Zach King -- 139,000
8. David Singer -- 83,000
9. Glen Bean -- 75,000

Event #3 -- Pot-Limit Hold'em Final Table

Final table play got underway continuing at level 16 with blinds at 4,000/8,000. Glen Bean nursed his short stack of chips as long as he could, finally going all-in with J 8 and losing to Zach King with A Q after Zach paired his Ace card on the river. Bean claimed the payout for 9th place. Next to leave the table was Al Barbieri in 8th after losing to the paired Aces of David Singer. In the next hour many players fell from the fold. Zach King holding A 8 ran into the pocket A's of Greg Alston and left in 7th. Joe Tehan was busted out of the tournament in 6th position after his Jh 10h lost to the pocket 9's of David Singer. Russ Harriman was eliminated in 5th after his pocket Q's were battered by the A J of Greg Alston after Alston paired his Ace card. Robert Lipkin tried and failed with 7d 5d when he ran into the pocket J's of David Singer to finish 4th. Greg Alston was 3rd after his pocket J's lost to the set of 8's belonging to Jacobo Fernandez who just grew to become a chip monster at the final table.

The heads up began with Fernandez having a decisive chip lead of 1,500,000 and David Singer with 700,000. Blinds were at 10,000/20,000. Most of the action was close to the vest and careful play from both players. Then after about 3 hours, lightning struck for Singer. He doubled up holding A K and K A hit the board on the flop. On the next and last hand, 7d 5s 3d 6s came out and Singer put Fernandez in for the last of his chips. Fernandez hesitated, but then called turning over 7 3 for two pair, Singer turned over Q 4 to show a straight for the tournament win. This gives Singer the big money and the coveted gold bracelet that has to be earned and cannot be bought.

1. David Singer -- $214,131
2. Jacobo Fernandez -- $136,643
3. Greg Alston -- $82,725
4. Robert Lipkin -- $67,640
5. Russ Harriman -- $55,474
6. Joe Tehan -- $43,796
7. Zach King -- $34,063
8. Al Barbieri -- $26,674
9. Glen Bean -- $19,646