World Series of Poker Event #2 Results, Notes, and Highlights

2008 World Series of Poker
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada

Official Report
Event # 2
No-Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $ 1,500
Number of Entries: 3,929
Number of Re-Buys: NA
Total Net Prize Pool: $5,363,085
May 31-June 3, 2008

Final Results:

1. Grant Hinkle Kansas City Missouri $831,462.00
2. James Akenhead London United Kingdom $520,219.00
3. Chris Ferguson Pacific Palisades California $388,287.00
4. Theo Tran Las Vegas Nevada $327,148.00
5. Mike Ngo New Orleans Louisiana $268,154.00
6. Aaron Coulthard Waterloo Ontario, Canada $211,841.00
7. Melvin Jones Chicago Illinois $158,211.00
8. David Bach Athens Georgia $117,987.00
9. Joe Rutledge Pasadena Texas $83,127.00
10. Jeff Wiedenhoeft Whitewater Wisconsin $52,021.00
11. Perry Friedman Las Vegas Nevada $52,021.00
12. Minh Nguyen Lake Elsinore California $52,021.00
13. Josh Engerdahl Abbotsford British Columbia, Canada $41,295.00
14. Eric Hicks San Francisco California $41,295.00
15. Matthew Kearney Lake Grove New York $41,295.00
16. Frank Sinopoli Hollywood California $30,569.00
17. Brandon Blake Palmer Alaska $30,569.00
18. Elia Ahmadian Chantilly Virginia $30,569.00
19. Kelso Blake Las Vegas Nevada $24,133.00
20. Ryan D'Angelo Vestal New York $24,133.00
21. Mariano Cefalu Milwaukee Wisconsin $24,133.00
22. Thomas Fuller Boulder Colorado $24,133.00
23. Avraham Arguan Las Vegas Nevada $24,133.00
24. Andre Boyer Las Vegas Nevada $24,133.00
25. Evan McNiff San Diego California $24,133.00
26. Pia Jeppesen Copenhagen Denmark $24,133.00
27. Steve Cho Hollywood California $24,133.00
28. Marvin Burkholder Sunset Beach North Carolina $18,770.00
29. Scott Montgomery Perth Ontario, Canada $18,770.00
30. Allan Puzantyan Beaconsfield Quebec, Canada $18,770.00
31. Cesar Flores Mcallen Texas $18,770.00
32. Karim Vegas Brookline Massachusetts $18,770.00
33. Michael Ium Toronto Ontario, Canada $18,770.00
34. Nadim Shabou Tucson Arizona $18,770.00
35. David Robertson Henderson Nevada $18,770.00
36. Clayton Kalisek San Antonio Texas $18,770.00
37. Dick Stephen Menands New York $14,480.00
38. Sean Ferrer Green River Wyoming $14,480.00
39. Richard Byrd Mobile Alabama $14,480.00
40. Richard Toth Miskolc Hungary $14,480.00
41. Michael Souza San Diego California $14,480.00
42. John Carlson Mesquite Nevada $14,480.00
43. Amir Monsefi Los Angeles California $14,480.00
44. Scott Eniniger Montebello New York $14,480.00
45. Ginikachukwu Izuogu $14,480.00
46. Anthony Meeker Rockville Centre New York $12,871.00
47. Lars Bonding Fairfax Virginia $12,871.00
48. Jeffrey Hutchison Mammoth Lakes California $12,871.00
49. Brian Haas Celebration Florida $12,871.00
50. Chistopher Poma Escondido California $12,871.00
51. Todd Holley Denver Colorado $12,871.00
52. Andre Dyonisio Mission Viejo California $12,871.00
53. Edgar Renteria Garden Grove California $12,871.00
54. Joseph Gotlieb Hollywood Florida $12,871.00
55. Steve Kolb Gilbert Arizona $11,262.00
56. Aaron Kanter Elk Grove California $11,262.00
57. Elliot Shmukler San Jose California $11,262.00
58. Arnold Spee Agoura Hills California $11,262.00
59. Johannes Strassmann Berlin Germany $11,262.00
60. James Atchazo San Diego California $11,262.00
61. Kenneth Shelton Dallas Texas $11,262.00
62. Anthony Young $11,262.00
63. Jordan Cristos Palmdale California $11,262.00
64. Sadeed Daneshi $9,653.00
65. Stuart Patterson Boca Raton Florida $9,653.00
66. Garrett Allen Gilbert Arizona $9,653.00
67. John Murphy Walnut Creek California $9,653.00
68. Gevork Kasabyan Los Angeles California $9,653.00
69. Daniel Fisher $9,653.00
70. Mark Hirakawa Kaneohe, HI $9,653.00
