February 26 2012, Eric Ramsey

For the second consecutive year, the World Series of Poker Circuit returned to the Palm Beach Kennel Club in South Florida, and all signs indicate that poker is booming in the region. Saturday marked the start of the $1,600 Main Event, and so far, 745 players have already taken their seats in one or both of the starting flights. We say “so far” because registration remains open overnight and up until the cards go in the air on Day 2. After two nine-level Day 1 flights, Philip Samuels had amassed the biggest stack, with 160,500 chips.

Despite a plethora of major events running in other parts of the globe, the turnout was strong in Palm Beach. The WSOP Main Event champion from 2007, Jerry Yang, came out to play, but two bullets were not enough for the champ. The afternoon session went quickly for Yang, but he managed to hang on until well after 1:00 a.m. before losing his Day 1b chips to seal his elimination.

Lee Childs was a member of that same final table, and he too was in the building on Saturday. Long before the Main Event, in fact. An hour before the Main Event began, Childs was taking his seat at Event #9′s final table, where he finished in sixth place before heading across the room to play the Big Show. Like Yang, though, things did not go well for Childs in neither the afternoon nor the evening session, and he’ll be relying on the final two preliminary events to try and snag a gold ring at this stop.

With poker heating up in Florida, it was no surprise to see the home team well-represented on Day 1. Another WSOP finalist, 2010′s John Dolan made the drive across Alligator Alley to play here in Palm Beach, and he finished the day with 45,500 chips.

Florida’s own John Riordan won this event last year, and a productive Day 1a allowed him to take the evening session off with 57,000 already tucked safely away in his chip bag. Harrison Gimbel could be the mayor of South Florida with all of his young success, and he too bagged up a good stack before dinner to take an early night off.

Things did not go so well for the region’s most recent bracelet winner, though. Tristan “Cre8ive” Wade couldn’t get anything going during the afternoon session, losing most of his chips when his came up short against an opponent’s . The board ran out to steal most of his Day 1a stack, and Wade was unable to muster a charge on Day 1b, ending his event a couple of days earlier than he’d hoped.

Other notables who burned through both bullets included Mstr Lynch, Craig Bergeron, Chris Bell, and the defending WSOP Ladies’ Event champion, Marsha Wolak.

On to happier news, though, and tales of those who have survived. Huy Nguyen is becoming something of a household name around the Circuit, and his Day 1b was particularly productive. Nguyen was already over triple his starting stack when he sent Ebony Kenney to the rail late in the evening, and he cruised his way to a finishing count of 83,400.

Jeff Papola and Kyle Bowker needed just the Day 1a flight to turn their 20,000 chips in to more than 70,000 apiece, and they’ll return for Day 2 among the big stacks. Kurt Jewell got close to that, with 67,000 before the dinner break, and Chris Tryba was content to bag up 43,000 to take an early night, too.

Everyone is chasing Samuels, though, and his big stack will set the pace for Sunday’s moving day. About 220 players (of 477) survived Day 1a, and another ~125 (of 285) made it through the evening session. That will put about 350 players back here for Day 2, and the two members of our Live Reporting team will be joining them inside the ropes.

Don’t miss the action from the Palm Beach Kennel Club Sunday starting at 1200 EST (1700 GMT). In the meantime, follow us on Twitter to keep tabs on the rest of the action from the poker world.

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February 25 2012, Lee Davy

A total of 299 players participated at the Copenhagen stop of the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour and after six days of pulsating play, two members of Team PokerStars found themselves seated across the table playing heads-up for a first-place prize of DKK2,515,00 (“338,133).

It seemed as though you could not have written a more intriguing script, with the cherubic PokerStars Team Online player, Mickey “mement_mori” Petersen pitched into war against the more mature Team PokerStars Pro, Pierre “Zoutechamp” Neuville. Unfortunately, the script went out of the window, because the heads-up match was devoid of any of the razzmatazz that came before it.

Heads-up play lasted six hours and was dominated by the younger poker player. Neuville looked tired, weary and, like he had simply run out of ideas, while the time just seemed to go on, and on, and on. The action was stuck in a loop with Petersen raising Neuville out of the game until he would eventually find a premium hand, would move all-in, and find the double up. Neuville was so patient he would regularly go below the 10 big blind mark in order to wait for his premium hand to arrive.

