Poker Pro John Juanda Wins 2008 WSOP Europe

After hours upon hours of punishing poker play, the winner of the 2008 World Series of Poker Europe has finally been revealed. Long-time professional poker player John Juanda has earned his fourth WSOP Bracelet by routing the competition at the WSOPE Main Event.

The WSOP Europe Main Event began Saturday, September 27th, and it wasn’t until yesterday, October 2nd, that the action finally came to an end. The final table alone took an exhausting 22 hours to complete. Eventually, Ivan Demidov was sent to the rails in 3rd place (£334,850) to bring about heads-up play between John Juanda and the little-known Russian, Stanislav Alekhin.

It was pretty much all John Juanda from there out. On hand #479, John Juanda doubled up through Stanislav to take a sizeable lead, and by Hand #484, it was all over. Alekhin, with Ac-9s, moved all-in from the button. Juanda called, flipping Ks-6c. In one of the most lop-sided boards in WSOP final-hand history, the Flop came down 6d-6s-2d, giving Juanda the near insurmountable lead. It would take running Aces or 9s for Alekhin, and a Qc on the turn left him drawing dead. Juanda had already sealed the victory, but another 6h on the River only twisted the knife further. With Quad 6’s, Juanda took the pot, the WSOPE Main Event, £868,800 and the second WSOPE Main Event Bracelet ever awarded.

Stanislav Alekhin proved a very worthy opponent throughout and certainly merits the observing eyes of poker players and enthusiasts around the world for years to come. Even John Juanda, in his post-game interview, confessed that Alekhin was terribly hard to read, and that he has earned Juanda’s respect as an incredibly skilled poker player. Alekhin walked away from the table with an impressive 2nd place cash of £533,950.

This is the fourth WSOP Bracelet win for the Indonesian-born John Juanda, who now resides in Los Angeles, California, but the first to come in a Main Event. Juanda earned his first WSOP Bracelet in a Triple Ball Lowball A-5 event at the 2002 WSOP. His second and third bracelets came at the 2003 WSOP, competing in 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Split and Pt Limit Omaha events.

“It’s so long ago when I won my last bracelet, I can’t remember. It’s embarrassing.” John Juanda quippied, “Some people have to keep up with the Joneses. I have to keep up with the Iveys and Cunninghams and Negreanus. I wondered if I will ever win again. Today there are so many young excellent tournament players from all over the world. Like the two young Russians and the Scandis. Much more than it used to be. Daniel Negreanu said that we have to step up our game.”

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