Pokerstars.com EPT Prague: FINAL TABLE

[NoflopsHomer]

Gino Alacqua button raises to around 120k. Arnaud Mattern sets him all-in from the small blind and Kjondal gets out of the way. Gino calls for his 1,128,000 stack.

Gino:



Arnaud:



Board:



Gino doubles up, he and Arnaud both have about 2.2 million, Kristian has about 1.1 million.

[NoflopsHomer]

Arnaud limps for 40k from the button, Kristian calls from the small blind and Gino checks.



Kristian and Gino check, Arnaud bets 80k, Kristian calls and Gino folds.



Kristian checks again, Arnaud bets 220k and Kristian twists his head slightly and stares intently, alternating between Arnaud and the board. After about a minute, he makes the call, leaving just 700k or so behind.



Kristian checks again, albeit with a little reluctance, Arnaud thinks for a while, but the longer he thinks the weaker a bet now would look, after two minutes he gives up and checks. Kristian's is good.

A couple of hands later, the two are sparring again. Arnaud limp-calls a 120k raise in the small blind against Kristian in the big.

They both check the flop before Arnaud fires out 220k on the turn, Kjondal makes the call, again after much thought. The river is the and it goes check, check.

Arnaud announces, "Ace high," and Kristian turns . Arnaud sees the hand and mutters in French-accented English, "So sick..."

He's down to just 1.2 million now, the bluffs against Kjondal being at the wrong time.

[Chili]

The 3 playes have gone for a 10 minute break because Gino requested one, Floppy says that Gino has been angling for a deal since they were 5 handed to no avail though.


I'll take this chance to give you the profiles of the two finalists I have missed:

Kristian Kjondal, 21, Oslo, Norway

In the world of high stakes online poker, Kristian “Kris85” Kjondal is already a huge name and has turned over at least $250k in 2007 alone. In March he came 4th in the EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final for € 471,180 and at EPT Dublin this season, he came 23rdt for € 10,210. He was nominated Online Player of the Year in the Pokerstars’ Scandinavian Poker Awards in January but beaten by his good friend and fellow Norwegian Johnny Lodden. He also came 21st in the WSOP $10k Pot Limit Omaha event for $25k in July.


Arnaud Mattern , 28, from  Paris, France

Hailing from Paris but now living in London, Arnaud is the current holder of the French Backgammon Championship title. He won the Gutshot Poker Masters in 2006  for a $51,000 prize. Before turning to poker in 2004, Arnaud's main game was backgammon: in his own words, he "crushed the tournament circuit and cash-games all around the world”. The switch to poker has been very successful, both live and online. The Frenchman likes the poker circuit: "it’s a good opportunity to do what I love: meeting people, partying, learning new languages and of course playing cards." This is Arnaud's first EPT cash, and he starts the final table second in chips – with already the largest payday of his career.

[Chili]

News just in that Gino has got his wish for a deal.  With the help of translators and with Gino actually have the most chips at the moment this was there outcome:

Official prizes:
1              € 708,400   
2              € 407,300   
3              € 235,300   

Deal:

€350,000 EACH  then an extra
€100,000 on top for 2nd
€200,000 on top for 1st

Pretty good really and handy for everyone, can I play??

[Gowardo]

€350,000 EACH  then an extra
€100,000 on top for 3rd
€200,000 on top for 2nd

You mean +100  for 2nd and +200 for 1st..?

Wow...

[kinboshi]

Flushy would be proud.

[NoflopsHomer]

Arnaud and Kristian can't seem to stop going after one another and Gino is keeping out of it.

Arnaud raises to 150k from the small blind, Kristian calls.



Check check.



Now Arnaud bets out 220k, a number he seems to like. Kjondal folds.

Arnaud takes the blinds from the button and then gets a walk.

Next he limps in the small blind and Kristian checks.



Arnaud checks, Kristian bets 85k and Arnaud calls.



Both players check.



Now Arnaud thinks for a second before leading out for 150k, but Kjondal practically beats him into the pot showing , where as Arnaud shows the . The Frenchman trying to float after the flop, but then hitting?

[Chili]

€350,000 EACH  then an extra
€100,000 on top for 3rd
€200,000 on top for 2nd

You mean +100  for 2nd and +200 for 1st..?

Wow...

Oooops, yes thanks alot, ammended now!

[Chili]

Gino Alacqua on the button makes it 145k to play (blinds 25k/50k), Kristian Kjondal calls from the big blind.  We see a flip......errrr mean flop (forgotten what it was called):

   Gino bet 220,000.  Kristian went all in with Gino easily covering him, Gino instacalls.  We await the monsters to be flipped over:

Gino 
Kristian 

Turn: 

River:

That's it, Kristian missed his draw and Gino AND two Italians in my ear let out an ear drum pulverising "YESSSSSSSSSSSS" that physically made me jump.  Italians certainly wear their hearts on their sleeves!


 Kristian Kjondal is elimated in 3rd place officially winning €235,300.


Milliseconds before the river card was dealt.



Gino the victorious after his belly yelp:

[Gowardo]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS Heads up!

We really do wear our hearts on our sleeve... it makes you wonder how any italian can ever be any good at live poker!

P.s. Unforunately I must be out of here now, but thank you sooooooo much for all the updates!

[Chili]

You are welcome Gowardo....


So we made Heads up with an approximate of chip count of:

Arnaud Mattern   1,550,000
Gino Alacqua       4,000,000

The story so far:

Kristian   Kjondal   3rd   € 235,300
Juha   Lauttmaas   4th   € 182,200
Markus   Golser   5th   € 151,800
Nedzib   Suman   6th   € 119,000
Dagomir   Pavlovic   7th   € 93,600
Mikael   Norinder   8th   € 63,200
Johannes   Strassmann   9th   € 39,200

[NoflopsHomer]

And the Italian has had the better of HU battle so far, he called on the turn of an A-K-x-A-x board with Jack high which was good after the rest of the hand was checked down.

After a limp in for Arnaud, Gino checks. They see a board, which is checked all the way to the river where Gino fires out 90k, Arnaud calls after a think and Gino shows three pair, T-4. Arnaud mucks.

Next hand is another limped pot. The board reads and Arnaud bets 65k, Gino calls, then both check the river. Arnaud's is good.

Gino raises to 150k and Arnaud calls, it's checked to the river of the board where Gino bets 135k, Arnaud calls, but Gino shows for the rivered straight.

Arnaud raises and gets the blinds.

Gino raises again to 150k, Arnaud calls.



Check, Gino bets 100k, Arnaud calls.



Check, Check.



Arnaud bets 160k, Gino calls and Arnaud shows , which wins.

"Yes!! Valuetown!" cries Nicolas Levi.

[Chili]

I have just manouvered myself up on the stands with the lappy, so can update at my leisure without running back and forth to the pressroom!!!

AWESOME DUDE (as the Canadian's from Pokerlistings often say).

[Chili]

Arnaud takes 240,000 off Gino with K9 by flopping a 9 and getting paid with a river bet of 135,000.  Gino insta mucked.

------------------------

Gino from the button makes a 130,000 raise.   Mattern annouces ALL IN (everyone stands).  Gino is hilarious, he huffs and puffs, stands up, goes crimson, lays his forehead on his hands........................and passes!

[Chili]

A Chipestimate

Arnuad  1,900,000
Gino  3,500,000