It’s been a hectic week on the shores of the Mediterranean as the European Poker Tour kicks the afterburners of the inaugural event of its Season 12 schedule at the Casino Barcelona in Spain. They have crowned two High Roller champions earlier this week and, by the close of the weekend, will have a Main Event and “only” a €10K High Roller champions to add to the list.
€50,000 Super High Roller
Coming out of a record setting field on the EPT for such a high buy in event, former “November Niner” Sylvain Loosli earned the victory over Dzmitry Urbanovich to take down a million Euro payday in the Super High Roller event.
Australia’s Michael Egan headed the final table of nine men who came back to contest for the Super High Roller crown, but Christoph Vogelsang and Urbanovich were poised on his hip waiting to strike. At the start of the final table, Loosli wasn’t a concern of any of the other players as he sat as the next to lowest stack (only Ivan Luca held fewer chips), but the same loose style that Loosli displayed in finishing fourth at the 2011 World Series of Poker Championship Event started to appear as he doubled up in the early going when his K-J outran an opponent’s Big Slick.
Following the elimination of Byron Kaverman in ninth, the official final table of eight was set. That field quickly became seven as J. C. Alvarado knocked off Paul Newey in eighth, Alvarado (A-K) winning the classic race against Newey (pocket Queens) on an A-9-3-6-K board. Loosli, meanwhile, dropped to 370K in chips after losing with K-J against Luca, but got healthy again in doubling back through Urbanovich with a K-8 against Urbanovich’s A-Q on a 4-7-J-5-8 board.
After coming in as the short stacks, both Loosli and Luca would prove to be thorns in the sides of the rest of the table. Luca knocked out Steve O’Dwyer in seventh place, but then would turn around and double up Loosli. Unfortunately for Luca, his rollercoaster ride would end in sixth place at the hands of Urbanovic (Urbanovic’s pocket tens standing over Luca’s pocket sixes), but Loosli continued to charge.
Urbanovich took down Egan in fifth and Vogelsang in third (Loosli upended Alvarado in fourth place) to enter heads up play with a slight lead, but that was where the party ended for Urbanovich. From the start of the mano y mano battle, Loosli never would look back in controlling the action. With just 5.1 million chips in front of him (and the blinds at 200K/400K with a 50K ante), Urbanovich pushed in from the button and Loosli immediately made the call. It was one of the few times that Loosli had the lead, his pocket fives against Urbanovich’s J-10 off suit, and after another five hit the turn for a set, Loosli had Urbanovich drawing dead in becoming the champion of the €50,000 Super High Roller event.
1. Sylvain Loosli, €1.224 million
2. Dzmitry Urbanovich, €841,500
3. Christoph Vogelsang, €551,485
4. J. C. Alvarado, €446,800
5. Michael Egan, €358,900
6. Ivan Luca, €280,500
7. Steve O’Dwyer, €221,000
8. Paul Newey, €168,700
€25,000 One-Day High Roller
Although it was supposed to only take one day, the size of the field (152 entries) and the skill of its competitors (action went more than 16 hours on Tuesday) required that three players had to come back on Thursday to determine the champion of the One-Day High Roller. Three former EPT champions – Martin Finger (7.64 million chips), Liv Boeree (3.86 million) and Mark Teltscher (3.7 million) – were in their chairs on Thursday afternoon and rapidly decided the champion in the tournament.
Boeree came out aggressive in the early action but neither gentleman would take her up on her offer. After a half hour of Boeree pushing, however, Teltscher decided to look her up and chose the right time to do so. Teltscher’s A♣ 4♦ held the edge on Boeree’s Q♣ 10♥, but the flop brought some fun and games in coming down A♥ J♥ 5♠ to pair Teltscher but give Boeree a gut shot straight draw. Boeree added a flush draw to the mix when the 9♥ came on the turn, but Teltscher was able to dodge the twelve outs (three non-heart Kings and nine hearts) after the 7♣ hit the river to eliminate Boeree in third place.
After putting the kibosh on any deal discussions, Finger wasted little time in getting the tournament over with. Teltscher would take an early advantage after 15 minutes of heads up play, but one move from Teltscher changed the complexion of the game. Moving all in from the button, Teltscher surely wasn’t pleased with the call out of Finger and, once the cards were on their backs, it was obvious why. Teltscher had two overs with his K-Q off suit against Finger’s pocket Jacks, but the eight-high board didn’t bring any assistance to Teltscher as he handed the lead over to Finger with the double.
Another 15 minutes later and the event was over. Teltscher shoved from the button and, after asking for a count, Finger made a tentative call. Teltscher was live with his J-9 against Finger’s A-4, but nothing connected for Teltscher on the King-high board, giving the German the championship and another six figure payday.
1. Martin Finger, €865,900
2. Mark Teltscher, €586,500
3. Liv Boeree, €391,000
4. Jani Sointula, €320,300*
5. Mike McDonald, €257,000*
6. Isaac Haxton, €199,200*
7. Jeff Rossiter, €147,500
8. Iacopo Brandi, €108,400*
* – eliminated on Tuesday
