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Juanda emerges from WSOPE marathon

October 17, 2008

John JuandaAfter a final table that lasted a record 22 hours, Full Tilt poker pro John Juanda emerged as the winner of only the second ever European World Series of Poker.

The event took place at The Casino at The Empire, Leicester Square in London and lasted a monster 484 hands before the American finally took home the $1.5million first prize and the conveted WSOP bracelet.

“This is definitely the longest final table I’ve ever played in,” Juanda commented afterwards. “In fact its probably the longest that anyone has ever played. It’s a good thing that I have been playing for many years and have a strong heart.”

Much of the play at the final table was dominated by the Russian pair of Stanislav Alekhin and Ivan Demidov. Demidov will sit down at the final table of the WSOP in Vegas next month with the second biggest chipstack, and his presence at the WSOPE was a first in WSOP history, and an impressive feat by one of the most promising players out there.

However, it was not to be for the Russian who finally succumbed to third position when his Q-10 of diamonds was beaten soundly by Juanda’s pocket rockets. He left the table with £334,850 in prize money meaning that the heads up battle would be between Juanda and Stanislav Alekhin. And what a battle it was. The heads-up alone lasted over seven hours and 240 hands before the Russian was forced to settle for second place and a cheque for £533,950.

Juanda was quite clearly delighted after picking up his first bracelet for five years - something that he later admitted had been playing on his mind.

“It was so long ago when I won my last bracelet, I can’t remember. It’s embarrassing. 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 would ever win again.”

Juanda has now won 3 WSOP bracelets, and his latest victory takes his career earnings past the $8 million mark.

Written by ShortStack · Filed Under Poker News 

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