World Series of Poker Europe – £5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Event Final Table

WSOP Europe by James on September 27, 2008

The final nine players of the World Series of Poker £5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Event came together Friday to take their shot at a bracelet and the £218,626 top prize. This is how the final table shaped up:

Seat 1: Erik Friberg 189,000
Seat 2: David Penly 162,000
Seat 3: Jason Mercier 650,000
Seat 4: Sorel Mizzi 290,000
Seat 5: Tomi Nyback 434,000
Seat 6: Theo Jorgensen 897,000
Seat 7: Max Pescatori 126,000
Seat 8: Eric Dalby 277,000
Seat 9: Chris Ferguson 282,000

Tomi Nyback was the first player to be eliminated from the final table. Theo Jorgensen made a pot size raise preflop to 48,000 and both Sorel Mizzi and Nyback made the call. The flop fell 7h-4d-2c and Nyback moved all in. Jorgensen made the call, and Mizzi went into the tank for a while. Finally, he moved all in for 270,000 and Jorgensen made the call. Jorgensen held Kh-Kd-8s-5d for a gutshot straight draw and kings. Mizzi held 7s-5c-4s-2d for top two pair and Nyback held Ks-Qc-10s-7c for top pair and air. The turn fell the As and the river the 9h and Mizzi’s two pair won the hand. Tomi Nyback was our 9th place finisher, taking home £22,688.

About an hour later, Jason Mercier was all in on a flop of 10d-Jh-As. He held 10s-8s-7d-9d for top two pair and a wrap straight draw. His opponent, Theo Jorgensen, called showing Ac-Ah-5d-5s for top set. A 9h on the turn completed Mercier’s straight, but the Ad on the river gave Jorgensen quad Aces and sent Mercier out in 8th place. He will take home £26,812 for his finish.

The very next hand, Chris Ferguson moved all in on a flop of Kc-Qc-6d. Theo Jorgensen decided it was his mission to be involved with every all in hand, so he made the call. Ferguson held Ac-As-Js-8c for the nut flush draw and a gutshot straight draw. Jorgensen must have the magic potion for drawing sets as he had flopped another set with 6s-6h-5c-3c. Part of that potion must have included a quads clause, as the turn fell the 6c, giving Jorgensen quads for the second straight hand. Nobody cared about the 9d that fell on the river. Chris Ferguson became our 7th place finisher, taking home £33,000 pounds for his efforts.

It took a little longer to lose our next player. Nearly an hour later, David Penly moved all-in over a raise from Max Pescatori. Pescatori made the call. Penly held Ac-Ah-5s-Qc and Pescatori held Kc-Qd-Jc-10d. The flop of Jh-9h-3c gave Pescatori a wrap straight draw. The Qs on the turn filled out his straight and made the river 10c meaningless. David Penly became our 6th place finisher, taking home £41,250.

About 15 minutes later, Max Pescatori bet out 50,000 on a board of Ac-10c-9s-Ks-2h. Erik Friberg raised to 200,000, and Pecatori called. He showed Kd-Kc and two random cards for a set and Friberg showed Qh-Jh-8c-6c for broadway. Pescatori was left with 19,000. The very next hand, Pescatori moved all in on the flop and Sorel Mizzi and Theo Jorgensen made the call. Mizzi and Jorgensen checked it down to the river. The board was Kh-Qs-9d-10d-As when Jorgensen showed 10s-6h-5h-3c for just a pair of tens. Remarkably, tens were good and Pescator was our 5th place finisher, taking home £51,562.

A couple of hours later, Erik Friberg and Sorel Mizzi both saw a flop of 2s-Kd-8s. Friberg bet out 20,000 and Mizzi called. The turn fell the 4d and Friberg led out for 60,000. Mizzi then raised for 200,000 total and Friberg moved over the top all-in. Mizzi called. Friberg held 4s-8h-7c-7h for two pair, and Mizzi held 7s-6s-9h-Kh for a flush draw, a gutshot straight draw, and a pair of kings. The river fell the Ks, completing Mizzi’s flush and Erik Friberg was our 4th place finisher. He took home £66,000 for his finish.

Eric Dalby was one of the more remarkable stories of this event. This Englishman came into three way action second in chips with 990,000. The fact that he made it this far is not the amazing story. The amazing part of this story is that he is 78 years old. He has been playing poker for 50 years and has outlasted probably the strongest field in the world in Omaha to make it this far.

About ten minutes after Friberg’s elimination, Sorel Mizzi raised to 49,000 from the button. Both Theo Jorgensen and Eric Dalby made the call. The flop fell 10d-8h-5s. Jorgensen checked to Dalby, who potted at 147,000. Mizzi folded and Jorgensen made the call. The turn fell the 9d. Jorgensen bet 270,000. Dalby then moved all-in and Jorgensen called. Jorgensen flipped over Qc-Js-8s-4s for the nut straight. Dalby flipped over Ac-Kc-10c-7d for a pair and a weaker straight draw. Dalby was drawing dead at this point, and the 9h on the river was meaningless. Eric Dalby’s remarkable run in this Pot Limit Omaha Championship came to a close. Dalby finished in 3rd place, earning £84,562. He may not have won, but he proved that anyone at any age can play this game.

Theo Jorgensen entered heads up play with nearly a 3 to 1 chip lead over Sorel Mizzi. He lead 2,435,000 to 865,000. Of course, this is PLO, and anything can happen. Sorel Mizzi at one point moved into the chip lead, but Jorgensen doubled up on Mizzi and put things back where they started when he rivered a full house to outdraw Mizzi wheel. After that point, things slowly went down hill for Mizzi.

About 45 minutes later, Jorgensen bet out 100,000 on a flop of Ks-8h-Jh. Mizzi raised, and Jorgensen then put him all in. Mizzi made the call. Jorgensen held Kh-Kd-Ac-3c for a set of kings. Mizzi held Ah-6h-Qh-5s for the nut flush draw. The turn fell the 2s, leaving Mizzi needing a heart to win. A 7d fell on the river, and Theo Jorgensen became the Champion of this Pot Limit Omaha Event. Sorel Mizzi was our runner-up, taking home £132,000 for his efforts.

165 players assembled to take their shot at the last preliminary bracelet at this World Series of Poker Europe. Theo Jorgensen survived a pro heavy and expert field to take home his first gold bracelet and £218,626 in prize money.