Akenhead Eliminated from the WSOP in Ninth PlaceBritish Pro is Done After Miraculous Double-Up Earlier |
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Little did James Akenhead know that Kevin Schaffel, the Florida father of two, would become his nemesis at today’s final table. But after their second major confrontation together, Schaffel has shown Akenhead the door. The young British pro is the first person eliminated at the 2009 main-event final table.
Akenhead was riding high after his earlier triple-up through Eric Buchman and Steven Begleiter, where he spiked a three-outer on the river after his K-Q shove was way behind Buchman’s A-K.
The Brit’s words to Card Player TV earlier this week, where he said that he “felt lucky” going into the final table, resonated all the more loudly after that hand.
But Akenhead’s luck would come to an abrupt end about an hour later when his kings ran into Schaffel’s aces. The cooler sent Akenhead back into ninth place and in desperate need of another double-up. However, that double-up would never come.
Akenhead pushed in his remaining chips with pocket threes, only to somberly watch as Schaffel looked him up with pocket nines.
When the board ran out 10-7-2-2-9, Akenhead came to the painful realization that he was this year’s Craig Marquis. He shook hands with his competitors before being escorted out of the Penn and Teller Theater.
In the lobby, Akenhead swallowed several times but stayed composed as he answered questions from reporters about how it felt to finish in ninth.
“It’s obviously very disappointing, but what are you going to do?” Akenhead said. The British pro said he thought he played his best, and didn’t have any regrets about his final-table performance.
After the throng of reporters allowed Akenhead to escape, he slowly walked away, Miller-Lite in hand. But before he could get too far, a woman asked for his autograph. He smiled and signed her shirt, putting his name just below Doyle Brunson’s.
Watch Akenhead on Card Player TV minutes after his bustout:
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