After an eight hour battle, Robin Ylitalo emerged as the champion of the European Poker Tour London’s Main Event, banking an impressive payday of £560,980.
At the start of action on Saturday at the Grand Connaught Rooms, Jeff Rossiter held a decent lead with his 5.205 million in chips over one of his main nemesis, Georgios Karakousis’ 4.39 million chips. Ylitalo was lurking in the third place slot with 2.795 million in chips and Stefan Vagner held down the fourth place slot with 2.525 million. Leo McClean, Jan Sjavik, Ludovic Geilich and Kully Sidhu all held less than a million chips apiece and were longshots to take down the title.
Vagner got off to an excellent start, picking off Rossiter on the first hand of the match for some chips and then taking some from Karakousis on the next hand. He would give those chips back to the table, however, when he doubled up Geilich after Geilich’s Q-4 flopped a four against Vagner’s K-Q. Taking the first elimination of the final day of play, Karakousis was able to best Sidhu after his J-10 flopped a Jack against Sidhu’s A-Q.
Karakousis was in the lead at that point and he furthered the lead in defeating Rossiter. On a 10-A-4-3-Q board, both Karakousis and Rossiter played it safe, checking both the turn and river after Karakousis check-called a flop bet from Rossiter. When it came to showdown, Karakousis showed a measly Q-7; it was enough, though, as Rossiter’s J-7 headed to the muck.
Much as they had during Friday’s action, Rossiter and Karakousis couldn’t stay out of each other’s way. The hand following the previous confrontation, the duo would once again mix it up with Rossiter opening for 100K from the cutoff and Karakousis calling from the button. On a 5-7-3 flop, Rossiter check-called a 150K bet from Karakousis and, on the Q turn, check-called another 250K bet from Karakousis. On a six river, both players put the brakes on with a check and, after Rossiter turned up his A-7, Karakousis sent his A-J to the muck and the chip lead over to Rossiter once again.
While Geilich was able to make some ground, McClean and Sjavik were at the mercy of the stacks surrounding them. Sjavik moved all in for his last chips and, in the next seat, Geilich made the call. Once Ylitalo and McClean folded, it was seen that Geilich had the lead with his pocket nines over Sjavik’s pocket sevens. A nine in the window all but sealed the hand for Geilich and, once a blank came on the turn, eliminated Sjavik in seventh place.
The next man out wasn’t McClean (who clung to his short stack tightly), but surprisingly Vagner. The big stacks had been fighting with each other while McClean watched and, after a Geilich raise and a Vagner call, Ylitalo used a squeeze play in pumping up the action. Geilich got out of the way, but Vagner pushed all in and Ylitalo immediately called. Vagner’s Q-J was in dire straits against Ylitalo’s Big Slick and, after an Ace appeared on the turn, the hand was over and Vagner hit the exit in sixth place and Ylitalo took over the lead.
McClean continued to hang around the event, seeing start-of-day chip leader Rossiter sink under him and be eliminated by Karakousis in fifth place and Geilich drop at the hands of Ylitalo in fourth to make the final three. At that point, however, it was going to be tough for either McClean (2.2 million) or Karakousis (3.965 million) to top Ylitalo (12.215 million).
McClean took the first shot, doubling up through Ylitalo, before going to battle against Karakousis. After McClean opened the betting for 225K, Karakousis put his stack in and McClean decided to make his stand. McClean’s A-Q was behind Karakousis’ pocket threes in the race and, after the board ran off Jack high, he was gone from the tournament in third place.
Down to heads up, Ylitalo held a four million chip lead, but Karakousis took four of the first five hands to whittle that lead down. It wasn’t enough, however, as the final hand saw Ylitalo raise the action to 240K and Karakousis push a three bet of 620K. Ylitalo opted to make a four bet of almost 1.5 million and, after Karakousis pushed all in, immediately called and tabled an A♣ K♣ for action. Karakousis could only muster an A-6 offsuit and, after the board ran out 2-5-5-8-J, Robin Ylitalo became the champion of the EPT London.
1. Robin Ylitalo £560,980
2. Georgios Karakousis £349,200
3. Leo McClean £249,850
4. Ludovic Geilich £193,340
5. Jeff Rossiter £152,320
6. Stefan Vagner £119,225
7. Jan Olav Sjavik £88,175
8. Kully Sidhu £60,640
With the EPT London in the books, many players are heading off to the World Series of Poker Europe, which kicked off action on Saturday with its first event. Ylitalo will revel in his victory for the moment before likely heading off to Cannes for some of the action there.
