2013 PokerStars.com EPT London

The Professionals vs. Team PokerStars
Day: 1

Bust Out the Brooms: Team PokerStars Sweeps The Professionals

Team PokerStars Wins!
Team PokerStars Wins!

What started as a tweet, ended in a sweep here at EPT London, as Team PokerStars has prevailed over The Professionals three to nil. Gus Hansen, Tom Dwan, and Viktor Blom will have to pay Daniel Negreanu, Isaac Haxton, and Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier $50,000 respectively, and all three members of Team PokerStars will receive $10,000 in tournament buy-ins from Full Tilt Poker.

The day began with a match between Grospellier and Blom. Neither player spoke much during the match, and Blom was swept by Grospellier. Grospellier got out to a quick lead when Blom moved all in on Table 1 with {q-Diamonds}{4-Diamonds} on a flop of {j-Clubs}{k-Diamonds}{10-Diamonds}. Grospellier flopped the second-nuts with {q-Spades}{9-Spades}, and held as the turn and river bricked {k-Clubs}, {4-Spades} respectively.

Over on Tables 2 and 3, Grospellier finished the job. On Table 2, all of the chips went in the middle on a flop of {5-Clubs}{5-Diamonds}{k-Spades}. Grospellier had Blom dominated with {a-Clubs}{k-Diamonds} against {k-Clubs}{10-Clubs}, and Blom didn't connect with either the turn ({6-Spades}) or the river ({j-Spades}). The match was already over, but the Frenchman secured the sweep when he shoved with {a-Spades}{7-Clubs} on a board of {6-Clubs}{8-Clubs}{2-Clubs}{5-Hearts}. Blom called with the best hand - {6-Spades}{3-Clubs} - but the {k-Clubs} spiked on the river, giving Blom the nut flush.

Isaac Haxton jumped out to a quick lead in the second match, winning Table 1. On the 23rd and final hand, Haxton min-raised on the button to 60. Dwan called, leaving 522 behind, and the flop was {4-Hearts}{8-Spades}{10-Spades}. Dwan checked, Haxton fired 40, and Dwan check-raised to 145. Haxton called, and the turn brought the {4-Clubs}. Dwan checked, Haxton bet 99, and Dwan called. The {5-Spades} completed the board, and Dwan checked a third and final time. Haxton moved all in for effectively 278, and Dwan called. Haxton showed {8-Clubs}{4-Spades} for trip fours, and Dwan mucked his hand.

Dwan evened the match, winning Table 3, and little did we know that it would be the one and only table The Professionals would win all day. Haxton was all in and at risk for his last 396 preflop, Tom "durrrr" Dwan called, and the cards were tabled.

Haxton: {k-Hearts}{9-Hearts}
Dwan: {j-Spades}{7-Diamonds}

The {q-Hearts}{4-Diamonds}{7-Spades} flop gave Dwan a leading pair of sevens, and he held as the turn and river came {8-Clubs}, {5-Spades} respectively.

Dwan could not win the rubber match however, and when Haxton took down Table 2, Team PokerStars officially won. On the 63rd and final hand played on Table 2, Haxton raised to 100 on the button with the blinds at 25/50. Dwan three-bet jammed for 1,176, and Haxton immediately called.

Haxton: {a-Hearts}{a-Diamonds}
Dwan: {a-Clubs}{j-Clubs}

Haxton had Dwan crushed, and held as the board rolled out {9-Spades}{3-Spades}{4-Spades}{8-Spades}{q-Diamonds}. With the win, Haxton earned $50,000 from Dwan, and each member of Team PokerStars earned $10,000 in tournament buy-ins from Full Tilt Poker.

Even though Team PokerStars was freerolling, Hansen and Negreanu still battled for their own $50,000 bet. On the seventh hand on Table 2, he took a 1-0 lead over Hansen. Most of the heavy lifting was done on Hand #6, where Negreanu min-raised to 40,000 on the button. Hansen called, and the flop brought {2-Spades}{4-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds}. Hansen checked, Negreanu bet 60, and Hansen check-raised to 120. Negreanu called. The turn was the {8-Clubs}, Hansen led out for 320, and Negreanu raised to 820. Hansen moved all in for 2,860, and Negreanu quickly called.

Negreanu: {9-Clubs}{8-Diamonds}
Hansen: {q-Spades}{9-Hearts}

The {10-Diamonds} bricked off on the river, and Hansen was left with just 40 chips. He busted the very next hand.

Hansen took a very large lead on Table 1, but Negreanu doubled up twice. Negreanu then won the table in a cooler situation. Negreanu min-raised to 100 on the button with the blinds at 25/50, Hansen three-bet to 300, Negreanu four-bet to 600, and Hansen five-bet to 1,250. Negreanu moved all in for effectively 2,010, and Hansen snap-called.

Negreanu: {k-Diamonds}{k-Clubs}
Hansen: {j-Spades}{j-Clubs}

"I don't like my chances," Hansen sighed.

Negreanu indeed held as the board rolled out {3-Spades}{7-Spades}{8-Diamonds}{4-Diamonds}{2-Diamonds}, and the match was over. PokerStars has swept Full Tilt Poker three to nil, while Negreanu himself is looking for a sweep of his own.

