October 27 2011, Eric Ramsey

Thursday was the closing day of the PokerStars.it European Poker Tour San Remo Main Event, and it was truly an international affair. The eight finalists arrived at the table from eight different nations, each battling to bring “800,000 and an EPT trophy back to their respective countries. On what is traditionally a short day, it took a bit longer than expected to crown the champion, Russia’s Andrey Pateychuk, who was left holding the hardware and posing for his winner photos at the end of the night. But to say simply that he won doesn’t do proper justice to the spectacular hand that put the trophy in his hand after nine hours of play.

When the action kicked off at 1400 CET (0500 PDT), there was still a glimmer of hope that the EPT would crown a double Main Event champion this week in Italy. Kevin MacPhee won the Berlin Main Event in Season 6 and a lot of knowledgeable people peg him as one the favorites to claim a second EPT trophy. He began the day at the bottom of the totem pole, though, and the hopes of him winning began to bleed away just as his chip stack did.

MacPhee was unable to get into any of the first 34 pots of the day, and on hand No. 35, he was eliminated. The table folded around to MacPhee in the small blind holding . He moved all-in, and Barny Boatman, in the big blind, made the call with . MacPhee was not at all thrilled with the call, and even less happy with the board that ended his run in eighth place. EPT title number two will have to wait, for now.

Next to fall was the last Italian left in the field, Rocco Palumbo. At that point, he was riding a dangerously short stack and seemed content to flip for double or nothing with against Jan Bendik’s . Bendik found a set on the flop, however, and a blank on the turn left Palumbo drawing dead to seal his elimination and reduce the field to a six-max.

Start-of-day chip leader Daniel Neilson had been playing the role of table captain with almost half the chips in play, but things began to unravel in the middle stages of the day. His slide left room for a challenge atop the pack, and Dimitar Danchev did most of the work with six players left. Mounting his charge, he was responsible for the elimination of France’s Yorane Kerignard in sixth place. It was another coin flip, and Kerignard’s could not hold. Danchev’s flopped two more aces, and the turn and river kept his trips safe. Kerignard was out, and suddenly, Danchev was nipping at the heels of the chip leader.

Neilson was reeling after a few dropped pots, and Danchev was gunning for his chips, but Pateychuk who took the biggest bite out of Neilson’s stack. In what was the beginning of the end for Neilson, he five-bet shoved with , and the Russian snapped him off with . When the board came , Pateychuk vaulted himself into the lead and smashed Neilson back down into the pack with about 3 million chips.

From there, Pateychuk didn’t look back. Bendik fell next in fifth place when his ran smack into Pateychuk’s , and Boatman was yanked off the stage soon thereafter. The Brit had a frustrating day on the final table and ended up committing his shortening stack with . Once again, Pateychuk woke up with a real hand, and his was never in jeopardy as the board ran out to send Boatman off in fourth place.

Danchev and Pateychuk spent a bit of time battling during three-handed play, but it was clear that they were after Neilson’s stack, which was getting awfully short by that time. Once again, Neilson got his money in with a dominated ace – – and Danchev found the hand to knock him out. His held on the board full of blanks, and that left both players close to even in chips as the heads-up duel began. As such, they decided to take “1.2 million off the table and split it, playing one-on-one for the remaining “80,000 and the title of EPT San Remo champion.

The Bulgarian poker world was on the edge of their seats as they had hopes of crowning their first EPT champion, and Danchev did good work as the night progressed. While Pateychuk was winning the most pots, Danchev was winning the big ones, and once he got through the first hour of heads-up play, the momentum seemed to real move in his direction. He even managed to squeak into the chip lead for a few hands. In fact, he was one card away from the title at one point, but the stars were aligned for Pateychuk in San Remo.

It was a hand we’ll see replayed over and over again on the EPT broadcasts, and it was the one that crushed the hopes of Danchev and Bulgaria. The stacks were almost dead even at that point, but one could feel a big pot working itself up in the preceding hands. Then came the hammer.

Pateychuck three-bet preflop and followed up with a bet on the flop. Danchev raised just more than the minimum, and Pateychuk shoved with ! The call came instantly, and Danchev’s had him two cards from the title. The turn gave him a sweat he hated, and the poker gods struck him down on the river. The dropped like a bolt of lightning, and the players could only stare at each other with wide eyes, unable to really process what had just taken place.

Drawing to runner-runner and getting there, Pateychuk had all but sealed the deal. He only needed three more small hands to finish off Danchev, and the Bulgarian did a good job hiding his disappointment until he was alone at the payout desk a few minutes later.

It’s better to be lucky than good, and Andrey Pateychuk has a full measure of both qualities. After putting on a clinic in power poker for a few hours, he needed lady luck to bring it home for him, and we certainly won’t begrudge him that. For his efforts this week in San Remo, he earned “680,000 and Russia’s second European Poker Tour title.

Final Table Payouts

The EPT is headed to Loutraki, Greece next for a new stop on the calendar. We’re headed there, too, but you should keep tabs on us in the meantime by following us on Twitter.

Follow Eric Ramsey on Twitter – @Eric_Ramsey

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October 27 2011, Brett Collson

On Thursday, the World Series of Poker revealed two new inductees to its prestigious Poker Hall of Fame. Barry Greenstein and Linda Johnson were voted in by a 35-person panel of existing Hall of Famers and media members, becoming the 41st and 42nd members of the elite group of poker icons. They will be officially inducted on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino as part of the November Nine festivities.

Greenstein is recognized in the industry for his accomplishments on and away from the felt. The “Robin Hood of Poker” has accrued more than $7.5 million in live tournament earnings while amassing three World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour titles. He is also regarded as one of the toughest cash-game players of all time while playing in some of the biggest games around the world.

Away from the table, Greenstein is just as admired for his charitable contributions. He has donated more than $3 million to various charities through his poker winnings, which helped earn him the nickname “Robin Hood of Poker.” Greenstein is also an accomplished author and father of six, including four stepchildren.

“I’m happy to be inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside my friend Linda Johnson who has been the most fervent ambassador for poker for as long as I can remember,” Greenstein said.

Johnson, who was given the nickname “The First Lady of Poker” by fellow Hall of Famer Mike Sexton, has been one of poker’s most passionate supporters since the early 1980s. She placed fifth in her first tournament at the WSOP and subsequently quit her job at the U.S. Post Office to become a professional poker player. Her peak as a poker pro came in 1997 when she claimed her first and only bracelet by winning the $1,500 Seven-Card Razz event

In 1993, Johnson purchased Card Player magazine and served as a publisher for eight years. She has also been instrumental in developing the World Poker Industry Conference, the World Poker Players Conference, and the Tournament Directors Association. Now, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Poker Players Alliance and the Ladies International Poker Series.

“I am extremely proud and humbled to be voted into the Poker Hall of Fame,” Johnson said. “I feel lucky to have been involved in many facets of poker over the past 35 years. Being recognized by the industry is a tremendous honor.”

The 2011 Hall of Fame finalists who were nominated but did not receive the necessary votes were Annie Duke, Jennifer Harman-Traniello, John Juanda, Marcel Luske, Jack McClelland, Tom McEvoy, Scotty Nguyen and Huck Seed. All eight finalists are eligible for the Hall of Fame next year.

The induction ceremony for Greenstein and Johnson will take place at 1630 PDT on Nov. 8 inside the Penn & Teller Theater. It will be immediately followed by the three-handed finale of the WSOP Main Event final table.

Read more about the 2011 Poker Hall of Fame class at WSOP.com.

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Follow Brett Collson on Twitter – @brettcollson