Spegel wins WSOP event 4

Generating plenty of action this week at the World Series of Poker was the three day event number 4 - the $1,500 Pot Limit Hold 'Em which attracted 780 entrants, many of them highly experienced and professional poker players.

By Day 2 this has shrunk to 512, buoyed by the knowledge that they were all "in the money" thanks to a generous prize-pool. The eventual final table survivors from this formidable field featured a number of big names, and included Eric Lynch, Gavin Smith (the chip leader) William Hill, Thomas Savitsky ( 5 WSOPS) Mike Spegel (2 WSOPS) Bruce Van Horn, Marco Traniello, Jon Friedberg and Jeff Langdon.

After an uneventful 20 or more hands, Marco Traniello was sent to the rail by Gavin Smith in ninth place,covering his buy-in handsomely with the $14 925 paycheck. Hand 39 was time for Jeff Langdon to exit in 8th place ($20 255) again taken down by Smith.

Clearly on a roll, Smith took out Eric Lynch next, sending him home with $27 718 for his 7th position finish. Although Smith continued to play aggressive poker, it was Jon Friedberg who eliminated the next casualty when he took down Bruce Van Horn around Hand 51, leaving the downcast Van Horn with the consolation of a sixth position payday of $36 779.

Fifth place, and $47 943 richer, went to Thomas Savitsky after a clash with William Hill ended his chance at the really big money. Hill had the tables turned on him and departed next in fourth place with $67 162 after losing to Mike Spegel, who went on to take out Friedberg at number 3 ($101 276) to enter the heads up with Gavin Smith and continue playing for a further 25 hands, ending up with a two-to-one chip advantage at the dinner break.

The final denouement came around the 50th heads up hand after some great poker that entertained a large crowd to the full. Spegel had steadily eroded Smith's chips stack, and finally prevailed to take the $252 290 winner's prize, leaving the ebullient Smith with a second prize worth $155 645.