On Sunday night, the finale of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event aired on ESPN2. The two-hour broadcast featuring commentary from Norman Chad and Lon McEachern hit television airwaves at 10:00pm ET and began with a final table of nine. For the first time, four Americans made the finale.
Ronald Lee scooped a sizable pot off Englishman James Bord early on to become the tournament’s chip leader. He then went on a run of epic proportions, knocking off opponent after opponent. His first victims were France’s Marc Inizan and Kentucky’s Brian Powell, who were both all-in pre-flop with pocket eights against Lee’s A-K.
After whiffing on the flop, Lee turned a king to leave both opponents drawing dead and each was sent to the rail. Chad bluntly remarked, “Boy, he has a lot of chips.” In fact, Chad was spot on, as Lee held one-third of the chips in play after the double knockout.
Victory Poker CEO Dan Fleyshman doubled up Danny Steinberg to go from the chip leader entering the final table to the short-stack. Fleyshman called Steinberg’s 5bet all-in before the flop with A-Q and his opponent showed pocket kings. The board came 10-10-10-8-6 and Steinberg doubled up.
In a controversial hand, Nicolas Levi pump-faked a call with A-10 on a board of 3-J-A-5-2. His tablemates lambasted him for it and Tournament Director Jack Effel ruled that Levi had indeed called due to his forward motion. Levi apologized for his actions and Fleyshman, who had semi-bluffed with J-10, lost the pot to fall even further in the standings. He ultimately hit the rail after committing his final six big blinds with J-10 of diamonds against Lee’s K-5.
Bord and Levi, the sole U.K. pros left in the field, both doubled to keep their tournament hopes alive. Then, Steinberg called all-in pre-flop with A-J of clubs and was in a race against Lee’s sailboats. The board ran out Q-6-9-3-8 and Steinberg exited in sixth place. Lee then bumped Levi in fifth moments later to stack half of the chips in play. He had knocked out five straight players at that point and was the man to beat at the 2010 WSOP Europe Main Event final table.
Chad jokingly told viewers to open the second episode of the night, “Someone should revoke [Lee’s] passport. He’s a poker terrorist.” Roland de Wolfe was the next to go after committing his final 10 big blinds with K-Q before the flop. Monaco’s Fabrizio Baldassari called with A-8 and promptly flopped two pair. de Wolfe was drawing dead by the river and was eliminated in fourth place.
Bord doubled up through Lee to send the crowd into a frenzy in a scene reminiscent of “Animal House.” Lee’s elimination followed in what Chad dubbed a “swift collapse,” as he ultimately bet his tournament life on pocket fives against Bord’s A-K. Bord flopped a king and no magic was in store on the turn or river. Lee had gone from holding half of the chips in play to out in third.
Bord doubled up through Baldassari with A-K against Q-8 of spades to claim a 2:1 chip lead and, in the final hand of the 2010 WSOP Europe Main Event, Bord 5bet all-in before the flop with pocket tens. Baldassari called with pocket fives and could not draw out. The crowd went nuts and, for the first time, a British player captured the WSOP Europe Main Event bracelet.
In a post-game interview with ESPN2 cameras, Bord thanked fellow young gun Sam Trickett for turning him from a cash game aficionado into a tournament pro. Bord had previously played in Bobby’s Room and the Ivey Room in Las Vegas and now has a major tournament title to hang his hat on.
That wraps up ESPN2’s coverage of the London tournament, which will move to Cannes, France next year.
