2011 European Poker Tour Grand Final Madrid

Day 5 completed

Posted 05-13-2011 03:02 GMT+2 by Homer

Winner Pics

Posted 05-13-2011 03:01 GMT+2 by Homer

Ivan Freitez is Crowned EPT Grand Final Madrid Champion (€1,500,000)

Posted 05-13-2011 01:14 GMT+2 by Djinn • Level 31: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante

Ivan Freitez (c) Neil Stoddart

This five day €10,000 extravaganza of tournament poker has ended after a whirlwind final table that crowned Ivan Freitez champion of the 2011 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final at the Casino Gran Madrid. His €1,500,000 first prize represents one of the largest on offer in the European poker world, gained after besting one of the toughest fields seen on the circuit this year.

The first try at streaming from a final table, on the day, with the players' hole cards on display for the world to watch on TV and the internet was a huge success, the added frisson of seeing what the last four players saw adding to the drama of this high-stakes final.

Before that stage, both two remaining PokerStars Team Pros Alex Gomes and Juan Maceiras made their exits, as did popular American online players Eugene Yanayt and Andrew Li. No one left this final without a six figure payday, lessening the pain of elimination with the trophy in sight.

With the world watching, Andrey Danilyuk raced his way out in 4th place, his short stack no match for Freitez who not only busted him but won 8 out of the first 9 hands with a headlong show of aggression. Picking up many a preflop ace, one in particular helped him on the way to victory - the one falling on the flop when he had Tamas Lendvai all-in preflop with nines vs. his . Spiking to eliminate Lendvai, he went into heads up monstrously stacked, and despite doubling up Torsten Brinkmann at one point, had clinched the victory within a level.

This tournament, hosted in the glamorous surroundings of the Casino Gran Madrid, was a fitting end to Season 7 of the EPT. Tomorrow, however, the first ever Champion of Champions tournament will provide the cherry on the icing on the cake, as every winner of an EPT has been invited to participate in a €100,000 freeroll, live in Madrid. An event which has broken ground in so many areas will end with a bang tomorrow, and the beginning of Season 8, we bid you adieu.

Tags: Ivan Freitez.

Torsten Brinkmann Eliminated in 2nd Place (€900,000)

Posted 05-13-2011 01:01 GMT+2 by Homer • Level 31: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante

Torsten Brinkmann

Ivan Freitez raised to 320,000 with , a pretty looking hand heads up but when Torsten Brinkmann reraised all in with for about 3 million we all thought, "Well, that's the end of this hand, he's not going to call this all in..."

Instant call with the ten-high from Freitez.

The Venezuelan was behind but only a 3:2 dog against Brinkmann's big slick. The flop of came with great cheers from Freitez' Latin American rail, he'd jumped ahead and now only had to avoid an ace or king to win the first ever EPT Madrid Grand Final. The turn changed nothing and Brinkmann now desperately needed one of his six outs otherwise it was curtains for the German.

The river came down and Freitez raised his arms in triumph, his supporters rushed through the rail to mob him and celebrate loudly. Brinkmann may feel deflated but the truth is that Freitez blitzed this table, especially once we got four-handed. Nevertheless, the German player will be taking home €900,000 with him and when he wakes up tomorrow morning, he'll consider this a job well done.

Tags: Ivan Freitez, Torsten Brinkmann.

More for Freitez

Posted 05-13-2011 00:46 GMT+2 by Homer • Level 31: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante

A board of is checked down to the river by Ivan Freitez and Torsten Brinkmann's . The latter led when he made his river pair to the bemusement of David Williams. Brinkmann then folded.

The next hand saw Freteiz raise to 320,000 with and Brinkmann folded the big blind as he only had

Tags: Torsten Brinkmann, Ivan Freitez.

Brinkmann Moves In

Posted 05-13-2011 00:45 GMT+2 by danafish • Level 31: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante

Torsten Brinkmann shoved with , but got no call. Ivan Freitez folded his with minimal fuss, and Brinkmann picked up the blinds.

Tags: Ivan Freitez, Torsten Brinkmann.

Freitez Floating on Air

Posted 05-13-2011 00:39 GMT+2 by Djinn • Level 31: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante

on the button for Brinkmann saw another little pot head his way when Freitez called in the big blind with . The potential fireworks never materialised - Brinkmann took it down with a bet of 320,000 on the .

Moments later and it was for Freitez in the big blind, with which he got to another flop, this time . Brinkmann c-bet holding and Freitez check-called. Hitting an on the turn, Freitez opted to lead for 200,000; Brinkmann folded.

Tags: Ivan Freitez, Torsten Brinkmann.

Freitez Fails to Hook Brinkmann

Posted 05-13-2011 00:38 GMT+2 by danafish • Level 31: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante

Ivan Freitez looked down at his cards and found . He sat back in his chair and laughed. It's as though even he can't quite believe how well this is going. He raised, and Brinkmann sighed as he folded his .

Tags: Ivan Freitez, Torsten Brinkmann.

Still Trailing, Brinkmann's Back in the Game

Posted 05-13-2011 00:30 GMT+2 by Djinn

Chip Counts
	Ivan Freitez		16,150,000	50,000
	Torsten Brinkmann		4,510,000	10,000

Freitez Angling For Victory, Then Brinkmann Doubles

Posted 05-13-2011 00:26 GMT+2 by Homer • Level 31: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante

Torsten Brinkmann

Ivan Freitez raised to 330,000 on the button with and Torsten Brinkmann folded in the big blind.

Brinkmann folded on the button/small blind.

Freitez raised to 330,000 on the button with and Brinkmann chose to fold in the big blind.

Brinkmann moved all in from the small blind with for about 2.4 million and Freitez instantly called with . Would this seal the streamrolling performance of the final table?

The flop came and for the first time it looked as though our chip leader could be outdrawn and lose a big pot, the came on the turn and the river was the . Brinkmann is back in this match.

Will this change the momentum?

Tags: Ivan Freitez, Torsten Brinkmann.