Poker News

Poker2Nite Welcomes Mike Matusow

The Fox Sports Net poker news show “Poker2Nite” welcomed the always outspoken Mike “The Mouth” Matusow this week. The franchise airs at 11:00pm ET every Wednesday night and can also be seen on The Score at 3:00pm ET on Sundays.

This week’s installment began with a discussion of the $335 buy-in re-entry event that kicked off the L.A. Poker Classic. The tournament was the brainchild of Matt Savage and allowed players to buy back in on a later starting day should they be knocked out. On top of the unique formula, the tournament also guaranteed $1 million. Interviews were shown with David “Chino” Rheem, Amnon Filippi, Thor Hanson, and Andreas Hoivold. Filippi commented, “It’s so hard to get so many people in one place at one time. You have to have a 100-table room and you have to have the players. L.A. has both.” Darrell Cain ultimately took down the kickoff event for over $300,000.

Attention then turned to Betfair front woman Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, who won an Omaha event held during the Aussie Millions this month for $40,000. Obrestad, who won the inaugural World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event, became the first female ever to win an Aussie Millions tournament. “Poker2Nite’ co-host Joe Sebok explained, “She’s an absolute beast. She’s going to be a force at the Rio.” The 2010 WSOP will mark Obrestad’s debut in the annual U.S. series.

Matusow then joined the show and explained that his fortunes turned for the worst last year: “2007 and 2008 were the best years of poker I’ve ever had in my life. It spiraled downward starting with the $40,000 event in the WSOP [last year]. That beat led to another beat and another beat and the next thing you know, I was catching no cards and [recording] no cashes.” Matusow admitted that he made just $2,200 off of poker in 2009 after recording seven-figure years in 2007 and 2008.

As to what led to his dramatic downfall, Matusow explained that not working out every day and stiff competition contributed. His goal is to drop back to 185 pounds and run eight miles per day by the time the 2010 WSOP rolls around. He added, “Players have gotten better. There are so many great players.” One of those top minds in the game is its all-time money leader, Phil Ivey. Matusow commented on his fellow Full Tilt Poker pro: “I think that Phil Ivey, when he’s playing well, is probably the best all-around poker player I’ve ever played with.”

A new segment called “Mikey’s Meltdowns” featured Matusow against UB.com’s Phil Hellmuth during a taping of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker.” A 7-2 rule was in effect and any player who scooped the pot with the worst starting hand in Hold’em was paid $500 by each of their opponents. Hellmuth led out for a pot-sized bet of $40,000 on the river with 7-2 for air against Matusow, who had pocket kings. After much deliberation and a “This sucks,” Matusow folded his overpair face up. Hellmuth turned over 7-2 and the table exploded in commentary.

“All in Blind” featured Sebok and co-host Scott Huff debating a series of topics, including the aforementioned L.A. Poker Classic re-entry event, U.S. President Barack Obama being invited to play in the Irish Poker Open, and UB.com pro Eric "basebaldy" Baldwin donating $200,000 to his alma mater’s baseball program. Then, Dana Workman’s “Weekly Misdeal,” which provides a satirical look at the week’s headlines, poked fun at a topless home game raid, the Rio’s 20th birthday celebration, T.J. Cloutier selling a WSOP bracelet on eBay, and the popular video game system Sega entering the online poker marketplace.

Finally, “Poker2Nite” saluted Mike Hofer, the winner of the Absolute Poker College Challenge. Hofer earned $10,000 in college tuition and told “Poker2Nite” cameras, “The competition surprised me. They were all very competent players. Hats off to them. They played a great game.”

Catch “Poker2Nite” next Wednesday at 11:00pm ET on Fox Sports Net. Check your local listings for more information.

ChiliPoker set for Irish expansion

Chiligaming has teamed up with broadcaster Setanta in an attempt to crack the Irish poker market. The pair is set to launch a new poker site that will be run by Chilipoker.com.

Poker News in Brief: Dec. 21-27, 2009

This week the front page of PokerListing was slammed with huge stories like Brian Townsend getting suspended by Full Tilt Poker, Tom “durrrr” Dwan making a desperate charge to get even for the year and Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler finally finding a structure he likes.

Of course, like every week, there were still a few lesser-known stories that threatened to get lost in the shuffle. Fortunately, on PokerListings.com we compile all those stories in our ongoing Poker News in Brief feature.

This week we’re going to take a look at Poker2Nite heading to Europe, new poker chip technology, a new PokerStars rewards program and more.

The Poker Channel Europe Airs Poker2Night

It’s already a hit in North America but the Joe Sebok and Scott Huff hosted Poker2Nite made its debut in Europe last week on the Poker Channel Europe.

The channel is airing episodes of the show every Wednesday at 22:00 CET for the entire run of the first season. Repeats will run Thursdays and Saturdays at 16:00 CET. The channel is Europe’s largest dedicated gaming TV network and shown in more than 18 million European homes.

Poker2Nite is now its fifth week of operation in North America, where it appears on Fox Sports West on Wednesday at 23:00 EST.

To celebrate the show’s success, UB is also currently running a Poker2Nite Pro Challenge promotion, awarding two WSOP packages.

Nicole Rowe Applies for Million Dollar Challenge

Cancer victim Nicole Rowe will be trying out for a spot on the PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge.

Rowe is perhaps most well-known in the poker world for finishing second to Abraham Korotki, a man, in the 2009 Borgata Ladies Event.

Inspired by witnessing a taping of the Million Dollar Challenge, Rowe decided to enter a 10,000 player tournament on PokerStars just for the chance to audition for the show. She won the tournament and has since posted her audition video on YouTube.com.

“My plan is to come out and beat Daniel Negreanu for the $1 million and use that money for breast cancer awareness and donate a portion of my winnings to breast cancer foundations such as the Susan G Komen,” said Rowe in the video.

Earlier this week 911 Veteran Mike Kosowski became the first player in the show’s history to win all his heads-up matches and take home the $1 million first place prize.

PokerStars Introduces VIP Stellar Rewards

PokerStars upgraded its VIP program this week with the announcement of VIP Stellar Rewards.

Starting Jan. 1, 2010, PokerStars players who earn 750 VIP player points will be able to go to the PokerStars store and spend 1 frequent player point (FPP) to receive $10.

