Monday, Sept. 15, 2008

• Email
• Print

Ruthenberg racks up euros at EPT Barcelona

By Miguel Strother

It's been quite a couple of months for poker player Sebastian Ruthenberg. Starting in the $5k Seven-Card Stud event at the 2008 WSOP, the German Team PokerStars pro's been on a run that now includes a victory at the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour's Barcelona stop.

By besting a field of the world's top-tier pros, including WSOP $50k H.O.R.S.E. winner Scotty Nguyen and Canadian super freak Daniel Negreanu, 24-year-old Ruthenberg earned an insane €1,361,000.

"My year [has been] really amazing," said the German after the win. "I don't know what to say except I am a huge luckbox."


He started the final table second in chips and eventually bested Fintan Gavin of Ireland heads-up after the Irishman went all-in holding 7-4 offsuit to Ruthenberg's K-9 suited. It was apparently an easy call for Ruthenberg, who was holding a 5-1 chip advantage at the time.

Although the flop was kind to drop a seven, the luck of the Irish simply didn't hold, with both a king on the turn and a nine on the river. Don't feel too sorry for Gavin, though. He walked with a cool €792,000 for the result.

With the championship, Ruthenberg tops his previous best EPT result of third place and adds to his credibility as one of the best young poker players in the world.

Ruthenberg had even more to say in his interview with PokerListings after his win.

Ruthenberg will next play in the London EPT event and has to be considered an early favorite to capture EPT Player of the Year honors.

Others joining Ruthenberg and Gavin at the very international final table at the Gran Casino Barcelona included Martin Nielsen of Denmark, Davidi Kitai of Belgium, Dren Ukella also of Germany, Jason Mercier of the United States, Samuel Chartier of Canada and Daniele Mazzia of Italy.

A field of 619 players put up the €8,000 to buy in to the EPT Barcelona event, which created a record prize pool of €4,952,000. Among those who competed with the field of big-time pros were (retired?) Swedish NHL superstar Mats Sundin and Spanish tennis legend Sergi Bruguera. It was the first EPT appearance for both as PokerStars Ambassadors.

"I am very proud to become an ambassador for PokerStars," said Sundin. "It allows me to fulfil my personal ambition of working with charities around the world and I will be donating 100% of the money I earn from playing poker to charity. For me, the combination of excitement and challenge in poker, plus the potential to support good causes is a win-win situation."

Sundin doesn't have much to donate after this EPT, we're sad to report.

The final cash results for the top 10 finishers of the EPT Barcelona were as follows:

Place	Name	Country	Prize
1st	Sebastian Ruthenberg	Germany	€1,361,000
2nd	Fintan Gavin	Ireland	€792,000
3rd	David Kitai	Belgium	€455,000
4th	Daniele Mazzia	Italy	€351,000
5th	Jason Mercier	United States	€227,800
6th	Samuel Chartier	Canada	€178,000
7th	Martin Neilsen	Denmark	€119,000
8th	Mikael Lundell	Sweden	€74,400
9th	Salvatore Pengue	Italy	€74,400

For more information about how the tournament played out, check out our live coverage of the event in the Live Tournaments section.

More News

• French Open returns to EPT in 2009
• Players cruise for cash at Caribbean Poker Classic
• Barbosa does Portugal proud at EPT Polish Open
• Watchman secures GUKPT Blackpool win
• Editor wins first-ever PKR Live main event
• Marcus beats APPT Manila field
• GUKPT to host championship in December
• EPT picks up action again in Poland