June 2008 Archives

Beneath the stage of the $50K HORSE final yesterday was the $2K no limit hold’em event, smaller in stature perhaps but no less significant in terms of there being a bracelet at stake. It featured among others PokerStars sponsored player Kirill Gerasimov but also Alexandre Gomes, the first ever Brazilian winner.

Naturally the Brazilians in town went nuts and the drinks and celebrations began the moment photos had been taken and the cash bagged. The cheering then moved from the Amazon Room, out into the hallways and to the bars.

Part of that celebratory crowd was Team PokerStars Pro and native Brazilian Andre Akkari, who as a professional could appreciate just how much of a momentous occasion this was.

Andre Akkari

But unlike his compatriots it was not the late night you’d expect for Andre, who plays today in the $1,500 no limit hold’em. Instead, he went for dinner to toast the victory and then headed back to the hotel to be with his wife and two children for some vital R&R before playing today. And there was I thinking the dark glasses were to hide the effects of the night before.

It’s something that has changed his game this year, having his family close by, making the World Series less of an ordeal. Seven weeks is long enough, but spending those away from your nearest and dearest can make a long day even worse. So with them back at the hotel and there for him when the cards turn nasty, the whole experience has been more positive.

Akkari’s introduction to poker is a story of modest legend. Working on a software project in his native Brazil he began playing online poker as part of the research for the job. He then took advantage of the freerolls on PokerStars, soon winning them, and before too long was playing cash games with similar results – without ever having made a deposit.

Andre has the full poker player’s gear – the cap, sunglasses, a day’s stubble, headphones, working a lollipop as he plays. I tried to spot any convenient link between the angle of the lollipop stick and the hands he was playing – up for a good hand perhaps, down for bad, side to side when there’s thinking to be done. But there was nothing.

Now he’s into the last 900 players in level five of the latest $1,500 no limit hold’em event to fill the Amazon Room wall to wall. Steady progress in an event that started with 2,693.

When the poker explosion occurred some time earlier this decade, long-time players of the game could be heard sneering that it wasn't poker that was taking over the world, it was no limit Texas hold 'em. "There's more to poker than just two-card chicken," they'd sometimes add, before hastening to toss in a bring in in a stud game, or fanning a four-card pot-limit Omaha hand.

Reluctant as I am to agree with the old guard, there was an element of truth to their observation. Certainly the televised poker phenomenon was based exclusively on Texas hold 'em, and its sophisticated simplicity -- a minute to learn, a lifetime to master, etc -- remains seductive. It's still the easiest and smoothest way into the game.

But poker's durability through the centuries of its existence owes much to its continued adaptability to suit demand, and the innovations that keep it fresh. Hold 'em, Omaha, razz, stud, and stud eight-or-better, are all as old as the hills, but putting them all together, at least at the World Series, to create that HORSE we keep going on about, is comparatively new.

And now HORSE is the new hold 'em, it seems.

Yesterday, event 51 of this year's Series, a $1,500 HORSE tournament, got under way with more than 800 entrants. That's quite possibly the largest mixed-game field in poker history. These are the kind of numbers that previously only hold 'em events have attracted; proof that those enticed into the game by two-card chicken are keen to continue their poker education.

Sure, the games have sometimes been kind of slow. There are few sights more amusing in poker than seeing three or more players exposing all seven of their cards in a stud eight-or-better round and watch all those pairs of eyes flick up and down and around and around attempting to ascertain who has the high, who has the low, who's scooping, who's chopping and who has just called all the way with ace high and no low and is now out. Watching the dealer attempt to chop up the multiple split pots can also raise a pitying chuckle.

But the action has been fascinating to watch and no less enjoyable to play. Among the 179 returning competitors today were five Team PokerStars Pros: Victor Ramdin, Luca Pagano, Vicky Coren, Chad Brown and Joe Hachem. Hachem missed out on the $50,000 HORSE event as he was busy going deep in an Omaha tournament at the time it kicked off. Meanwhile, Brown made it to day four of that championship event before busting just shy of the money, but has used the experience to his benefit here.

Brown is in the top 10 percent of players a few hours into day two.

For Vicky, Victor and Luca, the event offers a chance to spread their wings a little and sample the variety of the mixed games. As mentioned earlier, Vicky multi-tabled the HORSE with the $1,500 hold 'em today but is now sadly out of both. Victor and Luca, meanwhile are on the same table and having fun.

The Ramdin back is undergoing a severe pummelling from a member of Team Massage Pro, who will need to be careful not to knock over his sizeable pile of chips. Luca's stack is shorter, but he's just limbering up for his favourite event tomorrow, the limit shoot-out.

"I am going to win that one," he told me. Well, while you're still on this HORSE, let's take one jump at a time, Luca.

The pot limit Omaha started and the pot limit Omaha ended as far as Team PokerStars Pro were concerned. It was a lesson in short-and-sweet for our three returnees, each of whom busted in a slippery 15 minute period, one after the other like ducks in a shooting gallery, before the first hour of play had ticked by.

Humberto Brenes

Neither Humberto Brenes, Bill Chen nor Noah Boeken were at the reassuring end of the 70-plus long chip list overnight, but each certainly had some fight left. Humberto was the underdog, starting at the back of the pack on just 14,800. He busted in fighting style, raising pre-flop before calling all-in on a 9-3-6 board. For the Godfather of Costa Rican poker his pair of kings were ultimately no good against a straight draw that found completion on the river, sending him to the rail.

Noah Boeken

Slightly better stacked at the start, Noah Boeken’s Omaha road was equally rocky and he ran his bracelet hopes into a straight draw the same way as teammate Brenes. A-A-x-x for Noah, which he bet pre-flop, and again on the flop, before being flushed by a straight on the river. Two down, one to go.

Bill Chen

That left Bill Chen, who we have to declare exited before the dust had settled on the Humberto and Noah’s escapade. We’re sure to have the story sooner or later, which Bill will recount with typical gusto, but for now the absence of these guys has left a gap in the Brasilia room.

Fortunes change in poker - all you can do is take what steps you can to make sure it’s not your fault. Like tilting for instance, which Team PokerStars Pro Greg Raymer talked to the PokerStars video blog team about this weekend; of understanding yourself, the math and more importantly the black art of living with it...

Watch WSOP 08: Greg Raymer On Avoiding Tilt on PokerStars.tv

As we mentioned earlier in the week, Victoria Coren has finally made it Vegas and is itching to play as much as she can. Today, she very well may be playing a move out of Barry Greenstein's book.

Today, she returns for Day 2 of the $1,500 HORSE event, and, if we're to believe a late-night dispatch from her, she is in this massive field of $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Players.

"A friend of mine has talked me (completely against my better judgment) into playing the $1500 NLH at noon," she said,"and then if I'm not knocked out in the first three hours I will be in two events - totally sick!"

Whether she's referring to the situation or herself is not entirely clear. Having known Vicky for several years now, I don't get the impression that she can't handle two tournaments at once, nor that she would feel too badly about playing both.

"What the hell," she reasoned. "Most serious poker players manage to spend seven weeks out here and play dozens of events. I had so much work in London, I only got here a couple of days ago and there were only about three tournaments left before the main event. So there's a certain twisted logic to trying to play as many as possible in the small window"

We probably should've seen this coming. When Coren arrived in town, she was eager. How eager. Check out the video blog below.

Watch WSOP 08: Victoria Coren Interview on PokerStars.tv

We're still looking for her around the room. Not finding her here immediately doesn't mean she didn't show up. It is only an indication of today's tournaments size. Whatever the result, Coren had pretty much rationalized it before going to sleep.

"My tired sun-struck brain can almost see the sense in it.. I wouldn't do it if I had a lot of chips in the HORSE, but a horrible final hand of Seven Stud left me with only 8900, so I'm gambling," she said. "This from someone who hasn't even learned to multi-table successfully on PokerStars yet, never mind live action. But I've eaten so much junk since I got here, I could probably do with the exercise."

The HORSE event is about to re-start for the day, so we should soon learn whether Coren woke up in the same mood. For the sake of the story, we hope so.

I'll admit it. Once your here in Vegas with thousands of poker players, it's easy to forget there is another world out there. The reminder comes when we take a look at the folks who cashed huge in this week's PokerStars Sunday tournaments. GoMukYaSelf took down the Sunday Million for more than $135,000. Dickson007 won the monthly Turbo Takedown and $100,000.

Here's a complete look at all the final tables from the big events at PokerStars this weekend.

