Pros Step Up in WSOP 2008

With bracelets for Matusow and Negreanu and final tables for Greenstein, Benyamine and other pros, the temperature rose markedly on day 12 of WSOP 2008.

If the first fifteen events of 2008 WSOP saw mostly unknown amateurs battling it out on the final tables, in the latest events a range of well-known pros stepped up and dominated the picture.

Event 18 saw the most illustrious final table so far in this year's series, with players like Jeffrey Lisandro, Barry Greenstein, Tony G and David Benyamine playing for a coveted bracelet.

Second bracelet for Matusow

Obviously very few amateurs are ready to cough up $5,000 to play in a No-Limit 2-7 Draw tournament with re-buys. There were also very few online satellites to this one.

Only 85 players entered the competition, and in the end no one less than Mike "The Mouth" Matusow won the whole shebang to the tune of $540K.

Negreanu takes fourth bracelet

By winning Event 20, a $2,000 Limit Holdem tournament with 480 entrants, Daniel Negreanu proved that he's not only a successful big-bet hustler. Clearly, he also masters the more mathematical play in fixed limit games.

This was the fourth golden bracelet for Negreanu, and chances are he'll make more of the same metal before this year's WSOP is over.