1 Erik Seidel, Las Vegas, NV $967,390 2 Robert Richardson, Grand Rapids, MI $558,792 3 Andrew Barta, Clifton, NJ $281,011 4 Frank Cieri, Yonkers, NY $200,261 5 Adam Katz, Delray Beach, FL $151,811 6 Ted Forrest, Las Vegas, NV $103,360 7 Natale L Kuey, Bronx, NY $71,061 8 Allen Bari, West Orange, NJ $48,450 9 Michael J Farris, Pelham, NH $40,378 10 Steven M Weinstein, Andes, NY $33,915 11 Rajendra D Patel, Rocky Hill, CT $33,915 12 Randolph W Spain, Brewer, ME $33,915 13 Christopher Dombrowski, Dade City, FL $30,685 14 Joseph F Simmons Jr, Philadelphia, PA $30,685 15 John Spadavecchia, Lighthouse Pt, FL $30,685 16 Benjamin B Zamani, Boca Raton, FL $29,070 17 Matthew J Brady, Havertown, PA $29,070 18 Michael Santoro, Egg Harbor Tnsp, NJ $29,070 19 Richard J Meli, Hopewell Jct, NY $27,455 20 Edward E Sabat, Lancaster, CA $27,455 21 J Brock Parker, Silver Spring, MD $27,455 22 Khenh Chanthamala, East Lyme, CT $25,840 23 James M Martin, Fall River, MA $25,840 24 Paul L Darden, Hamden, CT $25,840 25 Edwin Ting, Bronx, NY $24,225 26 Eddie D Gravalese, Revere, MA $24,225 27 James M Silva, Bridgewater, MA $24,225 28 Alexander J Kamberis, Round Lake, IL $22,610 29 James M Petrillo, South Easton, MA $22,610 30 Paul Snead, Kings Park, NY $22,610 31 Chris W McCormack, Las Vegas, NV $22,610 32 Philip G Bodey, Southington, CT $22,610 33 Daniel J Woolson, Worcester, MA $22,610 34 Kenneth L Adams, Washington, DC $22,610 35 Scott L Blackman, Webster, NY $22,610 36 David J Stefanski, Waterford, CT $22,610 37 Jason M Suh, Los Angeles, CA $22,610 38 Joseph R Tehan, Las Vegas, NV $22,610 39 Kevin Mason, Everett, MA $22,610 40 Matthew R Crawley, Poughkeepsie, NY $22,610

ERIK SEIDEL GRINDS OUT THE VICTORY!
WINS $967,390!!!

The 2008 Foxwoods Poker Classic WPT $10,000 No-Limit Championship became a grinding affair which took almost 12 hours from start to finish. In the end, Erik Seidel, the poker pro from Las Vegas, NV, emerged victorious over the relative amateur, Robert Richardson, to win his first WPT $10,000 Championship.

The Final Table got underway just after 5 pm and it took almost 3 hours to lose a player. Before the night began, it appeared that there would be a showdown between the poker pros Erik Seidel and Ted ForrestBut it was to be as Ted lost with pocket 9's to Andrew's pocket K's to double up Andrew to the tune of over 800K. He was finally all-in with pocket J's but Robert Richardson turned over pocket A's and Ted would return home to Las Vegas, NV, as the 6th place winner of $103,360! Adam Katz, of Delray Beach, FL, saw his stack erode as the night wore on and after a Qh6s5h flop he went all-in over a 140K bet by Robert with QJ; Robert called the all-in with Kh7h. Robert had the flush draw but he did not need the heart when a K came on the river to leave Adam in 5th place with $151,811! Robert knocked out his third player in a row and ended Frank Cieri's run from the final table short stack. Frank twice looked at club flush draws but neither panned out. He had Jc10c and was all-in after a Kc4cJ flop; Robert called with K10 which held up. Frank was left with just over 200K and Robert doubled up to over 5M. Shortly thereafter, Frank, who earned his entry through the ACT tournaments, was the 4th place winner. Frank, a resident of Yonkers, NY, would take home $200,261 for his effort at the final table.

Robert had gained the chip lead but could not sustain his momentum as the three players remaining proceeded to play for nearly six hours before the outcome was decided. The chips moved around the table to no one advantage; at one point during a TV time-out, each player had over 3M with less than 300K separation. The crucial hand for Andrew Barta occurred when he went all-in with AQ over Erik's 280K bet. Erik called the all-in and turned over pocket J's. With a J on the flop and no help from the board, Andrew was left with 30K and his fate was sealed. His Q10 in the next hand could not top Erik's AQ and Andrew would return home to Clifton, NJ, in third place with $281,011!

After the money presentation, heads-up action began with Erik holding almost an 8 to 1 edge in chips over Robert Richardson. With play as slow as it had been, the end came quite suddenly in the first hand. Erik bet 280K which Robert called. After an AK9 flop, Erik bet 300K and Robert called. An 8 on the turn caused Robert to move all-in which Erik immediately called with AJ. Robert showed 97 and a K on the river was enough to leave the Grand Rapids, MI, resident with 2n place winnings of $558,792!!

And Erik Seidel was the winner of the 2008 Foxwoods Poker Classic $10,000 Championship. Along with the Championship trophy and commemorative leather jacket, Erik wins a $25,500 seat in the WPT World Champion-ship in Las Vegas as well as the first place prize of $967,390!!

Reported by Jeffrey A. Toth for Foxwoods Resort Casino

2008 Foxwoods Poker Classic