Results of the EPT Grand Final Season Four
Date - 12-17 April 2008
Buy-in - €10 000
Entrants – 842
Prize Pool - €8 420 000
Online Qualifier Wins the Biggest Poker Tournament in European History
The EPT Grand Final lived up to its promise as a poker battle of major proportions and although the final table was packed with consummate professionals, it was Canada’s Glen Chorny, an online qualifier, who claimed the title and over $3 million.
WSOP great, Antonio Esfandiari, only needed an EPT title to go with his WPT and WSOP wins to complete an elusive Triple Crown of Poker but it was not to be – he became the first casualty at the final table when his A8 could not compete with Pagano’s A-J and a flop that came down Q-T-K, handing Pagano stone cold nuts!
Next to go was Russia’s Valeriy Ilikyan who pushed all in against American, Michael Martin – he held A4 to Martin’s AQ and the flop brought both the Ace and the Queen! The turn and river were worthless to the accomplished Russian. It wasn’t long before Luca Pagano’s luck started to change though and the man who boasts a record breaking 9 EPT cashes and was contesting his third EPT final table couldn’t better Denes Kalo’s pocket queens with an AJ. The K-7-7 flop didn’t improve things for Pagano who called for an Ace that never materialised!
Michael Martin’s QT was quickly undone by pocket jacks held by Chorny and a flop that read 6-7-T. The dealer lay out an Ace and a deuce on the turn and river and it was all over for Martin. Isaac Baron, the man tipped to take the tournament, did not make the transition from internet expert to live poker champion this time round and fell to the wiles and superior cards of Chorny and it was not long before Frenchman, Maxime Villemure, packed up and headed for home as well.
Heads-up was a very one-sided affair as after twelve hours of play Chorny boasted a ten to one chip lead over the remaining combatant, Denes Kalo. The Hungarian realised he had to act fast if he was to have any chance against the interminably deep stack. He found KhQd and opted to raise first, Chorny moved all in and showed Ah5h and the board read AsQs6s6cTd and Chorny was crowned King of the EPT for the year!
“There’s no better way to feel right now than like this," Chorny said. "It feels like you’re a rock star.”
Final Table Results
- Glen Chorny - €2 020 000 ($3 090 600)
- Denes Kalo – €1 790 000 ($1 803 870)
- Maxime Villemure – €715 000 ($1 093 950)
- Isaac Baron – €589 000 ($901 170)
- Michael Martin – €421 000 ($644 130)
- Luca Pagano – €337 000 ($515 610)
- Valeriy Ilikyan – €253 000 ($387 090)
- Antonio Esfandiari - €168 000 ($257 040)
