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Michael Chu Wins Event 8 of the WSOP 2007
Saturday, June 9, 2007 | Francis Lee
The eighth event at this years World Series of Poker 2007 was a $1,000 No Limit Hold’em Rebuy event, allowing players to re-buy for the first two hours of play, and then an additional add on after this period had past. This tournament is reknowned to be one of the most favourite enents amongst the Pro’s.
844 players entered the tournament creating a total prize pool of $2,533,062, paying 84 places with the winner was set to take home $585,774. The first two days play of this three day event would decide who would make the final table.
Amir Vahedi was the chip leader at the start of the final table with 1.3 million in chips, just ahead of Michael Gracz on $730,000. Jan Von Halle was on the short stack with $205,000 not far behind Robert Aron $285,000. Vahedi and Gracz were the only WSOP bracelet holders at the table, Vahedi winning in 2003 and Gracz taking his in 2005.
Final Table Chip Standing:
- 1st Amir Vahedi $1,360,000
- 2nd Michael Gracz $730,000
- 3rd Dolph Arnold $520,000
- 4th Michael Chu $480,000
- 5th Barry Cales $420,000
- 6th Tommy Vu $344,000
- 7th Shane Schleger $290,000
- 8th Robert Aron $285,000
- 9th Jan Von Halle $205,000
The table started off slowly with most pots being won pre Flop, this was until the 11th hand when we had our first elimination. Jan Von Halle on the short stack moved All In for his remaining $148,000, and was called by Michael Chu on the big blind. Chu had a good lead holding 
against Halle with 
The Flop didn’t help Halle coming down 
giving Chu a pair of aces. Halle needed help but the Turn 
and River 
gave Chu the pot. Halle took $34,196 for 9th place.
The table continued to play in a tight manner with most pots being decide pre Flop, we had to wait for the 33rd hand for the next player to go. Tommy Vu raised the pot to $70,000 and Robert Aron moved All In on the small blind for his remaining $154,000. Vu calls and shows 
Vu flips over his cards showing 
in a dominant position. Neither player hit the Flop or Turn with it showing 
but this left Vu needing a ten, or to hit his open ended straight draw to win. The River 
gave Vu his straight knocking Aron out of the tournament in 8th winning $46,862.
After a dozen hands had past Shane Schleger won a three way pot, eliminating Amir Vahedi the early chip leader in the process into 7th place, winning $63,327. Both Vahedi and Schleger was All In pre Flop against Michael Chu. Chu had 
Schleger had and Vahedi needed help holding 
The Flop gave both Chu and Schleger a pair of aces with it coming down 
but schleger was in pole position with the higher kicker. The gave Vahedi hope with a chance at an open ended straight draw, but the 
dashed these hopes giving Schleger the pot.
This hand seemed to kick start this table into life with the next elimination coming only two hands later. Michael Gracz on the short stack moved All In for $230,000 with 
Unfortunately for him he ran into Michael Chu with 
The Flop 
gave Gracz a flush draw but the on the Turn, and on the River gave Chu the Pot. Gracz took $84,858 in 6th place.
On the 63rd hand we lost our other short stacked player, Shane Schleger moved All In under the gun holding and was called by Chu with 
The Flop gave Chu top pair coming down 
leaving Schleger needed help on the final two cards, but it never came with the Turn 
and River 
giving Chu the pot and the overall chip lead. Schleger took $111,455 in 5th place.
Chu dominated proceedings from this point onwards, and at the break the official chip counts had him on $2.2million in chips, Dolph Arnold wasn’t far behind on 1.6m. Barry Cales was on the short stack on $525,000, half that of third placed Tommy Vu on $950,000.
After the break Dolph Arnold went on tilt loosing the majority of this chips over the next half a dozen hands, and eventually loosing out to Michael Chu. Arnold All In with 
was up against 
The board confirmed his exit with it showing 
giving Chu top pair, Arnold took $157,050 in 4th place.
Barry Cales was next to go running into Chu holding pocket queens, All In with The Board missed both players with it showing 
and Chu’s pocket queens held up. Cales was out in 3rd taking home $235,575.
Both Michael Chu and Tommy Vu were level in the chip ranking playing heads up, but it only took seven hands for it to be all over. Both players raised the pot until we were All In, Vu had 
against Chu with The Flop gave Vu a flush draw but Chu was still ahead hitting a pair of three’s. The Turn didn’t help Vu coming down with the and Chu was almost there. The 
on the River eliminated Vu giving Michael Chu the win taking $585,744 as well as his very own WSOP bracelet.
WSOP 2007 Event 8 Final Standings:
- 1st Michael Chu $585,744
- 2nd Tommy Vu $364,761
- 3rd Barry Cales $235,575
- 4th Dolph Arnold $157,050
- 5th Shane Schleger $111,455
- 6th Michael Gracz $84,858
- 7th Amir Vahedi $63,327
- 8th Robert Aron $46,862
- 9th Jan Von Halle $34,196
Win your seat at the WSOP 2007 main event, by entering the many online freerolls on offer at Full Tilt, Pacific Poker and Party Poker over the next couple of weeks. Check out our freerolls page for full details.
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