WSOP Event #47

World Series of Poker Event #47, Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split, 26-28 June 2008

Entrants: 544
Buy in: $1,500
Prize pool: $742,560

Final results:

1. Ryan Hughes, $183,368

2. Ron Long, $113,240

3. Thomas Hunt III, $68,686

4. Alessio Isaia, $50,122

5. Jonas Klausen, $39,355

6. Tim D’Alessandro, $30,444

7. Joshua Feldman, $23,019

8. David Sklansky, $19,306

The $1,500 buy-in Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split championship (Event #47) attracted 544 entries, creating a prize pool totaling $742,560. The top 56 finishers collected prize money.

This was the second of two Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split events in the 2008 WSOP schedule. The first event was the $5,000 buy-in World Championship, won by Sebastian Ruthenburg.

No player had ever won more than one gold bracelet in this game – prior to this year.

Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split is a game in which the highest and lowest hands split the pot equally. However, the lowest hand must first qualify to be eligible for half the pot. The qualifying low hand must be an “eight-low” or better. For this reason, the game is sometimes called Seven-Card Stud Eight-or-Better.

The 2008 $1,500 buy-in Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split champion is Ryan Hughes. He is a 27-year-old poker pro from Phoenix, AZ.

Hughes was born in San Francisco, CA. He has been playing poker as a pro for about five years.

Hughes won his second WSOP gold bracelet. He won the $2,000 buy-in Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split championship in 2007.

Hughes becomes the first player in history to ever win two WSOP gold bracelets in this game. This list of one-time Eight-or-Better champions includes – Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, Mickey Appleman, Phil Ivey, John Juanda, Max Stern, Men “the Master” Nguyen, Mike Sexton, Artie Cobb, Vince Burgio, Cyndy Violette, and 32 others. Yet no player had ever won twice in this game.

Oddly enough, in a post-tournament interview Hughes revealed that he does not play much Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split. “This is only the second time I have played since I won last year,” he said.

Hughes stated that his favorite poker game is Omaha High-Low Split.

Hughes almost did not enter this event. He was on his way to home return to Phoenix when he was talked into playing this tournament by a friend. He reluctantly stayed in Las Vegas a few more days, and ended up winning his second WSOP victory.

Hughes stated that he appreciated this victory far more than the first. He cited the more exclusive club of two-time winners, which he is proud to be included amongst. Sixty-one players have won exactly two WSOP gold bracelets. Hughes becomes the 111th player in WSOP history to win multiple gold bracelets (ranging from two to 11 in number).

Hughes won $183,341 for first place.

As play was winding down at the final table, there was a strange delivery which arrived in a white paper sack. Hughes’ mother, who lives in Florida, ordered the delivery of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to her son at tableside. Hughes’ mother included a greeting card wishing him well and noted that she wanted to send him something that he always enjoyed as a youngster. The sandwich was even sliced diagonally, just the way Hughes liked it.

Poker theorist and author David Sklansky made it to the final table and finished eighth. Sklansky, who owns three WSOP gold bracelets (actually two gold watches and a gold bracelet, as watches were given out as the prize in 1982 for his two wins), earned his last WSOP victory back in 1983.

Had Sklansky won this tournament he would have eclipsed the record set by the late Chip Reese as the player with the longest gap between WSOP victories – Sklansky now at 25 years versus Reese’s 24-year gap.

Men “the Master” Nguyen cashed for the 60th time in his WSOP career. He ranks second behind Phil Hellmuth on the all-time cashes list.

Chris Bjorin cashed for the 42nd time in his WSOP career. He now ranks 13th on the all-time cashes list.

Phil Hellmuth cashed for the 66th time in his WSOP career, the most of any player in history. He maintains a six-time lead on Men “the Master’ Nguyen.

All WSOP images are supplied by “IMPDI for the 2008 WSOP”