It doesn’t stop there as players will have the opportunity for 18 cash bonuses as they journey from 750 VIP points all the way up to 90,000 Supernova status.

In total, players will receive an extra $1,000 if they make it all the way to Supernova thanks to the VIP Stellar Rewards program.

To learn more go to PokerStars.com.

GPI to Unveil New Poker Chip Technology

Gaming Partners International Corporation will present a dramatic new approach to the construction of poker chips at the 2010 International Gaming Expo in London on Jan. 26-28.

At the Expo, GPI will introduce RFIDPoker, which is being developed to improve accuracy and increase the speed of various actions at the poker table.

Easily fitted to any poker table the technology sees every chip outfitted with a small RFID chip, which makes calculating a pot size error free. The system can also calculate pot-size in real time, while a hand is being played out.

According to GPI’s studies, RFIDPoker has the potential to increase hands per hour by as much as 30%.

Titan Launches 2010 Irish Open Promo

The 2010 Irish Open doesn’t start until April, but Titan Poker is already running satellites to the tournament.

Titan Poker will run a weekly Super Satellite on Sundays that will award a $7,200 package, which includes the €3,500 buy-in. It’s possible to qualify for these weekly satellites for just $2.20.

The Irish Poker Open is the longest running No-Limit Hold’em tournament in Europe and it typically takes place over Easter weekend in Dublin.

Last year Christer Johansson beat Kara Scott heads-up to claim the €600,000 first place prize.

Titan Poker generally has a large presence at the Irish Open and last year sent 32 players to represent the brand.

Click here to learn more about Titan Poker’s Irish Open promotions.

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Top 5 of 2009: Yevgeniy Timoshenko’s Year

With an eye on the great poker personalities that have made the scene and the interesting fodder they’ve provided for us over the past 12 months, we’ve come up with our very own Top 5 Poker News Stories of 2009.

The plan is to present them to you every other day from now until New Year’s Eve and we continue today with No. 4: Yevgeniy Timoshenko’s Year.

Yevgeniy Timoshenko started playing poker online when he was just 15 years old.

With wins in the PokerStars Sunday Million, the daily $100 rebuy and the Sunday $200 rebuy online, plus solid live results in prelims at the Irish Poker Open, Paris Open, the Aussie Millions, World Series of Poker Europe, EPT Barcelona and a win in the 2008 APPT Macau main event, he was a poker-made millionaire even before his 21st birthday.

But it’s the feats he accomplished soon after turning 21 that suddenly has the entire world convinced he is one of poker’s brightest new stars.

With the smell of spring in the Las Vegas air, the Ukranian-born and Washington State raised Timoshenko proved he was a force to be reckoned with this past April, winning more than $2.1 million and one of poker’s most prestigious crowns at the Season 7 WPT Championship.

This one win would have been enough to cement his status as one of the game’s young greats, but Timoshenko’s year had just begun.

His summer was spent collecting close to $100k in cashes from the 2009 World Series of Poker, but another massive score was right around the corner.

The PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker main event is by far the most coveted online title in the game and this September, Timoshenko booked the win, adding $1.7 million to his online MTT winnings.

PokerListings caught up with the budding superstar just weeks later as he found himself among the leaders in the final 36 of the WSOPE main event.

At the time, he explained how his game was designed for both the virtual felt and the kind you can touch and feel.

"I think my game is very adaptable to both online and live play," he said. "If you are just good at reading people you are not going to have as much success online and if you're only good at the math and playing ABC, you might do well online, but you're probably not going to do well live."

Winning two of poker’s biggest tournaments in a single year has obviously helped Timoshenko earn a few fans, especially among his peers.

“Yevgeniy is one of, if not the best tournament player around,” said EPT San Remo and WSOP Bracelet winner Jason Mercier. “I really like his game. I got the chance to play against him for the first time live deep in a 1k event at Bellagio a few weeks ago. I was pretty much plowing through the entire field until he showed up at my table. We have similar styles, which makes him tough to play against.

“One of the things that makes him so good is that he is almost always one level above everyone else at the table. In my opinion, there is no one better at No-Limit Hold’em tournaments.”

With more than $2.2 million in live tournament earnings this year, and another $2.2 million won online, including two of the most prestigious titles on either stage, Yevgeniy Timoshenko’s year was an easy choice for No. 4 on PokerListings’ Top Five Poker News Stories of 2009.

 

PokerListings' Top Five Poker News Stories of 2009:

• No. 5: The Emergence of Luke Schwartz
  

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2010 Paddy Power Irish Poker Open Schedule Announced

As the curtain falls on the 2009 with the World Poker Tour’s Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, the 2010 tournament season is preparing to take shape.

While January, with the Aussie Millions, PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, and the L.A. Poker Classic, is drawing immediate attention for poker’s elite players, there are other tournaments in the first half of 2010 that also are making their preparations. On Wednesday, PaddyPowerPoker.com announced the full schedule of events that will make up the 2010 Irish Open.

The 2010 Irish Open will be held in Dublin from April 1st to the 5th, continuing its tradition as the oldest poker tournament in Europe. Contested every year since 1980 and created by the late poker legend Terry Rogers, the Irish Open has grown in importance over the years. In 2005, PaddyPowerPoker.com picked up the sponsorship rights to the tournament. Since that time, it has expanded to not only include the best the European poker world has to offer, but also the elite from the American side of the Atlantic, including former World Series of Poker Main Event champions Dan Harrington and Doyle Brunson.

The Burlington Hotel will once again play host to the PaddyPowerPoker.com Irish Open, as it has since 2007. On April 1st, a satellite tournament, which costs €200 + €20, will be held to usher in the final few players for the championship event that begins the next day. The Irish Open Main Event, which will be a €3,200 + €300 No Limit Hold’em affair, brought a record-setting field of 700 players last time out. Veteran poker player Christer Johannson will be back to defend his title after defeating “High Stakes Poker” hostess Kara Scott in heads-up play.

“The Irish Open festival is shaping up very nicely, with all the preparatory work really paying off,” Eric Booth, the head of poker operations at PaddyPowerPoker.com, stated. There are also other events on the schedule that, Booth said, “will make some players upset there are not enough hours in the weekend to play them all.”

After Day One is completed in the Irish Open, side tournaments like the Pot Limit Omaha Championship, a €1,500 + €150 No Limit Hold’em tournament, a Ladies’ Championship, and a “Scalps” (bounty) tournament will be held. These events should provide plenty of action for players in attendance.

