10.57pm — Vicky Coren has won the London EPT, just a short heads up game with Emad Tahtou. Just 2 hands played…
It all happened very quickly, but both players saw a flop of 5, 3, 4. Emad moved all-in and Vicki called instantly. Emad showed 8 8, and Vicky had 6-7 for the flopped straight.
Vicky Coren is the winner of EPT London, she looked stunned as this was announced to the crowd, and she was handed a cheque for £500,000.
10. 50pm — Vicky has 2.2million chips, Emad 1.7 million.
10.40pm — Woohoo! What a hand… Jan Sjavic raises to 60,000, Vicky Coren re-raises to 250,000. Jan thinks for a moment, then he calls. On the flop of 9 10 10 Vicky is first to act – she goes all-in. Jan has a long think. Jan has a longer think. He shifts uncomfortably in his chair, the chips are counted, he thinks a LOT more… He doesn’t look happy. Vicky just sits as still as a statue.
Vicky has just slightly more chips than Jan – if he calls it’s for his tournament life.
9 10 10 on the flop, Vicky all-in, Jan to act. What will he do? The people around me start to debate what Jan may have, what Vicky may have… “He’ll fold for sure,” someone tells me. Vicky calls the clock on Jan. He sits, and sits, and thinks… It’s been at least 5 minutes now. Thomas Kremser starts to count down, as Jan still doesn’t move… “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 , 4…”
With 3 seconds left to act, Jan declares, “call.”
The crowd press forward to see the cards, to see if their guesses were right. What did you guess?
Vicky has Ace Jack. Jan has pocket threes.
The turn is dealt – it’s a Jack. The river I didn’t see. The Jack put Jan out of this tournament, despite his great call. Vicky Coren looked shaken as both players stand up. Someone doubted she’d won the hand, her face looked like that of the loser.
As I headed away from the final table, I heard Emad boast, “I folded 9 10!”
Two players left. Vicky and Emad, they’re about even on chips.
10.02pm — Vicky Coren declares, “All-in.” Michael Muldoon on the big blind calls. Vicky has him covered. Vicky shows Ace Ten of hearts, Michael has pocket sevens. The flop is Ad 8d 5c. So Vicky likes that ace… The turn’s a Qd. Michael has a diamond in his hand – and more hope… The river the Ace of Clubsc. Michael is out in 4th place. His prize £110,000.
10.54pm — Jan raises, Vicky re-raises all-in. Jan asks for a chip count, but it’s too much for him, he folds. Vicky leans over, “Good pass,” she tells him. But she would, wouldn’t she?
9.48pm — More news from the Vic stairs…. “172” a fellow poker reporter said to me. I wondered if it he was talking about somebody’s chipcount?
“172 steps,” he said. “I’ve counted them.”
It’s a long, long, up and down journey to bring you news from the London EPT. And this post is proof, if any were needed, that poker reporters have many skills – it’s not just chips we count.
8.45pm — The 4 players remaining are now on an hour long dinner break. I’ll be back with more updates when they come back. Remaining places payout like this:
1st £500,000
2nd £285,900
3rd £168,600
4th £110,000
8.39pm — Vicky’s short of chips now, I just heard she lost a big hand without even showing cards. She bet out 60,000 from under the gun. Jan Sjavic re-raised another 100,000. Vicky over the top for another 200,000. Sjavic goes all-in…After some thought Vicky folded. Must have been a big hand for Sjavic.
Chipcounts now:
Emad Tahtouh 1,600,000
Jan Sjovik 1,200,000
Michael Muldoon 450,000
Vicky Coren 350,000
Emad Tahtouh, our chipleader
8.35pm — Chad Brown is out. Jan raises to 70,000, Chad goes all-in. Jan calls with 99, Chad has Q 8 and is hoping for a Queen… No help for Chad and he leaves to be comforted by his Team PokerStars girlfriend… Vanessa was supposed to be playing PokerStars Tournament Leader Board match tonight, but asked Victor Ramdin to play in her place so she could watch Chad’s EPT game. Now he’s out early perhaps she can go home and play?
8.15pm — On the way to the casino floor, in the back corriders of the Vic, I saw a man with a bucket and a sponge wiping the marker pen writing off a gigantic yellow cheque. I wondered whether he was up to no good? I thought he might wipe clean the big yellow cheque, then write his own name on the blank cheque, and pay it in to his bank. Perhaps I should have alerted casino security staff? I decided it would have been easy to catch him if he was heading down the Edgeware road to Barclays bank, with the big yellow cheque under his arm…
8.10pm — Jules Kuusik has just been knocked out in 6th place, winning £44,000. Mike Muldoon held A J versus Jules’s A 5. A jack on the flop was not what he wanted to see, another jack wasn’t going to improve his spirits any. Handshakes all round, before the meaningless river was dealt. 5 players now.
8.00pm — Chips now:
Chad Brown 600,000
Emad Tahtou 1,400,000
Michael Muldoon 750,000
Jan Sjavic 400,000
Jules Kuusik 350,000
Vicky Coren 700,000
7.45pm — Vicky wins a nice pot. On a flop of 2h 10h Jh vicky bets 60,000. Chad raises another 120,000 Vicky calls. They both check the 9d on the turn. When the 3s appears on the river Vicky bets 100,000. Chad folds.
7.30pm — Chipcounts as play resumes after the short break:
Emad Tahtouh 1,100,100
Chad Brown 929,000
Vicki Coren 662,000
Michael Muldoon 636,000
Jan Sjavic 435,000
Jules Kuusik 309,000
7.26pm — The players are on a 5 minute break. Chad spends most of it passionately kissing girlfriend Vanessa Rousso. I did have my camera, but sadly UK Gaming Law forbids me taking any pictures on the gaming floor. Oh, and of course I respect their privacy..!
Emad walks past, “I wish I had a rail like that.”
Team PokerStars Vanessa Rousso – the prettiest railbird in town?
7.01pm — Jules Kuusik moves all-in with A K. Chad Brown in the blind calls with A 9. A dramatic few cards for Jules… The flop is A 9 T… Jules looks like he’s out. The turn is an 8… The river a King! Jules survives, and doubles up. Rumours abound that the dealer worked in a fairground. Aparently he used to operate the rollercoaster.
6.59pm — Emad and Vicky in a big hand, the betting on the turn. The board is Q Q 9 10… Vicky bets, Emad re-raises all-in. Lots of table chat as Vicky thinks, smiling and running through every possible hand that Emad might have… She finally folds. She pouts crossly when Emad doesn’t show.
6.55pm — In the press room we have a live feed of the TV table, but there’s no sound. It’s not the easiest way to follow a poker tournament – yet it’s a long, long, journey through the casino to get to the final table. So we’re all doing our best to keep on top of things… Someone asks, “So who has the chiplead?” Three poker reporters answer at once. “Vicky”, “Chad Brown”, “Muldoon!” Make of that what you will.
6.49pm — Overheard on the stairs… Sid Harris walking with the TV crew: “You’ll always find me on the final table. I just don’t stay there very long.”
6.44pm — We’ve lost another one! Peter Hedlund goes all-in, he’s called by Michael Muldoon who shows AK. Peter shakes his head and shows KQ. The flop 7h 4h 8s, the turn Js, the river 4h. Peter is out, and our 7th place finisher wins £36,600
6.33pm — Sid re-raises Vicky. After just a moment she calls. Sid holds 99 Vicky JJ. K 4 8 K J on the board. Sid Harris out in 8th place for £29,300.
6.26pm — Play is underway, Joe Hachem is calling the hands at this televised table. I’ll add updates here when anything of interest happens.
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