Home / Poker News January 2009 / EPT Deauville final table report
EPT Deauville final table report
Posted by: James Carter. - Tue, 2009-01-27 08:07
Although he started the final table in second place on the provisional leader board behind France’s Tristan Clemencon, Germany’s Moritz Kranich surged right to the top after taking down a pot during 3-handed play, which proved to be crucial for the outcome.
The home team was present in great numbers in the event as well as at the final table, but the savvy German managed to deny the French a home EPT title and took home the trophy and the €851,400 first prize.
There were no fewer than 5 French players at the 8-player final table. Tristan Clemencon began the action in the lead, followed by Kranich and Andrea Benelli in 3rd. It was Thomas Delattre who began the day with the shortest stack and sure enough he became the first victim of the final table. His 8th place earned him €77,400, which wasn’t half bad considering his initial investment. The second bust out of the day came about when Bruno Launais was forced to head to the rail in 7th place, having earned a prize of €108,300. He was soon followed by Jorn Walthaus from Holland who won €142,400. Walthause’s elimination was one of the unluckiest ones of the day, because had he been able to hold out for a couple more hands, he would have taken down an extra €40,000.
This way, that money went to Jonathan Azoulay who was eliminated only a few hands later heading to the payout-line to pick up his €182,700.
Benelli then began a roller-coaster ride, first clinching the chip lead, then losing a couple of huge pots which pretty much sealed his fate. He was eliminated 4th eventually, and took home €219,800.
Arnaud Esquevin had been the short stack for a while but he managed to hang on and stay in the game by chipping up several times.
Clemencon and Kranich clashed several times in the meantime, and Kranich eventually managed to deal a decisive blow to the Frenchman.
Going into the heads-up stage, Kranich held a huge lead over Esquevin and thus it was only a matter of a few hands to decide the winner. The final hand was an A,7 vs A-3 match up with both players hitting a pair of aces, but with Kranich managing to avoid the chop.
