It was a star-studded event at the
World Poker Open, held from January 20, 2008 to January 24, 2008 at the Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, Massachusetts. Two former WPT winners made it to the final table on the last day of the 5-day event, which saw 259 hopefuls vying for the total pool prize of $2,512,300. Each entrant paid $10,000 to play and there were 27 payouts during the course of the tournament.
At the start of the final game, there were Kassem “Freddy” Deeb and Hoyt Corkins, who each hold 1 WPT title and 2 WSOP bracelets, set to do battle to clinch another title. Game play began at 4pm CST and the seating arrangements and chip count at the start of the final game were as follows:
- Seat 1 – Kassem “Freddy” Deeb with 1,345,000 chips
- Seat 2 – Brett Faustmann with 1,282,000 chips
- Seat 3 – Gabriel “Gabe” Costner with 1,181,000 chips
- Seat 4 – Men “The Master” Nguyen with 729,000 chips
- Seat 5 – Hoyt “The Alabama Cowboy” Corkins with 395,000 chips
- Seat 6 – John Spadavecchia with 256,000 chips
The final table began play at Level 17 with blinds at 10,000 – 20,000 and 3,000 antes. Corkins despatched Spadavecchia within 40 minutes and five hands of thestart. Spadavecchia went home with $96,477. Deeb and Nyugen indulged in verbal sparring before Costner was eliminated by Corkins with his second KO of the match. Costner exited with $123,000 in prize winnings.
At heads up play, the Alabama Cowboy faced off with Brett Faustmann, an outsider who was not a favorite to win the title. Faustmann had a slight lead over Corkins in chip count, with his 2,715,000 against Corkins’ 2,470,000. Faustmann wrestled Corkins to the mat with a winning hand of Queen diamonds and Queen spades to Corkins’ pocket deuces. Faustmann won $892,413 in cash and the WPO title whilst Corkins made do with $458,267 as the runner-up. Nguyen was in third pace with $241,193 in winnings and Deeb finished his final table stint with $168,835.
Brett Faustmann is a married native of Fowlerville, Michigan, aged 28. During his college days, he was a top wrestler. Now, however, he’s deviated from the wrestling matches to become an insurance salesman. Faustmann used to be a poker dealer at one time and his interest in the game was piqued at that point. He’s had 2 cashes and 1 first place finish. Faustmann received a gold and diamond bracelet for the World Poker Open.
-- Reinu C.
