Belarus Mikalai Pobal won the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona €5,300 Main Event. The tournament featured a record number of participants for a total prize pool of €5,247,700. Pobal won €1,007,550 for defeating Ilari Sahamies heads-up.
A record number of 1,082 players entered the first Main Event of PokerStars EPT9 in Barcelona, amassing a total prize pool of €5,247,700. The 8-handed final table was played down yesterday to decide the fate of the €1,007,550 first prize. The finale was set up as follows:
Play started on Level 28 (5,000/30,000/60,000) but the blinds raised immediately after the very first hands. First out was renowned pro John Juanda: Samuel Rodriguez opened from the Small Blind to 180,000, Juanda shoved from the Big Blind with 1,665,000 and Rodriguez called after thinking long.
Rodriguez: A 5
Juanda: 5 5x
Board: 8 4 8 7 7
Rodriguez won with top two pairs and an ace kicker, Juanda finished in 8th place.
Antonin Duda and Sinel Anton followed, then Rodriguez in the very next hand to Anton’s elimination, when his flopped two pairs got destroyed by Joni Jouhkimainen’s rivered flush. In 4th place finished Anaras Alekberovas and the heads-up was set with Jouhkimainen’s elimination by a moderately drunk Sahamies after the dinner break on Level 34 (30,000/120,000/240,000).
Ilari Sahamies
Mikalai Pobal: 20,235,000
Ilari Sahamies: 12,225,000
A short, 20 minutes long heads-up saw a final hand where Sahamies raised from the Button to 600,000, Pobal 3-bet to 1,600,000 and Sahamies shoved his 10,485,000. Pobal snap-called and showed pocket rockets.
Pobal: A A
Sahamies: 9 5
Board: A Q 4 J K
The three aces won Pobal an EPT title, €1,007,550, a HD3 Slyde luxury watch and a bracelet.
The end results are as follows: