Tony G wins the 2005 European Poker Championships
The cream of the poker crop in Europe has gathered in the famous Victoria Casino in London. With almost half a million dollars waiting for the winner, the play will be fierce.
Today is the final day of this £ 5000 buy in event. Many top players entered in this event, and many of the mighty fell early. Current chip leader is the infamous Tony G. Tony, an awesome poker prospect in his own right, may be more familiar to readers from his exploits on the World Poker Tour in Paris. Tony had a tough day one but reports suggest he simply 'ran over' the field on day two, collecting a huge stack of chips and began the day with great prospects for a huge win.
Bookmakers have set the odds on Tony G. winning this event to 9/4, making him a clear favourite.
Here are the current chip stacks and odds from Bluesq.com:
Tony G (314.4k) - 9/4
E Moncada (179.9k) - 4/1
S Sundbo (241.5k) - 5/1
P Roche (140k) - 11/2
D Rudling (172.2k) - 13/2
V Kanwar (79.9k) - 10/1
K Vasiliou (46.3k) - 14/1
S Nash (24.1k) - 20/1
A Besnanou (14.3k) - 33/1
After day two the final table of 9 players looks this way:
1. Tony G. 314,400 chips
2. Sverre Sundbo 241,500
3. Edward Moncada 179,900
4. David Rudling 172,200
5. Peter Roche 140,000
6. Victor Kanwar 79,900
7. K. Vasiliou 46,300
8. Stuart Nash 24,100
9. Angelo Besnanou 14,300
Some famous names which were eliminated in the Main Event:
Max Pescatori
Simon Trumper
Dave Colclough
Harry Demetriou
Scott Fischman
The prize pool of this tournament:
1st - £260,000 ($465,189)
2nd - £121,178 ($216,811)
3rd - £69,090 ($123,514)
4th - £39,300 ($70,313)
5th - £26,320 ($47,090)
6th - £23,030 ($41,210)
7th - £19,740 ($35,323)
8th - £16,375 ($29,308)
9th - £13,100 ($23,446)
10th - £6,000 ($10,738)
11th - £5,000 ($8,950)
12th - £5,000 ($8,950)
Here is a "live" report, which we will try to update as often as possible:
The final table of The Main Event of The European Poker Championship 2005 has begun. Despite a delay of more than 2 hours and 15 minutes because of TV crew and casino personnel problems. The delay was sort of amusing - it turns out that TV cameras and the glass openings on the table, where the players put their hole cards so the TV cameras can see them were a little too revealing - The players could also see ALL the cards. Also, we had a short delay, because someone stole the button from the table, and they had to go get a new one. Throughout the drama, the players took it in stride, and soon enough - cards were in the air.
The chip counts when play began were:
1. Tony G. 314.400 chips
2. Sverre Sundbo 241.500
3. Edward Moncada 179.900
4. David Rudling 172.200
5. Peter Roche 140.000
6. Victor Kanwar 79.900
7. K. Vasiliou 46.300
8. Stuart Nash 24.100
9. Angelo Besnanou 14.300
The winner will take home a nice £ 240,000 prize. Still, the 9th place winner will not leave empty handed - he will take home £13,100 ($23,446). This will be enough to cover the hotel expenses and buy in. Maybe the 9th place finisher will stop by a souvenir stand on the way home...
Tony G is playing aggressively early, but has run into a couple hands, and lost a couple big pots to David Rudling.
Angelo Besnanou moves all in, and is called by David Rudling...Vasiliou also calls. Besnanou has KQ, Rudling has A9 and Vasiliou shows AJ.
The board comes 10 8 3 K 9. David Rudling's A9 takes the side pot., and Angelo's KQ takes the main pot. K. Vasiliou is out with £13,100 ($23,446) for 9th place.
Next, Tony G plays a pot against David Rudling. K 10 2 6 8 on the board and Tony wins 40,000 chips, showing K7.
Stuart Nash moved in with KQ. Peter Roche called him with AK. Stuart began rejoicing when a queen hit the flop, but an Ace on a river spelled Stuart's doom. 8th place and he is coming home with £16,375 ($29,308).
Next, Victor Kanwar beat put a bad beat on Sverre Sundbo with 3 3 against AA. The flop was A 7 4. The situation seemed hopeless for Kanwar, but a runner runner 6 and 5 on the turn & river made the Norwegian remember something about bad beats. Sundbo is left with about 200K chips. Victor has got about 120K chips now.
Sundbo then won more than 100K against Tony G and now he is a chip leader with about 320K.
Here are the chip counts seven handed.
1 Sverre Sundbo 300,000 Norway
2 Peter Roche 250,000 UK
3 David Rudling 220,000 UK
4 Tony G. 160,000 Lithuania
5 Edward Moncada 140,000 Bolivia
6 C. Kanwar 80,000 UK
7 Angelo Besnanou 70,000 France
We are now down to six, as Angelo Besanou's sevens ran into David Rudling's KJ. A King hit the flop, and Besanou hit the road, taking with him £19,740 ($35,323) for his 7th place finish to help soothe his wounds.
Now down to six, the chip counts look like this.
1. Sverre Sundbo 374,000
2. Tony G 242,800
3. David Rudling 206,800
4. Peter Roche 200,000
5. Edward Moncada 90,600
6. Viktor Kanwar 69,300
We were down to five moments later, as Victor Kanwar took his A 9 into battle against Tony G.'s K Q. A nine hit the flop, but a King hit the river, and Kanwar was feeling like anything but a King as he exited in 6th place, and pocketed £23,030 ($41,210).
Moncada proceeded to get really short, but survived a couple all in bets, and after Moncada doubled up a couple times, the chip counts looked like this.
1. Sverre Sundbo 400,000
2. Tony G 370,000
3. Peter Roche 190,000
4. David Rudling 140,000
5. Edward Moncada 138,000
Next to go was Peter Roche. In an Epic battle that resulted in a huge pot, Tony G's threes held up against Peter's A 10. Peter Roche - 5th place - £39,300 ($70,313).
Very shortly thereafter, we lost our next player. David Rudling moved all his chips in with K J of spades. The flop had brought two spades, but also an Ace. Ed Moncada had an Ace, called, and when no third spade appeared, David was free to go. David Rudling - 4th place - £ 39,300
Now down to three, the chip counts were...
1. Tony G 670,000
2. Sverre Sundbo 374,400
3. Edward Moncada 180,200
Three handed play lasted for a fair bit of time, and actually saw Tony G nearly to the felt. Tony doubled up a couple times, and was back in business when the following hand played out.
Ed Moncada liked the scenario: All the money had managed to get in with Ed having pocket Jacks, and Sverre having A 6. The unbelievable happened when no Ace came on the board, but Ed was eliminated when the flop brought two sixes. This has been a breakout year for Ed with his first WSOP bracelet, and third in the this tournament. Congrats, Ed. Edward Moncada - 3rd place - £69,090 ($123,514).
Now down to heads up, the chip counts were
1. Sverre Sundbo 890,000
2. Tony G 330,000
Nearly out chipped three to one, Tony G mounted a fierce comeback, and doubled up when Sverre called him with Ace high, and Tony had flopped three nines. Tony managed to take some pots off Sverre, and Tony soon took the chip lead. Once the chip leader, it wasn't long until the final hand of the night came up.
With Tony G holding 8 4, and Sverre holding K Q, the flop came K 8 8. It wasn't long until all the money went in, and it was all over. Congrats to Tony G - winner of the 2005 European Poker Championships.
Tony G - Champion - £ 260,000 ($465,189)
Sverre Sundbo - 2nd place - £ 121,178 ($216,811)