PokerStars Sunday Million Final Table Results
Based on finishing order and three-way deal
REPORT

1. GoMukYaSelf (United States) $135,334.75
2. supadphat (United States) $105,334.75
3. jalla79 (Sweden) $105,334.75
4. central106 (Canada) $60,645.30
5. PokerED (United States)$47,603.30
6. aaaaaaaa (United States)$34,561.30
7. KtheKing (Brazil) $23,475.60
8. Patrolman35 (United States)$15,650.40
9. DumpingKGB (United States)$10,172.76

PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up Final Table Results

1. nutshot2 ((United States) )$79,950.00
2. Sir_winalot9 (Norway) $57,500.00
3. mAAdScientst (United States)$41,500.00
4. farfalla7 (France) $28,000.00
5. Sveden House (United States)$23,000.00
6. LoneHixx (United States)$18,000.00
7. JONAS 08 (France) $13,000.00
8. obywatel_g (Poland) $9,000.00
9. spank01 (United States)$5,500.00

PokerStars Sunday Hundred Grand Final Table Results

1. redone611 (United States)$18,640.00
2. winwin2 (United States)$13,048.00
3. ykastu (Spain) $9,320.00
4. Muggur9 (Iceland) $7,456.00
5. Spike1177 (United States)$5,592.00
6. TRiSTAN80 (Netherlands) $3,728.00
7. jr_status (United States)$2,796.00
8. luvbambi (United States)$1,864.00
9. trobling (United States)$1,398.00

PokerStars $215 Weekly PL Omaha Final Table Results
Based on finishing order and two-way deal

1. Teomat (Italy) $5,400.00
2. soundjata (Guadeloupe) $4,000.00
3. PearlJammer (United States)$2,256.00
4. CRossiter (United Kingdom) $1,880.00
5. Kid_Poker47 (United Kingdom) $1,504.00
6. tomgus456 (Finland) $1,222.00
7. TheNew (United States)$1,034.00
8. HAAKKOO (Germany) $846.00
9. HelloImNew (United States)$658.00

PokerStars $215 FL Omaha Hi/Lo Final Table Results
1. amichaiKK (Switzerland) $5,980.00
2. PlayaAAK8 (United States) $4,160.00
3. dvd8balls (United Kingdom) $3,159.00
4. MattyDaCobra (United States) $2,340.00
5. Iteopepe88 (Germany) $1,560.00
6. oceanvista (United States) $1,300.00
7. AngryFish (United States) $1,040.00
8. Johnjj35 (United States) $780.00
9. GiddyYup (United States) $650.00

PokerStars $215 Weekly FL Hold'em Final Table Results

1. the_merz (United States) $5,640.00
2. Görtz (Germany) $3,760.00
3. Dr_ROUX (Brazil) $2,256.00
4. PlayaPlz (United States) $1,880.00
5. dingoberg (Germany) $1,504.00
6. BlueHerons (United States) $1,222.00
7. pooli (Canada) $1,034.00
8. darrenpb (United States) $846.00
9. reelyBIGshow (United States) $658.00

PokerStars $215 Weekly Stud Hi/Lo Final Table Results

1. kanattack (United States) $3,200.00
2. DAVIDOXXX (France) $1,920.00
3. coglione (Italy) $1,280.00
4. BTDT (United States) $960.00
5. PearlJammer (United States) $640.00

PokerStars $215 Weekly HORSE Final Table Results

1. Bushman (Canada) $9,639.00
2. OISEMELE (Mexico) $6,584.76
3. Nicolak (United States) $4,441.50
4. Eschilo (Italy )$3,061.80
5. sfbob (United States) $2,381.40
6. shortcar (United States) $1,776.60
7. simmsux (United States) $1,360.80
8. xthesteinx (United States) $963.90


PokerStars Sunday Second Chance Final Table Results

1. LoneHixx (United States) $49,537.62 No Deal
2. florian69 (France) $36,322.00
3. Castro (Sweden) $27,940.00
4. leafsstanley (Canada) $20,955.00
5. gbecks (United States) $14,668.50
6. Believer82 (United States) $11,874.50
7. ryanghall (Canada) $9,080.50
8. potatopolice (United States) $6,286.50
9. shaundeeb (United States) $3,911.60


PokerStars $215+R NLHE Final Table Results

1. TheCronic420 (United States) $39,780.00
2. eagle7810 (United States) $28,288.00
3. Mai916 (United States) $19,448.00
4. BOKPOWER (Netherlands) $14,144.00
5. NestOfSalt (United States) $10,608.00
6. IanMklElf (United States) $8,840.00
7. ELLEINAD (Canada) $7,072.00
8. blanconegro (United States) $5,304.00
9. Wretchy (United States) $3,536.00

PokerStars $1,050 NLHE Final Table Results

1. adam001 (Canada) $133,755.00
2. dapalma150 (United States) $96,882.00
3. loluno123 (United States) $72,300.00
4. aliwak (United States) $54,225.00
5. Iftarii (United States) $37,957.50
6 JLPARIS (France) $30,727.50
7. G8vMyLfeAway (Sweden) $23,497.50
8. TESIK (Sweden) $16,267.50
9. Hasn82 (Denmark) $10,122.00

PokerStars $1 Million Turbo Takedown Final Table Results
REPORT

1. dickson007 (United Kingdom) $100,000.00
2. Chaesi (Switzerland) $60,000.00
3. Bratcat (United States) $40,000.00
4. cRRusher (United States) $32,500.00
5. hustler730 (United States) $25,000.00
6. 2 irmaos (Brazil) $20,000.00
7. iupeli (Australia) $15,000.00
8. YWEplay (United States) $10,000.00
9. stortv (Norway) $5,500.00

Not that it matters, but I'm staying at the Palms. Every day, I walk over here to the Rio. It's rare that anything changes along the way. The poker room in the main casino is generally half-full with low-limit players. the area in front of Buzios seafood restaurant is usually empty, and the long walk from the casino to the convention hall is usually spotted with stragglers finding their seats in the days event.

The scenery changed today.

Today is the last open no-limit hold'em before the World series main event. At $1,500, it's a late-day bargain and everybody is buying. Or, at least 2,700 people are. From the poker room, to the hallways, to the Brasilia room, to the Amazon Room, everybody along that 10-minute walkament is playing in one of the biggest events you'll see around these parts.

A tournament director said a recent event of the same caliber saw, on average, five people people bust out per minute. That was a bit of an exgeration, methinks, but something along the same lines will need to happen today, because, within a few hours we're going to see a few re-starts that need some space.

The most notable of the group is the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship. Eighty-six players remaining in the event, including Team PokerStars Pros Noah Boeken, Bill Chen, and Humberto Brenes. The remaining players will play down to the final table today.

Noah Boeken

Also on the re-start today is yesterday's $1,500 HORSE event. Team PokerStars Pro is well-represented in the field. Among the leaders going into Day 2 are Joe Hachem and Chad Brown. Victor Ramdim, Vicky Coren, and Luca Pagano are coming back with chips, as well.

Joe Hachem

What we walkers are seeing today is the final stages of a month-long Series of tournaments. Within a few days, the run-up will be over and the big one will begin.

For now, though, we have a Monday to get through, and there's just no walking away from something this big.

At the start of today, we already knew what the headline story would be in the day-end wrap. All that was open to conjecture was the size of the font we would use to proclaim Barry Greenstein's spectacular success in the $50,000 HORSE championship event. In case anyone missed it, the Team PokerStars Pro had made the final table in poker's most prestigious event for the second year in succession, his third cash out of three. Already remarkable, we had realistic hopes that Greenstein could go all the way to the title.

When it came to it, he finished the day in sixth spot and took home $355,200. Naturally, we initially felt the disappointment attendant to any bust out. But really, three cashes out of three attempts in any event is brilliant beyond measure. In the World Series $50,000 HORSE? It's something else.

We followed his progress from paddock to track and back again throughout the day, and you can recap HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. Barry Greenstein, take a bow.

While all that was going on, so was plenty else. Team PokerStars and PokerStars sponsored players, were out in force in countless events. Matt Glantz took fourth in the HORSE; Hevad Khan cashed in the $1,500 hold 'em; and Kirill Gerasimov wore out the carpet between the $10,000 PLO event and the final table of the $2,000 hold 'em. He took sixth in the hold 'em for another notable result on his glittering resume.

Meanwhile Team PokerStars Pros were in and out and in again in all the other events running today. The $10,000 played down to its final 87 of 381, and among them still are Bill Chen and Noah Boeken, at least. The $1,500, baby HORSE (or "pony" event as it has been dubbed), also got underway. With less than an hour of the final level remaining, Joe Hachem, Vicky Coren, Chad Brown and Luca Pagano were still in the hunt.

It's been quite a day and the best thing about the World Series is that it'll be quite a day tomorrow. Click any link below for a recap of today's coverage or watch the video wrap of the spectacular HORSE event, featuring that Mr. Greenstein. We'll be back tomorrow. Good night from Las Vegas.

