After waiting 4 long months after making the final table at the 2008 WSOP Main Event, the members of the “November 9″ finally got down to business this past weekend.  The much anticipated event was delayed over the summer to allow for Harrah’s and ESPN to drum up even more suspense for the finale, as well as put a big focus in the media world on poker itself.

As the cameras began rolling and the lights dimmed over the 200+ spectators that filled the special area of the Rio where the Main Event was to conclude, you could just tell it was going to be one of those very special WSOP’s that really would stick in your mind forever.  A wide variety of players and skill sets were being represented at this final table, and it was clearly anyone’s match for the taking.

And hey, playing for $9,000,000 and change is kind of something to get motivated about too right?

As play in this historic event began to wind down, it was clear that the crowd and many railbirds at some of the top poker strategy sites and forums on the Net were hoping for a showdown between Peter Eastgate and Ivan Demidov.  Eastgate, the 22-year old Danish pro, was poised to become the youngest Main Event champion ever - while his Russian counterpart, Ivan Demidov, was hoping for a little bit of WSOP redemption after finishing in 3rd place at the WSOP Europe Main Event just a few months before.

Their dreams of such a heads-up match came true when former chip leader Dennis Phillips check-raised Eastgate with Ace-high after the Dane flopped bottom set.  The turn and river proved to be no help for Phillips, and he would unfortunately hit the rail in a disappointing 3rd place.

In what seemed to be a realtively long and aggressively-played match between the final two competitors, play felt like it froze for everyone in the Rio on the final hand with Demidov and Eastgate.  Both players limped into to a flop of Ks 3h 2d. Demidov fired out a bet on the flop, in which Eastgate quickly called.  The turn came up a 4c. This is where things got interesting….

Demidov would end up check-raising Eastgate on 4th street, prompting another smooth-call by the man now known as “Ice-Gate.”  The river came up what seemed to be a very harmless 7s.  Ivan pushed all his chips into the middle, and to the chagrin of the Russian, he was insta-called by Peter Eastgate.  When both cards were flipped over, it was Eastgate holding A 5 for a wheel  - and Demidov holding 4 2 for a meaningless two-pair.

The 2008 WSOP Main Event was in the books, and the supporters of Eastgate swarmed him as he looked around in complete shock at the feat he had just accomplished.  He had not only won over $9,000,000 and the coveted M.E. bracelet, but he had also beat Phil Hellmuth’s long-standing record of the youngest Main Event champion EVER!

Here are the final results of the 2008 WSOP:

1. Peter Eastgate $9,152,416

2. Ivan Demidov $5,809,595

3. Dennis Phillips $4,517,773

4. Ylon Schwartz $3,774,974

5. Scott Montgomery $3,096,768

6. Darus Suharto $2,418,562

7. David (Chino) Rheem $1,772,650

8. Kelly Kim $1,288,217

9. Craig Marquis $900,670

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