WSOPE Event #2, £2,500 H.O.R.S.E., 22-24th September 2008

Entrants: 110
Buyin: £2,500
Prizepool: £275,000

1. Sherkhan Farnood, Afghanistan, £76,999
2. Ivo Donev, Austria, £48,125
3. Howard Lederer, £30,250
4.Jeff Duvall, UK, £22,000
5. Mark Gregorich, USA, £17,188
6. Phil Ivey, USA, £13,750
7. Jeff Lisandro, Italy, £11,000
8. Spencer Lawrence, UK, £8,938

Try as they might, the big guns of Phil Ivey and Howard Lederer didn’t make it to the finish line in the World Series of Poker Europe’s second event, the £2,500 H.O.R.S.E. Instead, it was relative unknown Sherkhan Farnood who spoiled the big boys’ party and took home nearly £77,000 and a WSOP bracelet. He becomes only the second player from Afghanistan to ever capture one of the prestigious bracelets.

In a long and trying final table that lasted over fourteen hours, the chipstacks swung wildly from player to player. Phil Ivey, however, struggled to gain any momentum all day and eventually got his chips in the middle in a Stud hand, losing out to Mark Gregorich’s two pair. Ivey will only have one more shot, in the WSOPE Main Event, to add another bracelet to his collection in 2008.

For a long time, it looked like this title was Howard Lederer’s for the taking. Sitting on a big stack all day long while avoiding any confrontations in big pots, his surprising demise in 3rd place left the crowd short of a recognizable name at the table.

That didn’t deter Ivo Donev and Farnood though. Coming in to the heads-up at a huge disadvantage, it was a crucial Razz hand that brought Farnood back into it and, ultimately, led to his deserved victory. The businessman and amateur player will take the money but, just as important, the coveted WSOP bracelet back to his home of Afghanistan.