�5,300 Main Event
Day 6 Completed
�5,300 Main Event
Day 6 Completed
On Saturday, Season 11 of the European Poker Tour continued in Deauville, France, with the exciting conclusion of the �5,300 Main Event. In the end, it was Bulgaria's Ognyan Dimov who clawed to the top of the 592-player field to claim the championship, the SLYDE watch, and �543,700 in first-place prize money.
The day began with just six players in contention for the title and the name on everybody's lips was Dany Parlafes. The Romanian began the day as a commanding chip leader, dominating the official final table since its inception the night before. Parlafes began the day with 44% of the total chip in play and seemed poised to continue his domination.
The fireworks came immediately, as the first elimination of the final table occurred on the first hand of the day. The action got serious when the ever-flamboyant Joseph Carlino three-bet all in before the flop after an open from Dimov and a call from Benjamin Buhr. Andrius Bielskis four-bet all in over the top from the big blind, pushing out both Dimov and Buhr. In the end, Carlino tabled ace-king and was looking to improve against Bielskis' pocket jacks to stay alive. Carlino failed to do so and was eliminated from play in sixth place for �115,650.
Despite eliminating Carlino from play, Bielskis became the next player to fall. The Lithuanian was only able to last 16 more hands before hitting the rail. Bielskis was unfortunate enough to shove over the top of an open from Buhr, only to find that the latter held the . Bielskis' was in dire need of improvement in order to stay alive and have a shot at the title. In the end, the board ran out and Bielskis was forced to settle for a fifth-place finish. It was not all bad news for Bielskis, however, as he was awarded �147,760 in prize money.
French professional poker player Benjamin Pollak was the next to go, falling victim to the wrath of start-of-day chip leader Parlafes. On his final hand, Pollak turned a straight and called all in for his own tournament life against a shove from Parlafes. Pollak was disappointed to find that Parlafes had flopped the nut straight with ace-king to put the nail in his coffin. Pollak, who was coming off of an 11th-place finish in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event, took home �187,550 for his impressive fourth-place finish.
Buhr was the next player eliminated from the Main Event, hitting the rail exactly 20 hands after Pollak. Buhr was the victim of a tricky play from Dimov after the Bulgarian completed from the small blind with pocket aces. Buhr found ace-king in the big blind and came out with a raise. Dimov three-bet, Buhr four-bet shipped, and Dimov beat him into the pot. Buhr found himself in a bad spot and was unable to improve through the community cards. His elimination in third place propelled Parlafes and Dimov into heads-up play.
Parlafes and Dimov proceeded to engage in an astounding heads-up battle that lasted a total of 117 hands. Parlafes held the chip lead to begin the match, but Dimov found himself both playing optimally and landing on the right side of most of the boards. Roughly halfway through the match, Dimov seized the chip lead and never relented from that point on. Despite being unable to gain any momentum, Parlafes continued to play at a high level, even correctly folding the second nuts to Dimov's nut straight.
In the end, the match came to a head with blinds at 100,000/200,000/30,000. Parlafes opened his button to 425,000 only to have Dimov three-bet the action to 1 million. Parlafes moved all in for his last 5.21 million and Dimov called instantly.
Dimov:
Parlafes:
Parlafes was in a dominating position and seemed ready to double into the chip lead. The dealer fanned a flop that read , giving Dimov a bit more hope to win the tournament outright with a heart or a jack on the following streets. There was no sweat from this point out, however, as the drilled the turn to give Dimov the winning nut flush. The completed the board and Parlafes became the runner-up. Parlafes collected �338,700 for his impressive finish.
Final Table Payouts
Finish | Player | Country | Prize |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Ognyan Dimov | Bulgaria | �543,700 |
2 | Dany Parlafes | Romania | �338,700 |
3 | Benjamin Buhr | France | �242,390 |
4 | Benjamin Pollak | France | �187,550 |
5 | Andrius Bielskis | Lithuania | �147,760 |
6 | Joseph Carlino | France | �115,650 |
7 | Massou Cohen | France | �85,530 |
8 | Matas Cimbolas | Lithuania | �58,820 |
That does it for PokerNews' coverage of the EPT Deauville Main Event. Congratulations once again to Ognyan Dimov on his hard-fought victory. The tour will continue in six weeks for EPT Malta, running March 17-28.
