The €5,200 8-Sport is a comparatively new addition to PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) stops. It often attracts small, however robust, fields, and this time at EPT Barcelona it was no totally different. A complete of 18 entries confirmed up at On line casino Barcelona to create a prize pool of €87,300. Finally, David Dongwoo Ko took residence the title, his first-ever PokerStars trophy, and €37,550 for his efforts.
He defeated Triple Crown winner Mike Watson heads up properly into the Mediterranean night time, with the event being closed out at 1:30 a.m. native time. Watson was awarded a comfort prize of €23,550, whereas blended video games wizard Benny Glaser (third – €15,700) and poker veteran Vladimir Troyanovskiy (4th – €10,500) additionally cashed within the occasion.
EPT Barcelona €5,200 8-Sport Outcomes
Winner’s Response
“It feels superb to win,” Ko shared shortly after the event had ended, “however I am nonetheless sick of busting the Principal Occasion.” Ko solely entered the 8-Sport as a result of he fired two unsuccessful bullets within the Principal Occasion, a choice he wouldn’t remorse.
“I’ve solely been enjoying blended video games for a few months, I am getting sick of no-limit maintain’em,” Ko defined. “Since there isn’t a blended in Canada, I attempt to play as a lot as attainable elsewhere.”
When requested about his competitors, Ko had nothing however nice issues to say about his fellow gamers. “It is enjoyable to play with legends, I imply Benny Glaser and Mike Watson, they’re legends. I had lots of powerful spots in opposition to Mike heads up, a lot of strain, however I attempted to play my very own recreation and I received it executed.”
Early Motion
The event knew a sluggish begin, initially getting canceled however ultimately beginning up 90 minutes later than scheduled with three gamers. Nonetheless, the room rapidly crammed up with three tables in motion. That quantity was rapidly introduced down as Paul Tedeschi and Kelvin Kerber have been among the many early eliminations.
Imad Derwiche was the one participant to fireplace two bullets, busting them in fast succession on the early levels of the event. After the dinner break, the likes of Dzmitry Urbanovich and Benjamin Pollak departed from the ultimate two tables.
Probably the most outstanding storylines of the day was undoubtedly that of Jiaming Zhao. The Chinese language participant entered the event figuring out solely no-limit maintain ’em, with the opposite seven video games being defined to him by way of translated web sites. Seemingly having the time of his life, he gave it his all and even held the chip lead for a substantial period of time.
Sadly, his valiant efforts ended when he in the end completed in eighth place as the ultimate desk bubble. As soon as on the closing desk, quick stacks Ivo Bartoletti and Andres Korn rapidly fell, the latter of which in a multiway capped razz pot of which Watson was the massive winner. Finally, Finland’s Jyri Merivirta grew to become the bubble boy after first having doubled up the short-stacked Glaser on two separate events.
Merivirta threw in his closing few chips in a three-way 2-7 triple draw hand, however he drew worst and was the final to exit with out cash. At that time, Troyanovskiy had lower than an enormous wager remaining, which he misplaced in the identical recreation as Merivirta. Glaser couldn’t maintain on for much longer both, failing to double up for the third time on the closing desk when Ko eradicated him in Omaha hi-lo.
Motion of the Day
All through the ultimate desk, Watson had amassed an enormous chip lead, however because of Ko’s elimination of Glaser the Canadian duo began the heads up with even stacks. The duel lasted greater than an hour, with the lead swinging backwards and forwards between the 2 gamers. Finally, Ko received back-to-back massive pots to take a large lead. First, he flopped journeys in restrict maintain’em earlier than successful with the higher of two eight-lows in 2-7 triple draw.
After that pot, Watson was down to 3 massive bets, which have been misplaced in the identical recreation. Watson had stood pat with a nine-low on the ultimate draw, whereas Ko drew one. Watson then tossed his closing few chips within the center after the draw and was rapidly known as by the eight-low of Ko.
A grateful Ko had some type phrases for his much-respected opponent earlier than he fortunately walked residence with the trophy and €37,750 in money. Not too unhealthy of a comfort prize for busting the Principal Occasion, in any case.
That concludes PokerNews’ protection of the €5,200 8-Sport, however, with the Principal Occasion in full swing, you’ll want to try the studies of the opposite tournaments occurring at EPT Barcelona over on the reside reporting hub.
