Online Pro Phil Galfond Wins 2008 WSOP Event 28
June 17th, 2008
With a final table loaded with high profile poker aficionados including the likes of Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan and Daniel Negreanu, it was online star Phil ‘OMGClayAiken’ Galfond who eventually came out on top to win the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha w/Rebuys Event #28. His reward is a cheque for $817,781 along with the coveted golden WSOP bracelet.
The start of the final table saw Phil Galfond with the chip lead, ahead of fellow online pro Brian Rast and a host of well-known poker pro’s with a combined 28 WSOP bracelets between them:
Seat 1 - John Juanda - 694,800
Seat 2 - Phil Hellmuth - 119,000
Seat 3 - David Benyamine - 1,041,000
Seat 4 - Kirill Gerasimov - 558,000
Seat 5 - Phil Galfond - 1,393,000
Seat 6 - Daniel Negreanu - 460,000
Seat 7 - Brain Rast - 1,176,000
Seat 8 - Adam Hourani - 300,000
Seat 9 - Johnny Chan - 624,000
Brain Rast was first to leave the table, calling Johnny Chan’s all-in but losing out to an ace on the river. Phil Hellmuth was next to be eliminated, David Benyamine’s pocket aces proving too strong. Hellmuth will have to wait for his 12th WSOP bracelet and settle instead for his record 40th WSOP final table appearance.
2008 WSOP Event #20 winner Daniel Negreanu’s run in the event came to an end at the hands of Phil Galfond, quickly followed by three-time bracelet winner John Juanda. Kirill Gerasimov was then knocked out by Galfond’s ace high which left only four players standing. Johnny Chan couldn’t keep up with Benyamine’s two pair and was out in 4th place, missing out on the chance to equal Hellmuth’s record of 11 WSOP bracelets.
David Benyamine was then out in 3rd place to leave heads-up between Adam Hourani and Phil Galfond. Galfond held a comfortable chip lead and in the end it was he who would take the victory, his two pair enough to cover Hourani’s pair. Phil Galfond takes home $817,781 as well as his first WSOP bracelet.
Final Standings:
Philip Galfond - $817,781
Adam Hourani - $493,748
David Benyamine- $316,307
Johnny Chan - $246,874
Kirill Gerasimov - $192,870
John Juanda - $154,296
Daniel Negreanu - $123,437
Phil Hellmuth - $100,292
Brain Rast - $84,863