71. Albert Rogers Westlake Ohio $9,653.00
72. Ronald Goodwin Las Vegas Nevada $9,653.00
73. Ryan Roeder Missoula Montana $8,044.00
74. Alexander Mackenzie Sun City California $8,044.00
75. Jon Heneghan Safety Harbor Florida $8,044.00
76. Christopher Defalco Murrieta California $8,044.00
77. Jay Greenspan $8,044.00
78. Arnaud Mattern London United Kingdom $8,044.00
79. Edward Nassif Ames Iowa $8,044.00
80. Matthew Brady Upper Darby Pennsylvania $8,044.00
81. Michael Hartzheim Little Chute Wisconsin $8,044.00
82. Jorge Rodriguez Las Vegas Nevada $6,972.00
83. Paul Fehlig St Louis Missouri $6,972.00
84. Sean Porter Las Vegas Nevada $6,972.00
85. James Athanas Orange California $6,972.00
86. Brian Maguire Louisville Kentucky $6,972.00
87. Thomas Bentham Bexley Kent $6,972.00
88. Christopher Steinbacher Silverdale Oregon $6,972.00
89. Manelic Minaya Tampa Florida $6,972.00
90. Long Duong Ladera Ranch California $6,972.00
91. Cameron Main Calgary Alberta, CA $5,899.00
92. Kris Crudup Cedar City Utah $5,899.00
93. Dale Marrow Walls Mississippi $5,899.00
94. Craig Brennan San Clemente California $5,899.00
95. Shane Schleger Santa Monica California $5,899.00
96. Christopher Westmas Las Vegas Nevada $5,899.00
97. Yong An Dallas Texas $5,899.00
98. Derek Schneider Green Springs Ohio $5,899.00
99. Steven Levy Peabody Massachusetts $5,899.00
100. Robert Herman Reno Nevada $4,826.00
101. Warren Pospisil Bridger Montana $4,826.00
102. Lyric Duveyoung Monterey California $4,826.00
103. Richard Vallandigham Burr Ridge Illinois $4,826.00
104. Daniel Schmiech Houston Texas $4,826.00
105. Alan Lai Surrey British Columbia, Canada $4,826.00
106. Shayne Heine Turlock California $4,826.00
107. Andrew Zuzolo Las Vegas Nevada $4,826.00
108. David Bogner Atlanta Georgia $4,826.00
109. Ian Kim San Diego California $4,826.00
110. Todd Witteles Las Vegas Nevada $4,826.00
111. Arda Fikri Brampton Ontario, Canada $4,826.00
112. Kenneth Shaevel Santa Monica California $4,826.00
113. Ashley Mayhew Clearlake California $4,826.00
114. Daniel Sindelar Omaha Nebraska $4,826.00
115. Patrick White West Nyack New York $4,826.00
116. Allin Collins Las Vegas Nevada $4,826.00
117. Alex Moore $4,826.00
118. Maen Shadda San Diego California $4,826.00
119. Thi Pham Surrey British Columbia, Canada $4,826.00
120. Terrence Chan Vancouver British Columbia, Canada $4,826.00
121. Motoyuki Mabuchi Las Vegas Nevada $4,826.00
122. Donimick Cuzzi Bronx New York $4,826.00
123. Bon Phan Long Beach California $4,826.00
124. Davis Batson Austin Texas $4,826.00
125. Andrew Taylor San Clemente California $4,826.00
126. Joseph Goldstein Houston Texas $4,826.00
127. Erica Schoenberg Henderson Nevada $4,558.00
128. Paul Sexton Henderson Nevada $4,558.00
129. Quynam Nguyen Orange California $4,558.00
130. Quentin Krueger Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada $4,558.00
131. Charles Ambrogi Dublin Ohio $4,558.00
132. Travis Green Irvine California $4,558.00
133. Hooman Nikzad Scottsdale Arizona $4,558.00
134. Doninic Biondi Las Vegas Nevada $4,558.00
135. Benjamin Hamnett Holbrook Pennsylvania $4,558.00
136. Kenny Tran Arcadia California $4,558.00
137. Michael Shoemaker Palatine Illinois $4,558.00
138. Jeffrey Carris Wadsworth Ohio $4,558.00
139. Nikolay Evdakov Moscow Russia $4,558.00
140. Anthony Korfman Boulder City Nevada $4,558.00
141. John Roveto Snellville Georgia $4,558.00
142. Derek Wakamiya $4,558.00
143. Ryan Remele Malta Illinois $4,558.00
144. Katja Svendsen 1670 Fr. Stad $4,558.00
145. Giovanni Mervo Poa RS $4,558.00
146. Mark Vos Brisbane Queensland, Australia $4,558.00
147. Jason Lilly Las Vegas Nevada $4,558.00
148. Anthony Sanches Montgomery Texas $4,558.00
