John Kabbaj running over the $10k Pot Limit Hold'em WSOP Event#45

News / Matthew Pitt / 25 June 2009 / Leave a comment

The penultimate $10,000 World Championship Event of the 2009 World Series of Poker is in the final stages and it is the English professional player, John 'Large' Kabbaj who leads the way with just 14 of the 275 entrants remaining.

A starting stack of 30,000 and hour long blinds starting at 100/200 attracted a pro-heavy field, with each table being home to a flurry of well-known players both from the live and online scene.

Betfair pro Sorel Mizzi, who performed miracles in the $5,000 Pot-limit Omaha Event, was hoping his Pot-limit Hold'em talents would allow him to make another deep run at this year's WSOP. His starting table included JC Tran, Scotty Nguyen and Antonio Estfandiari, which did him no favours and he failed to make it through to Day 2.

In total 190 players made the walk of shame during Day 1 meaning 85 returned with a chance of winning the most sought after piece of jewellery in poker, a WSOP bracelet and with it $633,335 in cold, hard cash.

Neil Channing was one of the players to head for the rail early into Day 2 when he called a check-raise all-in by Luke 'IWEARGOGGLES' Staudenmaier holding top two pair with AhKh on a AdKcJd7c but the co-founder of Blackbelt Poker was in deep trouble when his opponent tables QcTc for a flopped straight. The 9s on the river sealed Channing's fate.

Money bubble bursts

A few hours later it was Michael Pesek who would earn the unfortunate title of "bubble-boy" when he busted out in 28th place at the hands of internet superstar Bryn Kenney. After calling a 26,000 button raise from Kenney, Pesek got a little frisky on a flop reading 9d6h3c and was put all-in by Kenney. Pesek showed a complete bluff with KdTd for king-high meaning Kenney's Kc6c was well ahead. The 5d on the turn changed nothing, and the Kh on the river meant the remaining 27 players were guaranteed $24,066

With the money bubble burst, play loosened up once more much to the detriment of Keith Lehr who pushed his short-stack in with Aces and was delighted when he was called by Ace-nine offsuit. However, in a hand you thought you would only see online, the board contained four clubs by the river with the owner of A9o holding the ace of clubs!

As the field shortened the poker gods decided to bless John Kabbaj with an amazing run of cards and fortune and he was unstoppable. Often referred to as the Fifth Hendon Mob member, Kabbaj started by winning a 300,000 pot when he rivered a king-high flush against Bryn Kenney's trip eights.

Kabbaj claims huge chiplead

He then won a huge pot, again off Kenney to catapult him into a massive chip lead. After five raises all the chips were in the middle with Kabbaj being a huge favourite with his Aces against Kenney's Kings. The board bricked out and Kabbaj raked in the 1,250,000 pot, more than twice as many chips as his closest rival.

His run was not to end there though, he then eliminated Keven Stammen and Bryn Kenny simultaneously when his AK hit on the turn against TT and JJ to take him over the 1,650,000 mark and when he busted Justin Young he had 25% of the entire chips in play in his stack!

John ''Large' Kabbaj returns to the Rio today at 1300 Las Vegas time (2100 UK time) where he and 13 others will play until the champion is crowned. Whilst he has over twice as many chips as his nearest rival, he will be more than aware that the stars still left in this tournament such as JC Alvarado, Eric 'basebaldy' Baldwin and Isaac Haxton could cause him a major headache.

***UPDATE***

John Kabbaj won his bracelet and had the following song played at his ceremony. God Save The Queen!!

....although this might have been a better song!