Vance takes EPT Copenhagen

02/25/2008

This weekend's final table for the Pokerstars European Poker Tour Copenhagen championship met expectations for skill and excitement, with the survivors from a third day field of 39 players going after a slice of the giant $4 156 270 prize-pool generated by a total entry field of 460 hopefuls.

That field had seen the likes of EPT Dortmund teenage champ Michael McDonald, EPT Prague champ Arnaud Mattern, 1980 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Tom McEvoy, 2008 Party Poker Premier League champion Andy Black and 2007 WSOP bracelet winner Katja Thater competing, along with WSOP fave Alex Kravchenko and many other well respected names.

American player Timothy Vance, who had qualified online in a Pokerstars tournament, held a significant chip lead going into the final table, and he managed to maintain supremacy through to the exciting finish. Starting with 1 408 000 chips, he was way ahead of nearest rival Rasmus Hede Nielsen (789 000) who in turn had a considerably larger stack than other final tablers Daniel Ryan, Soren Jensen, Magnus Hansen, Nicolas Dervaux, Patrick Andersson and Simon Dorsland.

This was a prize-pool with major benefits for final tablers, and when Andersson headed for the rail as the first elimination he collected an impressive $113 151 for his number 8 placing. Dorsland (159 250) was next to go, taken down by Vance, and he was followed by Dervaux with a $201 158 pay cheque for his sixth position.

Ryan took the number 5 spot and a $255 648 payday, followed by Nielsen, who lost a coin flip with Vance to depart in fourth for $310 119. Three handed play went on for some time between survivors Jensen, Vance and Hansen until the latter fell foul of Jensen and headed for the exit, setting the scene for an epic heads up struggle that was to last for over 5 hours between two players evenly matched in chipstacks and skills.

After a see-saw battle, it was Vance who managed to pull a close-fought contest out of the hat, winning the EPT Copenhagen title, a seat at the Monte Carlo EPT Grand Final and a massive $1 236 095 winner's cheque. His worthy opponent was well rewarded, too - Soren Jensen's second place payout was $699 724.