EPT Barcelona Open - Live Updates
The PokerStars European Poker Tour kicked off its fifth season on the continent with the Barcelona Open on the shores of the Mediterranean. Germany's Sebastian Ruthenberg defeated Ireland's Fintan Gavin in heads-up play to claim the title and €1,361,000 in prize money. It was awesome, folks. Hit up the live updates for details.
Day 4 Live Updates
It's Over! Ruthenberg Takes Barcelona!
Just like that the 2008 PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona Open is over. After just three hands of heads-up play, Fintan Gavin open-shoved all-in and saw Sebastian Ruthenberg make a quick call.
The Irishman tabled 7♣ 4♥ while Ruthenberg held the advantage with K♣ 9♣ and only needed to maintain his lead to win the day. The flop, however, brought the 7♥ in the door and concluded with the A♣ and 2♥ to give Gavin the lead.
The turn brought it right back as the K♥ fell, giving Ruthenberg the lead but also giving Gavin the flush draw. The Irishman needed a seven, a four or a heart to stay alive, but Fifth Street brought the 9♦ and Ruthenberg had clinched the title!
For the win, Ruthenberg earns €1,361,000 as well as a gigantic novelty check, a trophy and the adulation of millions of PokerListings.com readers. Runner-up Gavin takes €792,000 back to Galway.
Congratulations to Ruthenberg and all of the finalists, and especially to PokerStars and the EPT for a successful beginning to Season 5!
Heads-Up!
Heads-up play is underway between Sebastian Ruthenberg and Fintan Gavin at the 2008 PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona Open.
Here are the chip counts as we get underway:
Sebastian Ruthenberg: $5,050,000
Fintan Gavin: $1,180,000
Kitai Carson'd (3rd)
Sebastian Ruthenberg open-shoves all-in from the button and Davidi Kitai tanks in the small blind before making the call for his last $1,920,000. In the big blind, Fintan Gavin does some thinking of his own before laying down A♣ Q♣ face-up.
Kitai has the same hand, holding A♦ Q♦, and is racing with some outs taken against Ruthenberg's 4♥ 4♣. The flop comes J-7-6 with two hearts and the K♣ on the turn gives the Belgian a few more outs. The river, however, is the 2♦ and Kitai is eliminated, out in third place and the beneficiary of a €455,000 payout.
We'll take a quick break before starting heads-up play between Sebastian Ruthenberg and Fintan Gavin.
Ruthenberg Takes Chip Lead
Fintan Gavin limps-in from the small blind and Sebastian Ruthenberg checks his option in the big blind. The flop comes 8♣ 8♠ 7♦ and Gavin bets $140,000. Ruthenberg makes the call and the turn is the 3♣, prompting checks from both players.
The river is the 2♠ and Gavin checks to Ruthenberg, who bets $220,000. Gavin raises to $600,000 and Ruthenberg ruminates for a few minutes before ultimately deciding to make the call. Gavin taps the table and mucks as Ruthenberg shows 7-5 for two pair, taking the pot and building his stack up to over $3 million. Gavin is now the short-stack with $1.3 million.
Back From Break
We're back from break and the cards are back in the air from the PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona Open.
Here are the current chip counts as the players return from break:
1. Fintan Gavin $2.6 million
2. Davidi Kitai $1.9 million
3. Sebastian Ruthenberg $1.4 million
Ruthenberg Doubles
Fintan Gavin open-shoves from the small blind and Sebastian Ruthenberg makes the call for his tournament life from the big blind, showing T♦ T♣ to Gavin's A♠ 7♥. The board comes Q♣ 9♥ 3♠ 4♠ 2♦ and the tens hold, giving Ruthenberg the pot and doubling him up.
We're now on a ten-minute break. Hold for chip counts.
Three-Handed!
Here are the approximate chip counts as three-handed play gets underway:
Fintan Gavin: $3.2 million
Davidi Kitai: $2 million
Sebastian Ruthenberg: $870,000
Mazzia Balled (4th)
Sebastian Ruthenberg limps-in on the button and Davidi Kitai completes in the small blind. Daniele Mazzia moves all-in for another $13,000 and both Ruthenberg and Kitai make the call.