Two big things on the docket this week, as Aussie Millions has wrapped up and the World Series of Poker schedule has been released. Donnie Peters and Rich Ryan recap the big festival Down Under and the team is then joined by "Kid Poker" himself, Daniel Negreanu, to discuss the 2015 WSOP schedule.
Hand 190: In the first hand after the break it was Parlafes who opened the button with . Parlafes had made it 425,000 and would soon see his opponent three betting. Dimov had received and raised to a million straight. Parlafes moved all in for 5,210,000 and Dimov made the call almost instantly.
"Lucky level man, I told you" said Parlafes. Maybe he should have knocked on wood, or unjinxed himself in some other way, because he spoke too soon.
The on the flop was already making things very exciting, and the on the turn ended it right there. Parlafes was drawing dead and didn't pay attention to the on the river anymore, it couldn't help him anyway.
Parlafes started out with 44% of the chips 6-handed today, and also started the heads up with a demanding chip lead, but in the end he needed to leave the win and trophy to Ognyan Dimov.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Ognyan Dimov |
18,005,000
5,240,000
|
5,240,000 |
|
||
Dany Parlafes | Busted |
Level: 33
Blinds: 100,000/200,000
Ante: 30,000
Twenty minutes break for the players.
Hand 183: Parlafes with on the button limped in. Dimov found and checked. Parlafes hit his over card on . Dimov check called a bet of 200,000. The on the turn made Dimov check again. Parlafes checked behind. on the turn and Dimov bet 325,000. Parlafes called with the better hand and received the rather small pot.
Hand 183: Dimov opened to 325,000 holding . Parlafes folded his .
Hand 184: Parlafes limped in with and Dimov checked . Dimov check called a bet of 200,000 on and the hit the turn. Dimov checked again and Parlafes checked behind. on the river and Dimov checked. Parlafes checked behind and got the chips in the pot.
Hand 185: Dimov received and opened for 325,000. Parlafes folded his .
Hand 186: Parlafes with on the button opened for 325,000. Dimov made the call with . on the flop and Dimov again got the better of it. Dimov checked and called after Parlafes bet 400,000. 1,490,000 in the pot by the time the hit the turn. Dimov checked again and Parlafes checked behind.
The on the river made Dimov check a third time. Parlafes bet 650,000 and Dimov thought about it for a bit before eventually folding, one of the first time he laid down the best hand.
Hand 187: Dimov with the on the button raised to 325,000. Parlafes wasn't up for it and folded.
Hand 188: Parlafes got and raised to 325,000. Dimov with made the call. on the flop and Dimov checked. Parlafes made a 400,000 bet and Dimov again folded the best hand.
Hand 189: Dimov showed just the and opened for 325,000. Parlafes made the call with . on the flop and both players checked. on the turn and again two checks. on the river and Parlafes checked. Dimov thought for a second and bet 350,000. Parlafes folded and the two went on break. We'll never know what Dimov had probably.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Ognyan Dimov |
12,765,000
-765,000
|
-765,000 |
|
||
Dany Parlafes |
5,240,000
765,000
|
765,000 |
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Ognyan Dimov |
13,530,000
-985,000
|
-985,000 |
|
||
Dany Parlafes |
4,475,000
1,225,000
|
1,225,000 |
Hand 176: Ognyan Dimov limped the button with and Dany Parlafes checked his big blind while holding . The flop was and both players checked. The on the turn prompted two more checks and the finished the board. After two more checks, Parlafes showed his pair of sevens and won the pot.
Hand 177: Parlafes had the button. He raised to 325,000 with and took down the pot preflop.
Hand 178: Dimov looked down at on his button and raised to 325,000. Parlafes held and he folded from the big blind.
Hand 179: Parlafes had and he limped his button. Dimov's allowed him to check to see a flop. Dimov checked, Parlafes bet 200,000, and Dimov called to see a turn.
Fourth street was the and both competitors checked. The on the river put two pair on the board. Both players checked again and Parlafes' king high won the pot.
Hand 180: Dimov looked at and limped from his button. Parlafes checked and the flop brought . Parlafes checked the flop, prompting Dimov to bet 200,000. Parlafes came over the top for 525,000 and Dimov quickly ditched his hand.
Hand 181: Parlafes held on the button and he opened with a raise. Dimov folded the big blind and Parlafes won the pot.
Hand 182: Dimov was on the button and he raised to 325,000 with . Parlafes folded and Dimov took the pot.