Then finally, after six hours of nondescript activity Petersen finally managed to get Neuville to call an all-in showdown where Petersen was ahead. Petersen’s was up against Neuville’s , and everyone was expecting a split pot. The flop of increased the split-pot possibilities ten-fold, but the on the turn gave Peterson a ray of light, and then the secured the deal giving Mickey Petersen the distinction as 2012 EPT Copenhagen champion.

But it wasn’t always that formulaic.

When action began, former PokerStars Caribbean Adventure final tablist, Aage Ravn, was the favorite to win with 2,458,000 chips.

Play didn’t even breach the second level of the day before the first elimination occurred. Former Sunday Million winner, Spencer Hudson fount in a great spot against then chip leader Aage Ravn, who was holding . The flop was clear of any mines – – before the on the turn blew Hudson’s dream of a double up apart and sent him reeling to the rail. The first level ended with Hudson being the only confirmed casualty, and Ravn extending his lead at the top.

We waltzed into Level 24, with blinds at 12,000/24,000/3,000, and Steve O’Dwyer became the second person to leave the EPT Copenhagen final table. Once again Aage Ravn played the role of the conqueror, but this time he did not have to come from behind. Ravn’s dominated the of Ireland’s latest resident, O’Dwyer, and he was eliminated in seventh place.

While Americans were being deported left, right and center, there was a Dutchman who had developed a seemingly perfect strategy. Niels van Alphen found pocket aces and then pocket kings, and each time a willing partner to play all-in poker. But just when van Alphen was seemingly finding premium hands for fun, a Pierre Neuville found one with just a little bit more strength. Van Alphen found and Pierre Neuville found and the Dutchman was out in sixth place.

Steve O’Dwyer joined the commentary booth and told the viewers how impressed he was with the play of Jacob Rasmussen and then completely jinxed him! Rasmussen lost the majority of his chips to Bjarke Hansen after calling all-in on a board of , while holding . Hansen’s held up and as Hansen joined Petersen and Ravn at the top of the counts, Rasmussen was in deep trouble at the bottom.

With five big blinds and no choices left except to move all-in or fold, Rasmussen went about his business and went about it well. Ironically, it was the man who was responsible for his demise who became his chip benefactor. Hansen doubling Rasmussen up twice, first holding the mighty against , and then versus .

While Rasmussen was experiencing a renaissance, Mickey Petersen was finding a set against the experienced Neuville to take the chip lead for the first time in the day. Interestingly, as soon as Petersen took the lead, Ravn couldn’t win a pot, and he started to lose ground on the leaders in rapid fashion.

Then Rasmussen’s luck dissipated as Petersen called his all-in holding . Rasmussen had and a slight mathematical advantage, an advantage that would flip on its head after an flop. Rasmussen found himself in a minefield with nowhere to turn and the sealed his fate with a fifth place finish. After Rasmussen’s exit Petersen enjoyed a 2:1 chip advantage over Bjarke Hansen and Aage Ravn, while Pierre Neuville had a mere 12 big blinds.

Neuville had to move his 12 big blinds into the middle sooner rather than later, and when he did he could not have timed it more perfectly. Mickey Petersen was his all-in opponent holding and Neuville held a monster – . Not that he needed it, but the flop handed Neuville quads, and increased his stack to around 25 big blinds, giving him a little more room to play.

Despite the Neuville double up, he was still short-stacked, but the continuing spiral of Aage Ravn had other plans. Ravn got his chips into the middle holding against Hansen, who was holding . Ravn looked likely to double up as the hit the board but the on the river dashed his hopes and play was three-handed.

Pierre Neuville reminded his two younger counterparts that there was life in the old bones. The Team PokerStars Pro doubled up against his teammate Mickey Petersen, after Neuville’s survived a flip against Petersen’s . Neuville then went on a mini heater.

Level 27 was a great one for Neuville as he glided to the top of the chip counts after a series of huge pots involving another clash with Petersen. With all three players on an even par, Bjarke Hansen raised to 100,000 on the button, Petersen three-bet to 255,000, Hansen four-bet to 550,000, Petersen moved all-in and Hansen called. Neuville was licking his lips as Hansen tabled and Petersen tabled . The board changed nothing and Hansen was out and the intriguing heads-up encounter between Petersen and Neuville was set.

For his win, Mickey Petersen takes home the EPT Copenhagen trophy, a nice shiny Shamballa bracelet and DKK2,515,000.

2012 EPT Copenhagen Final Table Results

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