ADD FERN TO THE SHORT LIST OF POKER CHAMPS

Rich Southard 3 times
Rick Turner 2007
and now add Jay Fern


Thursday evening, or actually early Friday morning, after just about everyone went home, in their 3rd time meeting for a Poker Championship, Jay Fern finally defeated Rich Southard to take the 2008 FA Final Event Championship.

In a year where we've live through "auction rate preferreds", corporate failures, retentionless job changes, and a 143% decline in the equity markets, we had another first: Jay Fern took down Rich Southard to win the FA league title. It was a well played night, complete with way too much chicken.

The first casualty was Johnny "I gotta get up to drive vroom vroom" Busco who gave away his chips chasing a flush. Rick Turner, our defending champion, went down next. Appropriately, both satellite finishers hit the showers 1-2.

Luke, playing what seemed his one and only hand, bowed out in 6th place. "I'm Pete Costello" who made as many incredible lay downs (pocket kings) as he did calls (A-10), couldn't survive his battles with Rich, and at approximately Pete O'clock he headed home.

Rich Southard had about 55,000 of the 80,000 chips heading into the final 4. As the money bubble was popped, play got less conservative, and Jay's pocket 10's held over Triola's, all-in, pocket 8's. Neil's A-J was then taking out by Rich's 7-8, and it was heads up time, with Rich having a 60k-20k chip advantage. The battle went on for almost an hour and Jay's pocket Jd 9d, chased and hit a flush over Rich's paired A 5, it was over.

Here is the the finished results of the final table:

Fern
Southard
Martucci
Triola
Costello
Lucash
Turner
Busco

A great year, another great group of guys, and another memorable championship, and a new member to the POKER HALL OF CHAMPIONS.