WSOP Final Table Recap - We're Down To Two!

After 117 days the November Nine took their seats in the Penn & Teller Theatre to battle it out for the $9.1 million first prize, the coveted bracelet and title of the 2008 World Champion.

 

The first big hand came 18 hands into the final table where Dennis Phillips and Ivan Demidov committed over a third of their stack pre-flop, and when the board fell Demidov moved all-in over a small bet from Phillips to take the pot and cement his spot as clear chip leader as Phillips became the second short stack.

 

Kim found a double up through Demidov holding pocket Kings, and would soon be followed by Phillips holding Queens against “Chino” Rheem’s Jacks. However it would take over 50 hands until the near 1000-strong audience would witness the first elimination. Craig Marquis moved all-in for 4.925 million holding and found a caller in Scott Montgomery with . The board ran out and Marquis would be the ninth place finisher at the hands of a runner-runner Broadway straight.

 

Kim was next when he was all-in from the big blind for an additional 150,000 and found three callers in Darus Suharto, Ylon Schwartz and Demidov. The pot was contested by Suharto holding and Demidov on a final board reading and with Suharto raking in the pot, Kim mucked his hand as he hit the rail in 8^th place for close to $1.3 million.

 

Rheem would find a needed double with against Demidov’s when the landed on the turn, however his new-found chips wouldn’t remain with him too long when he was all-in holding against Peter Eastgate’s . With the final board reading , Rheem couldn’t win the pot as a 4 to 1 favourite and exited the Penn & Teller Theatre in 7^th place for $1.7 million.

 

After a terrible start to the final table Dennis Phillips regained his composure and slid back up to third place in chips much to the amusement of his 300-strong entourage all decked out in identical white shirts and St Louis Cardinals hats. With the dinner break out of the way and the money out in plain view for all to see, the accountant from Canada would be next to hit the rail at the hands of fellow countryman Montgomery. Suharto moved all in with over Montgomery’s preflop raise with and after some thought called the additional amount. Montgomery flushed Suharto out of the tournament with the board dropping down and Suharto collected $2.4 million for his 6^th place finish.

 

Montgomery’s stint as chip leader was short lived when he doubled Demidov in a battle of the blinds. With a raising war preflop all the chips were in the middle with Montgomery holding against Demidov’s . The board ran out sending Montgomery to the table short stack with 7 million and rocketing Demidov up to the chip lead at 50 million. Several hands later Montgomery was sent to the rail in 5^th place for $3 million when he was all-in holding against Eastgate’s . The board was very safe for Montgomery up until the river with it reading , and with Phillips mentioning he folded a 6 the players and the audience were shocked to see the case land on the river.

 

Four-handed play lasted for two hours before Schwartz would fall at the hands of the Dane; Eastgate. Eastgate opened the action and was met with a call from Schwartz out of the small blind. Both players checked the flop of , and with the landing on the turn, Schwartz checked called a bet from Eastgate. The river fell the and after Schwartz checked Eastgate led for close to two thirds pot before Schwartz moved all-in for close to three times that amount. Eastgate was quick to call tabling for a rivered full house while Schwartz’s hit the muck as he collected $3.8 million for his 4^th place finish.

 

As the former chip leader Phillips looked on as the two young Europeans held the majority of chips Phillips would finally succumb to the short stack when he made a play against Eastgate. Eastgate raised to 1.5 million out of the small blind and was met with a call from Phillips. The board fell down and Eastgate led for 1.5 million, and after counting his chips Phillips moved all-in for his remaining 14 million and was met with an insta-call from Eastgate holding for flopped bottom set while Phillips was on a stone-cold bluff holding . The turn left Phillips drawing dead when it fell the and with the meaningless landing on the river Phillips hit the rail to the standing ovation from his 300-strong support crew in 3^rd place for $4.5 million.

 

After 170 hands, seven eliminations and a few bad beats and lucky outdraws two man stand tall as play was suspended for one last time. Peter Eastgate (79,500,000 in chips) and Ivan Demidov (57,725,000 in chips) will return at 10pm local time to contest heads-up play as both these Europeans are looking to make their own history. If Eastgate is to win he will break Phil Hellmuth’s record of youngest Main Event Champion, and if Demidov is to triumph he will be the first player to make the final table in both the WSOP and WSOPE in the same year.

 

1^st – $9,119,517

2^nd – $5,790,024

3^rd – Dennis Phillips ($4,503,352)

4^th – Ylon Schwartz ($3,763,515)

5^th – Scott Montgomery ($3,008,012)

6^th – Darus Suharto ($2,412,510)

7^th – David “Chino” Rheem ($1,769,174)

8^th – Kelly Kim ($1,286,672)

9^th – Craig Marquis ($900,670)

 

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