149. Rami Boukai Laguna Hills California $4,558.00
150. Aaron Kweskin Los Angeles California $4,558.00
151. John Farley Maple Wood New Jersey $4,558.00
152. Daniel Barnett San Clemente California $4,558.00
153. Jason Gallagher New York New York $4,558.00
154. Mounir Srour Kenmore Washington $4,558.00
155. Jose Velador Bellflower California $4,558.00
156. Le Banh Long Beach California $4,558.00
157. Jason Schoenberger Gorham Kansas $4,558.00
158. Michael Bernstein Chicago Illinois $4,558.00
159. Wayne Smith Venice California $4,558.00
160. Jason Habinsky New York New York $4,558.00
161. Mark Polis Deptford New Jersey $4,558.00
162. Dustin Cole Trilla Illinois $4,558.00
163. Chris Vaughn Atlanta Georgia $4,290.00
164. Christopher Elderkin Apollo Beach Florida $4,290.00
165. Thomas Marvin Pierre South Dakota $4,290.00
166. Robert Aron Boca Raton Florida $4,290.00
167. Steve Ballowe Hilton Head South Carolina $4,290.00
168. Michael Goetsch Enfield Conneticut $4,290.00
169. Niels Rikhof La Junta Colorado $4,290.00
170. Peter Lieberman Glendale California $4,290.00
171. Mojtaba Seyedin Las Vegas Nevada $4,290.00
172. Khamsy Nuanmanee North Las Vegas Nevada $4,290.00
173. Armando Gonzales Washington Washington $4,290.00
174. Sarah Bilney Melbourne Australia $4,290.00
175. David Maresh Des Moines Was $4,290.00
176. Steven Peasley Necedah Wisconsin $4,290.00
177. Maria Munoz San Francisco California $4,290.00
178. Roberto Durante Barrie Ontario, Canada $4,290.00
179. Nghi Tran Vaughn Ontario, Canada $4,290.00
180. Jon Stanfield Overland Park Kansas $4,290.00
181. Matthew Rousu Selinsgrove Pennsylvania $4,290.00
182. Huw Taylor Grangetown GR $4,290.00
183. Troy Miller East Hanover New Jersey $4,290.00
184. David Hong Las Vegas Nevada $4,290.00
185. Alex Trujano Jacksonville North Carolina $4,290.00
186. Paul Lee $4,290.00
187. Jim Anderson Aurora California $4,290.00
188. Charles Morgenstern $4,290.00
189. Michael Kamran Los Angeles California $4,290.00
190. Felix Wright Simi Valley California $4,290.00
191. Mark Gregorich Las Vegas Nevada $4,290.00
192. Davis Aalvik Long Beach California $4,290.00
193. Brandon Lee Atlanta Georgia $4,290.00
194. Chris Bjorin London United Kingdom $4,290.00
195. Joseph Daddario St. James New York $4,290.00
196. Jeremy Williamson Lititz Pennsylvania $4,290.00
197. Mark Ketteringham Santa Monica California $4,290.00
198. Rick Fitzpatrick Las Vegas Nevada $4,290.00
199. Timothy Gray Austin Texas $4,022.00
200. Peter Lenkey Jr. Etiwanda California $4,022.00
201. Christopher Riley Lexington North Carolina $4,022.00
202. Michael Elderkin Jr. Apollo Beach Florida $4,022.00
203. Mark Hanna Broomfield Colorado $4,022.00
204. Ronnie Givargis Turlock California $4,022.00
205. Brian Kneier Sun Valley California $4,022.00
206. Robert Fitzgerald Magalia California $4,022.00
207. Brett Wiesner Las Vegas Nevada $4,022.00
208. Ayaz Mahmood Houston Texas $4,022.00
209. Rolph Kaus Fuchstfad $4,022.00
210. Richard Herrera Roseville California $4,022.00
211. Roy Duleba North Las Vegas Nevada $4,022.00
212. Dolph Arnold Houston Texas $4,022.00
213. Jenkins Roger Union City California $4,022.00
214. Matthew Piggott Las Vegas Nevada $4,022.00
215. James Duke Houston Texas $4,022.00
216. Richard Brendel Las Vegas Las Vegas $4,022.00
217. Edward Guerrero San Antonio Texas $4,022.00
218. Nikolay Malyshev Moscow Russia $4,022.00
219. Leslie Spear Zephyr Cove Nevada $4,022.00
220. John Nieznanski Henderson Nevada $4,022.00
221. Mark King Scranton Pennsylvania $4,022.00
222. Jeffrey Finkelstein Bala-Cynwyd Pennsylvania $4,022.00
223. Keith Wintermans Vancouver British Columbia, CA $4,022.00
