WSOP: Ryan Hughes Wins Event No. 47

The 2008 World Series of Poker has already been dubbed "the year of the pro", but it is also a year of repeats and broken records. A most impressive record has been set here tonight as Ryan Hughes becomes the first player to hold two WSOP bracelets in stud eight-or-better events. A man who by his own admission, never plays the game, Hughes has now won half of all the WSOP stud eight-or-better events played in the last two years. "I never play this game, this is only the second time I've played it since I won the event last year", said Hughes in a Card Player interview.

What is even more impressive is that this record was a lock to be broken just as soon as play got down to two-handed. Heads-up play consisted of two former stud eight-or-better bracelet winners, both vying for their second title. Hughes won one of two stud eight-or-better events last year, while runner-up Ron Long won his stud eight-or-better bracelet back in 1999.

As it happens to be the case with many of the hi-lo split pot games, play hits a wall when a small number of players control most of the chips early on, rendering the antes useless, and a constant stalemate of split pots runs deep into the night without any real progress. That was the case on Day 2 of this event, where instead of playing down to the eight-handed final table as scheduled, the tournament staff decided to call it a night at 3:30 am with thirteen players still left.

The final day of event no. 47 consisted of two final tables, and it would take just one level of play to lose six of the short stacks and set the final, final table. Starting the day with just 73,000 in chips, it wouldn’t take long before Hughes went on a huge rush, clashing with chip leader Jonas Klausen (346,000) and emerging victorious. After a series of give and take between the two deep stacks, Ryan Hughes took control of the chip lead going into the final table.

Here were the chip counts heading into the final table:

Seat 1: Tim D’Alessandro - 140,000
Seat 2: Jonas Klausen - 338,000
Seat 3: David Sklasnsky - 66,000
Seat 4: Josh Feldman - 200,000
Seat 5: Ryan Hughes - 400,000
Seat 6: Ron Long - 224,000
Seat 7: Alessio Isaia - 220,000
Seat 8: Thomas Hunt - 31,000

Here are highlights from all of the action, as featured in CardPlayer.com’s live coverage of the final table:

David Sklansky Eliminated in 8th Place ($19,306)

Down to his last 8,000 in chips, Davis Sklansky called all in with the 8 when Tim D’Alessandro completed the bet with the 4. Ryan Hughes raised the side pot with the 7 and D’Alessandro called.

D’Alessandro: 42AA
Hughes: 7Q105
Sklansky: 8Q67

D’Alessandro and Hughes both checked on fourth and fifth street, D’Alessandro bet on sixth street and Hughes called. Both players checked the river and Alessandro turned over a third ace for trip aces (high) while Hughes showed a 7-5-4-3-2 low. D’Alessandro and Hughes split both the side and main pots as David Sklansky was eliminated in 8th place ($19,306).


Josh Feldman Eliminated in 7th Place ($23,019)
Jonas Klausen Regains Chip Lead

Josh Feldman (J) and Jonus Klasuen (A) got four bets in on third street. Klausen bet out first on fourth street (4) and Feldman raised (9). Klausen reraised (enough to put Feldman all in) and Feldman called all in.

Klausen: A428 - AKK
Feldman: J94Q - AJ9

Feldman started the hand with split jacks, making two pair (jacks and nines) on fourth street, which is where the money got in. Klausen started the hand with split aces and didn’t make two pair (aces and kings) until the river, either way Josh Feldman was eliminated in 7th place ($23,019) while Jonas Klausen regained the chip lead once again with just under 500,000.


Big Stacks Battle, Hughes Takes Lead Back From Klausen

In a big pot between the two biggest stacks at the table, Jonas Klausen came up short and Ryan Hughes once again stole the chip lead from Klausen. By the time the hand was over, Ryan Hughes was leading the pack with just under 550,000 while Jonas Klausen fell back down to just under 375,000.


Tim D'Alessandro Eliminated in 6th place ($30,444)

Thomas Hunt completed with the A and Tim D’Alessandro raised with 10. Hunt reraised and D’Alessandro made it four bets. Hunt called the raise and then bet out on fourth street with the K. D’Alessandro raised with the 7 and Hunt called. Hunt made one last bet on fifth street and D’Alessandro called all in.