The full schedule of the 2010 Irish Open, presented by PaddyPowerPoker.com, looks like this:

April 1st
Satellite Tournament: €200 + €20, 7:00pm

April 2nd
Championship Event: €3,200 + €300, 3:30pm

April 3rd
Championship Event Day 2, 2:00pm
Pot Limit Omaha: €750 + €75, 6:00pm

April 4th
Championship Event Day 3, 2:00pm
Pot Limit Omaha Championship Day 2, 2:30pm
Ladies’ Championship: €300 + €30, 3:00pm
No Limit Hold’em: €1,500 + €150, 5:00pm

April 5th
Championship Event Day 4, 2:00pm
Ladies’ Championship Day 2, 2:30pm
No Limit Hold’em Day 2, 2:30pm
No Limit Hold’em Scalps Event, €270 + €30 + €30, 3:00pm

In addition to being the sponsor of the tournament, PaddyPowerPoker.com has introduced an online registration method for the Main Event that will allow players to buy in with credit cards, bank transfers, and checks. “We are delighted to launch the online registration facility for the Irish Open so that players eager to secure their seat at Europe’s longest running poker tournament can do so months in advance,” Booth said.

Padraig Parkinson Wins UKIPT Galway

Parkinson was born in Galway and received his share of hometown support as he outlasted 258 players to win €125,000 and the inaugural UKIPT Galway title.

“I was born just down the road so I can’t believe that I won it,” said Parkinson just moments after his victory. “If anyone wants a drink, I’m buying.”

Parkinson was reportedly drinking heavily during the first two days of the event before tournament staff cut him off and threatened to remove him from the tournament.

However, he persevered and made the final with a healthy chip stack.

In the end, the final table was no cakewalk for Parkinson, as he had to outlast Ben “Chong94” Lefew, Michael “BIGMICKG” Graydon and face close friend Paul Marrow in heads-up play.

The decisive hand of the heads-up match was a race with Parkinson's A-Q against Marrow’s pocket sixes. A queen hit on the flop and that was enough to secure Parkinson the majority of the chips.

Several hands later, Marrow shoved with a modest 5-2 and Parkinson called with K-Q. Parkinson hit another queen on the flop and that gave him the UKIPT Galway title.

After heads-up concluded, Marrow admitted that a part of him wanted to see Parkinson take the Irish Championship in his hometown.

Parkinson came in third in the 1999 WSOP Main Event for $389,125 and is one of the most well-known players in Irish poker history.

The second event of the inaugural UKIPT season will take place at the G Casino in Manchester, England, on Feb. 11-14, 2010. Check the UKIPT website for complete details.

Here are the complete final table payouts for UKIPT Galway:

1. Padraig Parkinson – €125,000
2. Paul Marrow – €82,000
3. Ben Lefew – €52,000
4. Michael Graydon – €36,000
5. Michael McFadgen – €22,000
6. Paul Dooley – €17,000
7. Vincent Cosgrove – €13,000
8. Cat O’Neil – €11,000
9. Trevor Bulless – €9,000

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Jude Ainsworth joins Team PokerStars Pro

Ainsworth will represent PokerStars in the new UK & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT), which will see him play a tournament on his home turf of Galway from Dec. 11-14, 2009.

"I'm really looking forward to competing in the UKIPT and being part of such an exciting tour," said Ainsworth. "Undoubtedly the event I'm looking forward to is the return to my hometown Galway."

Ainsworth catapulted to poker fame ilast year when he won the Irish Poker Championship in Galway for €145,000.

This year Ainsworth, who plays as j.thaddeus online, went on to win the 2009 PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker $10,300 main event for $963,338, outlasting 501 players and a final table that included Jon "PearlJammer" Turner and Chris "Moorman1" Moorman.

After its launch in Galway, the UKIPT will move on to stops in Manchester, Nottingham, Killarney, Brighton, Scotland and Dublin with a grand final scheduled to take place in London.

Other notable players to take part in the UKIPT include Team PokerStars Pro Vicky Coren and former English soccer player Teddy Sheringham.

Visit the UKIPT website for the complete schedule.

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Win your seat at the Irish Open with Titan Poker

Europe’s longest running tournament is taking place once again and this is your chance to get your hands on a share of the multimillion Euro prize pool. The Irish Open combines excellent poker with the legendary Irish hospitality and has proved to be a firm favourite amongst both the pro and amateur poker players.

The next Irish Open will take place April 1st to 5th 2010 at the Burlington Hotel in the heart of Dublin City. When you are not playing your best poker at the tables you can sample the friendly atmosphere and party vibe that Dublin is famous for.

Get ready for the time of your life in Dublin, Ireland with Titan Poker!

The Irish Open 2010 prize package is worth $7,200 (approx €4,800) and includes:

• €3,500 buy in to the Main Event
• €350 for 5 nights B & B at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin – March 31st to April 6th 2010
• €800 for expenses
• €50 fee for handling
• €100 for official party

How excellent! If you only play to go to one live event, then make it this one! The satellites are running now from just $2.20 so get a move on and secure your seat at the Irish Poker Open.

If you have not yet got yourself a Titan Poker Account you are in for a treat, we have negotiated a top of the range sign up package just for you which includes, amongst a host of treats, a VIP sign up bonus of 150% up to $500. To ensure you get the full benefit of this sign up deal you must use the Titan Poker Bonus code VIPTITAN.

To see the full package - and learn just how ace Titan Poker is – take a look at our Titan Poker Review and Titan Poker Bonus Code page.

PokerStars Announces UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT)

PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site, has introduced the UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT). A total of nine events will play out beginning in Galway on December 11th.

The first UK-based event will be held in Manchester on February 11th at the Grosvenor G Casino. The Galway event, which serves as the kickoff tournament of the inaugural UKIPT series, will be part of the Irish Poker Championships. Players will descend upon the Radisson Hotel for the €2,000 buy-in event and the tournament crowns a champion on December 14th. In 2009, The Irish Poker Championship was brought to you by PartyPoker and saw 24 year-old Rory Rees Brennan bank €160,000 for the win in its Main Event. Seven out of the top ten finishers were Irish.