PLO running and HORSE ready to bolt
Ready to rumble
The 55 steps
Greenstein looking for traction
Players everywhere
In the shadow of the HORSE men
Planet poker
Thorson in search of his first Team cash
Dropping down with Barry Greenstein

Watch WSOP 08: Horse Final Update on PokerStars.tv

All video blogs from the World Series, and previous PokerStars events, can be found at PokerStars.tv

Photography ©2008, Joe Giron/IMPDI

Back in the early days of the PokerStars blog, we used to cover the qualifiers into the $10,000 main event at the World Series, and it didn't always go according to plan. Such is the scale of the event, and such was the number of qualifiers, that it was all but impossible to track them all down, especially when tables began being broken and players would up and move.

On countless occasions, a previously unnoticed qualifier would appear sitting behind a mountain of chips, and we'd wonder how on earth we'd missed them. Several other times, we'd report a player missing, presumed busted, only for them to resurface hours, sometimes days later, and we'd have to resurrect these poker Lazaruses and apologise to the bereaved friends and family tracking their progress from afar.

Something similar can happen these days with the Team PokerStars Pros, who all have a habit of either going way deep into these events, or busting early, signing up for another tournament and having a stab at another bracelet. Often they even multi-table and play two tournaments at once. We mentioned previously how the team was out in force for today's numerous events, and tracking them down has been a familiarly treacherous process: are they in, out, or have they merely moved, possibly to a different room?

With that lengthy caveat in place, here is the latest state of play from the Rio for Team PokerStars Pro and other notables -- at least as far as we know.

Let's start with the certainties. Barry Greenstein finished in sixth place in today's $50,000 HORSE Championship event, good for $355,200. He dashed across the room to the $1,500 HORSE, and still sits in that event, with about 1,800 in chips. PokerStars sponsored player Matt Glantz recently busted in fourth place from the $50,000 final table and took home $568,320 for his troubles.

He's now taking a well-earned break away from the tournament area. And who could begrudge him that?

Sponsored player Kirill Gerasimov went out in sixth place from the $2,000 hold 'em event, earning $177,111. Similarly flush this evening is Team PokerStars Pro Hevad Khan, who went deep in the $1,500 no limit hold 'em event but busted slightly short of the final table, earning $13,727 for 31st place.

Kirill played the $10,000 Omaha event but is out; Hevad did not, and can probably therefore be found on about 25 PokerStars tables as I type.

There was a huge turnout in that $10,000 PLO event, including numerous Team PokerStars Pros. Of those that remain, the young Dutchman Noah Boeken is flying the flag the highest, sitting with 120,000 in chips, which is well above average.

Bill Chen is also prospering there. He has "almost exactly 90,000" and an economical way of describing his tournament to date. "Up and down," Chen said. "I play a lot of pots and people donate money. Then I donate it back." You can't be fairer than that.

Humberto Brenes, chasing his 53rd WSOP cash, is clinging on in the same event, and has about 19,000.

That was exactly the same amount that Tom McEvoy had when I passed by on a sweep of the room, but by the time I'd returned to the laptop, he was shaking hands with friends in another tournament before heading out the door. You see how hard this can be sometimes?

Other confirmed absentees from that event include Chris Moneymaker, who picked up a nasty beat when his flopped set got rivered by a bigger set, and Chad Brown, Joe Hachem and Victor Ramdin, all of whom migrated to the $1,500 HORSE. They're all faring better in that event: Chad has 24,000 and is close to the chip lead, Victor has nearly 10,000 and Mike Matusow on his left. Joe has close to 11,000 and plenty of game.

In the same event, Vicky Coren has about 11,000, Isabelle Mercier 8,000 and Luca Pagano 6,500. Meanwhile, I have a lot of scrawling and scribbling on a notepad that will only get more untidy as the evening progresses. Still, that's what we're here for, and you can't see the scribbles on the screen.

6,521 players made their way into the Sunday Million via direct buy-in or satellite, making another huge field for the biggest weekly guarantee tournament in online poker. After nearly ten hours of play, GoMukYaSelf stood alone atop the leader board, with a first-place finish in the PokerStars Sunday Million to add to his resume, and $135,334.75 to add to his bankroll.

KtheKing took a big chip lead into the final table, but Jalla79 took over the top spot in a brutal boat-over-boat hand. On a flop of 5d-Js-2h, jalla79 led out, and KtheKing raised. Jalla79 shoved all in over the top with pocket fives for middle set, and KtheKing called with pocket deuces for bottom set. The turn and river were both eights, giving jalla79 to higher full house and the chip lead.

“Dumping”KGB came into the final table as one of the shortest stacks, and his after an initial period of feeling out, with several players jockeying back and forth for position, “Dumping”KGB got all his chips in the middle for the last time against online star aaaaaaa. “Dumping”KGB moved all in on a flop of 3h-8d-Ad, and found one caller in aaaaaaa. Aaaaaaa led the whole way with Kh-Qh to “Dumping”KGB’s Jc-9s, and as the board ran out 3h-8d-Ad-5d-Qd, aaaaaaa made a pair of queens to send “Dumping”KGB to the rail in 9th place, good for $10,172.76.

With “Dumping”KGB’s elimination, Patrolman35 was the short stack, and he ran his As-9s into PokerED’s pocket tens for his elimination. Patrolman35 pushed all in preflop, and PokerED made the call. The board ran out 8c-9h-2h-Qs-Qh, and Patrolman35 was finished in 8th place, but took home $15,650.40 for his troubles.

Shortly after Patrolman35’s elimination, GoMukYaSelf moved into the chip lead after taking down a huge pot from aaaaaaa in a hand that went to the river, but didn’t show down. GoMukYaSelf then took out KtheKing in 7th place ($23,475.60) when his pocket deuces held up against KtheKing’s As-Kd. After GoMukYaSelf called a preflop raise from aaaaaaa, KtheKing moved all in over the top. Aaaaaaa got out of the way, and GoMuckYaSelf went into the tank for a while before making the call with deuces. The board ran out 6d-7s-10s-5s-2d to give GoMukYaSelf a set and send KtheKing to bed in 7th place.

Short-stacked online star aaaaaaa was next to fall. Aaaaaaa moved all in preflop with 10d-10c, and found one caller in jalla79 with As-7d. The flop was kind to aaaaaaa, coming down Ks-9c-9h, and the Js on the turn helped neither player. The Ac on the river, however, gave jalla79 the pot and sent aaaaaaa home in sixth place with $34,561.30 to soothe his pains.

Supadphat was pretty quiet on the final table until his picked up pocket sixes to send PokerED home in 5th place. PokerED moved all in preflop with Qc-Kh, and supadphat called with 6d-6c, and promptly hit a set on the 6h-9d-Ks flop. The turn and river came down 4s-5s and couldn’t save PokerED, who picked up $47,603.30 for his 5th-place finish.

Supadphat continued the final table rush when he took out central106 in 4th place. Central106 moved all in preflop with 9c-6d from the small blind, but had the misfortune to run into supadphat’s Ah-Kh in the big blind. The board ran out Td-As-2h-2s-8c, and central106 was eliminated in 4th place for $60,645.30.
With three players remaining, the chip stacks were amazingly close, with less than one small blind separating first place from third. The players paused for a moment to discuss a deal, and agreed on an even chop of $105,334.75, with $30,000 left over for the winner.

Play continued three-handed for a while before GoMukYaSelf took out both opponents in back-to-back hands to claim the extra $30,000. In the first hand, GoMukYaSelf and jalla79 saw a flop of 5d-Kc-5h. Both players checked, then jalla79 led out on the 7h turn. GoMukYaSelf raised, then jalla79 moved all in over the top. GoMukYaSelf called and tabled Kd-8s for two pair. Jalla79 showed Ks-4h for two pair with a worse kicker, and needed a river card higher than and eight for the chop. The 2s wasn’t it, and jalla79 was busted in third place.

With a commanding chip lead going into heads-up, it only took one hand for all the chips to end up in the middle. After GoMukYaSelf raised preflop, supadphat moved all in over the top with 5c-5s. GoMukYaSelf called with 7h-7c and typed “lets end it now plz” in the chat box. The fates complied, and the board ran out Kh-4h-10d-8c-6c. GoMukYaSelf’s pocket sevens were good for the win and $135,334.75.

The final table finishes and payouts looked like this at the end of the tourney and as a result of a deal for the final three finishers.

1st Place – GoMukYaSelf - $135,334.75
2nd Place – supadphat - $105,334.75
3rd Place – jalla79 - $105,334.75
4th Place – central106 - $60,645.30
5th Place – PokerED - $47,603.30
6th Place – aaaaaaa - $34,561.00
7th Place – KtheKing – $23,475.60
8th Place – Patrolman35 – $15,650.40
9th Place – “Dumping”KGB - $10,172.76

Congrats to all the final table competitors and to GoMukYaSelf for the win!

