Main Event
Day 5 Completed
2011 PokerStars.com EPT Tallinn
Main Event
Day: 5
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2011 PokerStars.com EPT Tallinn
Buy-in
€4,000
Prize Pool
€1,071,600
Entries
282
Level
25
Blinds
15,000 / 30,000
Ante
4,000
Congratulations to Ronny Kaiser - EPT Tallinn Champion (€275,000)
Level 25
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
Season 8 of the EPT has begun in spectacular style here in Tallinn. Although only 282 players entered, the field was jam-packed full of poker's European elite. The mix was no different at the beginning of play today as the final table had some of poker's most respected and feared names taking seats.
Ronny Kaiser is certainly in that category. The high-stakes PLO cash game specialist applied huge amounts of pressure from the off and it was hard to see another winner. Grzegorz Cichocki, to his credit, stuck with Kaiser all the way to heads-up but it was a different story from there on in. Including all the setting up, chips counts etc Kaiser dismantled and claimed his opponent's stack in less than an hour.
It was day of firsts for the countries represented in the top three. Kaiser was Switzerland's fist EPT champion, no one from Poland has finished in the top two before and the same can be be said for Estonians and top three finishes.
Here's how the top eight finished:
| Table | Seat | Name | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final Table | 1 | Ronny Kaiser | €275,000 |
| 2 | Grzegorz Cichocki | €180,000 | |
| 3 | Raigo Aasmaa | €110,000 | |
| 4 | Jani Sointula | €80,000 | |
| 5 | Stuart Fox | €55,000 | |
| 6 | Erlend Melsom | €45,000 | |
| 7 | Sami Kelopuro | €35,000 | |
| 8 | Arvi Vainionkulma | €25,000 |
Rick Dacey talked to our champion just before the trophy presentation and here's what he had to say:
"It's very nice to win. I've been the chip leader for three days but I've got deep before and always finished 20th. This time I thought, 'I should win this.' "
On having Cichocki on his left for the last two days:
"It was funny. We were next to each other for two days but the first big pot that we played was when were heads up. It wasn't deliberate, we just busted all the other guys. It wasn't a conscious decision to avoid him, I wasn't scared."
"I said that I'll be the first EPT winner from Switzerland. I'll be playing EPT Barcelona for sure." First double winner?
A hearty congratulations to Ronny Kaiser from everyone at PokerNews. He has the style of play of play that will make him a blogger's favourite for a long time to come.
Grzegorz Cichocki Eliminated in 2nd Place (€180,000)
Level 25
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
After being pummelled in the past few hands it seemed like it was only a matter of time before Grzegorz Cichocki was finishing in 2nd place, and predictably it didn't take long.
Cichocki raised to 60,000 and Ronny Kaiser three-bet to 165,000. Cichocki had around one million chips behind and he verbally declared "All-in". Kaiser jumped up a little in his seat before announcing a call.
| Cichocki |   |
| Kaiser |   |
Kaiser went over to join his friends on the rail and Cichocki showed us the whites of his eyes for the first time today.
Flop: 
Sebastian Ruthenberg threw his arms around Kaiser in a premature celebration.
Turn: 
It was all over and Kaiser's rail went barmy.
River: 
So Ronny Kaiser has won his first major title and we must offer congratulations to the excellent Grzegorz Cichocki.
Another Pot Goes Kaiser's Way
Level 25
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
Ronny Kaiser has whittled down Grzegorz Cichocki's stack to less than 1,500,000 and the young Swiss pro is most certainly in control of this heads up encounter.
Cichocki raised to 75,000 and Kaiser called. The flop came down 
and Kaiser lead out for 65,000 chips, a bet that was quickly called. The turn brought the 
into play and both players opted to check. But on the arrival of the on the river, Kaiser bet 110,000 and was instantly called.
Kaiser: 
Cichocki: mucked
Cichocki now has less than 1,500,000 chips.
Kaiser Playing Well But Running Even Better
Level 25
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
Ronny Kaiser is running away with this European Poker Tour Main Event and surely it will not be too long before he is crowned Champion.
In a hand just now he raised to 75,000 from the button and was called by Grzegorz Cichocki. The flop came down 
and Cichocki check-called Kaiser's 85,000 continuation bet. The turn was the 
and Cichocki check-called again, this time a bet of 160,000. The river was the 
and Cichocki checked again. Kaiser bet 475,000 and Cichocki snap-called but mucked when he was shown 
.
Kaiser Takes a Commanding Lead
Level 25
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
Ronny Kaiser has just won back-to-back pots to widen the gap between him and Grzegorz Cichocki and the first pot was a monster.