Team PokerStars Pro member Vicky Coren, a Brit, discussed the newest poker tour in a press release distributed this week: “This is an incredibly exciting addition to the range of PokerStars live events. Here is our own local British and Irish tour, nicely accessible for those who can’t travel abroad very often or who save their foreign travel for larger international events.” Champions of UKIPT events will take home an entry into the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) London Main Event next October. PokerStars officials noted that EPT London will also serve as the UKIPT Championship Event.

Here is the schedule for the first-ever running of the UKIPT:

UKIPT Galway (Ireland): December 11th to 14th
Radisson Hotel
€2,000 buy-in (9% juice)

UKIPT Manchester (United Kingdom): February 11th to 14th
Grosvenor G Casino
£500+50 buy-in

UKIPT Coventry (United Kingdom): April 8th to 11th
Grosvenor G Casino
£500+50 buy-in

UKIPT Nottingham (United Kingdom): May 13th to 16th
Dusk Till Dawn
£500+50 buy-in

UKIPT Killarney (Ireland): June 24th to 27th
Gleneagles
€1,000+100 buy-in

UKIPT Brighton (United Kingdom): July 15th to 18th
Rendezvous
£1,000+100 buy-in

UKIPT Scotland: TBA
Venue is TBA
£1,000+100 buy-in

UKIPT Dublin (Ireland): September 9th to 12th
Burlington Hotel
€1,000+100 buy-in

UKIPT London (United Kingdom): October 1st to 10th
Hilton Metropole
£5,000+250 buy-in

UKIPT tournaments are expected to attract some of the top names in the poker industry, including PokerStars sponsored pros Coren and Teddy Sheringham. The former added that the presence of the UKIPT in Northern Europe will continue to grow the game: “The buy-ins are great: big enough to make chunky prize pools, not so big that they’re a huge drain on resources. It’s about time there was a serious, respected tournament with a £500 buy-in, like the new ones in Manchester, Coventry, and Nottingham.”

Ireland has laid claim to a crop of accomplished poker players, including Andy Black, who finished fifth in the 2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event for $1.75 million, a tournament ultimately won by Joe Hachem. Black finished seventh in the 2007 EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final for nearly $320,000 and won an event during the PartyPoker Premier League in London in early 2008 for $250,000. Other top-tier Irish players include Liam Flood, bracelet winner Noel Furlong, Ciarán O’Leary, Marty Smyth, and Padraig Parkinson.

PokerStars also sponsors the EPT, Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT), Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), Russian Poker Tour (RPT), Czech-Slovak Poker Tour (CSPT), and Italian Poker Tour (IPT). Its marquee land-based event is the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, which takes place each January at the Atlantis Resort and Casino in the Bahamas. In 2010, the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is a stop on the LAPT and EPT circuits.

PokerStars will host a £10,000 freeroll for the top 100 players on the UKIPT leaderboard at the end of its first season. The top three players will also receive sponsorship opportunities to play in the second UKIPT season. Visit PokerStars for satellite information.

PokerStars launches new UK and Ireland tour

The PokerStars.com UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) will feature nine events in regional locations providing players with what PokerStars is calling "a first-class poker experience at an affordable local level."

The events will have a range of buy-ins from £500+£50 to £1,000+£100 for UK based tournaments and €1,000+€100 and €2,000 for events in Ireland.

"This is an incredibly exciting addition to the range of PokerStars live events," said Team PokerStars PRO Vicky Coren. "The buy-ins are great: big enough to make chunky prize pools, not so big that they're a huge drain on resources."

The first UKIPT event will be held in Galway, Ireland from December 11-14, 2009, in the Radisson Hotel. The event will be held as part of the popular Irish Poker Championships.

The first UK based UKIPT event will be held in Manchester from February 11-14, 2010 at the Grosvenor G-Casino.

Events will also be held in Nottingham, Killarney, Brighton, Scotland and Dublin with the Grand Final taking place as part of the PokerStars.com EPT London event next October.

In addition to the UKIPT title and prize money, all winners will earn a seat in the Grand Final.

The UKIPT will also have its own Points Leader Board featuring prizes for the top players at the end of the season, including PokerStars.com sponsorship in UKIPT events during the second season for the top 3 players and a £10,000 freeroll for the top 100.

Daily satellites are already running on PokerStars for as little as $0.25 or 250 FPPs.

Full details of the PokerStars UKIPT schedule can be found below. For more information and updates please see the tour's website.

City	Dates	Venue	Buy-in
Galway, IE	Dec. 11-14	Radisson Hotel	€2,000
Manchester, UK	Feb. 11 - 14	Grosvenor "G Casino"	£500+50
Coventry, UK	Apr. 8-11	Grosvenor "G Casino"	£500+50
Nottingham, UK	May. 13-16	Dusk Till Dawn	£500+50
Killarney, IE	Jun. 24-27	Gleneagles	€1,000+100
Brighton, UK	Jul. 15-18	Rendezvous	£1,000+100
Scotland	TBC	TBC	£1,000+100
Dublin, IE	Sept. 9-12	Burlington Hotel	€1,000+100
London, UK	Oct. 1-10	Hilton Metropole	£5,000+250

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PokerStars Launch UK and Ireland Poker Tour

Nationwide, UK and Irish players will welcome the news that online poker giants PokerStars are expanding their live tournament circuit with the inaugural UK and Ireland Poker Tour, beginning with the Irish Poker Championships in December and culminating ten months later with the £5,000 EPT London.

Paddy Power launches Irish Poker Open 2010

Paddy Power Poker has released initial details of the 2010 Irish Poker Open. The longest running event in Europe will once again take place at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin with buy in for the Main Event set at €3,200+€300.

WPT Marrakech draws over 400

The ChiliPoker-sponsored event took place at Casino de Marrakech in Morocco with 416 players paying the €4,500 buy-in, including big names like Liz Lieu, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Annette Obrestad, Antonio Esfandiari, Antoine Saout, Tony G and WPT Merit Cyprus winner Thomas Bichon.

None of the aforementioned players made the final table, but there were several compelling storylines with Ludovic Lacay, Benny Spindler and Eoghan O'Dea all vying for the title.

They were joined at the final table by Savary, Julien Arneodo, Adrien Marin, Hicham Benhalima, Patrick Meurisse and ChiliPoker qualifier Balazs Botond.

Spindler, best-known for his third-place finish at the 2009 PCA, fought the good fight, but eventually busted out sixth after a confrontation with O'Dea.