Just a few hours ago, Barry Greenstein was sitting at one of the most elite poker tables in the world, and certainly the most important of the day. Piles of money sat just feet away. As the tournament director read Greenstein's resume over the PA system, the crowd erupted in cheers. Scotty Nguyen doffed his cap in honor. After all, Greenstein is the only person to cash in the $50,000 HORSE event every year since its inception. There was no doubt about Greenstein's importance, both at the micro moment and in the big picture.

Big money, big deal

Just a few hours before that, Greenstein had bought into the the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship, a planned multi-table excursion with the $50,000 HORSE event. A flopped set of kings outrun by quad queens ended Greenstein's time there.

After earning more than $300,000 in the HORSE event and busting early from the $10,000 PLO event, most people would probably take an evening--or at least a few hours--to breathe. Not Greenstein. He walked immediately to the other side of the room to play...a $1,500 event.

It's hard to relate it to anything. Playing the Masters and then dropping down to play miniature golf? Flying an F-16 followed by a flight simulator? Getting dumped by Angelina Jolie and hooking up with Abe Vagoda? It's impossible to equate. Is it possible to take a $1,500 seriously after the week--the Series!--Greenstein has had?

In a word, yes.

I know this, because as the $1,500 HORSE event resumed after dinner break, Greenstein walked in the door and realized he was about to miss the first hand.

He ran to his table.

If there was a picture of how seriously Greenstein takes poker, it was watching him hot-step across the carpeted floor and slide into his seat before his last card came off the deck. That's where he sits now, in a field of more than 800 players and playing for a prize pool of roughly what first place in the $50,000 paid.

Nobody can truly get in Greenstein's head and know for sure why he does it, but he makes no real secret about the most basic of his intentions. There's quite a bit of money involved. He has side bets on who wins bracelets. He knows people are betting on him. He bets on himself, too.

At the beginning of the World Series, a poker forum poster suggested it was likely Greenstein wouldn't make a final table here. Greenstein responded promptly, offering to take action on himself and telling everyone he would carry money around in $5,000 increments if anyone wanted to bet. Four final table appearances and a Razz bracelet later and the original forum poster is eating some serious crow.

There's something else at stake here as well. Greenstein's performance in the 2008 WSOP has put him in contention for the Player of the Year here at the World Series. It will take a strong finish, but at this hour, it's not impossible.

Over the past couple of years, I've probably spent more time around Greenstein than any member of Team PokerStars Pro. As I look back and try to figure out why, it's clear there are a couple of reasons. First, he's been expectedly successful and due coverage on this blog. Second, he's intriguing beyond my ability to explain. I want to understand, but it may be on the outside edge of my ability to do so.

But, that doesn't mean I won't keep trying.

It's a marriage a lot of people have seen coming for quite a long time.

William Thorson became a Team PokerStars Pro earlier this week, putting the icing on a long-lived relationship with his favorite online poker site.

Thorson has been a part of the PokerStars community nearly as long as the community has existed. He secured his screen name, William, back in the day such simple names were still available. If he were to try it now, his name would have to look more like x-W1LL!AM-x, and even that one may already be taken.

The new member of Team PokerStars Pro – William Thorson arrived in Vegas earlier this week. Although he has already played in four WSOP events, there's been no success so far. In today's PLO event, he lost quite a few chips to start the day. Ultimately, he raised it up with AAK2 and got two callers. The flop came KQ7 with two hearts. Thorson potted it and got one fold and one push. Committed, he called to see his opponent's AQ98 with the flush draw. The heart came on the turn and that was it for Thorson.

William thought that the earlier short-handed event would be one of his best tournaments this year. It is his type of game. He’s one of the most aggressive players on the planet. He and the short-handed event go hand-in-glove. It started badly and didn't get much better. He was down to 4000 chips and tried to work himself up again by seeing a lot of flops. After missing them all, he had 2,500 in front of him and started looking for a good double-up opportunity.

He found one. Aces, in fact. He decided just to call his opponent who raised it up to 500. Two others called behind him. On the flop KJ8 the initial raiser bet out 900 and William pushed. His opponent called and showed KQ. A jack on turn was great for William, takinig away three of his opponent's outs. Unfortunately, a king hit the river and William was sent to the rail.

So, no successes yet for Thorson, but there is still a Main Event to think about this week.

Thorson's arrival on Team PokerStars coincided with his arrival in Las Vegas. The PokerStars video blog team was able to get Thorson to settle down for a few minutes and get an interview. You can see it below. For a look at all of our video blogs from the World Series, don't forget to check out PokerStars.tv.

Watch WSOP 08: William Thorson Arrives on PokerStars.tv

Everything about the World Series has grown bigger and more slick year-on-year since its inception. The most obvious representation is in the number of players and prize pool in the main event, and the advent of the HORSE championship three years ago also reflected the boom.

A couple of hours ago, I gained admittance for the first time this year to the ESPN inner circle, the makeshift television studio taking up a huge square in the corner of the Amazon Room to accommodate everything required to transfer the poker action from Las Vegas, Nevada, to your television screen anywhere in the world. It's safe to say that television coverage has moved on somewhat from the early years; they're not seating them in the middle of Freemont Street any more.

Here's what it takes these days.

Right in the centre of the action, of course, is a deck of cards in the middle of a kidney-shaped table with a raised, padded elbow rail in which are housed the hole-card cameras, or "holecams", to those in the know. Suspended above is an oval scaffold of lights, hanging from which is also the overhead "flop-cam" and four television screens, relaying what the cameras see to the live audience. The screens do not show the hole-cards, of course. If a pot doesn't make showdown, no one here ever knows what a player had.

Circling the table are the players, naturally, and ghosting around them, silently on casters, are four two-man camera rigs. One cameraman sits on board and guides the camera itself, the other is the rudderman who drives the rig. Both have headphones clamped over their ears and expressions of intense concentration painted onto their faces, tongues occasionally buckled out like an amateur pool player lining up a tricky cut shot.

On three sides of the arena are the bleachers accommodating family, friends and investors in the front rows -- often whooping, especially the latter. Behind them are the less personally connected, but no less excitable, casual fans, some of whom queued for about an hour to get anywhere near their heroes. On the fourth side is a row of laptops, behind which sit twitching media fingers and tournament officials. Beside the WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla is a table stacked with brick upon brick of hundred dollar bills.

Then, on a raised area at one end of the table is the viewing lounge, where they're four-deep to get an aerial view of the action. At the other end is a similar, smaller platform on which gleams the Chip Reese trophy and the shimmering winner's bracelet. Ringing everything is the light-encrusted curtain that you see a lot of on TV and makes us all feel as though we're on a strange rogue star -- Planet Poker, perhaps -- drifting ceaselessly through the galaxy.

It's only a couple of steps away from the bustling of the rest of the tournament area, but is another peculiar capsule within a capsule within a capsule that separates the feature table from the World Series, from Las Vegas from the real world. Please, just take me home.

***

Home, unfortunately, is where Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein is now headed from his time spent in this bubble. "I can't win a hand," he lamented to a friend in the stands during a recent break, and won a consolation kiss from her instead. Then he shook a few hands and lapped up some compliments ("Barry, I think you're awesome," etc.) before returning to the table and hoping for a change in fortune.

It didn't come. He got it all in against Scotty Nguyen in a stud eight or better hand, but by seventh street had been scooped by the Prince of Poker and is now on his way out. Scotty's girlfriend carried a copy of Barry's "Ace on the River" as Barry exited.

STOP PRESS: Actually, Barry didn't go home. He's now taken his seat in the $1,500 HORSE and is back in the thick of the action. That's a poker player.

It takes place in the shadows of the $50K HORSE final in the corner of the Amazon Room, but the $10K pot limit Omaha event rages on.

It’s a mixture - part frenetic action, part tranquil deals. For instance the energy that surged through the veins of PokerStars sponsored player Kirill Gerasimov this afternoon has been slowed by the Russian's sixth place finish in the $2K hold’em final. He has settled back into his Omaha chair now, no more standing or looking into the distance, his attention is now in one place.

Then there’s fellow PokerStars sponsored player Alex Kravchenko who stands watching as his table erupts into carnage, a loud-mouthed high-handed argument over a pot gone terribly wrong that ultimately would take four tournament officials to tame.

Then there’s Tom McEvoy. Not for Tom the whooping and hollering like those emanating from the main stage, or the high profile that the younger pros enjoy, just the established record of a tournament great; a four time bracelet holder and of course a World Champion. With two cashes already this year, in the Seniors Championship and a $1,500 pot limit hold’em, that makes it 37 cashes over a 26 year period of continuous cashing at the World Series for Tom.

Whilst Tom represents one former world champion still in the running, Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker represents another. The 2003 champion has fellow Team PokerStars Pro Noah Boeken for company and so far has a neat stack of 30K, just below average.

Earlier today Chris spoke to the PokerStars video blog team about his World Series preparations, feeling fresh and his advice on how to sleep.

