January 08 2012, Chad Holloway

On Sunday, the inaugural World Poker Tour Ireland concluded as the final table of five played down to a winner. WPT final tables are usually played six handed, but thanks to a double elimination on the bubble, action resumed Sunday with five. David Shallow, who was responsible for the double elimination on Saturday, entered play as the overwhelming chip leader. He put his stack to good use and ultimately conquered the 338-player field to capture the title and $289,031 first-place prize.

Given Shallow’s chip lead, which was about 6-1 over his closest competition, the action was wanton. According to the WPT Live Reporting Team, the first elimination came when Ronan Gilligan raised on the button only to have Steve Watts move all-in for a little over 1.1 million. Gilligan made the call and it was off to the races.

Showdown
Gilligan:
Watts:

Watts was ahead with tens, but didn’t want to see another one after the flop, because it would give Gilligan a straight. The turn was of no consequence, but the river put a dagger through Watts’ heart and sent him packing in fifth place for $40,465.

Not long after, Patrik Vestlin raised from the cutoff and found a caller in the form of Gilligan in the big blind. The latter checked the flop, opening the door for Vestlin to put out a bet. From there, Gilligan check-raised to 450,000, Vestlin moved all-in for 1.75 million, and Gilligan made the call.

Showdown
Gilligan:
Vestlin:

Gilligan was ahead with top pair, but needed to sweat the overs and nut-flush draw of his opponent. Unfortunately for Vestlin, the turn and river blanked and he was dispatched in fourth place for $51,063. With that, Gilligan overtook the chip lead with 4.8 million to Shallow’s 4.2 million, while Chaz Chattha sat with 1 million.

Surprisingly, Gilligan was unable to hold on to the chip lead and was the next to go. It happened when Shallow raised from the small blind holding and Gilligan called from the big with . The flop gave Shallow top pair and Gilligan an open-ended straight draw, so it was only natural that there was going to be a big pot. Sure enough, Shallow fired out 215,000, Gilligan raised to 525,000, Shallow moved all-in, and Gilligan made the call. The turn was no help to Gilligan, and neither was the river. He was eliminated in third place for $96,339, while Shallow took a 7,280,000 to 2,860,000 chip lead into heads-up play.

Chattha made a go of it, even taking over the chip lead at one point, but he couldn’t secure the victory. Instead, Shallow battled back, reclaimed the chip lead, and won the final hand. It happened when he raised to 135,000, Chattha three-bet to 380,000, Shallow four-bet to 825,000, and Chattha moved all-in. Shallow made the call and was in a great spot.

Showdown
Shallow:
Chattha:

The board ran out and Chattha finished as runner up for $144,502; meanwhile, Shallow, who is known as “CrabMaki” online, added his name to the WPT Champion’s Cup, won a $25,500 seat to the WPT World Championship, and claimed the $289,031 first-place prize.

World Poker Tour Ireland Results

*Photo courtesy of the World Poker Tour.

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December 04 2011, Chad Holloway

The 2011 World Poker Tour Prague continued on Saturday with Day 2 action from the largest European WPT event in history. The original field of 571 players, which created a “1,753,200 prize pool and surpassed the WPT Vienna from Season IX as the largest event ever, had been reduced to 124 players on Day 2. Casey Kastle began the day with the lead with 356,800 in chips. After an intense day of action, that field had been reduced to 62 players, with Martins Adeniya best positioned to capture the “450,000 first-place prize with 849,000 in chips.

Adeniya got off to a quick start on Day 2 as he eliminated a resilient foe in just the second level of the day. In that hand, Adeniya raised and was met with a three-bet by Michael Tureniec. Adeniya then four-bet, Tureniec moved all-in for 80,000, and Adeniya called with . Tureniec was way behind with and failed to improve. Just like that, Adeniya was up to 310,000 and never looked back.

Obviously action was fierce at the Kings Casino in the Corinthian Hotel in Prague as the remaining field looked to make the top 63 and guarantee a payday. It didn’t take long for the eliminations to mount, with a laundry list of notables joining Tureniec on the rail including Martin Staszko, John Eames, James Akenhead, Bryn Kenney, Lukas Berglund, Toby Lewis, Eoghan O’Dea, and Steve O’Dwyer.

O’Dwyer pushed with big slick and resulted in a former WPT Champ, Mike Watson, taking over the chip lead. According to the WPT Live Reporting Team, Watson raised to 11,000 under the gun and O’Dwyer called from the hijack. Michael “Timex” McDonald was next to act in the cutoff and three-bet to 31,000, which prompted Watson to four-bet to 51,000. O’Dwyer responded by moving all-in for 250,500, McDonald folded, and Watson made the call for his tournament life.

Showdown
Watson:
O’Dwyer:

O’Dwyer held a quality hand, but he was in desperate need of an ace. Unfortunately, the board ran out and Watson took over the chip lead with 578,000. O’Dwyer was left with just 75,000 and was eliminated a few hands later after his was cracked by Watson’s , when the board ran out .

It was a quick fall for O’Dwyer, made all the more painful by the proximity of the money bubble, which burst a short time later. Action folded to Thomas Frandsen in the small blind and he shoved all-in for 113,000. Yury Gulyy was in the big blind and called off his shorter stack of 90,000.

Showdown
Frandsen:
Gulyy:

Gulyy was in a dominating position and primed to double, but that all changed when the flop came down . Neither the turn nor river helped Gulyy and he became the official bubble boy, assuring the remaining 63 players a payday of at least “6,400.

Those who’ve made the money and advance to Day 3 include Grayson Ramage (83,000), Casey Kastle (120,000), Eugene Katchalov (120,000), Moritz Kranich (139,200), Jamie Rosen (383,000), and Karen Sarkisyan (743,000).

Day 3 will commence on Sunday at 1400 CET (0500 PST) as the remaining 62 players look to make the WPT final table. Be sure to return to PokerNews for the daily recap of the action

*Photo courtesy of the World Poker Tour.

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