Eric Brooks Wins WSOP event 14, World Championship Seven Card Stud

The 2008 World Championship Seven Card Stud event crowned a new champion, who won $418,856 but left with only the bracelet on his wrist.

Final table seats and chip counts are as follows:

Seat 1: David Oppenheim — 508,000Seat 2: Alex Kostritsyn — 495,000Seat 3: Jim Paluzsek — 413,000Seat 4: Erik Seidel — 273,000Seat 5: Vassilios Lazarou — 259,000Seat 6: Minh Ly — 424,000Seat 7: Fu Wong — 429,000Seat 8: Eric Brooks — 359,000

Just an hour into final table play Vassilios Lazarou was eliminated after going all in on third street with (Ks3c)7h. David Oppenheim made bets on 4th and 5th street to force Alex Kostritsyn out of the hand. When the hand was all said and done the board read as follows:

Oppenheim: (2d2s)2hAc4d9d(6h)
Lazarou: (Ks3c)7h8d5hQd(Ts)

Lazarou was eliminated in 8th place, for a $48,269 payday.

David Oppenheim started the final table as the chip leader, but two hours in, he found himself on the ropes. After being dealt a queen on 5th street, Oppenheim moved all in. Kostritsyn, showing a pair of fives, called. While Kostritsyn missed his flush draw, he did hit his set and ended Oppenheim’s tournament. Oppenheim and Kostritsyn’s cards:

Oppenheim: (5d2d)9d8sQhQs(mucked)
Kostritsyn: (6s4s)5s9s5c2h(5h)

Oppenheim won $59,408 for his 7th place finish.

On the previous hand, Jim Paluzsek was crippled by Fu Wong’s flush. With only a few thousand chips remaining, he went all in and was called by Kostritsyn. While Kostritsyn was able to get two pair, Paluzsek left the tournament on ace high. The board read the following after 7th street:

Paluzsek: (Qs7c)Ac8s5s3h(4c)
Kostritsyn: (Ts8h)8cTcJsKh(Ah)

Paluzsek finished in 6th place and won $74,260.

Erick Sidel was able to double up his small chip stack to 400,000, but it was not enough to keep him in the tournament. Shortly after doubling up he was all in on 6th street against Minh Ly, only to find out he had been behind the whole hand.

Seidel: (5d5s)KhQd4cAh(7s)
Ly: (As5c)AcTdJs7h(Qc)

Sidel was eliminated in 5th place, pocketing $92,825.

Within an hour of eliminating Sidel, Minh Ly found himself all in against Kostritsyn on 3rd street. The hand would go to Kostritsyn, who lead the hand with nines, but was able to improve to a straight when the hand was over. After 7th street, their cards were:

Ly: (8c8s)Th3cJsQs(7h)
Kostritsyn: (9d9s)Ts3d6d7d(8h)

Eliminated in 4th place, Ly won $118,816.

Alexander Kostritsyn was relying on the strength of his two pair when he raised all in on 5th street against Eric Brooks. After flipping over his cards, it was Brooks who had the stronger two pair. Kostritsyn was able to improve to a better two pair, but it was not enough to best Brooks. In the end the board read:

Kostritsyn: (Kd4d)4cKs3hTh(Tc)
Brooks: (As8s)7sAh7dTs(Kc)

Finishing in 3rd place was Kostritsyn, who pocketed $163,372.

The heads up play of Eric Brooks and Fu Wong was not a long battle. Wong was crippled early and was forced to move all in for his final 150,000 chips on 4th street with:

(Tc4c)Ac4h2h4d(9c)

Brooks had the superior hand of:

(Ah5s)5d3dAd7d(Qd)

Wong was eliminated in second, earning $259,910. Brooks, won his first gold bracelet and a paycheck of $415,856. However, he will not take that money home with him, as he is donating all of his winnings to charity.