Hunt: AK9A - AK9
D’Alessandro: 10733 - J1010

It was full house over full house with Tim D’Alessandro all in on fifth street and all out by seventh street. Tim D’Alessandro made tens full of threes while Thomas Hunt finished the hand with aces full of kings. Tim D’Alessandro was subsequently eliminate in 6th place ($30,444).


Ryan Hughes Chips Up to 900k

In one of the first hands of Level 21, Ryan Hughes took a six-figure pot off of Jonas Klausen and continued to bully the rest of table throughout the round. Soon after putting another 100k distance between himself and Klausen, Hughes went after him again, this time with dire consequences for Klausen and the rest of the table.

Ryan Hughes brought it in with 2 and Jonas Klausen completed the bet with the A. Hughes raised and Klausen called. Klausen picked 3 on fourth street and bet out, Hughes called with the 4.


Klausen: 2476 - fold
Hughes: A398

Hughes bet out this time on fifth street and Klausen called. On sixth street Hughes bet out again, but this Klausen folded. Hughes took another big pot off of Klausen, this time putting his chip count over 900,000. A monster chip lead over the rest of the table.


Jonas Klasuen Eliminated in 5th Place ($39,355)

Jonas Klausen brought it in with the 3 and Ron Long called with the A. Long bet out with the J on fourth street and Klausen called with the K. Long bet out on fifth street as well with the 6 and Klausen raised with the Q. Long reraised and Klausen called all in.

Long: AJ68 - J62
Klausen: 3KQ8 - 842

All in on fifth street, Klausen turned over a pair of eights (high) and no low on seventh street. Long showed jacks up and scooped the pot. The one, two, and even three-time chip leader Jonas Klausen was finally eliminated in 5th place ($39,355).


Alessio Isaia Eliminated in 4th Place ($50,122)

Hughes brought it in with the 2 and Isaia completed with the 10. Hughes raised and Isaia called. Hughes checked the K on fourth street and Isaia bet the 6. Hughes paired his king on fifth street (K) while Isaia paired as well (6). Hughes took the betting lead back on fifth street and continued on sixth street as well.

Hughes: 2KK3 - K54
Isaia: 10669 - AA2

Hughes threw in a final bet on seventh street and Isaia called for the rest of his chips. Hughes turned over three kings and scooped the pot, Isaia showed aces up (aces and sixes). Alessio Isaia was eliminated in 4th place ($50,122).


Thomas Hunt Eliminated in 3rd Place ($68,686)

Against the chip leader Ryan Hughes, a short stacked Thomas Hunt got it all in with the 2 in the door. Hughes called the slight raise with the 3.

Hunt: 22104 - Q53
Hughes: 3Q2J - 843

All in on third street, the best hand Hunt could make by the river was pair of deuces (high) and a busted low draw. Hughes made a pair of threes to scoop the pot and eliminated Thomas Hunt in 3rd place ($68,686).


And Then There Were Two...
Thomas Hunt (3rd) was eliminated just moments into Level 23 and Ryan Hughes led Ron Long into heads-up play.

Ryan Hughes: 1,317,000
Ron Long: 315,000


Ryan Hughes Wins Event No. 47 ($183,368)
First Player To Win Two Stud 8/b Bracelets

With a 5:1 chip lead over Ron Long, Ryan Hughes brought it in with 3 and Ron Long called with the K. Long hit the 7 on fourth street and bet out, Hughes raised with the K. Long reraised, Hughes made it three bets, Long capped it and Hughes called. Long moved all in with the 6 on fifth street and Hughes called with the 4.

Long: K763 - KQJ
Hughes: 3K43 - 877

All in and with his tournamnet life at stake, Ron Long made a single pair of kings while Ryan Hughes made a full house (sevens full of threes) on the river. Ryan Hughes picks up his second Stud 8/b bracelet and the $183,368 grand prize , while Ron Long settles for 2nd place and $113,240.