With three players remaining, Howard Lederer was in the lead with 563,000 chips. Sherkhan Farnood was second with 295,000 chips and Ivo Donev was last with 255,000. Ivo Donev took a couple of beats and was getting short stacked, but then went on a little rush of cards, mostly against Howard Lederer. All of a sudden, the three stacks were fairly even. Lederer was on 410,000, Farnood had 355,000, and Donev with 335,000. At this point it was anyone’s game.

No sooner than you could say switcheroo, things started turning south for Lederer. Lederer ran a large bluff against Ivo Donev in a Stud round and Donev called him down all the way with just a lowly pair of queens. After the hand, Lederer was down to 186,000 chips and Dovev was the new chip leader with 516,000 in chips. As I mentioned before, at this level, things can change quick.

Lederer was able to make a bit of a comeback and moved his stack back up to over 360,000, but then he lost back to back hands. First, in a Razz round, Lederer and Sherkhan Farnood tangled in a hand that saw bets on every street to seventh. On seventh, Farnood caught a 9-low to outdraw the 10-low of Lederer.

Next, in a stud round, Lederer and Donev were in a hand that saw Donev raise a bet from Lederer on Sixth Street. On seventh, Donev bet out and Lederer made the call. Donev showed (6h-5d-3c) 6d-4c-7d-Jh for a straight and Lederer just mucked his hand. After the two hands, Lederer was the short stack with 135,000.

Sherkhan Farnood ended up crippling Ledered a hand later during stud. It appeared that Lederer was either running a bluff, or he was on a draw that missed. Farnood won the hand with just a measly pair of eights. After the hand, Lederer was down to only 22,000.

Lederer was able to win steal the antes the next hand during a Stud 8 round, but the following hand, his completion to 12,000 with an 8d showing saw Farnood raise to 24,000. Donov was also involved in the hand and called along. Lederer moved all in with his last 9,000 and both opponents called. Both opponents created a side pot that saw Farnood bet out on both Fourth Street and Sixth Street. In the end, Farnood showing aces and kings for the high, and Donev showed an eight low for low. Lederer mucked his hand and finished as our 3rd place finisher. £30,250 was Lederer’s prize for his strong finish, but I am sure that Lederer probably feels sick right now. After having such a commanding lead, to finish 3rd is tough.

Heads up play between Ivo Donev and Sherkhan Farnood saw them relatively close in chips. Donev held 654,000 and Farnood held 448,000.

Ivo quickly picked up two pots from Farnood to put him in a commanding lead. First in a Stud 8 round, Donev raised a bet from Farnood on Fifth Street. Farnood caght and open pair of deuces but Donev was the aggressor. Farnood called. Sixth Street brought a Js to Farnood and a 7h to Donev. Farnood checked and Donev bet. Farnood must have put Donev on a huge hand, as he mucked.

Next, during a Holdem round, Donev raised and Farnood called. The flop was Qd-9d-8d. Farnood check raised a bet from Donev, and Donev made the call. The Ad fell on the turn and the action was checked around. The river fell the Kc and Farnood bet out. Donev then raised and Farnood made a crying call on the river. Donev showed Jd-3d for the second nut flush, and Farnood mucked his hand. At this point, Donev had almost a 3 to 1 chip lead with 849,000 chips to Farnood’s 253,000.

At this point, limits were 15,000 and 30,000. It only took one hand to put Farnood back in contention. During a Razz round, a big pot of 230,000 happened. Farnood looked far behind being boardlocked to a Jack-low. Donev had a potential seven-low draw. Surprisingly, the best that Donev could pull off was a J-7 low. Farnood caught perfect on the river and won the pot with a J-6 low. It appeared that Farnood started with A-3-5, chased, and got lucky. I wonder what Phil Hellmuth would say about his play?

Over the course of the next half hour, Farnood won a series of pots that turned the tide into his favor. In fact, Farnood was able to take a 798,000 to 304,000 chip lead. Donev was then dealt a crippling blow during an Omaha 8 round. Most of his chips went into the pot with a board of 2s-8s-4d-7c-6. Donev showed 10c-7s-5c-6d for an eight high straight and a 2-4-5-6-7 low. Farnood showed A-2-10d-9c for the nut straight and a A-2-4-6-7 low. This scooped pot left Donov with only 30,000 chips.

Less than 10 minutes later, the last of Donov’s chips went in on Third Street in a Stud round. Farnood started with split eights and Donev had three clubs and two over cards. Fourth and Fifth Street’s were blanks for both players. Donev picked up a flush draw on sixth when the 7c fell. Farnood picked up a Qh on Seventh Street to make two pair. Donov would need a club to win. Donov’s final card was the 4h, and Sherkhan Farnood wins the £2,500 H.OR.S.E. Event. Ivo Donov received £48,125 for his runner up finish.

110 players started this £2,500 H.O.R.S.E. event. The “worst player of all-time” as proclaimed by Phil Hellmuth, outlasted 109 other opponents to take down the gold bracelet and the £76,999 top prize.

Congratulations to Sherkhan Farnood, £2,500 H.O.R.S.E. Event Champion.

