PokerStars EPT Copenhagen: Vance Bests Jensen for Title

Timothy Vance took the chip lead into the final table of the PokerStars European Poker Tour Copenhagen championship, and after a marathon heads-up battle, he bested Soren Jensen for the title and the $1,236,095 first prize money. Vance, an American who qualified for the event online at PokerStars, held a commanding lead as the final table began. The seating assignments and chip stacks looked like this as the final eight players took their seats:

1. Rasmus Hede Nielsen — 789,000
2. Tim Vance — 1,408,000
3. Daniel Ryan — 557,000
4. Patrick Andersson — 283,000
5. Simon Dorslund — 267,000
6. Nicolas Dervaux — 336,000
7. Soren Jensen — 500,000
8. Magnus Hansen — 458,000

Patrick Andersson became the first casualty of the final table early in the day when he moved all in over the top of Daniel Ryan's preflop raise with . Ryan called with , and the board ran out to give Ryan the pot and Andersson $113,151 for his eighth-place finish. Andersson's Copenhagen finish was his largest live cash ever, and his first EPT event.

Vance put his big stack to use when he busted Simon Dorslund in seventh ($159,250). Vance raised from the cutoff with , and Dorslund moved all in over the top with . The board came as Vance sent Dorslund to the rail and solidified his chip lead. Nicolas Dervaux went to the rail next when he moved all in from the small blind with and was called by Soren Jensen with . Dervaux hit middle pair on the flop, but the on the turn put Jensen back in control. The on the river sent Dervaux home in sixth with $201,158.

The next knockout came when Ryan open-pushed with , and after Jensen folded, Rasmus Nielsen made the call with . The flop was no help for Ryan, coming down , and the turn took away his hope for a chop. The river meant fifth place for the American, good for $255,648. Nielsen's good fortune didn't last long, as he lost a coin flip with Tim Vance to depart in fourth for $310,119. Nielsen raised preflop with , and Vance reraised. The flop came down , and Vance moved all in. Nielsen made the call, and Vance revealed . The turn was no help for Vance, but the on the river made him a better two pair and assured Nielsen's exit.

After a lengthy period of three-handed play, Jensen and Magnus Hansen limped in to see a flop of . Jensen fired at the pot, Hansen raised, and Jensen moved all in. Hansen called with , and Jensen tabled for two pair. The turn and river ran out , and, with Hansen's departure, the stage was set for heads-up play.

The heads-up battle between Tim Vance and Soren Jensen lasted for nearly five hours, and began with the pair nearly evenly matched in chips. Several times throughout the match, one player gained an edge only to watch his opponent double through again to move right back into contention. Finally, as the closing time of the casino drew near, Vance moved into the chip lead, and then went in for the kill in one big final hand. In that hand, both players limped in to see a flop of . Action checked around, and the landed on the turn. Jensen fired out at the pot, and Vance quickly called. The river came down the , and Jensen moved all in. Vance called with for the nut flush, and Jensen exited as the runner-up for $699,724. With his win in Copenhagen, Vance picked up $1,236,095 and a seat into the Monte Carlo EPT Grand Final.

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