2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
World Championship Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (Event 33)
Date:
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 to Thursday, June 19, 2008
Buy-In:
$5,000
Prize Pool:
$1,226,700
Entrants:
261
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:23:02
Congratulations to Sebastian Ruthenberg, Event #33 Champion! ($328,756)
We began this event on Tuesday with a field of 261 runners. It took a whopping 29 levels of play over the course of three very long days to find our champion.
Sebastian Ruthenberg bested the entire field, which was absolutely laced with pros, to take home the title. The real highlight of the tournament was his hard-fought one-on-one battle with Chris Ferguson. When heads-up play began, Jesus had roughly a 2-to-1 chip lead. Ruthenberg came all the way back to take a slight edge, before being crippled all the way back down to 200,000.
He hung in there though, and came storming back against the much more accomplished pro. After more than three hours of head-to-head dueling, Ruthenberg managed to come out on top.
For his good work over the past days, Ruthenberg will take home $328,756, a shiny new gold bracelet, and the title of Stud Hi-Lo World Champion.
Congratulations to Sebastian Ruthenberg, winner of Event #33!
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:20:02
Sebastian Ruthenberg Wins Event #33, $5,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo World Championship, Chris Ferguson Eliminated in 2nd Place ($202,406)
Chris "Jesus" Ferguson was down to just a few bets when he got involved in what would be his last hand of the tournament. Ferguson put his last chips in on fifth street holding a pair of aces.
Ferguson: (
) (
) 
Sebastian Ruthenberg: (
) (
) 
On sixth street, Ruthenberg picked up a pair of fours and Ferguson a meaningless jack.
Ferguson: () () 
Sebastian Ruthenberg: () () 
When the last card was dealt and the crowd rose to their feet to watch the action, Ruthenberg peeled slowly before revealing another seven, for two pair sevens and fours.
Ferguson would need to best two pair to take the pot and stay alive. He slowly lifted his hand and let Sebastian know he didn't have anything across and that it was a spade. He mentioned that unless it was the ace of spades, Ruthenberg would be a champion. He then revealed a spade... the 
.
It took a moment for Ruthenberg to realize it was a blank and then he erupted from his chair, arms held high in victory.
Ferguson shook hands with his competitor and headed across the room. No, not to get paid, but rather to sit down in the Omaha Hi-Lo World Championship. He earned over $200,000 for his finish.
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:52:03
The Game Changer
For the third time in just a few minutes, the two men played a gigantic pot. Ferguson brought it in with the 
up. Ruthenberg raised, and Ferguson called.
Ferguson: (X) (X) 
(X)
Ruthenberg: (X) (X) 
(X)
Ruthenberg bet on every street, with Ferguson joining him every step of the way. When the hands were turned over, it was Ruthenberg who held the winner. His down cards were , making him aces up. Ferguson held 
, making tens up, an inferior two pair.
Sebastian Ruthenberg wins a huge pot, and has retaken a nice chip lead. He sits with 1,850,000, while Jesus is knocked all the way down to 760,000.
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:41:38
Ruthenberg All In #2
Sebastian Ruthenberg got himself all in again just now, and this time there was even more drama.
He brought it in with the , and he and Ferguson headed off to battle. On fourth street, Ferguson bet and got called. On fifth street, it was Ruthenberg who bet and got called. A bet on sixth street from Ruthenberg meant he was all in for about 50,000, and at risk once again. The hands were turned over:
Ruthenberg: (
) 
(X)
Ferguson: (
) 
(X)
Ferguson had a pair of aces and a draw to the flush and to the low. He was up against two pair from Ruthenberg, but had loads of outs to at least chop. Ruthenberg's seventh street was no help to him. Now it was Ferguson's turn. One card to potentially win him the bracelet. He squeezed it out a little longer this time, building the suspense for himself and for the spectators...
It's a blank for Jesus, and he once again doubles up Ruthenberg. The German has clawed back to 800,000, but is still at a sizable deficit.
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:31:05
Chip Counts
Ferguson - 2,060,000
Ruthenberg - 550,000
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:30:11
Ruthenberg All In
Sebastian Ruthenberg isn't done quite yet. After several hands of folding, he finally got it all in on third street, with Ferguson looking him up. The cards were turned over, and the dealer ran out the hands:
Ferguson: (
) 
Ruthenbeg: ( ) 
Ruthenberg makes two pair, and he takes down a much-needed pot. He has doubled up to 550,000, but is still very short in regards to the limits they're playing.
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:16:30
Ruthenberg Tumbling
Ferguson just took another big pot, and has crippled his opponent. When the betting was over, the hands were shown down:
Ferguson: 
Ruthenberg: 
Ferguson's queens up trumps the nines up of Ruthenberg, and ships the majority of the chips to Jesus. After the hand, Ruthenberg has just 400,000 left. Ferguson is up to 2,210,000.
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:12:20
Welcome Back from Break
In the first hand after break, we pick up another big pot on fifth street, with several bets already in the pot.
Ferguson: (X) (X) 
(X)
Ruthenberg: (X) (X) 
(X)
On fifth and sixth streets, Ferguson check-calls a Ruthenberg bet. On seventh street, both men check. There is just about 1,000,000 in the pot.
Ferguson: 
Ruthenberg: 
Chris Ferguson takes a big bite out of his opponent, and rakes in another large pot with a full house. He has retaken the chip lead by a comfortable margin. Counts coming momentarily.
