2022 partypoker MILLIONS Europe Live Blog

Steve O’Dwyer has done it once again. Earlier this year O’Dwyer, who has more than $34 million in live tournament earnings, shipped the Irish Poker Open. This week, he entered the final day as the chip leader in the partypoker MILLIONS Europe €3,300 Main Event at the popular Casino Barcelona before eventually mounting a comeback against Luuk Gieles heads-up to win the title.

O’Dwyer has claimed countless trophies over the years but he shared with PokerListings that this one was something special.

“I don’t have a trophy like that,” O’Dwyer shared. “I really like that it has a globe on it. I love maps and I love geography.”

Barcelona has been one of O’Dwyer’s favorite places to play. The venue is something important to O’Dwyer who no longer wants to travel to Vegas after spending many years going there as can be evidenced by the fact that he hasn’t play in the World Series of Poker for years.

“I always love playing here,” O’Dwyer said about Casino Barcelona. “It is a great place to play poker.”

O’Dwyer had a close call for another trophy earlier this festival as he was heads-up with a commanding chip lead against the formidable Teun Mulder in the partypoker MILLIONS Europe €10,300 High Roller. Mulder mounted a comeback to win the trophy in that event along with the €67,900 top prize leaving O’Dwyer to settle for the €29,100 top prize. O’Dwyer shared that he wasn’t happy with his heads-up play in that event but had a couple of days thanks to playing in the Day 1a flight to brush up on his heads-up skills and was more confident facing Gieles due to that than in his match-up against another Dutch superstar in Mulder.

2022 partypoker MILLIONS Final Table Payouts

The partypoker MILLIONS Europe Main Event attracted 450 online and live entries to generate a €1,310,350 prize pool. A total of 67 players bagged stacks into Day 2, each securing at least a min-cash of €5,000 with fourth-place finisher Taras Khilko actually bagging up twice to earn an extra €5,000 on top of the fourth-place prize of €84,000.

From One Penny to €11,000 for partypoker Qualifier Lukas Boubel

Lukas Boubel qualified for the partypoker MILLIONS Europe Main Event at partypoker for just $0.01. He was living the dream by coming to Barcelona, but unfortunately for him, he just busted out in 18th place for €11,000 after his big slick ran into aces.

Boubel came to the Catalonian capital with his girlfriend and truly took in the experience as someone that typically plays low stakes. He shared with PokerListings that although he is disappointed that he didn’t go deeper with what he described as two mistakes because he was tired, after a quick break he relished in the fact that this was his biggest poker tournament cash.

“I was so excited to be playing with those I watch on TV like Steve O’Dwyer,” said Boubel.

Hopefully, for Boubel, this is the start of something big for the friendly player who exhibited strong play throughout the Main Event.

Final Day Action

The penultimate day of the Main Event concluded after O’Dwyer ousted partypoker Team Online streamer Matt Staples in 10th place when his ace-queen held against ace-four suited. O’Dwyer began the day with a small lead over Gergely Bartos but it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Irishman.

Bartos took the chip lead after O’Dwyer was on the losing end of the first hand to Daniel Smyth. Shortly after Smyth snagged the lead back. O’Dwyer, however, was back on top after he ousted Jelle Moene in ninth place. O’Dwyer extended his chip lead as others did the dirty work in eliminating both Duco ten Haven and Pawel Brzeski.

O’Dwyer appeared to be in cruise control as he was busy padding his chip lead until he doubled Bartos in a massive pot when his ace-queen didn’t get there against queens.

Bartos appeared to be the one in control at that point having padded his lead before sending Igor Picone to the rail when his fives were good against ace-trey suited. However, shortly after Taras Khilko send Smyth to the rail in fifth place, O’Dwyer was able to regain the lead once again during four-handed play. The lead then bounced around to Gieles before Bartos took control again. Gieles regained the lead before O’Dwyer was once again the table captain.

Bartos then delivered a bad beat to Gieles. A Cinderella story was in the making with Gieles down to under 3 big blinds at this point before he came storming back with two double-ups against O’Dwyer in flip situations. Shortly after, Gieles sent Khilko to the showers in fourth place and regained the lead after holding figuratively a chip and a chair. Bartos then ran his ace-five suited into Gieles’s pocket rockets to hit the rail in third place and Gieles held double the stack of O’Dwyer to begin heads-up play.

Gieles shared with PokerListings before the day began how special it would be to win the trophy for him. The Dutch poker player is a seasoned pro who was witnessed regularly playing $10,000 buy-in events online during the pandemic and had a great support team with him including High Roller champ Mulder and fellow final tablist Moene.

