WSOP: Martin Klaser Wins Event No. 43

Martin Klaser scored one for Germany Thursday night, bringing their 2008 bracelet total to three. Klaser dominated short-handed play en route to his first World Series of Poker title in event no. 43, the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha eight-or-better tournament.

Here were the chip counts heading into the final table:

Seat 1: Joseph Haddad – 135,000
Seat 2: Tom Chambers - 263,000
Seat 3: Larry Wright - 117,000
Seat 4: Chad Burum - 117,000
Seat 5: Michael Fetter - 288,000
Seat 6: Casey Kastle - 188,000
Seat 7: Jon Maren - 377,000
Seat 8: Martin Klaser - 337,000
Seat 9: Erik Seidel - 340,000

Here are highlights from all of the action, as featured in CardPlayer.com’s live coverage of the final table:

Tom Chambers Eliminated in Ninth Place ($19,656)

Tom Chambers raised the pot preflop and Casey Kastle made the call from the big blind. The flop came AKQ and both players checked. The turn was the 3 and Kastle bet the pot. Chambers raised all in and Kastle thought it over before deciding to call with 7742, the nut low draw and a small flush draw. Chambers was sleeping on his AAK9 set of aces and needed a big non-diamond card to double up. Unfortunately, the river was the 6 giving Kastle his flush and the nut low. Chambers was eliminated in ninth place.

Larry Wright Doubles Through Michael Fetter

Larry Wright got the last of his stack all in preflop against Michael Fetter. Wright showed AQJ5 and Fetter turned over AKK10. The board ran out J8636 and Wright made his queen high flush and low to double up.

Chad Burum Doubles Through Joseph Haddad

On a flop of K64, Chad Burum got it all in against Joseph Haddad. Burum held A347 for the second nut-low draw, a pair of fours and a back door nut-flush draw and Haddad showed A2910 for the nut-low draw and not much else. The not much else cost him when the turn brought the 2, counterfeiting his low, and the 5 on the gave Burum the wheel and a much needed double up.

Joseph Haddad Triples, Then Doubles

After getting all of his dangerously low stack in preflop against two opponents, Haddad revealed his fours full of tens on the river to triple up. A few hands later, his hole cards made the nut low and nut straight against Larry Wright to double up yet again to about 160,000.

Larry Wright Eliminated in Eighth Place ($27,027)

Larry Wright was all in for his last 17,000 against Casey Kastle. Kastle flopped the nut flush in spades, and Wright was unable to make a low by the river to survive. Wright was eliminated in eighth place.

Joseph Haddad Eliminated in Seventh Place ($34,389)

Martin Klaser raised and Joseph Haddad moved all in over the top. Klaser reluctantly called showing A1035 and he was in relatively bad shape against Haddad's AA24. But the flop gave Klaser the wheel, and Haddad was unable to catch up or improve. Haddad was eliminated in seventh place.

Chad Burum Eliminated in Sixth Place ($44,266)

Chad Burum got his last few thousand in with the second nut-low draw and a flush draw against Martin Klaser's two pair and nut-low draw. The gave Klaser the low and the river bricked to keep his two pair ahead. Burum was eliminated in sixth place.

Michael Fetter Doubles Through Jon Maren

Michael Fetter raised to 60,000 and Jon Maren made the call. The flop came 1055 and Maren bet 130,000. Fetter moved all in and Maren made the call showing A884. Fetter revealed KK42 and the turn and river came 3Q giving Fetter the double up with his kings up. The low failed to materialize and Maren took a hit to his stack.

Jon Maren Eliminated in Fifth Place ($56,019)

On a flop of KQ8, Jon Maren moved all in and was called by Casey Kastle. Kastle turned over 6--6-5-2 and it was surprisingly in the lead of Maren's A-J-3-2. The turn was the 2, giving Maren the nut low draw along with his two overs and gutshot, but the river was the Q, meaning that Kastle's lowly pair of sixes was enough to send Maren to the rail in fifth place.

Michael Fetter Doubles Through Erik Seidel

Michael Fetter got it all in with pocket aces on a flop of 8-4-2 against Erik Seidel's pair of fours and not much else. The Ace on the turn locked up the hand for Fetter, as Seidel didn't have a low draw. Fetter picked up a much needed double up.

Erik Seidel Eliminated in Fourth Place ($68,304)

Erik Seidel and Casey Kastle got it all in preflop. Seidel showed A1043 and Kastle turned over AKK5. The board ran out Q74KQ and Kastle made kings full to eliminate Seidel in fourth place.

Erik Seidel Extends His Card Player (POY) Lead

If my subject math skills are correct, Erik Seidel picked up a whopping 480 points for his fourth place finish in today's event. He already held a 4,100 to 3,400 point lead over second place resident Michael Binger, bringing his new point total to 4,580.

So what does this mean? It means it's going to take more than one big victory to overcome Seidel for (POY) honors.

Michael Fetter Eliminated in Third Place ($83,538)

Michael Fetter was short stacked and all in against Martin Klaser. Fetter held AQ109 and Klaser turned over AQ27. The board came 77610Q and Klaser made trips to send Fetter home in third place.

Martin Klaser Dominates Early

Martin Klaser used his chip lead out of the gates to apply constant pressure to his opponent Casey Kastle. As a result, Klaser won nearly 80 percent of the hands without having to go to a showdown. Kastle was pushed down to just under 10 big blinds.

Martin Klaser Wins Event No. 43 ($216,249)

On a flop of J99 Casey Kastle put in his last 120,000 and Martin Klaser made the call. Klaser turned over an overpair of queens and all Kastle could muster was a pair of jacks. The Queen on the turn sealed the deal, and Klaser won his first WSOP bracelet.

Casey Kastle finished in second place, earning $137,985.

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