224. Kevin Compton Kennesaw Georgia $4,022.00
225. Stephen Tanner Westminster Colorado $4,022.00
226. Tom Lee Denver Colorado $4,022.00
227. William Goff Kearneysville West Virginia $4,022.00
228. Evan Schwartz Oakland California $4,022.00
229. Edward Uhler Henderson Nevada $4,022.00
230. Johnathan Morrell San Antonio Texas $4,022.00
231. Ncholas Decker Las Vegas Nevada $4,022.00
232. Michael Cavender Wichita Kansas $4,022.00
233. Maria Mayrinck Rio De Janeiro Brazil $4,022.00
234. Linh Nguyen New Port California $4,022.00
235. Vachagan Zakarian North Hollywood California $3,754.00
236. Kapila Garner Fairfield Iowa $3,754.00
237. John Mcmahon Boulder Colorado $3,754.00
238. Stephen Suarez Las Vegas Nevada $3,754.00
239. Pablo Caraballo Las Vegas Nevada $3,754.00
240. Jean Gaspard Evanston Illinois $3,754.00
241. Frank Cremen Las Vegas Nevada $3,754.00
242. Pete Gregory Shekeloff Oakland California $3,754.00
243. Dustin Pattinson Edinburg Texas $3,754.00
244. Adam Richardson San Diego California $3,754.00
245. William Shindler Las Vegas Nevada $3,754.00
246. Bryan Johnson Avon Colorado $3,754.00
247. Jean Harlan Las Vegas Nevada $3,754.00
248. Emily Hirleman Tucson Arizona $3,754.00
249. Jacques Arama London United Kingdom $3,754.00
250. Brett Schwertley Omaha Nebraska $3,754.00
251. Gavin Griffin Fullerton California $3,754.00
252. Joseph Cutler Bay Shore New York $3,754.00
253. Hans Chu Mclean Virginia $3,754.00
254. Raymond Wesley New Lisbon Wisconsin $3,754.00
255. Roy Holliday Carlisle $3,754.00
256. Denny Lee Los Angeles California $3,754.00
257. Mark Johns Las Vegas Nevada $3,754.00
258. Brandon Sampson Coquitlam British Columbia, CA $3,754.00
259. Matthew Thornton Las Vegas Nevada $3,754.00
260. Michael Olive Indiana Indiana $3,754.00
261. Matthew Mitchell Sacramento California $3,754.00
262. Michael Sims Las Vegas Nevada $3,754.00
263. Brian Fitzgerald Windsor Ontario, Canada $3,754.00
264. Trevor Thomas Las Vegas Nevada $3,754.00
265. Derek Harrington Henderson Nevada $3,754.00
266. Edward Brogdon Litchfield Park Arizona $3,754.00
267. Fang Tian Union City California $3,754.00
268. Brandon Hoss Phoenix Arizona $3,754.00
269. Jamin Styers Ocala Florida $3,754.00
270. Matthew Zoorob Las Vegas Nevada $3,754.00
271. Cheeon Yue Santa Clara California $3,486.00
272. Marco Traniello Las Vegas Nevada $3,486.00
273. Kimball Wasick Eagle Idaho $3,486.00
274. Walter Schaffer $3,486.00
275. Jason Newburger Chicago Illinois $3,486.00
276. Jose Rosenkrantz Miami Florida $3,486.00
277. Derek Grady Janesville Wisconsin $3,486.00
278. Chad Bradbury Wichita Kansas $3,486.00
279. Terrance Albright Orange Park Florida $3,486.00
280. Todd Bui Cerritos California $3,486.00
281. Joseph Kalina Fayetteville North Carolina $3,486.00
282. Kim Williams Las Vegas Nevada $3,486.00
283. Robert Russell Louis Ville Tennessee $3,486.00
284. Martin Hammond Merritt Island Florida $3,486.00
285. Jinyun Lin San Jose California $3,486.00
286. Sean Getzwiller Tucson Arizona $3,486.00
287. Michael Yoshino San Marino California $3,486.00
288. Gregory Herman Minot North Dakota $3,486.00
289. Niles Welch Revera Mississippi $3,486.00
290. Daniel Adelson Sherman Oaks California $3,486.00
291. Kaveh Ardestani Las Vegas Nevada $3,486.00
292. Todd Brunson Las Vegas Nevada $3,486.00
293. Parimal Parmar Phoenix Arizona $3,486.00
294. Dennis Marcum Texas City Texas $3,486.00
295. Derei Asher London United Kingdom $3,486.00
296. Jimmy Cortes Gurabo Puerto Rico $3,486.00
297. Dionicio Banuelos Los Angeles California $3,486.00
298. David Bannister Santa Rosa California $3,486.00
299. Sterling Allen Seatttle Washington $3,486.00
300. James Killeen Los Angeles California $3,486.00