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:53:45
Action Before Break
This was the last hand before break:
Ruthenberg brought in with the up. Ferguson raised, Ruthenberg reraised, and Jesus called.
Ruthenberg: (X) (X) 
(X)
Ferguson: (X) (X) 
(X)
On fourth and fifth streets, Ferguson bet and Ruthenberg called. When the German picked up his pair of nines on sixth, he led out, and Ferguson called. On seventh street, Ruthenberg bet out again. Ferguson leaned back in his chair and let out a big sigh, apparently unhappy with the situation. After taking just a moment, he put his call into the pot.
Ruthenberg didn't seem to like it either. He shrugged as he tabled his hand: . It was good enough. Ferguson stacked his cards, checked them twice more, and tossed them into the muck. Ruthenberg drags in another big pot, and he has retaken the chip lead.
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:47:04
Heads-Up Break
The clock has been paused while the two men take a 20-minute break.
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:38:28
This Isn't TV
We've been lacking action, but you could easily cut the tension in the room with a knife. Behind all of the all-in shovefests, flushes, and full houses is the grind of tournament poker. For those of you who follow us regularly, you know that not every tournament is going to be an adrenaline rush. These two players, Chris Ferguson and Sebastian Ruthenberg, have been battling for a few hours now, back and forth. We see slight changes in chip stacks, but nothing too drastic as the grind for a bracelet grows longer into the night.
We're not sure if we see anyone cracking or giving a slight edge to the other player. With a great amount of fans rooting both sides on, it's going to take great poker to capture this bracelet.
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:29:41
Ferguson Still Leading
The pots are still going back and forth with not much action. Super concentration by each player on every street of every hand can be seen. Pretty soon the antes and limits will be going up and someone may have to make a move.
Chris Ferguson - 1,735,000
Sebastian Ruthenberg - 875,000
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:17:34
Ferguson Back on Top
Chris Ferguson has been chipping up left and right in small pots. Small pots do add up though. Ferguson has taken back the chip lead.
Chris Ferguson - 1,685,000
Sebastian Ruthenberg - 925,000
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:11:34
Finally Action
After a seemingly endless string of tiny pots, the two players just played a big one.
Ferguson brought it in with the . Ruthenberg raised it up, showing the 
. Ferguson popped it back at him, and Ruthenberg called.
Ferguson: (X) (X) (X)
Ruthenberg: (X) (X) 
(X)
On fourth street, Ruthenberg led with a bet and was called. On fifth, it was the opposite; Ferguson led and got a call. Sixth flipped it again, with Ruthenberg leading and Ferguson coming along. On seventh, Ruthenberg bet, Ferguson raised, and Ruthenberg called.
Ferguson:
Ruthenberg: (X)
Jesus made his seven-six low to take his half, while Ruthenberg grabs the high side with his queens full. The pot was gigantic, but no chips change hands.
Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:53:12
Trying to Get Even
After trading some pots back and forth, Chris Ferguson has been able to chip back up in the past few hands in attempt to get closer with Sebastian Ruthenberg. Ruthenberg still has a big lead though.
Ruthenberg - 1,710,000
Ferguson - 900,000
Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:42:51
Friedman Keeping Jesus' Spirits High
Perry Friedman just stopped over to yell out, "Rise, Jesus, rise!" and encourage Chris Ferguson in the match. Ferguson leaned back, smiled, and gave Perry two thumbs up.
Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:40:53
Another Big Pot for Ze German
Sebastian Ruthenberg: (X) (X) 
(X)
Chris Ferguson: (X) (X) 
(X)
The action was three-bet by Ruthenberg on third street. He then bet the entire way, with Ferguson calling. On the final card, both players checked.
Ruthenberg turned over another ace to claim a pair of aces. Ferguson said, "Again?!?!" before mucking his hand.
Ruthenberg is now back to 2,000,000 and Ferguson is down to 610,000.
Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:30:05
Slowing Down
Play has really slowed down since that massive pot. There is a ton of folding going on on third street and not much contesting from either player.
Sebastian Ruthenberg - 1,700,000
Chris Ferguson - 910,000
Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:16:15
Sebastian Moving Up
Sebastian Ruthenberg has been on the up-and-up during this heads-up match. After picking up that massive pot, he's been chipping away at Chris Ferguson in each hand.
He does let Ferguson win the occasional small pot, but all the decently-sized ones are being shipped to the German.
Ruthenberg - 2,000,000
Ferguson - 610,000
Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:58:57
Massive Pot
The two remaining players just played the largest pot of the day, by a big margin. Ruthenberg and Ferguson got bets in on every street and went to showdown with 1,400,000 in the middle.
Ruthenberg (X) (X) (X)
Ferguson: (X) (X) 
(X)
The players got one bet each in on third and fourth streets, two bets on fifth and sixth streets, and one more bet apiece on seventh. When the dust settled, it was Ruthenberg who tabled the winner. His down cards were , making him the winning trip aces. Ferguson flashed the case , which meant he had trips of his own. It wasn't good enough though, and Ferguson shipped the pot and the chip lead over to his opponent. Jesus is now back down to 825,000.
Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:53:26
Heads Up
We're now heads up. The German, Sebastian Ruthenberg, will be going for his first bracelet while Chris Ferguson is going for his sixth.
Ferguson - 1,600,000
Ruthenberg - 1,150,000
