Event #9 of the 2008 World Championship of Online Poker provided an opportunity for those confident in their short-handed games, as the event was $215 4-Max No Limit Holdem with a guaranteed prize pool of $400,000.
As was expected, the play was swift and dangerous in the early going at the short handed tables, but slowed down considerably as player after player left their seats in defeat as the remaining players grew ever more determined to take the title. This was especially true at the final table bubble as everyone played cautiously to avoid being the one not to make the final table. Interestingly enough, four of the five final players were European, and even more interesting was that three of the four were from Scandinavia. The eventual winner jonasof87 hailed from Norway.
Jonasof87 took several hits at the final table but clawed his way back to the top and would wind up knocking out all three of his final table opponents. Final table play stretched out for more than two hours before the first elimination occurred.
3232 was jonasof87’s first victim at the final table, falling when jonasof87 made a set of kings. 3232, who hails from the United States, would receive $26,320 for his fourth place finish.
ErikS was the next to fall, doing so when his A-6 could not overcome jonasof87’s dominating hand of A-Q. ErikS of Norway would take home $36,190 after finishing in third place.
In the final hand, emiwarg pushed all of his chips into the middle with pocket nines and was facing jonasof87’s K-J. Jonasof87 would turn an ace-high straight to take the lead and eliminate his final opponent. The Swede, emiwarg, earned $55,930 for his runner-up performance while Jonasof87 earned the victor’s prize of $95,410.