301. Yarom Limor Beverly Hills California $3,486.00
302. Joshua Schiffman Columbus Georgia $3,486.00
303. Jonathan Friedberg Las Vegas Nevada $3,486.00
304. Matthew Stout Galloway New Jersey $3,486.00
305. Carl Sciandri Napa California $3,486.00
306. John Rosanky Salado Texas $3,486.00
307. Jessica Dawley Jeffersonville Indiana $3,217.00
308. Kevin Walton Layton Utah $3,217.00
309. Joy Adams Alta Loma California $3,217.00
310. Matthew Zola London United Kingdom $3,217.00
311. Jared Davis Philadelphia Pennsylvania $3,217.00
312. William Rincker Pearland Texas $3,217.00
313. Jeff Rogers Sant-Lazare Quebec, Canada $3,217.00
314. Nicolas Dervaux Chennevieres $3,217.00
315. Daniel Hirleman Tempe Arizona $3,217.00
316. Michael Oliger Massillon Ohio $3,217.00
317. Marcel Bedard Quebec Quebec, Canada $3,217.00
318. Ciaran Heaney Belfast United Kingdom $3,217.00
319. Fred Louie Los Angeles California $3,217.00
320. Russell Mcdonnell Ottawa Ontario, Canada $3,217.00
321. Anthony Perkins Springfield Missouri $3,217.00
322. Shinchi Chien Henderson Nevada $3,217.00
323. Paul Smith Poway California $3,217.00
324. Daryl Olson Huntsville Alabama $3,217.00
325. Michael Megison Vista California $3,217.00
326. Dale Steven Wichita Kansas $3,217.00
327. Gladys Landegger Tarzana California $3,217.00
328. Christopher Horn Birmingham Michigan $3,217.00
329. Andrew Halseth Sacramento California $3,217.00
330. Danny Smith Tempe Arizona $3,217.00
331. James Vititoe Littleton Colorado $3,217.00
332. William Carlton Chula Vista California $3,217.00
333. James Blake North Carolina $3,217.00
334. Ryan Kogan St George Utah $3,217.00
335. Victoriano Perches Las Vegas Nevada $3,217.00
336. James Farrington Juneau Alaska $3,217.00
337. Robert Winchell $3,217.00
338. Christopher Savage Tacoma Washington $3,217.00
339. Farjallah Yazbek Simi Valley California $3,217.00
340. Jeff Rasmussen Carmel Indiana $3,217.00
341. Alexander Buchanan Glasgow EI $3,217.00
342. Caleb Fox Washington DC $3,217.00
343. Todd Stumpf Riverton Utah $2,949.00
344. Robert Crosby Cresbard South Dakota $2,949.00
345. Michael Snorden Indianapolis Indiana $2,949.00
346. Robert Clark Las Vegas Nevada $2,949.00
347. Jose Ferreira Bakersfield California $2,949.00
348. Peter Dawson Rolla Missouri $2,949.00
349. Michael Binder Allen Texas $2,949.00
350. James Noonan Rncho Cordova California $2,949.00
351. Leslie Rice Las Vegas Nevada $2,949.00
352. Kevin Mulvhill $2,949.00
353. David Singer Las Vegas Nevada $2,949.00
354. Nathan Meyvis Bloomfield Hills Michigan $2,949.00
355. David Novosel Cincinnati Ohio $2,949.00
356. Andrew Droll Los Angeles California $2,949.00
357. Luis Fausto Florianopolis South Carolina $2,949.00
358. Russell Lane Chandler Arizona $2,949.00
359. Michael Holland Russell Kansas $2,949.00
360. John White Houston Texas $2,949.00
361. Antuan Bunkley Riviera Beach Florida $2,949.00
362. Ryan Daut Basking Ridge New Jersey $2,949.00
363. Michael Glaser East Lansing Michigan $2,949.00
364. Rodney Horton Wishita Kansas $2,949.00
365. Eric Green San Diego California $2,949.00
366. Anthony Perry Alexandria Virginia $2,949.00
367. Scott Kraft Dundee Florida $2,949.00
368. Richard Dainton Medina Ohio $2,949.00
369. Nicholas Stille Sioux City Iowa $2,949.00
370. Jeffrey Ward Kingwood Texas $2,949.00
371. Jason Pecht Lethridge Alberta, CA $2,949.00
372. Marc Rangel Phoenix Arizona $2,949.00
373. Cody Slaubaugh Rugby North Dakota $2,949.00
374. Michael Hockensmith Knoxville Tennessee $2,949.00
375. Nicholas Tsoukalas Las Vegas Nevada $2,949.00
376. Michael Blomerth Reading Massachusetts $2,949.00
377. Thomas Duprey Sanford Maine $2,949.00
378. Michael Balzer Soldotna Alaska $2,949.00