The always unpredictable Lacay finished 16th at the 2009 World Series of Poker Main event for $500,000 and was looking for his first major title at WPT Marrakech.

But it was not to be as the Frenchman busted out third after an ill-timed shove was called by Savary.

That left Savory to fight it out for the title heads-up with O'Dea, the son of Donnacha O'Dea, one of the pioneers of Irish poker and the first player inducted into the European Poker Hall of Fame.

O'Dea did his best to do the family name proud, getting it in good heads-up with A 3 on an ace-high flop, only to have Savary turn a straight to take the title.

WPT Marrakech marked yet another effort by the tour to increase their global presence with events in Venice, Cyprus and Barcelona already this year.

Next up for the WPT is the annual Fest al Lago event at Bellagio in Las Vegas beginning Wednesday Oct. 21.

Here are the complete final table payouts:

1. Christophe Savary - €379,014

2. Eoghan O'Dea - €263,662

3. Ludovic Lacay - €164,789

4. Julien Arneodo - €105,465

5. Adrian Marin - €72,507

6. Benny Spindler - €56,028

7. Patrick Meurisse - €42,845

8. Balazs Botnod - €34,606

9. Hicham Benhalima - €28,014

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Thomas Rolfe wins Irish Poker Festival

Despite the invitation, there was no sign of Lady Gaga in Killarney for the Ladbrokes Irish Poker Festival. Her absence didn’t put off young Englishman Thomas Rolfe though who won the title and with it a first prize of €100,000.

PokerStars teams up with Irish Poker Championship

The five-day festival takes place at Galway’s Radisson Hotel from 11th to 14th December, with the showpiece tournament a €2,000 buy-in main event. The prize pool is estimated to reach €750,000 with the winner taking home €250,000 plus a seat for next year’s EPT London. There will also be three side events with buy-ins of €550, €350 and €250.

PokerStars sponsoring Irish Poker Championship

The online giant will be sponsoring the Irish Poker Championship in a partnership with Eglinton Casino as part of the new PokerStars.com UK and Ireland Poker Tour.

The five-day festival will take place in Galway, Ireland at the Radisson Hotel from Dec. 10-14 with the main event carrying a €2,000 buy-in.

"The Irish Poker Championship has become one of the biggest events on the Irish Poker Calendar and we are delighted to be sponsoring it," said PokerStars business development manager for European events Kirsty Thompson.

"Poker players appreciate good hospitality and a good party atmosphere and there is no better city than Galway to provide it."

The main event will take place Dec. 11-14, but there will also be three No Limit Hold'em side events with buy-ins of €550, €350 and €250.

Already confirmed for the main event are Andy Black, Surindar Sunar, Padraig Parkinson, Jon Kalmer, Julian Gardner, Neil Channing, Marty Smyth and Dutch Team PokerStars Pro Marcel Luske.

Dublin's Roy Rees bested 254 players in last year's Irish Poker Championship to secure a first-place prize of €160,000.

The event is capped at 400 players and organizers are predicting first will be worth €250,000 this year.

Satellites start on PokerStars Oct. 15 and players can buy seats in advance online.

There will also be numerous opportunities to qualify in live play at the Eglinton Casino and PokerStars is providing assistance to facilities that wish to run their own satellites.

For more information check out the Irish Poker Championship website here.

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Ladbrokes Irish Poker Festival starts today

The popular Irish Poker Festival gets under way at the National Events Centre in Killarney today with a live satellite for tomorrow’s Main Event opening proceedings. 30 seats for the €550 Main Event are up for grabs in the qualifier which starts at 5pm.

Lady Gaga invited to Irish Poker Festival

Lady Gaga is proving to be very much in demand in the poker world. After being invited to Macau to play in the Asian Poker Tour the “Poker Face” singer has been offered a trip to Killarney to try her luck in this week’s Ladbrokes Irish Poker Festival.

Ladbrokes Irish Poker Festival Packages Sell Out

Popular European poker site Ladbrokes, part of the Microgaming Network, announced that all of its €950 Ladbrokes Poker Killarney packages have sold out.  The only way for a player to enter this exclusive event is to qualify through a €60 live super satellite where 30 seats will be awarded.  Players for this tournament will be allowed one €50 rebuy and one €50 add-on.  This super satellite event will be held in Killarney at the Irish National Events Center.  Last year’s event attracted 300 players and this year, it’s expected to exceed that total.

The Irish Poker Festival is one of the best value live tournaments of the year for European players.  The €250,000 Main Event prize pool is one of the richest for Irish players.  Ladbrokes has gone to enormous lengths to market itself to this segment of the European poker playing market.  Last year, notable Irishmen Marty Smyth, Roy Brindley, Jon Kalmer, Ken Doherty, and Steve Davis all made appearances at the event.  This year, the rumor mill is saying that Doherty will be back to make a bold final table prediction.

Poker players who participate in the Main Event will start with 15,000 in chips and play through one hour blind levels.  European ranking points will be earned for players buying into this event.

Kate McLennnan, Head of Ladbrokes Poker, commented in a press release, “The Ladbrokes.com Irish Poker Festival ticks all of the boxes for the savvy poker player.  We promise players great value, a brilliant time, an excellent venue, and the opportunity to experience the legendary Ladbrokes hospitality. The low buy-in (€550) allows us to host affordable satellites and introduce live poker play to a wider audience.”

In addition to this Main Event, Ladbrokes is hosting two one-day events during the Irish Poker Festival.  A $270+30 event will begin on October 3rd and a $150+20 tournament will start on October 4th.

Ladbrokes Poker is part of the Microgaming Network, which is currently ranked ninth in the world for overall traffic.  According to PokerScout.com, the network has a seven-day running average of 1,840 cash game players with peak hours garnering over 3,600.  The site offers a full variety of Hold’em games along with tables for Omaha, Seven Card Stud, Five Card Draw, and Razz.

Recently, Ladbrokes had a huge Bad Beat Jackpot hit as part of the many promotions that regularly run on the site.  At a $0.50-$1 table, two players were involved in a hand where a seven-high straight flush lost to a jack-high straight flush.  The winning hand won an extra $75,000, while the losing hand won a whopping $151,000.  Every other player at the table claimed a share of the jackpot to the tune of $18,940.  To qualify for the Bad Beat Jackpot, hand a player must lose with four eights or better.