It all started when Cichocki raised to 75,000 on the button and Ronny Kaiser tanked for a little longer than usual before making the call.
Flop: 
Kaiser checked, Cichocki bet 85,000, Kaiser raised to 175,000 and Cichocki came right back at him with a 360,000 raise. Action back to Kaiser and he just called the 360,000 raise.
Turn:
With around 1 million in the pot Kaiser checked to Cichocki and he continued his aggression with a 460,000 bet. Kaiser thought for a short while and then made the call.
River:
Both players decided enough was enough and they both checked. Cichocki was the last aggressor and had to show first and incredibly he mucked his hand. Kaiser then over-turned a 
, waved the other card to his friends on the rail and mucked it unseen, before dragging the huge pot into his arms. The crowd on the rail went berserk and Cichocki's corner started to seem a little empty.
Then in the second hand Kaiser raised to 75,000 and Cichocki called. The flop was 
and Cichocki check-called a 80,000 Kaiser bet. The turn was the 
and both players checked before we saw the 
on the river. Cichocki bet 150,000 and Kaiser called and won his second successive pot.
| Cichocki |  |
| Kaiser |  |
Three Hands, Three Pots To Kaiser
Level 25
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
Ronny Kaiser has just won that last three pots against Grzegorz Cichocki and has started to open up a lead over him.
The first hand saw Kaiser open to 75,000 from the button and Cichocki make the call. The flop came down , Cichocki checked, Kaiser continued to 60,000 and Cichocki snap-folded. "I flopped my first pair," Kaiser informed his opponent.
The next hand saw Cichocki raised his button to 75,000 and was called by his Swiss opponent. A flop reading 
was greeted by a check from Kaiser, a bet continuation bet of 100,000 and a check-raise to 210,000. Cichocki made the call and the dealer put the out on the turn. Both players checked its arrival, and they also checked the 
on the river. Kaiser won the pot when he showed .
Finally, Kaiser made it 75,000 from the button and Cichocki called. The 
flop was checked by Cichocki, a bet of 85,000 from Kaiser and a quick call. The turn was the 
and Cichocki checked again, and Kaiser checked behind. The river saw the 
make an appearance and for the third time in the hand Cichocki checked but when Kaiser bet 200,000 the Pole folded before the dealer could verify Kaiser's bet amount.
The First Decent Sized Pot Also Goes Cichocki's Way
Level 25
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
Cichocki won three standard raised pots to Kaiser's one before they had their first decent sized pot.
Grzegorz Cichocki limped into the pot for the first time during heads up and Ronny Kaiser raised to 90,000 and Cichocki made the call. The flop was 
and Kaiser bet 105,000 and Cichocki calmly called. While the dealer was flipping over the turn, Cichocki grabbed his i-pod and turned it off. The turn was the 
and Kaiser bet 185,000. The music free Cichocki slid forward a stack of orange chips, 20 of them in all, and it represented a raise to 500,000 and Kaiser folded.
"Good fold," shouted Markus Lehmann from the crowd who is obviously railing Kaiser.
Cichocki Wins First Heads Up Hand
Level 25
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
Grzegorz Cichocki has won the first hand of this one-on-one encounter, could it be a sign of things to come? Ronny Kaiser has shown throughout this tournament that he is prepared to bet all three streets lightly, whilst Cichocki has made some big calls. It should be very interesting indeed.
The very first hand of heads up play saw Kaiser raise to 75,000 from the button and Cichocki call. A flop reading 
was checked by Cichocki, Kaiser then bet 55,000 and was quickly called. The turn brought the into play and Cichocki checked again. Kaiser glanced at his opponent before checking behind. The fifth community card was the and Cichocki picked up 130,000 worth of chips and pushed them over the line. Kasier took several seconds before tossing his card into the muck.
First blood to the Pole.
Raigo Aasmaa Eliminated in 3rd Place (€110,000)
Level 25
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
The local lad from Estonia has had a fabulous European Poker Tour journey but it has just ended at the hands of Grzegorz Cichocki.
Cichocki was in the small blind when he raised to 65,000. Raigo Aasmaa moved all-in and Cichocki snap-called.
| Cichocki | |
| Aasmaa |  |
"I have cracked Aces twice in this tournament," said Aasmaa.
They both had a friendly hand shake before the dealer did his job.
Flop:
The flop contained more diamonds that Annette Obrestad's poker attire and only Cichocki held a diamond.
Turn: 
It was all over bar the shouting.
River: 
Aasmaa shook hands and we were heads up with Ronny Kaiser facing Grzegorz Cichocki for the €275,000 first prize.