Tournament Notes:

This tournament was truly history-making. With 3,929 total entries, it was the largest poker tournament in the 39-year history of the WSOP - amongst all non-Main Events. Only the 2005, 2006, and 2007 Main Events attracted more participants. Hence, this tournament currently ranks as the fourth-largest tournament in poker history.

The previous high-mark turnout for a non-Main Event was 3,151 players for Event #49 in 2007 (also a $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournament). The starting field was so large this year that it was split into two starting days, with separate flights. The first day attracted 2,048 players. The second day attracted 1,881 players. The fields combined on Day Three.

According to the official press release, WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack had this to say about the record turnout: "This is a great start. The sound of chips chirping throughout the Rio is a welcome return for all of us who love poker." Pollack joined with Tournament Director Jack Effel for the customary "Shuffle Up and Deal" announcement made on Day One. The following day, Pollack was joined by defending world poker champion Jerry Yang on the Milwaukee's Best Light stage, who delivered the most famous words in poker to the record crowd, "Shuffle Up and Deal."

The total prize pool amounted to $5,363,085. The top 378 finishers collected prize money. First place paid $831,279.

In what must be considered as a near-heroic feat for WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel and his entire staff, the tournament began and resumed play on time each of the four days - despite the record field size.

Given the record turnout, long days (and nights) were expected. The longest day proved to be Day Three. Play was expected to reduce the field down to the final nine. But after a brutally long 16-hour day extending until the early morning hour, tournament officials consulted with ESPN and the decision was made to give the players some much-needed rest and bring the remaining 18 survivors back on Day Four, which then played down to the nine finalists. The final table began play at 7:30 pm and concluded at 5:00 am. Hence, the tournament was actually played over five days, instead of four.

Clocking in at a total duration of 53.5 hours, this was the fourth-longest tournament in WSOP history.

When play was 18-handed, there was some interesting table chatter between two former WSOP gold bracelet winners, Perry Friedman and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. Friedman was discussing the WSOP Main Event and his chances of winning this year. The normally low-key Ferguson couldn't restrain himself. After hearing Friedman chattering about becoming the 2008 world champion, Ferguson quipped, "If he wins, I'll cut off all my hair and shave my head just like Perry." It should be noted that Perry Friedman sports a Mohawk.

Players from 12 different nations were represented on the cash list. These countries included players from - Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Russia, Scotland, and the United States.