Watch WSOP 08: Chris Moneymaker Is Feeling Fresh on PokerStars.tv

Today is the day when our reporting team faces its sternest test to date. We may have previously grown eyes in the back of our heads, learned how to be in two places at once, and taken on the physique of Stretch Armstrong to allow us to type updates onto our computers from the various rooms in the Rio, but even the whole roster at Marvel Comics would find it tough to get all the news to you today.

Just to recap, here's what's happening today at the World Series: in the final of the $50,000 HORSE event, we have Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein, and PokerStars sponsored player Matt Glantz. With seven players remaining, both are still in the hunt.

Update: Two seconds after we hit publish on this post, Greenstein exited the HORSE event in sixth place for $355,200 after his Stud-round aces-up fell to Scotty Nguyen's three sevens. Congrats, Barry, on another great run.

Meanwhile, in the final of the $2,000 no limit hold 'em, which is taking place just outside the bleechers of the main arena, PokerStars sponsored player Kirill Gerasimov is one of six still standing.

A chip-flick south of that table are the thirty or so tables accommodating the $10,000 pot-limit Omaha event, featuring Team PokerStars Pros ElkY, Dario Minieri, Daniel Negreanu, Tom McEvoy, Bill Chen, Humberto Brenes, Victor Ramdin, John Duthie, Noah Boeken, Chris Moneymaker, Chad Brown and William Thorson. Then to add more fun to the proceedings, a $1,500 HORSE event just began, attracting Humberto Brenes, Daniel Negreanu, Luca Pagano, Katja Thater and Isabelle Mercier among 759 hopefuls.

Done yet? No. No we're not.

In the Brasilia room, down the corridor from the shenanigans in the Amazon Room, RaiNKhaN is going ever deeper into the money in the $1,500 no limit hold 'em event. He was low on chips early in the tournament but rallied throughout the second half of yesterday to get past the bubble and pick up his first cash of this year's Series.

With 70 players left, from the starting 2,700-odd, he has just less than average chips, but plenty of experience in huge MTTs.

Latest: Kirill Gerasimov's remarkable $2,000 hold 'em tournament is over. He went out in sixth place, for $177,111, approximately $177,111 more than it looked like he could make when he was down to just 12,000 in chips yesterday. His elimination does not mean any respite for the reporters, however, since Gerasimov will now hot-foot it back to the PLO tournament, where he'll pick up the chips he left on the table in order to play the hold 'em final. Who knows where this will end.

Upon reaching the final table of a tournament with over 10,000 runners a player is usually looking at a decent payday. But, how often are you staring at a possible $100,000 win from a freeroll? The Turbo Takedown lets anyone with Frequent Players Points (FPPs) to turn their points into some serious cash. A multitude of satellites from the 50 FPPs MTT to 1,000 FPPs Sit and Gos to reach the 5,000 FPPs buy in for this tourney are available at all times. 4,000 players enjoyed turning their FPPs into at least $90.00 and the final nine are assured $5,500.00 for their nearly eight hours of work.

With dav3477’s shortstack going down in tenth place, the final nine was set.

Seat 1: 2 irmaos (4174965 in chips)
Seat 2: dickson007 (5854383 in chips)
Seat 3: stortv (3686318 in chips)
Seat 4: iupeli (6372889 in chips)
Seat 5: cRRusher (2077120 in chips)
Seat 6: hustler730 (2307848 in chips)
Seat 7: Chaesi (4635706 in chips)
Seat 8: YWEplay (1597058 in chips)
Seat 9: Bratcat (1051713 in chips)

With blinds at $70000/$140000 ante $14000, the short stacked Bratcat was the first to seek a double up, and found it against 2 irmaos when Bratcat picked off the re-steal with A2o versus Q9o for 2 irmaos. The board brought a bunch of broadway cards but none that changed the preflop advantage and Bratcat was back in contention.

Bratcat wasn’t done there, with a few preflop steals he chipped up enough to be able to do some real damage. On two consecutive hands he sent players to the rail. The first victim was stortv who found AQo on the button and raced off his chips versus Bratcat’s pocket eights. With a 2d 8c 4h, stortv was down to a runner runner wheel to escape the flopped set. A king on the turn gave stortv $5,500.00 for his ninth place effort.

The very next hand YWEplay thought his pocket jacks would provide a much needed double up while one off under the gun, but found himself well behind the pocket queens of Bratcat. A set for both players by the turn left YWEplay hoping for the miracle jack on the river. Unfortunately the river card was not paint but $10,000 for YWEplay’s eighth place finish should boost his hourly poker earnings.

Starting dead last in chips meant Bratcat just had a little more work to do. By eliminating the eighth place finishers he wasn’t finished. Pocket nines are a favorite for certain 11 time World Series of Poker bracelet holder, and while making quads versus seventh place finisher iupeli, Bratcat might learn to like them as well. Another victim of AQo at the final table, iupeli quickly found himself behind a flopped set on a Kh 8c 9c board needing running cards for a straight, the turn brought no life and the fourth nine on the river just rubbed it in. The aussie iupeli can feel good about the $15,000.00 he gets to take home for his seventh place finish. Maybe he can join a fellow aussie and Team PokerStars Pro Joe Hachem in next year’s WSOP?

The extremely aggressive 2 irmaos found himself staring down a sizable call for his remaining three million in chips. A button raise from Bratcat, 2 irmaos called in the small blind, only to have dickson007 fire out a squeeze push from the big blind. Bratcat got out of the way and 2 irmaos made the call. His pockets eights would usually be a decent starting hand while down to six players, but dickson007’s pocket queens made a sizable mountain to overcome. With the board running out without changing the preflop advantage, 2 irmaos took in $20,000 for his 5,000 FPPs in sixth place.

After Bratcat cooled down a bit, it was Chaesi’s turn to take some chips and dash some dreams of the $100,000 payday. With blinds at $100,000/$200,000 antes $20,000 and only ten big blinds left hustler730 tried to steal Chaesi’s big blind from the small blind with KTo. Chaesi’s A4o was enough to make the call as hustler730 did not have an extra king or ten up his sleeve when the board ran out in Chaesi’s favor. $25,000 in fifth place will help hustler730 find a new car bring his ladies around in.

cRRusher only found a few spots to play at the final table, and with pocket tens on the button it looked like a great spot to take some chips off dickson007 raising behind. Pocket Aces are tough to get a person to fold preflop, and cRRusher’s preflop disadvantage versus dickson007’s rockets did not find a third ten on the board. Adding five figures ones bankroll is always nice, the $32,500.00 banked by CRRusher’s fourth place finish should help him enjoy a couple more MTT’s at PokerStars in the years to come.

All good things come to an end, bachelor parties, a cool drink poolside while in Vegas, and for Bratcat a run of cards at this final table. A board of 8h 3d 4c 3s and facing a three million chip raise of his 1.25 million chip bet from dickson007 while holding a third trey in his with Kc 3h dreams of a double up were probably dancing around, until after his shove and a call by dickson007 showed him the bad news. The fourth trey was sitting in dickson007’s hand with an ace kicker. No king on the river for Bratcat meant $40,000 for third place and a $34,500 improvement from his starting final table short stack.

Heads up play between Chaesi and dickson007 started fairly even in chips with dickson007 holding 17.7 million to Chaesi’s 14 million. Dickson007 initiated chop talks but Chaesi had no reply and the two traded chips for a while about ten hands. After the chip trades and another attempt at chop talks, dickson007 decided to use some tricks from Q’s laboratory and won the final five hands of the tournament. Taking two hands preflop, then another post flop, dickson007’s nut flush made on the river in a 17 million chip pot left Chaesi with 3.5 million in chip and mucking his cards as fast as the interface would allow.

Chaesi received QJo on the button the very next hand and with blinds at $150,000/$300,000 antes $30,000 he shoved his remaining chips into the pot. Dickson007 turned over A9o after quickly calling, and an ace on the flop quickly chilled the coin flip, but a ten on the turn would open up straight possibilities that were closed just a quickly by the 5 on the river. Chaesi will be able to take his $60,000 for second place back to his small town in Switzerland while dickson007 is this month’s Turbo Takedown champion!

While you could use those FPPs for the great merchandise from the PokerStars FPP store, I think dickson007 is glad he used 5,000 of them for a few hours of cards and the $100,000 that come with being the last one with chips.

Here are the final table payouts. Congrats to all 4,000 players who cashed!

1. dickson007 - $100,000.00
2. Chaesi - $60,000.00
3. Bratcat - $40,000.00
4. CRRusher - $32,500.00
5. hustler730 - $25,000.00
6. 2 irmaos - $20,000.00
7. iupeli - $15,000.00
8. YWEplay - $10,000.00
9. stortv - $5,500.00

Barry Greenstein isn’t one of those players who carries a rabbit’s foot or wears some talisman at the tables. Apart from decades of poker experience, the only thing he brings to the felt is a copy of his book “Ace on the River,” and he only carries that to give away to whomever sends him to the rail. So, suffice it to say, Greenstein isn’t one to believe in omens.

