As a debutant on the EPT Tour and part of an upcoming poker nation, many were questioning Warsaw’s ability to host such a high level comp, but, as Andy Black commented whilst announcing the final table, “This is their first major comp. Considering that their biggest comp prior involved just 38 players, I think no one would argue that they have done an excellent job.”With a lack of television cameras and a seemingly less exotic location, although we’d say otherwise, 287 players still managed to turn out for the event, subsequently amassing a €325,633 1st prize. Of that crowd were many of the usual suspects, including Andy Black, Joe Beevers, Dave Colclough, Praz Bansi and the familiar Scandinavian invasion – Johnny Lodden, Tore Lagerborg, Henning Granstad to name just a few.
But although the comp was bristling with stars, there were also many lesser-known names, many of whom reached the latter stages. In fact, as we approached the final, the most notable presence was that of recent PokerStars member, Katja Thater, although Irishman John Conroy was sure to be recognisable to multiple blonde viewers.
Farid Meraghni -- 971k
Peter Jepsen -- 498k
Marius Torbergsen -- 434k
Patric Martensson -- 305k
Frederik Holstrup -- 288k
Andy O'Flaherty -- 167k
Katja Thater -- 105k
John Conroy -- 73k
Whilst progress was initially slow, the banter more than made up for this, the prime suspects being John Conroy and the enigmatic Frederik Holstrup. But, unfortunately for the onlookers, the Dane would be the first to exit, pushing with K-Ts but running into Andrew O'Flaherty’s Pocket Tens.And with Martensson (A-Ks vs. Meraghni’s A-Qs), Andrew O'Flaherty (2-2 vs. Meraghni’s J-J) and Katja Thater (2-2 vs. Jepsen’s A-Qs) taking 7th to 5th for €40,574, €50,978 and €64,502 respectively, we were thick in a spell of carnage, the pace reaching full throttle and threatening an early finish.
Fresh off his early treble up, John Conroy was now picking up pace and would enjoy a third place finish (A-K vs. Jepsen’s A-A), but not after Torbergsen fell in 4th, running Q-5 into the nuts (8-7) of Meraghni on a 4-5-6 Flop.
Heads up, and two contrasting figures – one an aggressive but calculated Dane seemingly 100% focused on the task in hand, the second a laid back happy to call and outplay on the flop Frenchman.After an uneventful first level in which not one re-raise was made, it all exploded, the key hand being on a 2-5-T-5 board (there’d been a re-raise and a call pre-flop) when all the chips flew in, Jepsen making the final call with 9-5s, which had Meraghni’s 2-3o drawing dead.
Game over and we had our winner, a former soldier turned pro-poker player. But, for many, the real story of the week was the success of the Polish EPT and the Hyatt Casino, which passed with flying colours.