Hevad Khan Wins the Caesars Palace Classic

The cards got into the air at 2 p.m. on the final day of the 2008 Caesars Palace Classic $10,000 no-limit hold’em championship. From the original field of 311 players, 19 returned for the final day of play at two final tables. During the first 2.5 hours of play, Carter Gill (19th), Kevin Albers (18th), Ray Qartomy (17th), Sabyl Cohen (16th), Brent Roberts (15th), Robert Ford (14th), Van Nguyen (13th), Jamie Rosen (12th), and Mike Sexton (11th) were eliminated during the march to the final table. The final 10 players were then given a short break before they returned to the final-table stage at 5:15 p.m. to determine who would walk away with the $1 million first-place prize.

Here is how the final table looked when things got started:

Seat 1: Joseph Cordi -- 2,420,000
Seat 2: John Hennigan -- 2,800,000
Seat 3: Michael Katz -- 2,170,000
Seat 4: Gary Friedlander -- 1,625,000
Seat 5: Michael Fantini -- 1,430,000
Seat 6: Michael Kamran -- 2,150,000
Seat 7: Adam Junglen -- 2,705,000
Seat 8: Jonathan Aguiar -- 3,610,000
Seat 9: Hevad Khan -- 8,675,000
Seat 10: Daniel Schreiber -- 3,625,000

The action began slowly as the players got used to the new scenery, and also because they were hoping to make a larger pay jump in the prize money. It took nearly an hour before Adam Junglen got his money all in to double up in the first major pot at the final table. During the next 40 minutes after that, Gary Friedlander doubled up twice before Michael Katz was the first to fall in 10th place.

That first elimination opened the gates for action once again, and the next seven eliminations went down in a business-as-usual manner with the blinds and antes helping to force along the action. The final battle was a much different affair. It took three hours to crown a champion between Hevad "Rain" Khan and Michael Kamran as they engaged in a seesaw battle. Khan eventually emerged with his first major tournament victory just before 3 a.m., and the $1 million first-place prize gives him well over $2 million in career tournament winnings.

Here are the final-table results:

1st: Hevad Khan -- $1,000,000
2nd: Michael Kamran -- $520,320
3rd: Gary Freidlander -- $266,073
4th: Jonathan Aguiar -- $206,946
5th: Joseph Cordi -- $177,382
6th: Adam Junglen -- $147,818
7th: John Hennigan -- $118,255
8th: Daniel Schreiber -- $88,691
9th: Michael Fantini -- $59,127
10th: Michael Katz -- $35,746

Here were the highlights from the final table, as featured in CardPlayer.com’s live updates:

Michael Katz Eliminated in 10th Place ($35,746)

After getting crippled the hand before, Michael Katz was all in for his last 245,000 from the cutoff. Michael Kamran called from the big blind and showed A 8. Katz showed 7 5 and needed some help to survive.

The board ran out Q J 10 9 2, and Kamran's straight sent Katz out in 10th place. He earned $35,746 for his 10th-place finish.

Michael Fantini Eliminated in Ninth Place ($59,127)

Michael Fantini got all of his chips into the middle preflop, and John Hennigan made the call. Their cards:

Hennigan: A 9
Fantini: J 10

Board: A 10 7 2 4

Fantini was eliminated in ninth place, and he took home $59,127 in prize money. Fantini was one of the September high-hand promotion winners who was awarded a free seat in the Caesars Palace Classic by the Caesars poker room.

Daniel Schreiber Eliminated in Eighth Place ($88,691)

Daniel Schreber moved all in preflop for 1.3 million, and John Hennigan made the call. Hennigan turned over A Q, and Schreiber held 9 7.

The flop was dealt 10 8 3 to keep Hennigan in the lead, but it also gave Schreiber some hope with an open-ended straight draw. The turn brought the 6 to make a 10-high straight for Schreiber, but ... the river fell 10 to make a flush for Hennigan and win him the pot.

Schreiber was eliminated in eighth place on the hand, and he will take home $88,691 in prize money. Hennigan now has 4,350,000.

John Hennigan Eliminated in Seventh Place ($118,255)

John Hennigan moved all in preflop from the hijack seat, and Michael Kamran came over the top of him all in in the cutoff. Adam Junglen called all in from the button, and then all three players turned up their hands:

Kamran: 10 10
Junglen: A K
Hennigan: A 9

Board: Q Q 3 4 6

Hennigan was eliminated in seventh place and he took home $118,255 in prize money. Junglen was knocked down to 1.13 million after the hand, and Kamran shot up to 8.7 million after taking down the massive pot.

