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WSOP 2008 Event 19 - Venessa Selbst leads from day one to victory
Saturday, June 14, 2008 | Francis Lee
758 entrants started out in the $1,500 pot limit Omaha event, the 19th at the World Series of Poker. The first place prize was set at $227,965 as the total prize pool rose to $1,137,000. This prize pool was shared between the last 78 players to finish this event.
The bubble burst on the first day with just 46 making it to day two. The first two days play was dominated by Vanessa Selbst as she took a $100,000 chip lead at the end of day one, and increased this to over $1 million in chips going into the final table. Here nearest rival going into the final table was Jamie Pickering with just $329,000. Ken Kairson needed to have a lucky start to survive on the short stack with just $16,900 in chips in front of him, as this amounted to just two big blinds.
Final Table Chip Rankings
- 1st Vanessa Selbst $1,047,000
- 2nd Jamie Pickering $329,000
- 3rd Stanley Statkiewicz Jr $318,000
- 4th Thom Schultz $144,000
- 5th Eugene Todd $127,000
- 6th Mel Randolph $117,000
- 7th Craig Natte $108,000
- 8th Jamie Robbins $70,000
- 9th Ken Lairson $16,900
The first two eliminations came with in the first orbit on the final table. Short stacked Ken Lairson was first to go running into Selbst with pocket Queens with out hitting any piece of the board. Jamie Pickering then took the next short stacked player Jamie Robbins. Pickering hit a Nine high straight beating Robbins with just two pair.
Shortly after Mel Randolph moved All In holding 
after the Flop came down 
Eugene Todd made the call having 
in the lead with a set of Deuces. No help came for Randolph finishing the event in 7th place. Selbst then increased her lead taking out Craig Natte with pocket Aces. Natte could only make a pair of Kings to head for the rail in 6th place.
Selbst then struck lucky as all the chips went in the middle pre flop against Todd. Selbst with pocket Jacks was behind Todd with pocket Aces, until the Flop produced a Jack giving Selbst a set. Todd couldn’t recover from that blow and left the event in 5th place. Selbst quickly made it three handed knocking out short stacked Thom Schultz in third place.
Selbst saw her chip lead cut by Stanley Statkiewicz as he doubled up to $780,000. Then Pickering had a piece of Selbst’s chip stack to bring all thee players almost level in chips. Selbst retook the chip lead with some good aggressive play and then reconfirmed her dominance eliminating Statkiewicz out in 3rd place. Statkiewicz had made two pair on the Flop of 
but Selbst had already completed a Flush to take the pot.
Selbst took a 3-1 chip lead into heads up and was favourite to take down the event. Pickering had other idea’s coming back at Selbst early on, taking the lead himself. Selbst like the last time she lost the lead led out with aggression regaining the lead back. This finally paid off for her as she won the event after an hours heads up play. All the chips went in after the Flop of 
Selbst had an already made nut straight and a flush draw with 
and Pickering had only top pair and a gun shot straight draw. The 
completed the board holding Selbst’s hand up giving her the event win and the WSOP bracelet. A much deserved win leading the event, virtually from the start of play
WSOP 2008 Event 19 Final Standings
- 1st Vanessa Selbst $227,965
- 2nd Jamie Pickering $145,459
- 3rd Stanley Statkiewicz Jr $88,062
- 4th Thom Schultz $72,004
- 5th Eugene Todd $59,053
- 6th Craig Natte $46,621
- 7th Mel Randolph $36,261
- 8th Jamie Robbins $28,490
- 9th Ken Lairson $20,720
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