So, when he showed up at noon today to play in the $10,000 PLO event (three hours in advance of the HORSE final table), he probably didn’t think way too much about what happened upon his arrival. The flopped set of kings getting outrun by quad queens for a 50,000 chip pot was just a bad turn of fortune and not a sign of things to come for his HORSE final table appearance.

A more superstitious person, though, might have thought otherwise. In the first few minutes of final table play today, Greenstein managed to make a 7-6 in Razz and find out it was no good for the big pot. At the break, he had fallen down to around 1.3 million in chips. His face looked no different than it ever does. He could have half the chips in play and look the same as he did during the break.

Back at the table, they sat seven-handed. Patrick Bueno had made his exit in the first level of the day. Greenstein stayed in action, but picked up precious little traction as they finished Stud-8, Hold’em, and O/8 rounds. When he raised in hold’em, he got three-bet by PokerStars-sponsored player Matt Glantz and had to fold on a raggedy flop. When he played a sizable pot in 0/8, it ended in a chop.

By the time they had made it back around to Razz, Greenstein had around 1.2 million, barely less than what he started the level with. The remaining Razz hands saw Greenstein in action, but not making it to showdown. It took until the Stud round that Greenstein raked a pot worth stacking.

Once they reached the Stud round again, Huck Seed hit the rail in seventh place. Six-handed, Greenstein sat on the shortest stack. That said, he was down to 600,000 yesterday and managed to climb back to 2,000,000 in short order. Nothing to say he couldn't do that again.

They will be headed to break in just a few moments. Upon their return, expect to see some fireworks. The blinds and limits will be going up again. Few people are safe and one big hand could send any of a few players to the rail.

While we wait, check out what Greenstein had to say before the start of play today.

Watch WSOP 08: Barry Greenstein Pre HORSE Final on PokerStars.tv

The final table of the $2,000 no limit hold’em - a World Series bracelet at stake with the additional reward of $770,540 in prize money to the winner. It’s a chance to strap to your wrist something all poker players dream of winning, the jangly gold mark of a champion and a signpost to your poker playing brothers and sisters that you’re one hell of a player.

You’d think you’d need to devote all of your focus and energy to winning it, right?

Wrong. Forty yards away stands PokerStars sponsored player Kirill Gerasimov in the business end of the $10,000 pot limit Omaha; standing rather than sitting, squinting across the Amazon Room trying to time perfectly that moment he cuts ties with Omaha and makes a run for it to play hold’em. And you thought multi-tabling was strictly an online thing?

Choosing his moment Kirill heads on over, but before he gets half way he notices the chips are still being unbagged. He makes an immediate U-turn and is back at his PLO hand a few seconds later; standing, looking, mucking, before starting back towards the hold’em, a 55 step walk towards a potential bracelet. I know it’s 55 steps by the way – I counted them.

But when he eventually takes his seat in the final (after missing the formal introductions) it’s slow going. The Omaha blinds are 150/300 meaning every two-and-a-half rounds of hold’em are costing him roughly one thousand chips in Omaha. When he left them he had 31K. The question of how long he can last presents only one possible game plan for the Russian - win, but make it fast.

‘Why bother?’ you ask. Why risk it? Surely it’s best to concentrate on the final. Well, they’re all good points, but not to the mind of a poker player, who I suspect with all the good luck Kirills, envy the chance to give it a go.

There’s another factor too, something which came two weeks ago in the $5,000 pot limit Omaha event, the smaller cousin of the tournament today. In that Kirill finished fifth for over $192K. He may feel he’s good to go further.

“How much do you have in the PLO?” asks a friend form the rail. Kirill waves his hand in a ‘more or less’ way and says 31K, grinning like a man who knows he’s pushing his luck. But pushing your luck never looked so much fun.

It’s likely to go on for some time. We’ll keep tabs on how things develop.

If you had ambled into the Amazon Ballroom at around 3.30pm today, you could have been forgiven for thinking you'd taken a wrong turn and wound up in the MGM Grand during a world title fight. Tournament director Jack Effel has clearly been practising his Michael Buffer impersonations in recent months, for when Effel took the microphone to introduce the final table players in the HORSE event, his did so with all the gusto of the legendary boxing MC, stopping only just short of the trademark: "Let's get ready to ruuummmmbbbblllllle!"

Instead, Effel filled us in on all the biographical details one could ever wish for on the eight players, a line-up including Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein, and PokerStars sponsored player Matt Glantz.

Greenstein is one of poker's best known and well-respected ambassadors, multiple bracelet winner (including this year), generous philanthropist and the only man to cash three times in all three renewals of this $50,000 HORSE championship at the WSOP.

Twelfth in 2006, seventh in 2007, Greenstein is a pretty good bet to go even further this year, maybe all the way to the top, a feat that would give him a near unassailable lead in the running for the Player of the Year accolade.

Glantz, on the other hand, is not quite a household name, but perhaps should and could be. He's a high-stakes cash player on the east coast, frequenting Atlantic City and Foxwoods, among others, to seek out the top limit games.

But he's also no slouch at tournament poker and is today earning his seventh World Series cash, on his third final table. He previously took $364,620 for second place in a $3,000 hold 'em event in 2005, and a couple of weeks ago finished third in the $10,000 mixed event, good for another $185,000. Today he's sporting the PokerStars livery as a sponsored player.

The HORSE event was always designed to be the one that really sorted the men from the boys at the World Series, testing players' skills across five poker variants, as well as their bankrolls. At $50,000 a seat, there were no make-weights in the field, simply taking a fly for the sake of it. In its first year, the man who came out on top was Chip Reese, consistently recognised among the top players as the best of the best.

Reese died in December last year, at the age of 56, and the poker community was united in its desire to honour such a great player. None would argue with the decision to name this event in Reese's honour, and this year HORSE players have been battling for the Chip Reese Trophy, which was unveiled for the first time in the run up to this final table.

The trophy is an appropriately sizeable thing: 60 pounds of black marble, topped by a poker hand rendered in gold. Not just any old hand, of course, but the one held by Reese when he wrapped up the inaugural title. The base is engraved with the slogan "Standing the Test of Time" and the winners' names will be added year on year.

Reese's daughter, Taylor, joined Doyle Brunson in making announcements ahead of the final table. Brunson paid tribute to his friend and sparring partner, describing him as "certainly the best player I ever played with," which is some compliment coming from the celebrated rounder.

Taylor, meanwhile, quoted her father as the final eight looked to book their own place in poker folklore: "As my dad would say, 'May the best man win,'" she said.

Those eight are now trying to do precisely that. We'll let you know how they get on.

454 Sit and Go champs lined up a few hours ago to break off the biggest piece of the Battle of the Planets promotion pie. A $50,000 Triple Shootout freeroll for those who qualified through their respective celestial body division for an additional payday on top of the weekly prizes they have already won. 81 players will take home at least $195.00 for winning the first leg of the triple shootout with a $12,500 prize going to first place.

Since this is a shootout, the final table will all players will start with the same chipstack regardless of bankroll or shoe size; here are your final nine:

Stainley88 (Kingston) – first winner of the second shootout leg and had to wait a fortnight for the remaining players
LinoeeR (Kearney)
highR (roma)
SWENS1AGAIN (Minneapolis)
Schroeder72 (Thomasville)
Domingo32 (Las Vegas)
Kenny05 (Philadephia)
2D!E4 (Fresno)
Rhcp2006 (San Jose)

Will the Philly Phanatic Kenny05 over take the final table? Or Man U’s fan rhcp2006 acquire enough money here to hop across the pond for a match? With the blinds and chip counts at their starting amounts of $10/$20 with $1,500 in chips the level playing field leaves no clear cut favorite. No blood was drawn for the first two blind levels, with the high chip to blinds ratio, only small pots are being pushed around.

With blinds at $25/$50 Stainley88 and LioneeR got into a pre-flop shoving match with Stainley88 going all-in on a four-bet leaving LioneeR a decision for his remaining 750 chips. After a pause and maybe a swig of beer, LioneeR made the call only to find his Jacks well behind Stainley88’s pair of ladies. After a board that that improved neither player, LioneeR will have an extra $775.00 to spend on a Barry Sanders throwback jersey for his ninth place finish. With the extra chips, Stainley88 has started to bully a bit pre and post flop as his chip lead was twice the amount of second place highR.

Another preflop raising war resulted in a man down. This time it was domingo32 raising from the button and 2D!E4 taking offense to the blind steal with a shove for his remaining 1175 chips. Unfortunately as the cards turned over 2D!E4’s A9o was looking up at domingo32’s big slick. The board ran out with no excitement or reasons to curse the poker gods and 2D!E4 will receive $1,200.00 for his efforts in eighth place.

