2008 World Series of Poker World Championship Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Split-8 or Better (Event 33)
The 2008 World Series of Poker $5 000 World Championship Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Split-8 or Better (Event 33) was played at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, running from Tuesday, 17 June to Thursday, 19 June 2008.
A strong field of 261 players took part in Event 33, which offered a prize pool of over $1.2 million. The strength of the field was illustrated by the final table, which included five-time bracelet winner and 2000 WSOP World Champion, Chris Ferguson; Howard Lederer and his sister, Annie Duke; and The Flying Dutchman, Marcel Luske.
Notable money finishers in Event 33 at the 39th annual World Series of Poker included:
- David Benyamine (10th), who would go on to win the World Championship Omaha Hi-Lo Split-8 or Better Event 37
- 2005 WSOP Player of the Year, Allen Cunningham (13th)
- Barry Greenstein (14th), who had won his 3rd gold bracelet at the Razz event just 3 days earlier
- Kirill Gerasimov (18th), who has cashed 21 times at the WSOP
- WSOP bracelet winner, Cyndy Violette (23rd)
In the end though, it was Sebastian Ruthenberg who saw off the seasoned campaigners to clinch victory in the World Championship Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Split-8 or Better (Event 33), claiming his first World Series of Poker winner’s bracelet, along with a first prize of $328 756.
The Bracelet Winner
24-year-old poker professional Sebastian Ruthenberg from Hamburg came through a harrowing three-hour heads-up battle with Chris “Jesus” Ferguson to clinch the Stud Hi-Lo World Championship, becoming the sixth German to win a WSOP gold bracelet in the process.
The Final Table at the World Championship Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Split-8 or Better, Event 33
- Sebastian Ruthenberg – $328 756
- Chris “Jesus” Ferguson – $202 406
- Robert Lauria – $125 737
- Marcel Luske – $95 069
- Annie Duke – $73 602
- Alessio Isaia – $58 268
- Steve Sung – $46 001
- Robert Beveridge – $36 801
- Howard Lederer – $30 667