BY TOM SOMACH

Tom Schneider is the first double-winner at this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas.

Schneider, of Phoenix, Ariz., USA, who last month won WSOP Event #5, a mixed Omaha and stud event, has now won WSOP Event #46, a $1,000 buy-in, seven-card stud high-low eight-or-better tournament with 668 entrants and a total prize pool of $607,880.

He earns $147,713 for the victory, which, combined with the $214,347 he earned for winning Event #5, gives him total earnings of $362,060 for his two championship gold bracelet wins at the 2007 WSOP.

The latest win was actually Schneider’s third cash-out at this year’s WSOP–he finished fourth in Event #16 and won $54,913, so all in all he’s won $416,973 at the ‘07 WSOP.

Finishing as runnerup to Schneider in Event #46 was Hoyt Verner of Orlando, Fla., USA, who takes home $$82,064.

Finishing fourth was poker pro Scotty Nguyen of Las Vegas, Nev., USA, who picks up $31,610.

In other WSOP action, Blair Rodman of Las Vegas won Event #47, a $2,000 buy-in, no-limit Texas hold ‘em tournament with 2,038 participants and a total prize pool of $3,709,160.

He earns $707,898 for the victory.

Finishing second was Amato Galasso, hometown unknown, who earns $448,808.

Other notables who moneyed in the event were poker pro T.J. Cloutier of Richardson, Tex., USA, who finished 17th and won $25,593; actress Jen Tilly of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, who finished 30th and won $18,546; and Henderson, Nevada’s Rene Angelil, compulsive gambler, husband and manager of singer Celine Dion, who finished 173rd and won $4,080.

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