Two hands later saw another button versus big blind battle as rhcp2006 raised over the top of the under the gun raise of Stainley88 and a call by schroeder72 on the button. Stainley88 found some cover and folded, while schroeder72 tried to squeeze rhcp2006 off his hand with a push. But, the Man U supporter found himself shooting for an empty net goal as his jacks were ahead of schroeder72’s pocket tens. The jack of clubs and full house on the turn elevated rhcp2006’s hand to unbeatable status and schroeder72 headed back to Thomasville with $1,700.00 extra with his seventh place finish.

With six left Stainley88 has not let off the gas, taking many chips preflop and extending his lead over rhcp2006 and with blinds at $75/$150 the smaller stacks are starting to feel the pinch and taking their battles preflop with shoves and positional re-raises. Over 40 hands have gone by with no eliminations as the short stacks continued to push their chips and hang on to their stacks while grabbing some much needed blinds.

Three way action preflop found SWENS1AGAIN and domingo32 all in against highR who left $285 behind while flipping AKo to SWENS1AGAIN’S pocket fours and dominating domingo32’s AJo. Not all hands are built to last, as a Jack appeared on the flop giving domingo32 the lead. But with three diamonds on a Jd 6c 2d Td board and highR holding the Ace of diamonds gave highR a little hope of knocking out two opponents. Instead the board paired the last Ten and crippled the hooded chipmunk. SWENS1AGAIN took home $2,200.00 for his efforts in sixth place.

highR managed to survive a three way pot while all-in against Stainley88 and domingo32 and with preflop aggression has found his stack creeping back into contention. Unfortunately for kenny05, he was also low in chips with just 6.5 big blinds and facing a button raise from the now sizable second place stack of domingo32. KQo must of looked huge in that spot hoping to pick off a bluff but instead kenny05 found himself slightly behind the suited A7 of domingo32. A wheel missing a spoke was laid out on the board, unfortunately for kenny05, domingo32 had the missing bike part and the Phillies fan left with $2,735.00 in fifth place.

Ah, the cruel mistress of the river can hurt anyone. With blinds at $100/$200 and facing a button raise with a short stack, rhcp2006 found A3s in the small blind and pushed into the resurgent stack of highR and his KQo. A jack with two fives on the flop looked great for rhcp2006 to get back into contention, seven on the turn looked even better, but the queen on the river gave rhcp2006 $3,350.00 in fourth place. Probably enough for a plane ticket from San Jose to the UK to watch his favorite football club.

highR continued his late night rally with a dominate all-in versus the chip leader Stainley88 and with the antes kicking in he has taken the lead from once bully of the table. Talks of a chop went no place as Stainley88 did not have chat on, or feels confident in taking out the two Italian speakers left at the table as pre flop raises and re-raises have the chips orbiting the PokerStars Tournament Table logo in the middle without any cards appearing there.

Domingo crippled Stainley88 getting all his chips in the middle with pocket Tens versus Stainley88’s A9. The flop gave Stainley88 a pair of nines which did not improve further and the chip count was flip-flopped with domingo32 now holding the driver’s seat. highR’s aggression was caught after a few preflop raises, as Stainley88 called one of highR’s pushes with two live cards, K5o, and found himself ahead of highR’s Q2s and knocked highR down to less then four big blinds after the board paired his king. With the shortened stack King-Jack offsuit looked to be good against big stack bullying from the button, but highR found himself staring down a very legitimate raising hand of red aces from domingo32. The board got a little exciting on the turn showing with three spades matching the King’s suit for highR. But despite pairing his jack on the river highR was out in third place leaving $4,500.00 to the good.

With a 5:1 chip deficit Stainley88 found his chat and asked for an even chop which domingo32 never responded to. Stainley88 proceeded to win a series of coin flips including a big one with an ace appearing on the turn after a preflop raising war put the tournament on the line for Stainley88 holding ATo versus the pocket sevens of domingo32. No trips on the river gave Stainley88 the 5:1 chip lead which he would not relinquish.

His K3o was ahead of domingo32’s JTo for the final 5800 preflop chip pot that would either dent Stainley88’s lead or give him the Battle of Planets championship (Orion’s?) belt. A pair of aces appeared on the turn helping neither player, and the nine of spades awarded $12,500.00 to Stainley88 for winning the monthly Battle of the Planets freeroll!

Domingo32’s hard fought second place finish netted him $7000.00 and perhaps a wider smile than the one found on his Cheshire Cat’s avatar. Congrats to our finalists and all participants in this freeroll; be sure to gear up for next month’s Battle of the Planets contest!

1. Stainley88 - $12,500.00
2. domingo32 - $7,000.00
3. highR - $4,500.00
4. rhcp2006 - $3,350.00
5. kenny05 - $2735.00
6. SWENS1AGAIN - $2,200.00
7. schroeder72 - $1,700.00
8. 2D!E4 - $1,200.00
9. LioneeR - $775.00

As expected the PLO is awash with familiar faces including two of which you could swear you saw playing into the early hours of this morning. That would be Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein and PokerStars sponsored player Kirill Gerasimov.

Team PokerStars Pros are out in force for the Omaha, with ElkY, Dario Minieri, Daniel Negreanu, Tom McEvoy, Bill Chen, Humberto Brenes, Victor Ramdin, John Duthie, Noah Boeken, Chris Moneymaker, Chad Brown and new boy William Thorson all playing today.

Last year this same event attracted 318 players, a figure beaten this year by 16. A feature of the tournament last year will be used again today. Each player starts with 10,000 chips and an additional ‘red chip’ worth a further 10,000 to be ‘cashed in’ at any time before the last level. This effectively makes it a double chance event for a game with a lot of gamble.

Team PokerStars Pro John Duthie had his game plan firmly in mind when he sat down, cashing in his red chip as soon as the game started. “I want as many chips to bully the table with,” he said, taking the proactive stand point. Others hang on keeping it as an insurance policy.

Talking of gamble, there’s already been some at table 3, and few were surprised it was Barry Greenstein in the middle of it.

Hamstrung as he is by a three-hour playing window, before the final of the HORSE begins, Barry was understandably looking for an early double up. A board developed with heavy betting along the way. There was a king, two queens and a jack on deck as Barry turned over his pair of Kings for a full house. His opponent though showed pocket queens for quads – the end of Greenstein’s double-chance multi-table glory quest.

“I figured,” he said, spotting the queens, signing his book and handing it over. Barry’s consolation - a potential $2 million at stake later this afternoon.

But if anything, the first two levels were played amidst a sporting side interest in the European Championship soccer final between Germany and Spain playing on screen along the far wall of the Amazon Room. It had the inadvertent effect of making the Pot Limit Omaha championship hand for hand during injury time with a soundtrack of “Ooooh!” and “Ahhhh.”

Among those craning necks from their seats, perhaps mucking hands they’d ordinarily race to the middle with, were Team PokerStars Pros Humberto Brenes and Noah Boeken, each it should be said, backing different teams. Then there was Jan von Halle, wife of Katja Thater, creator of the PokerStars blog in Germany, and a German...

“I don’t like football,” he said, playing his hands standing up whilst looking over at the screen. “But it’s a big game. Only it doesn’t look too good.” (Germany lost the match).

Another player playing from a standing position is PokerStars sponsored player Kirill Gerasimov. But he has a more nervous disposition. Like Barry Greenstein, Kirill’s PLO spell is restricted to the time he has before a 2pm start in the final of the $2,000 No Limit Hold’em event. Barry tried to double up but was unable to. Kirill, pacing, plays on.

It’s past 2pm now; we expect some interesting developments later today.

It may be Sunday morning, but for a good number of people I’m not sure their Saturday night is over. It’s early in the Amazon Room but it’s a hive of activity, with cash games and satellites in full flow. The main features of the day haven’t even started yet.

But as far as days go at the World Series, this one should be electric. Two final tables, both featuring players known well to the PokerStars family, and the start of another of the prestige events of the Series – the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha.

Before that it’s worth recapping on what happened on a remarkable day yesterday, and topping that list must be the exploits of a certain Barry Greenstein.

Barry Greenstein

After four days of $50,000 HORSE action, five different poker variatiosn again and again until 148 players became nine, the Team PokerStars Pro reached the hard fought final table for the second year in a row. In addition, as Brad Willis reported late last night, he now becomes the only player to have cashed in each of the three years it’s been played.

Last year it was seventh for Greenstein, then worth $259,296. Today he starts third in chips in a final that will eclipse anything that's happened already at this year's World Series and possibly any to come. Third time lucky for Barry?

It was close to being a similar story for fellow Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu. Kid Poker had survived the slings and arrows of fortunes and outrage on day one, clawing back into contention after a rough start, before sitting among the leaders for much of the week.

Daniel Negreanu

But yesterday the momentum couldn't quite take him far enough. “I’m not worried” he said after a pot gone bad, “I’m just annoyed."