"He stuck it right in my..." Hansen started. "I probably shouldn't say that."

Negreanu secured the sweep on Table 3 shortly after. On the 81st and final hand, Negreanu min-raised to 100 on the button. Gus Hansen three-bet to 300 in the big blind, Negreanu moved all in for effectively 1,295, and Hansen called.

Negreanu: {a-Clubs}{k-Clubs}
Hansen: {j-Spades}{9-Diamonds}

The ace-king held as the flop, turn, and river came {5-Spades}{3-Clubs}{3-Spades}{5-Clubs}{6-Clubs}, and it was all over. The two shook hands, then the trip that represented Team PokerStars today posed for pictures.

Congratulations to PokerStars and their representatives for winning this inaugural, battleship-style match up. We don't know if there will be any more of these in the future, but The Professionals are already awaiting a rematch:

Tags: Bertrand GrospellierDaniel NegreanuGus HansenIsaac HaxtonTom DwanViktor Blom

Haxton Wins Rubber Match; Stars Wins the Challenge

Isaac Haxton - Winner!
Isaac Haxton - Winner!

The second match between Isaac "luvtheWNBA" Haxton and Tom "durrrr" Dwan only took a total of 156 hands, and your winner is Haxton.

On the 63rd and final hand played on Table 2, Haxton raised to 100 on the button with the blinds at 25/50. Dwan three-bet jammed for 1,176, and Haxton immediately called.

Haxton: {a-Hearts}{a-Diamonds}
Dwan: {a-Clubs}{j-Clubs}

Haxton had Dwan crushed, and held as the board rolled out {9-Spades}{3-Spades}{4-Spades}{8-Spades}{q-Diamonds}. With the win, Haxton earns $50,000 from Dwan, and each member of Team PokerStars earns $10,000 in tournament buy-ins from Full Tilt Poker.

Despite the competition being over, Daniel Negreanu and Gus Hansen will still play at 20:00 GMT. Negreanu is already guaranteed $10,000 from FTP, but certainly wants to record a sweep for PokerStars and snatch $50,000 from the Great Dane.

Tags: Daniel NegreanuGus HansenIsaac HaxtonTom Dwan

Grospellier Sweeps Blom

Bertrand Grospellier - Winner!
Bertrand Grospellier - Winner!

On Hand #113 of Table 2, Bertrand Grospellier finished off Viktor Blom.

Grospellier min-raised to 60 on the button, Blom called, and the flop was {5-Clubs}{5-Diamonds}{k-Spades}. Blom checked, Grospellier fired 67, and Blom check-raised to 210. Grospellier clicked it back, making it 353, and Blom re-clicked it back, committing 496 of his 652-chip stack.

Grospellier clicked it back on last time, making it 639, and Blom moved all in for 13 more chips. Grospellier called.

Grospellier: {a-Clubs}{k-Diamonds}
Blom: {k-Clubs}{10-Clubs}

Blom was crushed, and Grospellier held as the turn and river came {6-Spades}, {j-Spades} respectively.

Grospellier had the match won, but the two continued to battle on Table 3. We asked Isaac Haxton whether or not the two had a side bet, and he informed us that he didn't believe so.

Grospellier had a large chip advantage, but Blom doubled a handful of times. On the 160th and final hand, Blom had the button and raised to 120 with the blinds at 20/40. Grospellier called, and the flop was {6-Clubs}{8-Clubs}{2-Clubs}. Grospellier check-called a 240-chip bet, and the turn produced the {5-Hearts}. Grospellier checked again, Blom fired 720, and Grospellier moved all in for effectively 1,588. Blom called.

Blom: {6-Spades}{3-Clubs}
Grospellier: {a-Spades}{7-Clubs}

The turn was a fourth club - the {k-Clubs} - and Grospellier successfully swept Blom.

There will now be a break until 17:00. If you see Tom Dwan, tell him that there is an anxious crowed at The Vic awaiting him!

Tags: Bertrand GrospellierIsaac HaxtonTom DwanViktor Blom

Grospellier up 1-0

Bertrand Grospellier Up One Match.
Bertrand Grospellier Up One Match.

Both players started with 3,000 chips and the blinds at 10/20, and in Hand #22 on Table 1, Bertrand Grospellier took a 1-0 lead.

Grospellier had the button, and min-raised to 40. Viktor Blom made the call, and the flop came {j-Clubs}{k-Diamonds}{10-Diamonds}. Blom checked, Grospellier continued for 45, and Blom check-raised to 160. Grospellier three-bet to 355, Blom shoved all in for 2,107, and Grospellier called.

Grospellier: {q-Spades}{9-Spades}
Blom: {q-Diamonds}{4-Diamonds}

Grospellier flopped the second-nuts, but Blom could win the pot with any diamond and chop with the {9-Clubs} or {9-Hearts}. The turn ({k-Clubs}) and the river ({4-Spades}) both missed Blom however, and Grospellier won the match.

Grospellier grinned, delighted to be up 1-0 on Blom, while Gus Hansen was non too please.

"Such a luckbox!" he shouted from the rail.

Tags: Bertrand GrospellierGus HansenViktor Blom