Omar Eljach and Shaun Deeb Lead World Series of Poker Europe Main Event

Posted on: November 16, 2022, 08:14h. 

Last updated on: June 7, 2023, 02:32h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

The World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) Main Event is playing down to its champion. The action will wrap up Wednesday when the last eight players hit the felt at King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic.

Poker pro Shaun Deeb
Poker pro Shaun Deeb shows off his fifth WSOP bracelet. He’s in line for another as the WSOPE Main Event will conclude today. (Image: SuperPoker)

The event attracted some of the biggest names in the game, including the UK’s Jack Sinclair. The WSOP bracelet winner is no stranger to King’s Casino, having regularly made trips there to add to his live earnings of almost $3 million.

He didn’t make it very far this time, dropping out in 64th place for about $22,000. Plenty of other well-known players remain, however, including Shaun Deeb, who’s in the running to take down the event.

Then There Were Eight

The field started with a record 763 entries, but after four days of play, only 42 remained when the action started on Tuesday. As play progressed, Simone Andrian, Boris Kolev, Saar Wilf, and Timothy Adams would fall. Adams, the Canadian pro who took down the €100,000 (US$104,170) WSOPE High Roller for $470K a week ago, made it to ninth before his elimination.

By the end of the day, there were only eight players remaining. They are back at King’s Casino this afternoon, beginning at 2 p.m. local time (8 a.m. EST) to see who will end the day with the €1.38-million (US$1.43 million) top prize.

Out in front is Swedish player Omar Eljach with 19.48 million chips. He’s a veteran player who has shown prowess at No-Limit Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha, but who has yet to claim a WSOP bracelet.

Behind Eljach is Deeb, with over $10 million from live tourneys in the bank and five WSOP bracelets to his name. He has 16.58 million in chips. But, as every poker player knows, the tables can turn with a single hand.

Also taking seats at today’s final table are Jonathan Pastore, Paul Covaciu, Barny Boatman, Vladas Tamasauskas, and Alexandre Reard. They all have varying degrees of success at the poker tables, although Boatman and Reard are the most prolific among the bunch.

Rounding out the list of eight is Austria’s Armin Rezaei. He’s another regular fixture on the circuit who has seen his share of successes without achieving a bracelet. He’s the short stack with 2,205,000 chips.

Women in Poker Hall of Fame Class Announced

In August, the Women in Poker Hall of Fame (WiPHoF) began accepting nominations for its Class of 2022. This is the first year since 2018 that the organization will add new names to the group.

There were plenty of people on the list for induction who deserve a spot, but not everyone could be accepted. With the votes for this year’s class now counted, four women will have their names forever enshrined for their accomplishments in the poker industry.

A three-time WSOP bracelet winner and the only female to ever top the Global Poker Index, Vanessa Selbst is now part of the WiPHoF. Joining her is Angelica Hael, the VP of Global Tour Management for the World Poker Tour.

Also in is actor and long-time poker buff Jennifer Tilly. The Academy Award-nominated “Bullets Over Broadway” actor has been a regular at poker tournaments and won a WSOP bracelet in 2005.

The last inductee, Terry King, also has a WSOP bracelet to her credit. She took down the WSOP Ladies Event in 1978 and was one of the first females to ever work as a dealer at a WSOP Main Event. Since those early days, she has become an outstanding poker historian and documentarian, the go-to encyclopedia for the game.

There were 54 names on the list for possible induction, but not everyone could make it. The most prominent names to miss this year were Kristen Foxen, Liv Boeree, and Kara Scott. But they will return for the next class.