2008 WSOP on ESPN TV Tuesday 8 PM EST
WSOP Episode #2 premiers Tuesday evening on ESPN at 8 PM EST. Times vary depending on your location so be sure to check local listings for the exact schedule in your area. A record field for this first $1,500 buy-in No-Limirt Hold'em event finally topped out with 3,929 players to make it the largest non main event live poker tournament ever. It also set a record for the largest prize pool for a $1,500 buy-in event without rebuys at $5,363,085. Tuesday night's final table nine will take home $2,906,436 from the record setting purse.
Tuesday's final table is not just another table full of poker hopefuls wishing for a miracle. Included on the list of nine is the 2000 WSOP Main Event World Champion Chris "Jesus" Ferguson looking from under the black hat to win his sixth WSOP gold bracelet. Under the other black hat at the final table is well known poker pro David Bach seeking his first WSOP gold. Poker millionaire Theo Tran will be there trying to strike the mother lode and carry away his first WSOP golden bracelet.
This final table will go to the heads-up play for all the marbles after Jesus is eliminated in the third spot leaving a couple of relatively unknown players, Grant Hinkle and James Akenhead. For more than two hours the two tip toed around each other with neither willing to do much gambling. The first bet at the pot often takes it down with few hands going past the turn card.
The four day event finally comes down to the final hand and a most fitting finish to the biggest non main event poker tournament. With Akenhead all-in and covered by Grant Hinkle's call the showdown reveals Hinkle's hole cards of 10-4 of diamonds to Akenhead's favored Big Slick. The flop comes 10,4,10 giving Hinkle a full house and Akenhead a migraine headache. His only out is a miracle of runner-runner Aces or Kings. All his hopes are dashed when the fourth 10 comes on the turn to give Hinkle quads for the win and Akenhead second place.
Grant Hinkle takes home $831,462 and the bracelet. James Akenhead received $520,219 for his bad beat second place finish. Chris Ferguson drives away in his red Ferrari with $388,287 and Theo Tran takes $327,148 for his fourth place. David Bach collected $117,987 after going out in eight place.
