Post by jdaddy on Apr 5, 2008 15:24:07 GMT -4
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Saturday, Apr. 5. 2008
Jason Mercier triumphs at EPT San Remo
By Arthur Crowson | EPT
It seemed that all of Italy was behind Dario Minieri at the final table of PokerStars EPT San Remo. Unfortunately it wasn't enough.
Instead it was American Jason Mercier who stole the limelight and outlasted everyone to become the first champion of the inaugural EPT San Remo.
It was also the fastest final table in EPT history taking barely three hours for seven eliminations and heads-up lasted a mere two hands.
The media knew they were in for an interesting day when the first hand saw Minieri and French wild-man Eric Koskas crank up the table talk in the middle of a hand.
In the hand Minieri opened and Koskas called and the flop came 8s-6s-6c. Both players checked and the turn came 3h and Koskas moved all-in.
Eric Koskas - I'm crazy but I'm not stupid.
Both players stood up and launched into a long conversation.
"I wouldn't move all-in on the first hand with nothing would I?" said Koskas. "I'm crazy but I'm not stupid."
"If I fold to you will you show me?" asked Minieri.
"If you show me both of your cards I will show you one of mine," responded Koskas.
The whole conversation was emulating a hand between William Thorson and Minieri which had occurred the previous day. Minieri had told Thorson that if he showed him two cards he would only show one. Minieri was on the receiving end of that joke at the final table.
In the end it wasn't worth it because Minieri folded his hand face down.
Short-stack Marcus Bower was the first elimination of the day. Bower got jacked when his pocket fours were no match for Lellouche's A-Q.
Minieri was up to his old tricks at the final table and it was frequently raising pots and taking them down without showing his hand.
Dag Palovic was Minieri's first victim at the final table when Minieri hit a set of treys against Palovic's pocket queens. Nothing developed on the board and it was back to Slovakia for Palovic who also made the final table at this year's EPT event in Prague.
William Thorson, who made questionable fold leading up to the final table, wasn't able to get much going at the final table and eventually went out went his A-Q failed against A-K. Not a particularly fantastic performance from the sensation Swede but it's likely we'll see him at another final table in short order.
William Thorson didn't have a huge presence at the final table.
Minieri wasn't the only horse the Italians were cheering on. The little known Gregory Genovese was another crowd favorite who had the honor of making the final table. Genovese suffered from a small stack heading into the final table, however, and was crippled when he lost a coin flip against Eric Koskas. After doubling up Koskas, Genovese was forced to shove with T-9 and couldn't beat A-3. That was it for Genovese who finished fifth.
In the hand of the night, perhaps of the tournament, Jason Mercier made a sick, sick call against Koskas.
Mercier and Koskas limped to a flop of Jh-6d-5c and both players checked. The turn came 8c and Koskas lead out for $200,000. Mercier called and the river fell 8h. Koskas instantly went all-in and after two minutes Mercier, sensing something was amiss, made the call. It proved to be the right decision as Koskas held T-3 for nothing but ten-high. Mercier had him beat with 9-5.
Yeah I'm going to have to call.
It was a pivotal hand at the final table because suddenly Mercier, who had been somewhat quiet compared to the ultra aggressive Minieri and Koskas, now had a firm grip on the chip lead with over $3 million chips.
The next elimination came quickly and shocked everyone to their very core. Crowd-favorite Minieri opened for $140,000 and Mercier re-raised to $340,000. Minieri called and the flop came
-7h-2d. Minieri bet $400,000 and Mercier instantly announced he was all-in. Minieri called almost as quickly and flipped over Qs-Qc which was in the lead but Mercier had the big draw with Ad-4d.
The turn came 4h which gave Mercier even more outs with his pair of fours. All of Italy was on their feet for the river card, which came… 3d!
The heads-up upstart.
The Italian crowd was shocked and their hero, the diminutive Minieri, was sent to the rail in third place.
All of a sudden it was heads-up and no one seemed more surprised than Lellouche who had not been very involved with the final table. The normally aggressive Lellouche was not in great position with merely $1.3 million to Mercier's overwhelming $5.7 million.
In just the second hand of heads-up play the tournament was finished. In the final hand Mercier made a standard raise and Lellouche re-raised to $400,000. Mercier announced he was all-in and Lellouche called almost instantly.
You win an EPT and you too can have this.
Mercier flipped over Ks-Qh to Lellouche's 7s-7d and we had classic raise situation on our hands for approximately €300,000.
The flop board came As-Qs-4c-8c-2c and that was it for the first edition of EPT San Remo. An American, strangely enough, was the ultimate victor and will be taking home an exceptional €869,000.
We here at PokerListings.com had a great time in San Remo and want to applaud PokerStars for bringing a big buy-in tournament to an area that is absolutely poker-crazy. We'll see you next in Monte Carlo for the Grand Final.
