In October 2007, the World Series of Poker ventured outside the United States for the first time, hosting its inaugural bracelet events outside of Las Vegas over twelve exciting days. The Casino at the Empire in London, England, witnessed several historic moments, most notably the groundbreaking achievement of a 19-year-old player winning a bracelet in the very first WSOPE Main Event.
During the subsequent six years, the WSOPE Main Event became the stage for numerous unforgettable confrontations. Both established poker icons and fresh talents showcased performances that left a lasting impact, elevating this tournament to a prestigious title within the poker community.
Following a hiatus in 2014 to sync the event's schedule with WSOP Asia-Pacific, the 2015 WSOPE is set to begin on October 8 at Spielbank Berlin, marking the fourth city and third country to host this esteemed series. We’re taking this opportunity to review the dramatic moments of each WSOPE Main Event, as these events have significantly altered the lives of many and brought new recognition to the WSOP brand.
In the first part of our review, we will delve into the initial four years of WSOP Europe gameplay while it was held in London.
2007: Annette Obrestad vs. John Tabatabai
The inaugural edition of the WSOPE featured three bracelet events: a HORSE preliminary event, a PLO preliminary, and the £10,000 Main Event. With the British pound at a high value, the buy-in for the first WSOPE Main Event surpassed $20,000, drawing a competitive field of 362 players and creating a prize pool of over $7.2 million.
The tournament's structure required players to participate in separate sessions on Days 1 and 2, merging into one for Day 3, which saw the money bubble burst just before closure. The fourth day eliminated many prominent names right before the final table, including Jamie Gold, Patrik Antonius, Erick Lindgren, Annie Duke, and Kenny Tran. Gus Hansen narrowly missed the final table, leaving two standout competitors: Danish pro Theo Jorgensen and a 19-year-old online sensation from Norway, Annette Obrestad.
Although Jorgensen finished in eighth place, Obrestad held strong as competitor after competitor was eliminated. Young Welsh pro John Tabatabai knocked out Matthew McCullough in third place, setting up a heads-up battle against Obrestad with chip counts of 4.2 million to 3 million in her favor. Quickly, Obrestad erased that lead within the first 15 hands of their match. However, the path to victory was not straightforward as both players exchanged blows in a gripping duel lasting a total of 94 hands.
The match featured a remarkable ebb and flow, with both players enjoying streaks of victories for six or seven hands at a time. No one would lose a pot without the other quickly responding to regain their standing, leading to an enthralling contest.
After a strategic and methodical heads-up fight, the tournament concluded in a dramatic fashion due to a pivotal hand.
Key Moment: As Hand 211 of the final table commenced, Tabatabai and Obrestad were nearly even in chips. Tabatabai decided to limp for 30,000 from the button; in response, Obrestad raised to 100,000, to which Tabatabai called. The flop revealed [7c] [6c] [5h], prompting Obrestad to bet 250,000, but Tabatabai raised to 750,000. Obrestad then pushed all in, leading to a call from Tabatabai, who revealed [6d] [5s] for two pair. However, he was in dire straights as Obrestad displayed [7h] [7s] for three of a kind, and the [2c] turn sealed her victory. Not only did Obrestad become the youngest woman to secure a WSOP bracelet, taking home over $2 million, but she also triumphed in the WSOPE Main Event, a feat matched by only one woman in over four decades of the Main Event in Las Vegas.
2008: John Juanda vs. Stanislav Alekhin
In its second year, the WSOPE returned once again to London, expanding from three to four events with a new No Limit Hold’em preliminary added. The second WSOPE Main Event attracted one extra player than the prior year, bringing the total to 363, and the competition remained fierce.
Notable players such as Josh Arieh, Erik Seidel, and Mike Matusow made a deep run, but they missed out on reaching the final table. The last nine standing included four prominent figures: John Juanda, Daniel Negreanu, Scott Fischman, and Ivan Demidov. For Demidov, this was an extraordinary moment since he competed in the WSOPE Main Event final table while simultaneously preparing for the WSOP Main Event final table in Las Vegas as one of the inaugural November Nine.
Fischman, Negreanu, and eventually Demidov were eliminated, leaving Juanda to face off against Stanislav Alekhin, who was entering his very first live tournament cash.
Demidov found himself eliminated at hand 242, and the heads-up battle between Juanda and Alekhin extended over another 242 hands before a winner emerged.
Recording an astonishing 484 hands and nearly 22 hours from the initial shuffle to the final decision, this tournament set multiple records unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon. It marked the longest final table in WSOP history, both in hand count and the total duration. It also claimed the title of the longest heads-up fight in WSOP history by a significant margin.