On the very first hand we had a player eliminated. In an Omaha 8 round, Raul Paez raised to 8,000 and Howard Lederer made the call from the big blind. The flop fell 7c-6h-2d and Lederer bet out for 4,000. Paez called. The turn fell the 4c and Lederer put Paez in for his last 5,500. Paez held 10h-Ah-10c-8c for a flush draw, gutshot straight draw, and a bad low. Lederer showed 5h-5s-6s-7h for two pair, a straight draw, and a seven low. The river fell the Jd and Lederer scooped the pot and eliminated Paez in 11th place. Paez received £6,188 for his finish.

Yuval Bronshtein was the next player to fall. During a Stud 8 round Yuval Bronshtein was all in on Fifth Street and Phil Ivey made the call. Bronshstein was on an 8 gutshot straight draw on 6th holding 5s-9h-Ad-8d (Jh-Qd). Ivey was holding a pair of kings. The final card for Bronstein was a 4c, and Bronshstein was eliminated in 10th place. £6,875 was his prize for falling to the great Phil Ivey.

Erik Albinsson was forced to take a stand shortly after, going all in on Fourth Street in a Stud 8 round holding (3d-6d) 5c-Qd). Jeffrey Lisandro made the call with (Ah-4s) 10c-10d. Albinsson caught a 5h on Fifth Street to give him a pair, but Lisandro caught a 4c to put him far in the lead. Albinsson would need running diamonds, a queen, a five, or running kings or aces to win the hand. He lost one of his outs on 6th when Lidsandro caught a 5s. Albinsson caught a 9h. A 6h on Seventh Street missed Albinsson, and he becomes the 9th place finisher, earning £6,875.

The final table was now set with Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Spencer Lawrence, Sherkhan Farnood, Jeffrey Lisandro, Ivo Donev, Mark Gregorich, and Jeff Duval.

It took nearly three hours for the next elimination. Spencer Lawrence was all in on Third Street and three players stayed in the pot. Jeff Duval made an open pair of tens on fourth and Ivey ducked out. Duval bet out on fifth into Howard Lederer, who was showing three spades, and Lederer made the call. Sixth Street showed duval with three cards to a straight on board and Lederer with three wheel cards. Both players checked. The same action occurred on seventh. Lederer could only muster a pair of aces. Duval showed buried kings for kings up. Lawrence only held nines and threes, and Spencer Lawrence was eliminated in 8th place for £8,938. This was Lawrence’s third final WSOP final table this year, all coming in mixed events. It will be interesting to see how he follows up this performance at the WSOP in Las Vegas next year.

One of the strongest performers at the World Series of Poker the last two years has been Jeffrey Lisandro. Including today, he has 10 WSOP cashes in the last two years, 4 final tables, and a bracelet in the 2007 $2,000 Seven Card Stud Event. During a holdem round, with the board showing 6h-4c-Kh-8h, Lisandro raised all-in to 15,000. Howard Lederer made the call. Lisandro showed Jh-Jd for a pair of jacks and a flush draw. Lederer showed 7h-5s for a straight and a weaker flush draw. Unfortunately for Lisandro, the river fell the Ac, and he became out 7th place finisher, taking home £11,000.

Phil Ivey had a roller coaster final table. He was up and down throughout. For an half an hour after the Lisandro elimination, Ivey went on a losing streak and was left with only 14,500. During a stud round, Ivey became involved in a hand with Mark Gregorich. Gregorich bet out into Ivey on every street and even bet dark on Seventh Street. Ivey begrudgingly made the call on seventh with the last of his chips. Gregorich revealed buried queens to go with a pair of sixes showing on his board for queens-up. Ivey mucked his hand and headed for the rail. Phil Ivey was our 6th place finisher, taking home £13,750.

Although Gregorich eliminated Ivey, he still was only sitting on around 32,000 chips. With the limits 6,000-12,000, Gregorich has to make a stand. In a holdem round, the pot was three bet between Sherkhan Farnood and Gregorich. The flop fell Kc-9c-8c. Gregorich bet and Farnood threw out a raise. Gregorich made the call. The turn fell the 4d and Gregorich checked to Farnood, who bet. Gregorich only had 13,000 left and he elected to put the chips in. Farnood called. Farnood showed 5c-5s for a pair and a flush draw and Gregorich showed Ad-Jh for air. A 9s on the river sealed Gregorich’s fate, and he becomes our fifth place finisher. £17,188 was his reward for a strong performance.

Howard Lederer was controlling most of the action at this final table to this point. He had moved up to 553,000 in chips at one point four handed due to a big stud pot between him and Sherkhan Farnood. Lederer is known for being a limit holdem expert, but other than a win in an Aussie Millions preliminary, Lederer has not had a really big score in poker for a while. He holds two bracelets, one in Omaha Hi-Lo and Deuce to Seven Lowball.

While Lederer was the chip leader at this point, things in Limit poker can change quickly. By the time the players were four handed, the limits were 8,000 and 16,000. A couple of pots could mean a big swing in chips.

The conclusion of this event will be posted in the next post. Did Lederer pull off capturing his 3rd bracelet, or did someone else make a startling comeback?