7:45pm: Tom Holke wins Eureka5 Hamburg (€107,920); Alexander Lemme eliminated in 2nd place (€67,100)
It took all of 12 hands for the heads up battle to play out; twelve hands where Tom Holke spent most of the time moving all in and showing a big hand. Alexander Lemme was down to 1.1million when he moved all in from the button and Holke snap called.
Holke: A♣ J♦
Lemme: A♦ 7♠
The board ran J♣ 8♠ 6♦ 2♦ 6♥ meaning Lemme was drawing dead by the turn. Despite Lemme’s frustrations he was sporting enough to congratulate his opponent with a handshake.
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 60,000-120,000, ante 20,000
7:25pm: Heads up counts
Tom Holke – 12,360,000
Alexander Lemme – 2,020,000
The last hand was also the last hand of the level. The players have taken a break before their duel commences.
7:20pm: Steffen Kessler eliminated in 3rd place (€48,070)
The tournament is down to heads up after the elimination of Steffen Kessler in third place.
Tom Holke opened the pot with a raise to 300,000 from the button and he called after Kessler three-bet to 750,000 from the small blind. The flop came 8♣ 5♣ 10♣ and Kessler took his time before continuing for 700,000, around half his remaining stack. Holke quickly shoved on him Kessler called.
Holke: A♥ J♣
Kessler: K♥ K♦
Kessler was looking to avoid clubs but running Q♦ K♠ made Holke a straight.
7pm: Lemme check-raise fail
Alexander Lemme tried a check-raise on Tom Holke but it failed to work out for him.
All three checked a J♣ K♣ 3♣ flop after no raise preflop. The turn was the 8♦ and Hoke bet 260,00 out of turn. Lemme was about to bet before that but checked so the bet stood and he went for a check-raise to 600,000 after Steffen Kessler folded. Holke called and both players checked the 6♦ river.
Lemme opened J♠ 4♠ but lost out to Holke’s K♥ 8♣ for two pair.
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 50,000-100,000, ante 10,000
6:35pm: Straight over straight gives Holke 10 million
Tom Holke has padded the ten million mark after he made a straight higher that Alexander Lemme’s.
Holke raised to 200,000 and both opponents called before all three checked a 7♥ J♣ K♦ flop. All checked the 10♣ turn as well before Lemme led out for 225,000 on the 9♥ river. Holke called with Q♥ 7♦ beating out Lemme’s 6♥ 8♥ for a smaller straight.
Holke now has both opponents down to 20 big blinds each as the levels goes up.
6:15pm: Holke versus Lemme
The play has slowed down since the players returned from their unscheduled break. Alexander Lemme had decided it’s a good time to get on the beers, a liquid way of coping with Tom Holke’s style of play.
The two of them played out a pot and Lemme was unlucky not to double through Holke. The latter has really valued any pocket pair highly this week but he decided to just call wit deuces after Lemme raised to 210 from the small blind.
Lemme continued for 210,000 on the 8♠ 10♠ 3♦ but the 7♥ J♣ turn and river were checked down after Holke called. Lemme opened A♠ J♠ which got there versus Holke’s hand.
5:45pm: Impromptu break
The players’ request for a ten-minute break was granted. Both Alexander Lemme and Steffen Kessler have look visibly frustrated the last while so the break might help them clear their heads a little.
Chips:
Tom Holke – 9,270,000
Steffen Kessler – 2,880,000
Alexander Lemme – 2,130,000
Tom Holke made two big hands to move back over nine million. Both times he shoved into his opponent once he made his hand and showed after getting each shove through.
He and Alexander Lemme were heads up to the turn of a 7♠ 4♦ J♦ 9♦ board. Holke called a 350,000 bet before he shoved on the Q♦ river. Lemme folded and was shown the A♦ .
Kessler raised his button to 160,00 and Holke called to see a 3♦ K♥ A♠ flop. He check-called another 200,000 before both checked the J♥ turn. The river was the 2♠ and Holke shoved and showed 4♣ 5♣ when Kessler folded.
5:30pm: Kessler doubles again
Steffen Kessler hit quad eights versus Tom Holke to double once more.
Holke completed from the small blind and called Kessler’s raise. The flop came K♥ 8♣ 5♠ and both players checked to the 4♠ turn where Hole moved all in with K♣ 9♠ . Kessler called with 8♦ 8♠ and improved to quads on the 8♥ river.
5:20pm: Kessler doubles
Steffen Kessler was down to 825,000 on the button when he made his move – all in. Lemme folded but Tom Hoke asked for a count before calling.
Kessler: A♥ 3♠
Lemme: K♠ 6♠
The 5♠ 4♠ A♣ flop was good for both players but the K♦ J♦ changed nothing and Kessler smiled as he raked in his chips.
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 40,000-80,000, 10,000 ante
5pm: Kessler’s stack below 20 big blinds
Steffen Kessler won a pot off Tom Holke but immediately lost them, and a few more, to Alexander Lemme.
He raised his button and Holke called to a Q♠ 6♦ 8♦ flop that was checked. The 9♦ turn was also checked before Holke led for 100,000 on the 10♣ river. Kessler raised to 300,000 and Holke called with J♠ 5♦ for a straight but lost out to his opponent’s K♠ J♣ for a higher straight.
Holke raised to 130,000 and both players called before all three checked a K♠ 8♦ 10♥ flop. The turn was the 2♥ and Lemme led for 160,000. Both players called to the 3♠ river where they faced another 450,000. Holke folded but Kessler called and mucked upon seeing Lemme’s K♦ 8♥ .
