Sebastian Ruthenberg, playing his first year at the World Series of Poker has absorbed plenty of pressure by taking out event 33, $5,000 seven card stud hi-low at the 2008 WSOP.

Ruthenberg had to hold off names of the calibre of Chris (Jesus) Ferguson (2nd), Marcel Luske (4th), Annie Duke (5th) and Howard Lederer (9th) to take out his maiden WSOP Bracelet and $328,756 in prizemoney.

In the final hand, heads-up with Chris Ferguson, who was rather short-stacked at this stage was in front on 5th street with a pair of aces and Ruthenberg holding nothing, a 4 on sixth street gave Ruthenberg a pair of 4’s and a 7 on the final card gave him two-pair which was enough for the win.

Layne Flack - WSOP Event 34 Winner, $1,500 PL Omaha w/rebuys

Popular pro Layne Flack won his 6th WSOP Bracelet taking home $577,725 and beating Daniel Makowsky heads-up in event 34, $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha w/rebuys.

In the final hand, after a bit of raising, Makowsky was all-in before the flop. Layne Flack turned over KKJ2, and Makowsky AK44. The flop produced T57, turn a 6 and the river a K giving Layne Flack trip Kings to win.

Grant Hinkle, hit the money on his first ever WSOP cashin by winning event #2 at the 2008 World Series of Poker a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold ‘em tournament. He outlasted a field of 3,929 players - the largest ever in WSOP history for anything other than the main event - to take home a cool $831,462 in prizemoney.

What was the winning hand? Well it was one of the most freakish you’ll ever see… if it happened in an online game everyone would be calling ‘rigged’ - it was a stunner.

James Akenhead was the unfortunate runner-up to Hinkle’s amazing turn of luck, Grant had the button and raised to 350,000 Akenhead fires back with a raise to 1.2m, Hinkle thinks about it and moves all in, Akenhead calls (Akenhead is the one all-in).

James Akenhead turns over AcKh, Grant Hinkle shows his stone cold bluff turning over Td4d (can you see what’s coming? bet you can’t). What happens on the flop? 10h 4h 10s… you wouldn’t read about it, Hinkle flopped a full house with his T4 - but he wasn’t finished there Tc hits on the turn to give him quad 10’s, the 5s on the river is irrelevant but ends one of the most amazing hands in WSOP history.

The biggest name at the final table was 5 times WSOP bracelet winner Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson who would have liked his chances against a couple of amateurs - he finished in 3rd place earning $388,287 which now brings his total WSOP and circuit earnings to a whopping $5,004,902 - an amazing milestone in itself.

Update WSOP Events #3 and #4

WSOP Event #3 ($1,500 PLHE) and WSOP Event #4 ($5000 Mixed Hold ‘em Limit/No-Limit) are both down to the final table.

Event #3 shows Joe Tehan as the narrow chip leader, over the past two years he’s cashed in seven times in WSOP events (highest finish 19th). The only big name at the table is David Singer who made the final table of the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E event in both 2006 and 2007 and the final table of the Main Event in 2003. He currently sits in 8th position.

Event #4 has a few more notable names… David ‘Chino’ Rheem in the chip lead, closely followed by David Williams (2004 Main Event runner-up and 2006 $1,500 7 card stud winner) in 2nd place. Erick Lindgren sits in 4th, while two-time bracelet winner and popular pro Howard Lederer is in 5th.