Another promotion at Ladbrokes centers on the Master Classics of Poker in Amsterdam.  Throughout the month and into October, the site is promoting the opportunity to win €8,000 packages to the Master Classics of Poker.  The event starts on November 9th and concluding on the 15th.  Satellite winners will receive a full VIP package, which includes a buy-in to the event, accommodations, and €820 for travel and spending money.  Qualifiers start at €3.30 and can be found in the Tournament > Satellites > Masters Classics lobby in the Ladbrokes client.

New players to Ladbrokes can receive a first-time deposit bonus of 2,000% up to $1,000 with a minimum of $50 in currency equivalent.  Players have 45 days from the time they make their first deposit to play and earn points.  The points release bonus dollars and players can continue to make deposits during the 45 day period to maximize their bonus.  One dollar in rake is equivalent to 10 Poker Points.

Ladbrokes Irish Poker Festival Packages Sell Out

Popular European poker site Ladbrokes, part of the Microgaming Network, announced that all of its €950 Ladbrokes Poker Killarney packages have sold out.  The only way for a player to enter this exclusive event is to qualify through a €60 live super satellite where 30 seats will be awarded.  Players for this tournament will be allowed one €50 rebuy and one €50 add-on.  This super satellite event will be held in Killarney at the Irish National Events Center.  Last year’s event attracted 300 players and this year, it’s expected to exceed that total.

The Irish Poker Festival is one of the best value live tournaments of the year for European players.  The €250,000 Main Event prize pool is one of the richest for Irish players.  Ladbrokes has gone to enormous lengths to market itself to this segment of the European poker playing market.  Last year, notable Irishmen Marty Smyth, Roy Brindley, Jon Kalmer, Ken Doherty, and Steve Davis all made appearances at the event.  This year, the rumor mill is saying that Doherty will be back to make a bold final table prediction.

Poker players who participate in the Main Event will start with 15,000 in chips and play through one hour blind levels.  European ranking points will be earned for players buying into this event.

Kate McLennnan, Head of Ladbrokes Poker, commented in a press release, “The Ladbrokes.com Irish Poker Festival ticks all of the boxes for the savvy poker player.  We promise players great value, a brilliant time, an excellent venue, and the opportunity to experience the legendary Ladbrokes hospitality. The low buy-in (€550) allows us to host affordable satellites and introduce live poker play to a wider audience.”

In addition to this Main Event, Ladbrokes is hosting two one-day events during the Irish Poker Festival.  A $270+30 event will begin on October 3rd and a $150+20 tournament will start on October 4th.

Ladbrokes Poker is part of the Microgaming Network, which is currently ranked ninth in the world for overall traffic.  According to PokerScout.com, the network has a seven-day running average of 1,840 cash game players with peak hours garnering over 3,600.  The site offers a full variety of Hold’em games along with tables for Omaha, Seven Card Stud, Five Card Draw, and Razz.

Recently, Ladbrokes had a huge Bad Beat Jackpot hit as part of the many promotions that regularly run on the site.  At a $0.50-$1 table, two players were involved in a hand where a seven-high straight flush lost to a jack-high straight flush.  The winning hand won an extra $75,000, while the losing hand won a whopping $151,000.  Every other player at the table claimed a share of the jackpot to the tune of $18,940.  To qualify for the Bad Beat Jackpot, hand a player must lose with four eights or better.

Another promotion at Ladbrokes centers on the Master Classics of Poker in Amsterdam.  Throughout the month and into October, the site is promoting the opportunity to win €8,000 packages to the Master Classics of Poker.  The event starts on November 9th and concluding on the 15th.  Satellite winners will receive a full VIP package, which includes a buy-in to the event, accommodations, and €820 for travel and spending money.  Qualifiers start at €3.30 and can be found in the Tournament > Satellites > Masters Classics lobby in the Ladbrokes client.

New players to Ladbrokes can receive a first-time deposit bonus of 2,000% up to $1,000 with a minimum of $50 in currency equivalent.  Players have 45 days from the time they make their first deposit to play and earn points.  The points release bonus dollars and players can continue to make deposits during the 45 day period to maximize their bonus.  One dollar in rake is equivalent to 10 Poker Points.

Yevgeniy Timoshenko - Poker Player Profile

Yevgeniy “Jovial Gent” Timoshenko is, quite simply, a master of the big score. Of his 9 live cashes, Timoshenko has five over $100K, including a massive $2.1 million payday for winning the 2009 Five-Star World Poker Classic. Jovial Gent’s other scores include a whopping $500K for taking down the 2008 APT event in Macau, $166K for winning the 2007 Irish Poker Open, $133K for 2nd at EPT Barcelona, and just over $100K for a 3rd place finish at the ’08 WSOP Europe. No doubt already a premiere poker player, Timoshenko will be a feared opponent for years to come.

Yevgeniy Timoshenko was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, but moved to Washington State when he was 10 years old. He currently resides in Mukilteo, Washington.

Ladbrokes, PaddyPower offering Irish Classic seats

Both rooms will be joining Betfair Poker as the official place for satellites into the €1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em Main Event that features a €100,000 guarantee.

The tournament takes place from Aug. 10-16 at the Macau Sporting Club in Cork, Ireland.

PaddyPowerPoker will host a satellite tournament on Aug. 5 with at least one seat into the Irish Classic guaranteed. Entry is $100+$10 with a rebuy and add-on.

Ladbrokes will be hosting its first satellite for the Irish Classic on Aug. 3. The buy-in will be slightly lower at $88+$8.

Meanwhile, online qualifiers continue at Betfair Poker every Wednesday with $80+$8 satellites, but it's also possible to qualify for as little as $2+$.20 in daily feeders.

Every player that registers for the Irish Poker Classic will automatically be entered into the free Million Dollar Game freeroll where the winner will go to London to play against 17 others for a $1 million first place prize at the Betfair-sponsored World Series of Poker Europe.

Live satellites are also available at the Macau Sporting Club as well as Dubin's Sporting Emporium, Fitzwilliam Club, Emerald Casino, Clondalkin, JP Poker, Fortune Rooms, Goldclub, Atlantis Casino, Eglington Casino, Fitzpatricks Limerick, Olympus Waterford and Cue Club Killarney.