Key Play: With blinds of 40,000/80,000, Juanda raised to 165,000, and Alekhin called. The flop produced [Kc] [Qh] [7c], where Alekhin bet 325,000. Juanda went all-in, leading Alekhin to call with [4c] [3c] in pursuit of a flush draw. Juanda held [Kh] [6h] which held strong as the board ran out [9s] [4h], allowing Juanda to accumulate over 6.6 million of the 7.2 million chips in play. The match continued for five more hands, with Juanda using [Ks] [6c] on the final hand to secure quads, marking his fourth WSOP bracelet victory.
2009: Barry Shulman vs. Daniel Negreanu
During the WSOPE's third year in London, the schedule saw only a minor adjustment, replacing the HORSE event with a Pot Limit Omaha/Pot Limit Hold’em format. The size of the Main Event's competitor pool saw a slight decrease to 334 players, but it remained highly competitive.
Notable figures like David 'Devilfish' Ulliot, Andre Akkari, Men Nguyen, and the poker legend Doyle Brunson all managed to cash in the Main Event. Ultimately, two players from the previous November Nine replicated Ivan Demidov's previous year's accomplishment by reaching the WSOPE Main Event final table during their break. Like Demidov before them, James Akenhead (9th place) and Antoine Saout (7th place) finished just a few spots shy of a landmark achievement.
Chris Bjorin, Jason Mercier, and Praz Bansi similarly had their championship hopes dashed at the final table, leaving Negreanu—making his second appearance at the WSOPE Main Event final table—to face off against Barry Shulman, the founder of CardPlayer. With a substantial chip lead of 6.2 million to 3.9 million, Negreanu was heavily favored to win, but Shulman was not going to back down easily.
Negreanu had multiple chances to claim victory, but luck was not on his side that day. Shulman managed to draw the necessary cards to extend the match on two separate occasions—once while Negreanu was leading and again while he was trailing.
Key Moment(s): With blinds at 40,000/80,000, Negreanu opened the betting, prompting Shulman to three-bet and Negreanu to call. The flop came down [Kd] [8h] [6h], with Shulman taking the lead. Negreanu went all-in, and Shulman called with [Ah] [5h]. Needing to avoid a draw, Negreanu held [Ac] [As], but the [2h] on the turn left him out of options, while the [Ad] on the river compounded his misfortune. After several attempts to regain his position, Negreanu found himself up against [As] [Ah], requiring significant help with [Qc] [Jd] on a [Jc] [8d] [5d] flop. He was aided by the [Jh], yet Shulman was left with only two outs on the river—one of which he drew, snatching the win away from Negreanu once more. Shortly after, Negreanu ran [4s] [4d] into Shulman's [Ts] [Tc], marking the end of his ambitions.
2010: James Bord vs. Fabrizio Baldassari
The final WSOPE in London saw the total number of bracelet events increase to five, including a Six Handed event and the inaugural Heads-Up bracelet event in Europe.
The Main Event field grew to 346 players, featuring notable entrants like Freddy Deeb, Barry Greenstein, Greg Mueller, Phil Ivey, and the intriguing Viktor Blom among those finishing in the money. Dan Fleyshman (7th) and Danny Steinberg (6th), brother of November Niner Max Steinberg from 2015, were eliminated early at the final table, soon followed by French player Nicolas Levi and Roland De Wolfe.
Ronald Lee found himself holding half of the chips in play with only four players left. However, after a series of hands not going his way, James Bord managed to win a crucial race and eliminate Lee in third place, setting up a heads-up match against Italian Fabrizio Baldassari, with a slight deficit to overcome. For the first time—and certainly not the last—once Las Vegas play was in mind, it became evident that the crowd played a significant role in the unfolding drama at the table.
The English crowd showed tremendous support, watching their compatriot Bord make history as the first and, to date, the only player to capture a WSOPE Main Event title on home ground.
Key Moment: At one point in his match, Bord found himself at a 2-to-1 chip disadvantage against Baldassari, but a pivotal hand shifted the balance in his favor. When Baldassari limped in from the button, Bord raised to 330,000, prompting Baldassari to go all in. Bord swiftly called with [Ad] [Kc]—holding the lead against Baldassari's [Qs] [8s], yet the board revealed a suspenseful [6h] [5c] [4h] flop. Ultimately, the remaining cards were of no threat to Bord, allowing him to secure victory over Baldassari.
Cheered on by an enthusiastic hometown crowd, Bord triumphed holding [Td] [Th] against [5s] [5h], etching his name in poker history as the first and only player to win the WSOPE Main Event on home turf.
Make sure to catch Part 2, where we will explore the three versions of the WSOP Europe that originated in France. This segment will include insights from three competing players who reached the heads-up stage for the prestigious WSOP Europe Main Event championship.