This weekend saw the conclusion of the third European Poker Tour, with Norwegian Bjorn-Erik Glenne truimphing over a starting field in Barcelona, Spain of 480 poker players, 118 of them qualifying in online tournaments.
Three days and plenty of excitement later, the thirteen players still in the hunt gathered for the final day of play and a crack at the Euro 691 000 top prize. With a list of 45 players “in the money” the first player in the final 13 would go out with at least Euro 20 750, but the competition was still intense with ambitions running high.
Chip counts looked like this:
Jeffrey Lisandro 1,002,300
Bjorn Erik Glenne 955,400
Phil Ivey 827,800
David Daneshgar 397,100
David Gregory 245,800
Joakim Geigert 331,100
David Layani 218,600
Noah Boeken 190,600
Teemu Lahtinen 166,400
Robin Keston 152,200
Kristian Ulriksen 130,200
Jonathan Dull 113,000
Gusten Sjoberg 74,600
Sjoberg was the first to go and collected that Euro 20 000 plus cheque on his way out at number 13. He was followed by Noah Boeken following a clash with French player David Layani. The Frenchman was himself the next victim of the cool, calm and collected Phil Ivey.
On a flop with two sixes on it, Layani went for the pot, confident his over cards were strong on A Q. Ivey was on it instantly and called, showing 6 7 of diamonds. There was no salvation for the Frenchman who had, in the space of two hands, dumped more than a million in chips. Leaving the table at number 11 he collected Euro 25 400.
Short stacked Teemu Lahtinen went out at number 10, leaving the final table of nine to the TV cameras and the charge for the grand prize. Phil Ivey, closely followed by Bjorn-Erik Glenne led in chips, with 1.323 million and 1.209 million respectively. Jeff Lisandro was the closest to them at 888 000 but the rest were some way behind.
Falling victim to moves by Gregory and Glenne, Norwegian Kristian Ulriksen was the first of the final 10 to go, picking up Euro 46 100 in the process. This was followed by an exciting pasage of play that included a double elimination when Dull moved in from early position for his last 101 000 and was called by Glenne. UK player Keston looked at his cards in the small blind, and slammed his remaining chips on to the table with some force.
The two all in players stood up, and left as Keston in 8th place at Euro 69 100 and Californian Dull at 7th with Euro 92 200.One of the favourites, Jeffrey Lisandro was surprisingly the next to go after a showdown with American ace Phil Ivey. The American made a standard raise from the button, and Jeffrey called from the big blind. The flop came 10 9 5. Jeffrey checked, and Phil made an 80,000 bet. Lisandro moved all in, and Ivey called him immediately. Ivey showed 99, and Lisandro turned over 10 9 for top 2 pair, bjut there was no good fortune waiting in the next card and the Italian was out in 6th place with Euro 115 200.
Swedish pro Joakim Geigert was next to go at position 5 with Euro 138 200 after dicing with a relatively low chip count against fellow Scandinavian Glenne. Also with a chip count on the low side, U.S. player David Daneshgar was the loser in a joust with Gregory that saw him leaving the table in position 4 with Euro 161 300.
There was a major difference in chip counts when the final three players faced off. Phil Ivey had 2.2 million against the 1.7 million held by Glenne and Gregory’s 900 000.
Despite this, Glenne played with both confidence and aggression for the next 90 minutes, powering his way into the lead. The Norwegian’s modest attitude and appearance belies a highly competent shorthanded player who has competed at 14 major final tables in his home country of Norway this year…and won 12 of them!
With the chip counts drastically changed to Glenne 3.9 million, Gregory 555 000 and Ivey 386 000, it was time for Gregory to bow out
when he clashed with a bold Glenne and went out at 3rd with Euro 184 000.
With a 12 to 1 chip lead in favour of Glenne, it was heads up time between the Norwegian and Phil Ivey of the USA, and on the sixth hand of heads up play it was all over. Glenne limped in from the button, and Ivey moved in. Glenne called immediately, and showed pocket tens. A ten came on the flop, and Ivey was drawing dead by the turn. Ivey had played three memorable and expert days of poker, and left with Euro 371 000, but there was no stopping the Norwegian who takes the title and the Euro 691 000 that goes with it this year.