BY TOM SOMACH

Break out the celebratory Italian ice!

After finishing in the money at 17 previous World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournaments over the last 10 years, but never finishing on top, Italy’s Jeffrey “Iceman” Lisandro has finally won his first championship gold WSOP bracelet.

The big win, at the 2007 WSOP currently underway in Las Vegas, came in Event #32, a $2,000 buy-in, seven-card stud tourney with 213 entrants and a total prize pool of $387,660.

Lisandro, who earlier in this year’s WSOP had come in second in Event #13, a pot-limit Omaha competition, and won $294,620, now takes home another $118,426 for his first-place finish in Event #32.

Coming in second in Event #32 was Nick Frangos of Mays Landing, N.J., USA, who earned $65,902.

Lisandro, who hails from Salerno, Italy, has now finished in the money in three 2007 WSOP events, as he also finished in 13th place in Event #7, another pot-limit Omaha tournament that earned him $37,583.

Previously, Lisandro finished in the money in four 2006 WSOP events, four 2005 WSOP events, five 2004 WSOP events and two 1997 WSOP events.

Earlier, in 2007 WSOP Event #31, a $5,000 buy-in, heads-up (two-handed) no-limit Texas hold ‘em tournament with 392 participants and a total prize pool of $1,842,400, the WSOP once again showed its international appeal as the event was won by another foreigner, South Korea’s Daniel Schreiber.

Schreiber, from capital city Seoul, earned $425,594 for his victory.

Finishing in second was Mark Muchnik of Las Vegas, Nev., USA, who took garnered $230,300.

Finishing in fourth was a female player, Vanessa Selbst of Montclair, N.J., USA., who took home $128,968.

Before that, in 2007 WSOP Event #30, a $2,500 buy-in, six-handed no-limit Texas hold ‘em tournament with 847 competitors and a total prize pool of $1,948,100, a cowboy proved that 15 years isn’t too long to wait between championships.

The event was won “Cowboy” Hoyt Corkins, who won his second career WSOP gold bracelet, and for his efforts, won $515,065.

Finishing as runnerup was Terrence Chan of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, who earned $287,345.

Corkins, a native Alabaman who now calls Vegas home, won his first WSOP championship gold bracelet in 1992, in a pot-limit Omaha tourney.

He has now finished in the money in a dozen WSOP events lifetime.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)