Last year Irishman Rob Taylor outlasted a record field of 169 to win the event, including Annette Obrestad, Michael Greco, Marty Smyth, Ian Woodley and Mick McCloskey.

Although there was a chop with two players remaining, Taylor still took down $69,003 for his efforts.

Visit PokerListings.com

Irish Poker Classic qualifiers announced

Qualifiers are up and running for the Irish Poker Classic Festival with Paddy power Poker, Boyle Poker, Ladbrokes and Betfair all offering packages. The €1,100 buy in Main Event takes place at the Macau Sporting Club in Cork from 10th to 16th August with the prize pool guaranteed at €100,000.

Ladbrokes.com Irish Poker Festival schedule announced

The Irish National Events Centre will be the venue for October’s Ladbrokes .com Irish Poker Festival. The action kicks off at 7.30pm on Thursday 1st October with a €50+€10 rebuy satellite with 20 seats for the Main Event up for grabs.

Paddy Power’s Vegas Vacation promotion runs this week

Paddy Power Poker is hoping to offer some salvation to those of us who can’t make it to Las Vegas for the start of the WSOP Main Event next week. The Irish poker room is hosting a number of added value tournaments in their Vegas Vacation online festival.

PaddyPower Announces Irish Winter Festival

Today, paddypowerpoker.com announced the full dates for the 2009 Irish Winter Festival, which will return to Dublin’s Citywest hotel, home of the 2008 festival and the 2009 Irish Poker Open.

Full Tilt Introduces Poker Million and Late Night Poker Qualifiers

Recently, Full Tilt Poker, the world’s second largest online poker room, introduced qualifiers for two highly popular television shows: Poker Million and Late Night Poker. The site is also in the midst of its 12th Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS), which concludes in one week.

Poker Million was formerly sponsored by Ladbrokes, which is owned by the publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange of the same name. Poker Million debuted in 2000, when it was won by John Duthie, who finished 487th in the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in Las Vegas. Other past Poker Million winners have included Jimmy White, Donnacha O’Dea, Tony Jones, Rajesh Modha, Hendon Mob member Joe Beevers, and Boyle Poker pro Marty Smyth. Full Tilt Poker is running a $535 buy-in direct qualifier for Poker Million on August 2nd. Real money qualifiers will also be held on August 30th, September 6th, September 13th, September 20th, and September 27th.

Each Poker Million prize package is worth $22,000, which consists of the $20,000 Poker Million buy-in plus an additional $2,000 in spending money. All players must be at least 18 years-old to be eligible. Qualifiers for the Poker Million direct satellite will also be held, although a schedule was not available at press time. Last year’s running of the Poker Million was shown on Sky Sports. Besides the winners, other final table members during past seasons have included Barny Boatman, David “Devilfish” Ulliott, Andreas Hoivold, Mel Judah, Liam Flood, and Full Tilt Poker’s Howard Lederer.

Late Night Poker fans can satellite into the televised poker event on June 7th on Full Tilt. The qualifier boasts a buy-in of $322. Additional satellites will take place on June 21st, July 5th, and July 19th; each tournament will issue the traditional “Shuffle up and deal” command at 19:30 GMT. Prize package winners will take home the $10,000 buy-in to Late Night Poker plus an additional $2,000 to use for travel and accommodations.

Ulliott, who defeated Peter Evans heads-up, won Season 1 of Late Night Poker. Season 2 concluded with British poker player Simon Trumper defeating Ross Boatman. To finish off Season 3, Ultimate Bet pro and 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth defeated Adam Heller, while Hemish Shah beat Trumper to end Season 4. Irish poker player Padraig Parkinson took down Season 5, outlasting Korosh Nejad. Peter Costa was the champion of Season 6, besting Jin Cai Lin. Late Night Poker aired in the United States on Fox Sports Net, which is also home to the seventh and eighth seasons of the World Poker Tour.

Both Late Night Poker and Poker Million offer participants the opportunity to earn a share of over $1 million in prize money. A total of $18 million is up for grabs as part of FTOPS XII, which kicked off on Wednesday on the world’s second largest online poker site. The series started off in a big way, with a total of 6,275 players turning out for a $216 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Max tournament. “URBEHIND” bested the enormous field, taking home the $191,000 first place prize. A total of 6,275 players also turned out for the inaugural tournament during FTOPS XI; consequently, Wednesday’s kick-off tournament tied for the third largest FTOPS event ever held.

In similar style to the recently-completed PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP), each FTOPS event has a MiniFTOPS counterpart. The first MiniFTOPS XII event attracted a massive field of 14,059 players in a $22 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Max tournament. The winner of that contest was “LHBrazilll,” who earned $42,000 from the $281,000 total prize pool. Both the FTOPS and MiniFTOPS conclude next Sunday (May 17th) with $535 buy-in and $55 buy-in Main Events, respectively.

Visit the Full Tilt Poker lobby for more information on qualifying for Poker Million and Late Night Poker.

Quick visit at ACED Poker for Jamie Gold - contract terminated!

There must be something wrong with Jamie Gold and sponsorship deals, as this was second time when 2006 WSOP main event champion made a bad choice of sponsorship. His previous affair with Bodog lasted six months and this time it was even shorter.

First Bodog, now Aced. What is wrong with my sponsors?

A spokesman for Gold claimed that ACED Poker is the side to blame for the termination of the contract. The site failed to follow through on promises they made and that at least one written part of the contract had been broken.

Jamie Gold represented ACED Poker at the PaddyPower.com Irish Poker Open and at an Oscar Night poker even, but didn’t receive the payment of his and his agent’s expenses.

The deal with Aced.com was supposed to be huge for both the player and the site, non-spesific rumors talk about eight-figure deal, but apparently Aced.com was not up to task. Merge Gaming Network, network that Aced.com is part of, still remains only 17th busiest poker network despite the short involvement of the former champ.

Source: pokernews

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Quick visit at ACED Poker for Jamie Gold - contract terminated!

Jamie Gold Gets Back to His Roots at the Irish Poker Open

Poker News Daily: You took sixth in a €1,500 buy-in preliminary tournament held during the Irish Poker Open. Talk about the poker scene in Ireland and connecting with your roots.