Ciao!
Saturday, Apr. 5. 2008
Jason Mercier triumphs at EPT San Remo
By Arthur Crowson | EPT
It seemed that all of Italy was behind Dario Minieri at the final table of PokerStars EPT San Remo. Unfortunately it wasn't enough.
Instead it was American Jason Mercier who stole the limelight and outlasted everyone to become the first champion of the inaugural EPT San Remo.
It was also the fastest final table in EPT history taking barely three hours for seven eliminations and heads-up lasted a mere two hands.
The media knew they were in for an interesting day when the first hand saw Minieri and French wild-man Eric Koskas crank up the table talk in the middle of a hand.
In the hand Minieri opened and Koskas called and the flop came 8s-6s-6c. Both players checked and the turn came 3h and Koskas moved all-in.
Eric Koskas - I'm crazy but I'm not stupid.
Both players stood up and launched into a long conversation.
"I wouldn't move all-in on the first hand with nothing would I?" said Koskas. "I'm crazy but I'm not stupid."
"If I fold to you will you show me?" asked Minieri.
"If you show me both of your cards I will show you one of mine," responded Koskas.
The whole conversation was emulating a hand between William Thorson and Minieri which had occurred the previous day. Minieri had told Thorson that if he showed him two cards he would only show one. Minieri was on the receiving end of that joke at the final table.
In the end it wasn't worth it because Minieri folded his hand face down.
Short-stack Marcus Bower was the first elimination of the day. Bower got jacked when his pocket fours were no match for Lellouche's A-Q.
Minieri was up to his old tricks at the final table and it was frequently raising pots and taking them down without showing his hand.
Dag Palovic was Minieri's first victim at the final table when Minieri hit a set of treys against Palovic's pocket queens. Nothing developed on the board and it was back to Slovakia for Palovic who also made the final table at this year's EPT event in Prague.
William Thorson, who made questionable fold leading up to the final table, wasn't able to get much going at the final table and eventually went out went his A-Q failed against A-K. Not a particularly fantastic performance from the sensation Swede but it's likely we'll see him at another final table in short order.
William Thorson didn't have a huge presence at the final table.
Minieri wasn't the only horse the Italians were cheering on. The little known Gregory Genovese was another crowd favorite who had the honor of making the final table. Genovese suffered from a small stack heading into the final table, however, and was crippled when he lost a coin flip against Eric Koskas. After doubling up Koskas, Genovese was forced to shove with T-9 and couldn't beat A-3. That was it for Genovese who finished fifth.
In the hand of the night, perhaps of the tournament, Jason Mercier made a sick, sick call against Koskas.
Mercier and Koskas limped to a flop of Jh-6d-5c and both players checked. The turn came 8c and Koskas lead out for $200,000. Mercier called and the river fell 8h. Koskas instantly went all-in and after two minutes Mercier, sensing something was amiss, made the call. It proved to be the right decision as Koskas held T-3 for nothing but ten-high. Mercier had him beat with 9-5.
Yeah I'm going to have to call.
It was a pivotal hand at the final table because suddenly Mercier, who had been somewhat quiet compared to the ultra aggressive Minieri and Koskas, now had a firm grip on the chip lead with over $3 million chips.
The next elimination came quickly and shocked everyone to their very core. Crowd-favorite Minieri opened for $140,000 and Mercier re-raised to $340,000. Minieri called and the flop came
-7h-2d. Minieri bet $400,000 and Mercier instantly announced he was all-in. Minieri called almost as quickly and flipped over Qs-Qc which was in the lead but Mercier had the big draw with Ad-4d.The turn came 4h which gave Mercier even more outs with his pair of fours. All of Italy was on their feet for the river card, which came… 3d!
The heads-up upstart.
The Italian crowd was shocked and their hero, the diminutive Minieri, was sent to the rail in third place.
All of a sudden it was heads-up and no one seemed more surprised than Lellouche who had not been very involved with the final table. The normally aggressive Lellouche was not in great position with merely $1.3 million to Mercier's overwhelming $5.7 million.
In just the second hand of heads-up play the tournament was finished. In the final hand Mercier made a standard raise and Lellouche re-raised to $400,000. Mercier announced he was all-in and Lellouche called almost instantly.
You win an EPT and you too can have this.
Mercier flipped over Ks-Qh to Lellouche's 7s-7d and we had classic raise situation on our hands for approximately €300,000.
The flop board came As-Qs-4c-8c-2c and that was it for the first edition of EPT San Remo. An American, strangely enough, was the ultimate victor and will be taking home an exceptional €869,000.
We here at PokerListings.com had a great time in San Remo and want to applaud PokerStars for bringing a big buy-in tournament to an area that is absolutely poker-crazy. We'll see you next in Monte Carlo for the Grand Final.
Ciao!