Un jugador de CelebPoker casi deja de ganar el ECPT Malta

Un jugador de CelebPoker…

CelebPoker player John V has come second in this year’s ECPokerTour Malta, winning a fantastic €31,200. Up against 150 other players, John battled it out over three days to make the final table and secure his biggest live win to date.

The ECPokerTour was held at the prestigious Casino di Venezia in Vittoriosa, Malta. John and four other players qualified online at CelebPoker to win a $5000 package, including the $1500+$150 buy-in and 4 nights' full-board accommodation at the 5-star Excelsior Grand Hotel in Valletta. Unlike many other poker tournaments, 5-star service for the CelebPoker players is an integral part of the package won and not an oversight.

The tournament started on Friday 13th November; unlucky for most, but ultimately not for John! The first day’s action was intense with the starting 150 players being whittled down to 65 by the end of the day.

John’s key hand of the first day was when holding pocket aces. The player under the gun raised pre-flop to 1800 chips and was called by another player at the table. John had a 7K chip stack and pushed all-in, to which the other player called showing KsKx. His heartbeat feeling like it was at 200bpm, the flop came AsQs7s to give John a set of aces. This other player was hanging onto a spade flush draw. The turn came with a 7 to complete John’s full house, leaving the river card redundant and John up to 16K chips.

Still a long way from the leaders, who had flown off with much higher chip stacks, John continued to play solidly to end the first day with 23,900 chips.

The second day saw some great action and for John a fine bit of luck also. With only 20 places paid in the tournament and 21 players remaining, the bubble boy was to be ejected in this hand John partook. John, with his pocket sevens, re-raised a player 9000 pre-flop, to be called by his opponent and another, giving a three way pot on the flop which came 3c7cTc. Another important set for John, but with a flush looking quite likely one of the other players raised to which John shoved all-in with 55K. The other player holding 6x8c indeed had his flush and called. The turn came 4c with no joy for John, who was now preparing to make his way out of the tournament, forever cursing his luck for being the bubble-boy, when the river hit with a 3d, giving him another full house! Doubled up to 120K and thanking his lucky stars, John continued to play well, ending the day on 199K chips.

The final table on the third day saw John and seven others, including three professionals, playing under the intense scrutiny of cameras and audience, including many of the players who they had eliminated en-route and some of whom would no doubt like to see the inglorious fall of their victor. Starting with 199K chips, against a table average of 165K with the highest only on 315K, John was in a good position. However, the first couple of hours were intense for John, not used to the attention that a live final table brings. Seeing his chips down to 92K, after a couple of hours he settled down and became at ease with the situation. From here he came into his game again and played some fantastic poker to build his chip stack up again.

After being re-raised pre-flop, John pushed all-in with his AK to which his opponent Mitja Potocin called with an AQ. The flop came KT2 to give John top pair. Although a Queen came out on the river after a Ten on the turn, this was of no use to Mitja. John had then doubled up to 190K chips, putting him well back in the running.

The play continued with the seventh to fifth place players being eliminated without John’s help. Another stroke of luck on the river against eventual tournament winner Bo Sehlstedt saw John double up to 390K chips. All in with AT against Bo’s AQ, the flop was 8K2 and the turn a Jack. Again nearly on his way home, a Queen came on the river to give John the straight and the hand.

Soon after, fourth place Manuel Thiede went all-in with 177K and AT. John had AK and nothing to help Manuel came from the board. 4th place was now decided and John continued to play Bo Sehlstedt and Michael Schuchardt for a fair while until one of the most exciting final hands in recent poker history.

The tournament didn’t go heads-up. With the blinds on 6k-12k, Michael pushed all-in with 74k, John re-raised all-in with 362K, to which Bo called. The show down came with Bo holding AQ, John 66 and Michael TT. John was in second position pre-flop, and when the flop came A44, he was in last. The turn was a ten giving a set to Michael, who was seemingly on his way back to treble up his lowest stack at the table. The river turned everything on its head when an Ace was dealt giving Bo a full-house, eliminating both John in second and Michael in third!

What a final hand! With the tournament over and ECPokerTour Malta finished, John celebrated at the casino with a few glasses of champagne shared amongst friends old and new, to toast his success at the end of this excellent tournament in the middle of the Med.

Fecha de publicación : 20/11/2009

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