The HORSE adventure ended for him in the early hours of this morning, a 13th place finish and $142,000. To a player of Daniel’s calibre this may be 12 short of success, but it was clear to anyone else’s standards that there was little fault his performance in perhaps the toughest poker game in the world.

Spare a world of congratulation also for Supernova Elite Joe “bigjoe2003” Michael who finished one place behind Daniel. Joe was he of FPP buy-in fame, spinning his 1.9 million points (that's a lot of hats) into a $142,000 payday.

So to the final, due to begin at 3pm, which will look like this...

Seat 1: Matt Glantz -- 1,445,000
Seat 2: Huck Seed -- 1,200,000
Seat 3: Patrick Bueno -- 695,000
Seat 4: Lyle Berman -- 1,430,000
Seat 5: Scotty Nguyen -- 3,535,000
Seat 6: Barry Greenstein -- 1,955,000
Seat 7: Michael DeMichele -- 905,000
Seat 8: Erick Lindgren -- 3,680,000

I’ve lost count of how many times the Kirill ‘Deauville story’ has been referenced this week – or any week that the Russian PokerStars sponsored player has been in action. It's a great story but, retold, it neglected to mention that this was not a one off and that Kirill holds an enviable tournament record.

Well perhaps now a new page can be turned over, a new chapter to follow that short- stacked master class in France. I suggest we call this chapter the “Kirill $2k Hold’em story”.

Stuck as he was with a doomed looking 12,500 stack with 70 players left yesterday evening, Kirill looked likely to record another well-earned WSOP cash and call it a night. But by midnight though he was sat with close to half a million, having doubled up three times, tripled up once, and got in with the best of it when required.

A few hours later, as media row packed up to steal a few hours sleep, Kiril was one of 15 players remaining. Could he really pull it off? We’d have to wait until morning to find out.

Kirill Gerasimov

Now, after watching him perform this magic show for a few hours last night, I’m hardly surprised to report that Kirill will line up in that $2K No Limit Hold’em final today, third in chips. It almost doesn't matter how it turns out. Third place is certainly a good footing, but by my reckoning it’ll take Kiril a few lost pots to really take over as favourite.

All that doesn’t even touch upon the gem the Series schedulers have conjured up for us today. The $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha event is likely to attract a field studded with the game’s elite, being another tournament created a few years ago, designed to put the wow-factor, and pain, back into the buy-in.

PLO was typically the game dominated by British players (it being the game of choice in the UK) but is now as worldly as the Series itself. It all kicks off at noon and we’re sure to have an indication of the runners and riders shortly. From my vantage point right now there are crowds of players matched two-to-one by railbirds happy to find a gap, dig in, spot a few TV faces and watch some world class poker.

In fact, world class poker is all we can offer today.

Last night as he bagged up chips, Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein joked that the PLO “would be a good tournament to multi-table.” I haven’t seen him yet. But if all goes to plan his story will be written in another part of the room later tonight.

Good luck to Barry, Kirill and all of Team PokerStars Pro ahead of another big day.

Stop Press: Well I assumed it was a joke. Showing the kind of thirst for action that would put most others to shame, not only is Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein playing in the Pot Limit Omaha event but so too is Kirill Gerasimov. Both are obligated to pop over to their respective final tables later this afternoon which gives Barry three hours to ramp up a stack and Kirill just two.

Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein's career poker record doesn't need too much repeating. He's won WSOP bracelets. He's won WPT events. He's won just about everything. There is barely a poker statistic of any importance that doesn't have Greenstein's name on it.

Well, here's a new one.

In the three-year history of the $50,000 HORSE event, Greenstein is the only person to cash every year. In year one, he nearly made the final table. In year two, he finished in seventh place. Now, he is headed into tomorrow's final table with the third-highest chip stack. The star-studded event will set up on the ESPN stage at 3pm PST. Here's how all eight players stack up.

Seat 1: Matt Glantz 1,445,000
Seat 2: Huck Seed 1,200,000
Seat 3: Patrick Bueno 695,000
Seat 4: Lyle Berman 1,430,000
Seat 5: Scotty Nguyen 3,535,000
Seat 6: Barry Greenstein 1,955,000
Seat 7: Michael DeMichele 905,000
Seat 8: Erick Lindgren 3,680,000

Greenstein's off-table demeanor following his finish tonight was barely one degree off from his stoic appearance all day long. His face betrayed precious little emotion as he signed some autographs and bagged his chips. It's all in a day's work for him.

Where many players at this point would be contemplating their final table strategy, it's second nature for Greenstein. In fact, as he readied himself to leave, the only thing he seemed unsure about was whether he would be able to make a TV interview at 2:30pm. It seemed curious that he might not be able to show up half an hour early. No, it wasn't that. Thing is, he might have other plans. The $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha championship kicks off at noon.

Noting how long the PLO hands take, Greenstein said, "It's the best game to multi-table."

That's Barry Greenstein. He's near the top of the leaderboard in one of the most important poker tournaments in the world, and he very well may play two tables at once. With all due credit to the online pros who can play 20 tables, I don't think they have anything on Greenstein.

If Greenstein plays the PLO event, he will very likely see fellow Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu there. Negreanu made a very good run for the final table in the HORSE event, but finished up just a little short. He finished in 13th place for $142,000.

Negreanu's exit

Joining Greenstein and Negreanu in the money is PokerStars Supernova Elite Joseph "bigjoe2003" Michael. Michael bought into the $50,000 event with his PokerStars Frequent Player Points. Though he just missed the final table, he turned those FPPs into $142,000 for his 14th place finish.

Joseph "bigjoe2003" Michael

Before his exit, Michael offered us these thoughts on the HORSE event.

Watch WSOP 08: Joseph Michael SuperNova Elite on PokerStars.tv

Here's a wrap-up of HORSE Day 4 from the PokerStars Video Blog Team

Watch WSOP 08: Horse Day 4 Update on PokerStars.tv

Greenstein may not be the only one we're watching at a final table on Sunday. At this hour, PokerStars-sponsored player Kirill Gerasimov is one of fifteen players remaining in the $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em event. More than 2,300 players entered, and Gerasimov is not wasting his opportunity to fight for the $700,000 first prize.

Kirill Gerasimov

Coverage will resume here tomorrow with the $10,000 PLO event. See all today's coverage by clicking any of the links below.

Another wave floods into the Rio
Team out in force for $1,500
Gerasimov again among the leaders
The entertainment budget
The outer fringe of the Amazon
Greenstein, Negreanu control HORSE
From FPPs to $142K
RaiNKhaN doing what he does best
The Kiril System
Negreanu misses final table
From short-stack to contender

Photography © 2008, Joe Giron/IMPDI

During an intense chat a few days ago about certain memorable poker performances, as PokerStars sponsored player Kirill Gerasimov was working his way through another field of players, I mentioned the need for a “new Kirill Gerasimov story."

The old story was of course the EPT Deauville story (mentioned about four times now on the blog this week) and the short stack miracle performed there. I figured the man had earned the right for a new flagship performance, particularly in light of the fact that his record of 19 World Series, three WPT and two EPT cashes amount to nearly $2 million.

Well, we may now have his new story, depending on how events unfold tonight. At the dinner break in today’s second day of play in the $2,000 No Limit Hold’em there were 70 players left and Kirill had just 12,500. Several hours later, with 36 players remaining, Kirill had doubled up, tripled up, won a few, and doubled up again – by now he had over 255,000.

“Yeah” he said, with a grin. “I got lucky."

This, I would say, was a total lie in the name of modesty. He had no more luck than that found in any hand. This was simply down to the fact he knew when to move and how to move it, gaining some valuable momentum along the way where lesser players might have closed their eyes, held their breath and taken a flying leap a lot sooner.

“Now though I’m getting no cards...” he added.

Well later he did get some well-earned favourable hands, notably pocket Kings and, more importantly, a caller. Now, Kirill's over the 400,000 mark, well clear of the average with 22 players in pursuit of a spot in the final nine and the final table tomorrow. We'll keep you posted. I doubt Kirill is going anywhere soon.

After four days of paced, measured play in the $50,000 HORSE event, it's a bit unsettling to watch the fortunes change so drastically. The blinds and limits are such that one or two close hands can take a player from the top to the bottom in no time at all.

Witness the fall of Daniel Negreanu. At the dinner break, Negreanu sat near the top of the leader board. Moments ago, he walked out in 13th place.

Negreanu's exit

As has been mentioned more than a few times, Negreanu helped serve as the inspiration for this event's creation. After winning his bracelet earlier this Series in the $2,000 Limit event, Negreanu aimed to win his fifth. This looked to be one of his best opportunities.

Instead, his 13th place finish earns him $142,080 and the opportunity to play in tomorrow's $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship.

At this hour, Barry Greenstein is the only member of Team PokerStars Pro remaining in the $50,000 HORSE event. His fortune hasn't been much better