The two live players check down the board, which comes Q♥ J♦ T♥ A♣ 8♠ and Kitai turns up Q-8 for two pair. Ruthenberg has J-9 for the queen-high straight and Mazzia, holding 5-3, is eliminated. He's gone in 4th place and earns €351,000 for a particularly tenacious effort.
Kitai Kripples Mazzia
Daniele Mazzia open-shoves all-in from under the gun for $1,149,000 and the action folds around to Davidi Kitai, who considers the call from the big blind. After a minute or two of thought the Belgian makes the call for his last $1,048,000, turning up T♣ T♥ and finding himself ahead of Mazzia's 9♠ 9♣.
The flop comes 6♠ 5♠ 3♣, the turn the K♦ and the river the Q♠, meaning Kitai has doubled to over $2 million and Mazzia is now utterly crippled and all but all-in on the big blind in the next hand.
The Final Four!
Cards are back in the air at the PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona Open as our final four face off for the million-Euro grand prize.
Here's how the chip counts stack up as the action gets back underway:
Fintan Gavin: $2,987,000
Davidi Kitai: $1,265,000
Daniele Mazzia: $1,104,000
Sebastian Ruthenberg: $796,000
Dren Drained!: Fintan Gavin busts Dren Ukella (Fifth)
We have our fifth place finisher and it’s definitely not Irishman Fintan Gavin. In a hand where Gavin and Dren Ukella both saw a flop of T♥ 9♣ 2♥ it was the German player who shoved all-in.
Gavin made the reluctant call and tabled Q-9 for middle pair. Ukella showed A♥ 4♥.
The board finished with the 7♣ and then the T♦, which spelled doom for the former chip leader. Ukella will receive €292,000 for his pokering efforts in Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Gavin now has nearly $3 million chips, which is more than the other three players combined. Baller!
We're now on a quick break as we prepare for four-handed play.
Gavin Keeps Rolling
Action folds to Fintan Gavin in the small blind and he raises to $160,000. In the big blind, Sebastian Ruthenberg makes the call. The flop comes K♥ Q♥ 8♣ and Gavin bets out. Ruthenberg makes the call and the turn is the 2♣. Gavin immediately moves all-in.
"If I lose this hand, psychologically I'd be devastated," Gavin tells Ruthenberg. "So I have to push."
Ruthenberg thinks for a minute. "I might be making a bad laydown."
"I haven't seen you make a bad laydown yet," Gavin replies. Ruthenberg lays it down, flashing a king. Gavin flashes a king as well.
"I was afraid of getting counterfeited," he says as he rakes the pot.
Betcha Can’t Have Just One (Chip Count)!
After Dren Ukella’s recent stumble against Daniele Mazzia some are starting to wonder if the Italian player is destined to win this thing. Fintan Gavin still holds the chip lead with $1.8 million but even that lead is starting to slip as Sebastian Ruthenberg and David Kitai are pouring it on.
Here’s an updated look at the chip counts:
1. Fintan Gavin $1.8 million
2. Sebastian Ruthenberg $1.4 million
3. Davidi Kitai $1.1 million
4. Daniele Mazzia $982,000
5. Dren Ukella $836,000
Ukella Doubles
Mazzia Doubles Again
Dren Ukella raises to $120,000 and Daniele Mazzia ships it all-in for $460,000 total. Action folds around to Ukella, who makes the call and tables Q♠ J♠. Mazzia has him dominated with A♥ J♥ and is in great shape to double again.
The board comes 5♦ 3♦ 2♣ 8♥ 3♣ and ace-high is good to take the pot. Mazzia doubles to over $900,000, while Ukella is down to his last $540,000.
Event Information
- Event Name
- EPT Barcelona Open
- Venue
- Gran Casino De Barcelona, Spain
- Date
- 2008-09-10
- Final Day
- 2008-09-14
- Buy In
- $11,280
- Entrants
- 619
- Prize Pool
- $6,982,320
- First Prize
- $1,919,010
Event Winner
| Player | Prize Money | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sebastian Ruthenberg | $1,919,010 |
| 2 | Fintan Gavin | $1,116,720 |
| 3 | Davidi Kitai | $641,550 |
| 4 | Daniele Mazzia | $494,910 |
| 5 | Dren Ukella | $411,720 |
