ROGER HAIRABEDIAN BECOMES FRANCE
Today, the eyes of the poker world were on the World Series of Poke Europe €2,000 No Limit Hold’em final table. The interest in the relatively small buy-in event was rather high, as there was a chance at poker history. After all, Erik Seidel was chip leader with a massive stack.

Well, this event made history, but the one breaking records was not the eight-time WSOP bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Famer. Instead it was Frenchman Roger Hairabedian, who defeated Seidel heads-up to win his second gold bracelet and €148,820. He also became the first player in the series’ seven-year history to win multiple WSOPE bracelets.
 
For Hairabedian the bragging rights and the bracelets are more important than the money. In his winner interview, he admitted that the money mattered less than the title.  He also alluded to critics of his play in the past and cited this second win as proof that he can really play.
 
"They have to give me credit now," Hairabedian said. "What else can I do? Win a WSOP event on the moon?"

Hairabedian may not be a household name, but he is one of the most accomplished poker players in French poker history, ranking third on the country’s all-time money list with over $4 million in earnings. Now he can also boast that he is the only player of the 13 French bracelet winners to have more than one bracelet to his name.
 
Hairabedian isn't stopping there though. When asked what he wants to accomplish in poker, he was quick to pay homage to his heads-up opponent.
 
"I want eight bracelets, like Erik. I have a big arm for them."

The €2,000 No Limit Hold’em event drew a nice field of 337 players, generating a prize pool of €647,040. The top 36 players made the money and some of the notable finishers included bracelet winner James Dempsey (35th), Martin Jacobson (26th), Lee Markholt (25th), Jonathan Little (22nd), 2010 WSOP Main Event winner Jonathan Duhamel (16th), and bracelet winner Giovanni Rosadoni (14th).

Another player to cash in this event? Thirteen-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, who notched his 100th career WSOP cash. Hellmuth continues to lead the all-time cashes list and extends his lead as well as become the first player to hit the century-mark in that particular category.

This final table was one of the most accomplished assembled here in France this series. It featured four bracelet winners in eight-time winner Erik Seidel, Kevin Song, Roger Hairabedian, and Max Greenwood. It also included last year’s WSOPE High Roller winner Mike Watson and three-time WSOP final tablist Matan Krakow.

Here are the final table results for the €2,000 No Limit Hold’em:

1st: Roger Hairabedian - France - €148,820
2nd: Erik Seidel - USA - €92,003
3rd: Kevin Song – United States - €67,118
4th: Matan Krakow – Israel - €49,784
5th: Erwann Pecheux - France - €37,502
6th: Mike Watson- Canada - €28,683
7th: Max Greenwood – Canada - €22,258
8th: Ariel Silveira – France - €17,521
9th: Arnaud Peyroles – France - €13,989