The winner was Grant Hinkle, from Kansas City, MO. He is a 27-year-old marketing manager. Hinkle's birthday is later this week, on June 7th. He is married. Hinkle also enjoys playing basketball and (of course) poker.

Hinkle was cheered on by his mother, several friends, and his brother Blair Hinkle, who is a professional poker player. All made an overnight flight to Las Vegas to watch Grant play at the final table.

Down to two tables in the tournament, Hinkle had a below average stack. He held an average to slightly higher than average stack during the first half of the finale. Then, he seized the chip lead when play was four-handed. He lost the lead briefly during heads-up play. But he never appeared to be in serious danger of elimination.

The winning hand brought an astounding end to a marathon tournament. Holding a 2 to 1 chip lead, Hinkle was dealt 10-4 of diamonds. He tried to push his opponent out of the pot with an all-in pre-flop re-raise. At first glance, it was a case of very bad timing by the chip leader. Akenhead called and showed A-K. The flop brought cheers and screams, depending on one's allegiance. When 10-10-4 flopped, Hinkle's cheering section went bonkers. Another ten on the turn gave Hinkle the biggest pot of the night and his first-ever WSOP gold bracelet.

The runner up was James Akenhead, from England. He is part of a London-based poker team called "The Hitsquad." This group consists of six poker pros, including Akenhead, Praz Bansi, Chaz Chattha, Sunny Chattha, Jim Kerrigan, and Karl Mahrenholz. The group filled the stands and made the final table seem like a sporting event, particularly when things went Akenhead's way. He collected $520,219.

2000 World Series of Poker main event champion Chris "Jesus" Ferguson made it to the final table, which ensured a standing-room only crowd shoehorned around the ESPN stage. Ferguson almost did not make it past the second day. His remarkable discipline allowed him to survive a key hand which would likely have eliminated 90 percent of all poker players. Desperately low on chips, Ferguson posted a 9,000 blind and was left with just 7,500 in his stack. The button raised more than enough to put the former champ "all-in." But Ferguson decided to fold his hand. In this case, patience paid off. Two hours later, Ferguson had more than 200,000 in his stack.

Ferguson ended up as the third place finisher. Ferguson currently owns five WSOP gold bracelets. He is also the only player to have won three WSOP Circuit championships. His 51st career in-the-money finish in this tournament now ranks fifth on the all-time list. This was Ferguson's 27th final table appearance, which ranks fourth all-time - now one spot ahead of Johnny Chan.

A sentimental crowd favorite was Mike Ngo, which finished in fifth place. Now residing in Los Angeles, Ngo lived in New Orleans prior to Hurricane Katrina. He worked in a hospital which was devastated by the storm. After moving to California, he started playing poker and ended up making this final table.

The final table Cinderella was 28-year-old Melvin Jones, from Hopkinsville, KY. This was Jones' first time to play in a WSOP tournament. The factory worker who makes cake mixes for a living, said: "This is not a fluke. I did not think that I could play against competition this good, but I had confidence in my play." Jones took seventh place.

David "Gunslinger" Bach finished in eighth place. He was runner up in the $1,500 buy-in Omaha High-Low event last year. Before turning to poker as a career, Bach was a professional bowler.

Several former WSOP gold bracelet winners finished in-the-money. They included Andre Boyer (24th), Mark Vos (146th), Gavin Griffin (251st), Chris Bjorin, Todd Brunson (292nd), and Victor Perches (335th).

Last year's champion, Ciaran O'Leary entered this event, but he did not cash.

The tournament included at least two professional athletes, Jeremy Roenick of the San Jose Sharks (NHL) and Earl Barron of the Miami Heat (NBA).

This was the second of six tournaments at this year's WSOP to be filmed for broadcast on ESPN. The show will air July 29th.

Through the first two events of the 2008 WSOP, the total prize money awarded to all in-the-money finishers amounts to a whopping $8,671,885. Incredibly, that is more prize money in just the first two events than every tournament played during the first decade of the WSOP (1970-1979) combined!
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For official news and the latest updates from the 2008 World Series of Poker presented by Milwaukee's Best Light, please visit: www.worldseriesofpoker.com
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World Series of Poker Commissioner - Jeffrey Pollack
Director of Sponsorship and Licensing -- Ty Stewart
Director of Broadcasting and New Media - Craig Abrahams
Director of Communications - Seth Palansky
Regional Vice President of Specialty Gaming -- Howard Greenbaum
Tournament Director - Jack Effel