Adam Junglen Eliminated in Sixth Place ($147,818)

Michael Kamran bet 420,000, and Adam Juglen raised all in for 1.47 million. Hevad Khan made the call, as did Kamran, and the flop was dealt Q Q 4. Khan and Kamran checked, and the turn fell J. They checked the turn, the 9 fell on the river, and both live players checked again. All three players then turned up their hands:

Khan: A K
Kamran: A K
Junglen: A-8

Khan and Kamran chopped the pot, and Junglen was eliminated in the hand in sixth place. He will take home $147,818 in prize money.

Joseph Cordi Eliminated in Fifth Place ($177,382)

Hevad Khan raised to 450,000 preflop and Joseph Cordi reraised all in for 1.5 million more. Khan made the call and they turned up their hands:

Khan: K K
Cordi: A Q

Board: Q J 5 8 2

Cordi was eliminated in fifth place, and he took home $177,382 in prize money.

Jonathan Aguiar Eliminated in Fourth Place ($206,946)

Michael Kamran raised to 550,000 preflop, and Jonathan Aguiar moved all in. Kamran called him down, and they turned up their cards:

Aguiar: A 10
Kamran: A A

Board: Q 8 7 J 4

Aguiar was eliminated in fourth place and he will take home $206,946 in prize money.

Gary Friedlander Eliminated in Third Place ($266,073)

Gary Friedlander got all of his chips into the middle preflop, and Hevad Khan made the call. Their cards:

Khan: J J
Friedlander: 9 9

Board: 6 5 4 6 8

Friedlander was eliminated in third place, and he will take home $266,073 in prize money.

Heads-Up Chip Counts

Here were the chip counts for heads-up action:

Hevad Khan: 17,150,000
Michael Kamran: 14,075,000

Kamran Takes One Down with a Close Call

Hevad Khan raised to 600,000 preflop from the button, and Michael Kamran made the call. The flop was dealt J J 10, and Kamran checked. Khan bet 675,000, and Kamran made the call. The 2 fell on the turn, and Kamran bet 1.2 million. Khan made the call, and the river fell 2. Kamran checked, Khan bet 2 million, and Kamran made the call. Kamran showed down A 5, and he took down the pot when Khan mucked. Kamran now holds 16.5 million to Khan's 14.7 million.

Kamran Pulls Away

Hevad Khan raised to 800,000, and Michael Kamran made the call from the big blind. The flop was dealt Q J J, and Kamran checked. Khan bet 850,000, and Kamran called. The turn was dealt A, and both players checked. The river fell 2, and Kamran bet 1.1 million. Khan mucked. and he was down to 9.7 million.

A few hands later, Khan made the call from the button, and Khan raised to 1 million preflop. Kamran made the call and the flop was dealt A Q 2. Khan bet 1 million, and Kamran made the call. The 4 on the turn was checked by both players, and then the 7 fell on the river. Khan checked, Kamran bet 1 million, and he picked up two million more from Khan when he mucked.

Hevad Khan Doubles Up

Hevad Khan raised to 800,000 preflop, and Michael Kamran reraised to 2.8 million. Khan reraised all in for 6.55 million more, and Kamran made the call. Their cards:

Khan: J J
Kamran: A 10

Board: Q 10 8 K 9

Khan doubled up on the hand to survive, and he now holds 17.9 million. After a solid year of acting very subdued in his celebarating in an attempt to break the public image of him over-celebrating at the 2007 WSOP, Khan allows himself a momentary respite. "This is my night," yelled Khan after the hand.

Hevad Khan Wins the Caesars Palace Classic ($1,000,000)

Hevad Khan raised to 800,000 from the button, and Michael Kamran made the call from the big blind. The flop was dealt J 9 2, and Kamran checked. Khan bet 900,000, and Kamran raised all in. Khan thought for a moment and made the call. Their cards:

Khan: J 6
Kamran: K 10

The turn was the 7, giving Kamran more outs. He needed a king, queen or an 8 to stay alive, but the river was the 10, giving the pot and the tournament to the BULLDOZER!

Khan let out a loud scream and picked up his chair in celebration. A crowd of drunken night clubbers came in to chant with the champion as he showed a bit of the old "Rain" Khan after more than a year of self-imposed silence.

Meanwhile, Khan took home $1 million, a Breitling watch and the custom Caesars Palace Classic Championship trophy.

Check out Khan's celebration and interview below:

Most Viewed Articles