EPT
For the first time, PokerStars EPT Berlin has it’s first home grown champion in Daniel Pidun, who has beaten out 911 other players to take the title, and €880,000.
The final table started very short today, which was due to the 6 hour final table bubble from last night, which had left us with 5 Germans left in the event.
We were all expecting a fast and furious start to the event, but maybe unsurprisingly, it was a slow start to the day.
The Russian, Korenev, was the first to hit the showers, and Julian Thomas, who had probably been playing the best strategy of the day in my view, left in 7th place after a three way all in hand with Robert Haigh and Roman Herold.
At this point, Pidun had established a dominance over the table, and soon had over 10 million chips.
Herold busted when he got his very short stack in while racing, and Helbig added to Pidun’s stack when he got his fives bad against Daniel’s eights.
Vos put up a good fight, but was also swept up by the Pidun machine, when his money went all in against Pidun’s ace queen, while his ace only had a seven to keep it company.
By this point Pidun had nearly two thirds of the chips in play, and any ideas about hatching a deal out between the final three went the way of the Dodo very quickly.
Frost was the short stack, and he was eliminated in a strange 3 way hand.
Haigh raised to 400k after Pidun’s limp, only to see frost shove all in for 1.5 million behind him. Pidun just called behind and Haigh followed suit. The flop came 5
8
K
and Pidun casually check/called Haigh’s 400k flop bet. The 3 turn saw Pidun check/call again when Haigh raised 1,050,000 in to the pot. The J river ended Pidun’s passive line, and he fired out enough to set Haigh all in. Haigh knew he was beat, and his only though was, do I call and take 2nd now, or hope for a miracle heads up. He went with the miracle, and folded, leaving Pidun to knock out Frost as his A7 had rivered a flush, which was miles ahead of Frost’s T
9.
The heads up battle was a little unorthodox, with Haigh trying a strange limping from the button strategy, but it was to no avail. They got it all in with Haigh holding ace king, and Pidun with nine eight suited. The eight on the flop put Pidun ahead, which is exactly where he stayed to take his first EPT Title, and added to his collection of EPT Berlin cashes, as he already held a 9th, and a 17th place in this event.
The final table cashes were:
- Daniel Pidun – €880,000
- Robert Haigh – €531,000
- Lasse Frost – €325,000
- Pascal Vos – €255,000
- Alexander Helbig – €202,200
- Roman Herold – €155,000
- Julian Thomas – €110,000
- Roman Korenev – €77,000
The EPT circus is moving on the Monte Carlo Grand Final, which starts on the 6th of May. The plans for the live stream are impressive, with 10 days of coverage spread over the Main Event and the Super High Roller. As you’d expect, FTR will be hosting the stream, and I’ll be glued to it, as i have been all week.
