World Series of Poker Daily Summary for June 8th, 2008
A jam-packed second Sunday of play at the 2008 WSOP saw a pair of bracelets awarded while one of the series' long-running traditions began amid much early-day pomp and circumstance. The music blared early and the celebs were out in force for the start of Event #16, the $1,000 Ladies World Championship, which began with 1,190 players and narrowed all the way to 61 by night's end, with several big names still alive.
The battles for bracelets came hours later, with final tables in both Event #11, $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout, and Event #12, $1,500 Limit Hold'em. These events both produced first-time bracelet winners. Phil Tom continued his strong showing early in this year's series with by far his largest title to date, capturing the final of the $5,000 shootout by finishing off Greg "FBT" Mueller for the win. Tom's victory was worth $477,900 while Mueller took home $298,638.
Sunday's other bracelet went to Jimmy Shultz in Event #12, $1,500 Limit Hold'em. Shultz captured the limit bracelet by outlasting Zac Fellows after the biggest name to run deep in the final, Vinny Vinh, exited in third. Shultz's bracelet win also came with a $257,105 check attached, a quarter of which he immediately pledged to his home city fire-department charity. Runner-up Fellows collected $165,165.
In addition to the Ladies Event, Event #16, $2,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, also began action on Sunday. This one still has 169 players remaining from an original field of 533, with the top of the board tightly jammed. Check in today as increasing blinds force players to move or bust.
Two more events settled on their final tables on Sunday, with action resuming today. Duncan Bell amassed a big late in Event #13, #13, $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em, over a field of lesser-known players. Today's other final, in Event #14, $10,000 World Championship Seven Card Stud, saw David Oppenheim take a narrow lead into the last lap of a bracelet chase that narrowly eluded him last year. Among the other players in this power-laden final are Erik Seidel and Minh Ly.
At noon on Monday, play began in Event #17, $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout. Two of this event's three rounds will take place today with a championship round on Tuesday; early reports show the opening-round tables stuffed with the game's biggest stars. A much smaller field of deuce-to-seven lowball specialists will take to the felt for the kickoff of Event #18, $5,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball w/ Rebuys.
