Event #25 of the 2008 World Championship of Online Poker was $320 Pot Limit Omaha with rebuys. A total of 748 players ponied up the buy-in, along with 1,254 rebuys and 560 add-ons to easily surpass the event’s $500,000 guarantee. The victor would be Shaun Deeb, playing as shaundeeb, who missed a flight to Europe to finish his run in Event #25. It turned out to be a wise decision as Shaun Deeb won a total of $144,112.50.
Final table play started off at a snail’s place courtesy of kAmIkAdZeEe who had disconnected and was eating a lot of time every hand as PokerStars offered him a generous amount of time to reconnect. kAmIkAdZeEe would eventually connect and play would continue at a much swifter pace.
The first player to exit the final table was JohnnyBax who shoved preflop with what remained of his stack after a crippling blow. JohnnyBax held [Js][Jh][3c][3d] and was facing the [Jd][10c][7d][2c] of Shaun Deeb. Deeb would make a straight as the board fell [Ad][9d][8s][10h][9s] and JohnnyBax was eliminated in ninth place for a payday of $10,837.26.
The next to fall would be ely_cash41, who pushed all-in preflop with [As][7d][[5c][3s]. Shaun Deeb made the call with [Ad][Qd][9s][6d] and the two waited for the board. The flop of [Ah][Ks][7s] gave two pair to ely_cash41, but his hand would fall when the [6h] turn and the [6c] river gave Deeb the full house. Ely_cash41 exited in eighth place, richer by $17,293.50.
The Shaun Deeb juggernaut would not be stopped, as it would soon claim caprioli as its next victim. Caprioli was all-in before the flop with [Ks][Kd][9d][2s] while Deeb held [Ad][Js][5s][4h]. The flop would bring Deeb a straight as it fell [6c][3d][2h] and caprioli had no outs remaining after the [10c] fell on the turn. Caprioli would take home $24,979.50 for finishing in seventh place.
Miraclos would receive no miracle as they too would fall to Deeb, doing so when their [Ac][Qs][Jc][10s] could not survive against Deeb’s [Kd][10c][7h][5d]. Deeb would once again make a straight when the board rolled out [8s][6c][3d][4d][5s]. Miraclos collected $32,665.50 for their sixth place finish.
The fifth elimination in twenty minutes would occur when Deeb knocked out kAmIkAdZeEe, he of the erratic connection. Deeb’s hand wasn’t overly strong, only [10c][8d][6c][5s] and kAmIkAdZeEe was holding [Ah][Qd][8h][7c]. However, kAmIkAdZeEe would not improve on the board while Deeb was able to make a pair of tens as the board fell [Kd][10h][4d][2d][Ks]. kAmIkAdZeEe exited in fifth place, taking home $40,351.50.
The quick pace of eliminations would continue as Canuck would fall in fourth place just four minutes after kAmIkAdZeEe kicked the bucket and for the first time at the final table, Shaun Deeb did not deliver the killing blow. That honor belonged to TheNew, who made a pair of tens and a pair of threes when the board came down [Ah][10s][2c][3s][8d]. Canuck held [Ac][Ks][Jd][5d] for a pair of aces, which was not enough to survive. Canuck earned $57,645 for their final table performance.
MiniKipDK would fall in third place at the hands of Shaun Deeb. Both players made two pair, aces and nines, on the flop of [Ad][9s][4c] with MiniKipDK holding [As][9d][8h][6s] and Shaun Deeb holding [Ah][Qs][9h][3c]. The [Jh] on the turn maintained the status quo, but the [Qc] on the river gave Deeb the better two pair and the victory. MiniKipDK would collect $76,860 for finishing in third place.
TheNew would fight hard in heads-up play, even taking the chip lead away from Shaun Deeb, but Deeb would not be denied his victory as he responded to the usurper’s insolence by battering TheNew until they were all-in after a flop fell [Ks][8s][7d]. TheNew held [Kc][Qs][Js][4c] for a pair of kings and a flush draw while Shaun Deeb was holding [9d][8d][7s][6s] for two pair and a straight draw. The [3c] on the turn would help no one, but the [5h] that landed on the river would finish Deeb’s hand by turning it into a straight.
TheNew earned $103,761 for their runner-up performance while Shaun Deeb snared the victor’s prize of $144,112.50 and a WCOOP bracelet.