However, by the time the dinner break came around, O’Dwyer had a small chip lead despite Gieles winning one memorable hand with quad treys, and the tournament was soon over once the action resumed.

Before long, O’Dwyer amassed a massive chip lead against Gieles before the final hand took place.

It appeared like the game would go on with Gieles back into things after he nailed two pair with king-four suited against O’Dwyer’s ace-ten with the duo all in before Gieles nailed two pair on the king-four-nine landed on the flop. However, this wasn’t meant to be as an ace came on the turn to give O’Dwyer the top pair before a nine paired the board on the river to give O’Dwyer a better two pair.

Although Gieles was unable to hoist the trophy, he did win a truck-load of cash to collect the second-place prize of €168,000.

Congrats to Steve O’Dwyer for adding yet another big trophy to his ever growing collection. That’s a wrap for the PokerListings coverage of the 2022 partypoker MILLIONS Europe. Stay tuned as we cover other big poker festival around the world.

*Photos courtesy of partypoker photographer Mickey May

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The heads-up play didn’t last too long as Steve O’Dwyer just defeated Luuk Gieles heads-up to win the title and the €250,000 top prize. The final hand went down as follows.

Steve O’Dwyer jammed the button and Luuk Gieles called off for 54 million.

Luuk Gieles: K 4
Steve O’Dwyer: A 10

It appeared like the game would go on with Gieles back into things after he nailed two pair on the K 4 9 flop. The A on the turn gave O’Dwyer top pair and after the 9 paired the turn on the river to give O’Dwyer a better two pair.

Although Gieles was unable to hoist the trophy, he did win a truck-load of cash to collect the second-place prize of €168,000.

Meanwhile, a huge congrats to Steve O’Dwyer for winning the coveted trophy along with the €250,000 top prize. This is on top of his runner-up performance in the partypoker MILLIONS Europe €10,300 High Roller. Stay tuned for the final payouts and the recap of the 2022 partypoker MILLIONS Europe €3,300 Main Event.

Steve O’Dwyer – 446 million
Luuk Gieles – 0 million

Steve O’Dwyer won a couple of smaller pots to extend his chip lead and leave Luuk Gieles with a short stack.

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Steve O’Dwyer limped the button. Luuk Gieles raised to 22 million and O’Dwyer called.

Both players checked the 8 2 Q flop. Gieles checked again on the 8 turn and Gieles check-called a bet of 15 million.

The 10 completed the board on the river. Gieles checked and O’Dwyer bet 40 million with his rivered two pair. Gieles tanked for a couple of minutes before he found a call only to get the bad news. After the hand, O’Dwyer extended his chip lead to a nearly 3:1 chip advantage.

Steve O’Dwyer – 329 million
Luuk Gieles – 117 million

Steve O’Dwyer won a small pot to retake the chip lead. The duo decided to take a one-hour dinner break.

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Luuk Gieles limped with 3 3 and Steve O’Dwyer checked back with 9 8 .

Gieles flopped quads on the 3 J 3 flop and led out for 5 million. O’Dwyer check-raised to 15 million and Gieles called.

The 2 gave O’Dwyer a flush draw, which still obviously wouldn’t beat the quads held by Gieles if completed and he called a bet of 11.5 million.

The 6 river completed the board. Gieles over-bet the pot for 105 million. Although he was unable to get more value out of O’Dwyer, Gieles did retake the chip lead after the hand.

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Steve O’Dwyer just took the chip lead for the first time of heads-up play as follows.

O’Dwyer raised the button to 11.5 million with 7 2 and Luuk Gieles defended his big blind with A 3 .

Both players checked the Q 4 8 flop before Gieles check-called a bet by O’Dwyer of 14 million on the 3 turn.

The K river completed a flush for O’Dwyer. Gieles checked and O’Dwyer fired out for 28 million. Gieles called and O’Dwyer was in the chip lead.

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In a limped pot, Steve O’Dwyer with 8 5 bet 11 million with top pair from the button and Gieles check-called from the big blind with K 6 .

The 7 turn paired the board and both players checked to see the J river complete the board.

Gieles checked and O’Dwyer fired out for 20 million. Gieles called and got the bad news that O’Dwyer connected with the flop to win the first heads-up hand.

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Luuk Gieles opened the button with a min-raise before he called a three-bet jam by Gergely Bartos for 122 million to create the biggest pot of the tournament.

Gergely Bartos: A 5
Luuk Gieles: A A

The miracle run by Gieles continues, this time at the expense of Bartos after he got nowhere on the 4 8 K K 7 runout.

