The slogan always tells us that Timex watches are ridiculously easy to use, but in the poker world, Mike 'Timex' McDonald found life ridiculously easy as he stomped his way to his, and Canada's, first EPT title.
Dortmund was the city playing host to the usual array of faces, a predictable host of Scandinavian youngsters mixed in with the likes of Daniel Negreanu, Katja Thater, Rolf Slotboom and Marcel Luske. However, after Alexander Milinov snapped up that unwanted bubble spot, we were left with a rather unfamiliar final eight.
Michael McDonald -- 862,000
Johannes Strassmann -- 827,000
Diego Perez Marco -- 744,000
Andreas Gulunay -- 560,000
Torsten Haase -- 364,000
Christian Harder -- 339,000
Claudio Rinaldi -- 266,000
Thibaut Durand -- 148,000
Although McDonald has been touted as one of poker's rising stars, it was the names Johannes Strassmann (left) and Christian Harder that rang the loudest bells, their final table experience in Prague and Paradise Island respectively making them clear dangermen.
However, although back-to-back finals was a marvellous achievement, Harder would be first to fall, his A-K running into the Bullets of Mike McDonald and sending him crashing to the rail in 8th.
Thibaut Durand was next in the stocks, followed by Straussman in 6th and then the suspiciously named (didn't he manage Chelsea?) Claudio Rinaldi, his A-9 suited failing to overcome the Pocket Sevens of Andreas Gulunay.
With five left, Mike McDonald made a quite brave/risky (I can't decide) call for a 1.3 million pot. His 75,000 pre-flop raise pushed all-in by Diego Perez Marco for 600,000 total, Mike made the call with Pocket Ducks only to find himself in a rather satisfactory coinflip against J-To. A harmless 9-4-A-6-Q board later, and we were down to four with McDonald taking a commanding chip lead.
With third place guaranteed €307,000 and sexual delights from the wife, Thorsten Haase can't have been too disappointed to drop next, his A-5 on a Q-5-3 Flop being called by Mike McDonald's K-Q and failing to improve.
With EPT lovely Kara Scott waiting to pounce, the heads-up contest was a notably brief battle, Mike McDonald's aggressive style clearly not suiting a long, drawn out affair. And so, with Andreas Gulunay pushing all-in on a Kh-7c-Jd-Kc-2h board, Mike made an easy call with A-K only to witness his defeated opponent whisk his hand into the muck.
At just 18 years of age, Mike McDonald is now the youngest EPT winner to date. Not only that, but he plays the game with a level of composure and respect that is above and beyond his years, and surely a sign of a future star. Carving out a reputation for himself under the moniker 'Timex', Mike is relatively new to the poker world, but has quickly made an impression on 2008, making three finals at the Aussie Millions for over $130,000 and becoming the latest and youngest EPT winner here in Dortmund. Well done that man! Now give us a fiver.
1st Mike McDonald -- €933,600
2nd Andreas Gulunay -- €528,500
3rd Thorsten Haase -- €307,000
4th Diego Perez Marco -- €234,200
5th Claudio Rinaldi -- €192,000
6th Johannes Strassman -- €152,000
7th Thibaut Durand -- €120,200
8th Christian Harder -- €85,500