Gold: I went because PaddyPower invited me. I’m Irish and was actually born Jamie Usher, so it’s in my blood. It’s why I don’t tan very well. They invited me to come trace my roots. When I got there, they said that I could say anything I wanted to during the tournament. I could actually say my hole cards out loud. The people are so into it and the speech play is amazing. There has to be a limit to it, like if you scream at people, but I believe in the psychology of gamesmanship. I got some people to make unbelievably bad calls and lay down hands. It absolutely gave me an advantage, but Ireland has become one of my favorite places to play. However, I will always love the World Series of Poker because it afforded me the opportunity to do what I do today. It’s the most important tournament series because it has the best players in the world.

PND: Tell us about PaddyPower’s hospitality.

Gold: The day I got there, Liam Flood, who is a very successful longtime European player from Ireland, greeted me. Right away, they made me feel at home. The people at PaddyPower are so much fun and happy to be alive. Some sites are so overworked, but these people were having a blast. They do a really great job.

PND: Talk about the play of those in the tournament.

Gold: They are very loose and love to gamble. They are not really concerned with whether they’re ahead or not. There were a lot of people who bought in that, chances are, wouldn’t win the tournament because they wouldn’t make enough proper choices when it counted. However, they didn’t care.

The only place I can remember with more gamble was the Master Classics of Poker in Amsterdam. In that event, I didn’t think there was any chance that I wouldn’t make the final table. The people there are also so generous, kind, and friendly; Marcel Luske is the best host. Ireland reminded me a lot of Amsterdam. They’ve had poker there forever, but they don’t take it as competitively and seriously.

PND: Talk about your team’s win in the Dream Team Poker event at Caesars Palace in March.

Gold: It was a blast to play, but it was a very tough field. You had people like Mike Matusow and Phil Hellmuth on the same team. People were smart about picking the best players. I was doing it more just to have fun, so I picked a friend and my ex-girlfriend. It was so cool to be rooting for someone else and it made me play much better. I played carefully at certain points and also caught a couple of lucky breaks. When I was about blinded out, I waited and got aces on the big blind. That was pretty fortunate. There were moments when I would have normally pushed, but didn’t. Team poker makes you play really carefully. It’s also a great thing that, if you bust out first, you can still win.

PND: Can you see the concept of team poker catching on in the United States and around the world?

Gold: In this economy, it would make a lot of sense. In general, I can’t believe no one has thought of it. I think it should be a WSOP event. To me, poker in and of itself can get a little mundane. That’s why I’m starting to get into Omaha and other games. Omaha is such a bluffer’s game and as a bluffer, it’s a blast. In three or four years, I think it will overtake Hold’em.

PND: You are in the process of organizing a charity poker tournament featuring Edward Norton in Cannes prior to the annual Film Festival. What can you tell us about it?

Gold: We’re putting together the ultimate celebrity poker charity event at the Cannes Film Festival. I’m hosting it along with Edward Norton. The list of people is unbelievable and I’m going to host and emcee it.

PND: Explain why charity is so important to you.

Gold: I try to do as many as 30 events per year. When I started my Foundation, I figured out that I have to pick the organizations that are closest to my heart. Playing poker is such a selfish endeavor and charity makes you feel like you’re giving something back. If I can help affect change in a positive way, I feel like my life is worth something.

Timoshenko takes WPT Championship

Timoshenko cut his teeth in the game winning some of online poker's biggest tournaments, including the PokerStars Sunday Million, the daily $100 rebuy and the Sunday $200 rebuy.

Before his 21st birthday, he began playing live events wherever they would let him, booking solid results in prelims at the Irish Poker Open, Paris Open and the Aussie Millions before taking down the 2008 APPT Macau main event.

Ukranian-born and raised in Washington State, Timoshenko followed those results with final table appearances at the World Series of Poker Europe and the EPT Barcelona prelims.

But Saturday Night in Las Vegas he topped it all, winning more than $2.1 million and one of poker's most prestigious crowns.

"I feel great," he told PokerListings minutes after the win. "I'm really elated right now."

Courtesy of a massive hand where he busted seventh place finisher Brian Rast on the tournament's penultimate day, Timoshenko walked into the final six with a healthy lead.

But despite the advantage, he understood nothing was set in stone.

"I wasn't expecting to win," he said. "I hoped to win, but in tournaments you can't expect anything. Especially at a final table as tough as this one.

"I just hoped to play my best and come out ahead and luckily that's what happened."

Veteran pro Scotty Nguyen headlined a final table of solid players carrying a chance to become poker's all-time leading money winner should he take first.

But it was not to be for Nguyen as he lost most of his chips calling short stack Shannon Shorr's shove with just pocket sixes against tens.

Then Nguyen was outkicked by Christian Harder after making trip aces to bow out sixth.

Shorr was the next to go, taking fifth after running suited connectors into a Timoshenko wired pair.

Next was a huge double elimination that began when two-time EPT finalist Christian Harder open shoved with A 8.

Israeli Ran Azor, who won his seat to the championship after taking down a $2k Bellagio Cup prelim in 2008, made the call with A 7 and WPT Festa al Lago champ "ElkY" Grospellier came over the top for just 180,000 chips more with A J.

Azor called, flopped a seven and suddenly found himself heads-up with Timoshenko after the turn and river bricked.

While Harder took fourth, Grospellier's third place finish ensured he would also take home WPT Player of the Year honors.

Timoshenko went into heads up with a smile on his face and a 2:1 chip advantage.

"I got very fortunate for Ran to hit the seven," Timoshenko said. "I'd say of all three players left, he was the player I wanted to go heads-up with the most because he's an amateur.

"He's a very nice guy but he doesn't play as much poker and he's not as good at poker as ElkY and Christian Harder, both of who play a lot online and would have given me a tough time."

Timoshenko said he just stayed focused and did his thing.

"I just played my game," he said "I stayed patient. I didn't want to play big pots out of position, or even in position. I just wanted to grind it out and keep the pots small.

"I didn't really want to get it all in pre-flop. I prefer to see flops and chip away at him like that."

Obviously elated with the win, Timoshenko said he's off to Monte Carlo for the EPT Grand Final immediately and has his sights firmly set on the upcoming World Series of Poker and his first chance at WSOP gold.

"I can't wait," he said. "I'm probably going to play a lot at the World Series. I'd really like a World Series of Poker bracelet."

For a full recap of all the big hands at the final table hit up PokerListings' Live Tournaments page.

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