Poker Pro and World Champ Nenad Medic Wins First 2008 WSOP Bracelet

Poker pro Nenad Medic becomes first bracelet winner at 2008 World Series of Poker and this year's Pot Limit Holdem World Champion. (Bodog Beat Image)"]

At about midnight last night, the first event of the 2008 World Series of Poker wrapped up by crowning the first World Champion of this year's series when poker pro Nenad Medic took down the $10,000 Pot Limit Holdem World Championship.

Medic, also known as "The Serb" due to his ethnic origins even though he now lives in Canada, had no easy task at the star-studded final table, which included Patrik Antonius, Phil Laak, Mike Sexton, Kathy Liebert and Andy Bloch. Medic entered the final table trailing only Bloch, and the tables would turn as Medic would lead Bloch by a more than two to one margin going head-to-head for the title many hours later.

About an hour of heads-up play was all it took to decide the outcome as Bloch couldn't find any luck, even if it was his birthday and with a rousing round of "Happy Birthday" from the crowd. Maybe he should've blown out the candles and made a wish before going into heads-up play?

This was the first WSOP bracelet, who adds it to the WPT title he also has, in his third WSOP cash. The $794,112 he earned for the win bumps his career earnings over the $3.5 million mark.

Here are the full final table results:

1. Nenad Medic - $794,112
2. Andy Bloch - $488,048
3. Kathy Liebert - $306,064
4. Mike Sexton - $248,160
5. Amit Makhija - $198,528
6. Chris Bell - $157,168
7. Patrik Antonius - $124,080
8. Mike Sowers - $99,264
9. Phil Laak - $74,448

As we said yesterday, such a high-profile final table is a great way to kick off the 2008 WSOP and we are now definitely looking forward to many more such finales. Today at the WSOP things get really, really busy as we mark the start of the $5,000 Mixed Holdem and the $1,500 Pot Limit Holdem events and Day 2 of the record-setting $1,500 No Limit Holdem donkament.

So, stay tuned to the Beat for more live updates from the 2008 WSOP and don't forget to check out Bodog Poker's 2008 WSOP online satellites and your chance to win a $12,000 WSOP VIP Prize Package.