Lemme moved up to almost 3.5 million, whereas Kessler dropped to 1.15million
4:35pm: Holke streaking clear
Tom Holke won two sizeable pots to move further clear of his two opponents.
He was in the big blind and defended to a button raise from Steffen Kessler before leading for 200,000, 300,000 and 500,000 on a 10♠ 9♦ Q♥ 4♣ K♣ board. Kessler stayed with him all the way to the river where he bailed and was shown the K♣ by Holke.
Alexander Lemme raised to 120,000 from the button before Holke three-bet to 250,000 from the small blind. Lemme came back with a four-bet to 575,000 and Holke called. The flop came 3♥ 8♦ Q♦ and Lemme led for 450,000. Holke called and then led for 1.2 million on the 5♦ turn. Lemme tank-folded.
Tom Holke 9,500,000
Alexander Lemme 3,03,000
Steffen Kessler 2,000,000
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 30,000-60,000, 5,000 ante
4pm: Break Time
The players are on a 15-minute break. Chip counts for the three players:
Tom Holke 7,702,000
Alexander Lemme 3,839,000
Steffen Kessler 2,835,000
3:55pm: Two in a row for Holke
Tom Holke won back to back pots, one against each player.
He completed from the small blind and called when Steffen Kessler raised to 150,000 from the big blind. Both the checked the 6♣ 9♣ 4♥ flop before Holke led for 150,000 on the 10♠ turn. Kessler called and both went back to checking the 5♣ river. Holke opened 7♠ 5♥ and Kessler mucked.
The next hand saw Holke raise to 112,000 from the button and Alexander Lemme defend his big blind. The flop came 7♣ 9♦ K♠ and Lemme check-called a 200,000 c-bet before both players checked the 4♥ turn. Lemmee led for 380,000 on the 9♣ river and was quickly called.
Lemme could only muster Q♣ J♥ and lost out to Holke’s K♥ 2♣ .
The break will be coming up very shortly and we’ll get accurate counts from the final three players.
3:40pm: Armin Eckl eliminated in 4th place (€37,200)
Armin Eckl was getting short and had to make a move. He did so from the button for his last 550,000 and Alexander Lemme re-shoved from the small blind to isolate.
Eckl: 5♦ 2♣
Lemme: A♦ Q♣
The board ran A♣ 7♣ Q♠ 3♥ A♥ to make Lemme a full house.
Alexander Lemme made a move against Steffen Kessler but the latter made a good call to move close to three million.
Kessler raised his button and Lemme called before an 8♣ 6♦ J♦ A♠ 7♠ board ran out. Kessler bet 145,000 on the river and tank called after Lemme check-raised up to 450,000. Lemme opened Q♣ 10♥ and lost out to Kessler’s A♦ Q♠ .
3:15pm: Eckl getting shorter
Armin Eckl’s stack has shrunk to around 600,000 after Alexander Lemme took a small pot off him.
Lemme raised to 110,00o from under the gun and Eckl defended his big blind. The board ran out 3♠ 8♠ 10♦ 2♣ K♥ with no more chips going in until the river where Lemme bet 100,000 with K♣ J♥ and was check-called by Eckl and his K♦ 9♦ .
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 25,000-60,000, 5,000 ante
2:50pm: Chips Ahoy
Here the approximate chip counts of the final four players:
Alexander Lemme – 5.4 million
Tom Holke – 5.4 million
Steffen Kessler – 2.9 million
Armin Eckl – 840,000
2:35pm: Nils Maibaum eliminated in 5th place(€29,310)
Then there were four. It didn’t take much longer for the next player to leave; Nils Mainbaum busting with kicker problems.
He was in the big blind and defended with Q♥ 10♥ after a raise from Alexander Lemme. The flop fanned Q♠ 7♣ 3♦ and Mainbaum check-raised all in. Lemme called with Q♦ J♦ and improved as the board ran out J♣ 9♦ .
It took 15 minutes of play before the first player was eliminated and it was John Forst.
He was in the small blind and three-bet all in for around 800,000 after Nils Maibaum opened from early position. Tom Holke was in the big blind and immediately moved all in behind. Maibaum folded.
Holke: 2♥ 2♦
Forst stared at Holke’s hand whilst shaking his head and his head was still shaking after the 5♠ 6♥ 3♥ 5♦ 8♥ board ran out.
2pm: Shuffle up and deal
There arr 55 minutes left of level 25 and cards are in the air for the final day! Get to know the final players by looking at their profiles, here.
1:45pm: Welcome back to the Eureka5 Hamburg Final Day
After nine days the Eureka5 Hamburg poker festival has reached the final day. The Main Event will crown a champion today from one of the six players that remain.
Yesterday was a day to remember where 27 players down to the six we’re left with now, took a little over four levels. There were coolers, suck outs and the odd bluff and by the time the dust settled, Alexander Lemme ended the day as chip leader.
Today’s final will start off looking like:
| Seat | Name | Country | Status | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonn Forst | Austria | 842,000 | |
| 2 | Tom Holke | Germany | 4,188,000 | |
| 3 | Steffen Kessler | Germany | 2,846,000 | |
| 4 | Nils Maibaum | Germany | PokerStars qualifier | 863,000 |
| 5 | Armin Eckl | Germany | PokerStars player | 1,008,000 |
| 6 | Alexander Lemme | Germany | PokerStars qualifier | 4,600,000 |