Bartos will collect €122,000 for his bronze medal performance, while Gieles, who appeared would hit the rail in fourth place, will begin heads-up play with more than double the stack of Steve O’Dwyer.

The tournament took a short break after the hand.

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Steve O’Dwyer min-raised the button with 7 6 and Luuk Gieles defended his big blind with 9 5 .

Both players checked the 10 5 3 flop before Gieles nailed two pair on the 9 turn. Gieles bet 7 million and O’Dwyer called.

The A river completed the board on the river. Gieles checked and O’Dwyer attempted a bluff with a bet of 37 million. Gieles raised to 93 million and won the pot after O’Dwyer folded.

Gieles continues his Cinderella story. Just moments ago he was down to less than three big blinds and after this hand miraculously catapulted into the chip lead.

Luuk Gieles – 176.5 million
Steve O’Dwyer – 143 million

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Luuk Gieles took a bad beat against Gergely Bartos but since then he has been on fire. The momentum continued as he eliminated Taras Khilko in fourth place as follows.

Gieles jammed the small blind for 64.5 million and Khilko called off for 38 million.

Taras Khilko: K Q
Luuk Gieles: A 8

Khilko didn’t connect on the 4 4 3 flop and was drawing dead on the A turn. The 10 river made things official and Khilko headed to the cashier to collect the fourth place prize of €84,000. Khilko was also the only player in the field to find a bag during multiple opening flights. This gave him an extra min-cash, so his total haul in the Main Event was actually €89,000.

Meanwhile, the players on the podium are now guaranteed to collect at least the third-place prize of €122,000.

There also appears to be a Cinderella story possibly in the making with Gieles going from 3 to 22 big blinds in just three hands.

Luuk Gieles – 107.5 million
Taras Khilko – 0

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Steve O’Dwyer jammed the button and was called by Luuk Gieles called off his stack of 28.5 million from the big blind.

Luuk Gieles – K J
Steve O’Dwyer – 2 2

You will often hear that deuces never loses but it did in this case with Gieles doubling for the second time against O’Dwyer in a coin flip situation after his king connected on the 9 4 K 7 5 runout.

Gieles was on crumbs a few minutes ago but now has some breathing room with a 13 big blind stack.

Steve O’Dwyer – 199.5 million
Luuk Gieles – 64.5 million

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Luuk Gieles jammed for 13 million from the button and was called by Steve O’Dwyer in the big blind.

Luuk Gieles – Q J

Steve O’Dwyer – 6 6

Gieles won the flip with his jack connecting on the 8 8 J 2 3 board to increase his stack to 7 big blinds.

Steve O’Dwyer – 218 million
Luuk Gieles – 33.5 million

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Gergely Bartos jammed for 73.5 million from the small blind with Q 5 . Gieles had A 10 from the big blind and asked for a count before he called.

Gieles was ahead and things were looking bleak for Gergely with Gieles pairing his ace on the A J 9 flop.

But running clubs with the 5 turn and K river improved Bartos to a miracle flush to double his stack and leave Gilies with just 3 big blinds.

Gergely Bartos – 152 million
Luuk Gieles – 15.5 million

The final four players are on their third short break of the final table. Blinds will increase to 2.5M/5M when the action resumes. Here is a look at the stacks at the break.

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Steve O’Dwyer raised to 14 million from the small blind with Q 2 . Gergely Bartos called from the big blind with A 6 .

Both players failed to connect with the 5 10 K flop and Bartos check-called a bet of 8 million by O’Dwyer.

The J turn gave O’Dwyer an open-ended straight draw and Bartos checked. O’Dwyer took down the pot after he bet 24 million and Bartos folded.

Steve O’Dwyer- 197 million
Gergely Bartos – 92 million

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Taras Khilko min-raised from under the gun with J J and was called by Luuk Gieles with A 10 from the big blind.

Khilko nailed top set on the 9 4 J flop and bet 8 million after Gieles checked. Gieles checked his cards and laid down his hand to award Khilko the pot.

Luuk Gieles – 110 million
Taras Khilko – 71.5 million

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Luuk Gieles min-raised the button with 10 6 and Steve O’Dwyer called with 9 7 from the big blind.

O’Dwyer’s seven found a friend on the A 3 9 flop and he check-called a bet of 4.5 million by Gieles. The A paired the board on the turn and O’Dwyer check-called a 13.5 million bet by Gieles. 

O’Dwyer checked again on the 4 river. Gieles attempted to steal it away with a bet of 39 million. O’Dwyer called a minute later to regain the chip lead.

Steve O’Dwyer – 171 million
Luuk Gieles – 112 million