WSOP-E on ESPN: Recapping the Final Table Action

February 23, 2011

Chad Holloway PR & Media Manager

For the past couple of Sundays, ESPN has been airing episodes of the 2010 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event. If you recall, the WSOP-E recently made headlines after announcing it would be relocating to Cannes, France, for the upcoming tournament in October. Given that Sunday’s ESPN broadcast would be the last from the Casino at the Empire in London, we thought it might be fun to recap the 2010 WSOP-E Final Table action - as seen on TV!

The Setup: From a starting field of 346, only nine men comprised the final table. Each was looking to follow in Barry Shulman’s 2009 footsteps and collect the WSOP-E Main Event bracelet, not to mention the £830,401 ($1,281,048) first-place prize. Here are how things looked at the start of the final table:

Seat 1: Roland de Wolfe – 1,372,000
Seat 2: Marc Inizan – 336,000
Seat 3: Nicolas Levi – 405,000
Seat 4: Fabrizio Baldassari – 694,000
Seat 5: Brian Powell – 839,000
Seat 6: Danny Steinberg – 1,517,000
Seat 7: James Bord – 1,385,000
Seat 8: Ronald Lee – 1,896,000
Seat 9: Dan Fleyshman – 1,943,000

Double Elimination: With the blinds at 12,000/24,000 and a 3,000 ante, Marc Inizan moved all-in for his last 313,000 from early position with 8♠8♥. Brian Powell then looked down at the other two remaining eights, the 8♦8♣, and moved all-in himself for 349,000. Action folded to Ronald Lee, the chip leader, and he made the call with A♣K♥.

If Lee could catch, he would eliminate two players, but help did not come on the J♦6♠10♦ flop. However, the K♠ on the turn gave Lee the lead and left the others drawing dead. After the 4♦ was put out on the river, Inizan was eliminated in ninth place (£69,754) while Powell took eighth (£90,617).

Big Double for Steinberg: Dan Fleyshman raised to 64,000 with A♣Q♥ only to have Danny Steinberg reraise to 205,000 K♦K♣. Fleyshman pushed back to the tune of 569,000 and Steinberg moved all-in. Fleyshman made the call and a 2,277,000 pot was created. The board ran out an uneventful 10♦10♥10♣8♣6♠. Just like that, Steinberg doubled while Fleyshman, the chip leader at the start of the final table, was left as the short stack with 817,000.

Fleyshman Flayed: Not long after, Ronald Lee raised to 85,000 from early position and Dan Fleyshman moved all-in right behind for his last 250,000. Action folded back around to Lee and he made the call. “Might as well do it with my favorite hand, right?” Fleyshman said as he turned over his cards.

Fleyshman: J♦10♦
Lee: K♠5♦

The 3♣7♥K♥ flop made Lee a huge favorite and Fleyshman stood from the table and began saying his goodbyes. The 8♦ on the turn changed nothing and neither did the A♠ on the river. Fleyshman was eliminated in seventh place (£118,643).

Off to the Races: After Nicolas Levi had raised to 225,000 preflop with A♦Q♥, James Bord moved all-in for 1,055,000 with J♠J♥. Action folded back to Levi and he made the call. The board ran out 5♦9♥5♣5♥7♦ and Bord doubled to 2,245,000.

On the next hand, Roland de Wolfe raised to 95,000 holding A♦10♣ only to have Levi move all-in for his last 595,000, holding A♥8♠. De Wolfe called and was in a dominating position. However, the 6♠2♦8♥ flop hit Levi and gave him the lead. The A♣ turn and 5♥ changed nothing and Levi doubled back up to 1,280,000. De Wolfe was left on the short stack.

Monster Pot: Ronald Lee open-raised to 110,000 with 4♠4♥ and was quickly reraised to 285,000 by Danny Steinberg, who held A♣J♣. Lee responded by moving all-in and Steinberg called off for 1,315,000. It was a coinflip for the 2,685,000 pot as the flop came down Q♥6♦9♣. Lee’s pocket fours were still out in front and stayed there as the 3♥ hit the turn followed by the 8♣ on the river. The biggest pot of the tournament thus far was shipped to Lee, giving him 40 percent of the chips in play with 4,175,000. Meanwhile, Steinberg was sent to the rail in sixth place (£156,520).

Lee Eliminates Another: Nicolas Levi raised to 135,000 and was met with a reraise to 1,190,000 by Ronald Lee. To call would put Levi at risk and that is exactly what he did.

Lee: K♠Q♥
Levi: 9♦9♣

It was another race, which happened to be Lee’s specialty up to that point. When the flop fell 5♥8♥4♥, it seemed as Lee might finally lose a flip. Unfortunately for Levi, that possibility faded when the K♣ spiked on the turn, pairing Lee’s king. The 10♠ on the river gave Lee yet another knockout as Levi made his exit in fifth place (£208,119).

Don’t Cry Wolfe: Roland de Wolfe pushed his last 485,000 with K♣Q♠ from the small blind and was called by Fabrizio Baldassari’s A♦8♠ in the big blind. The 3♣A♠8♣ flop gave Baldassari two pair and put de Wolfe one step closer to the door. The 2♦ turn and 9♥ river changed nothing and de Wolfe, the only bracelet winner at the final table, became the fourth-place finisher (£278,945).

Lee Stuck in Reverse: When three-handed action began, Ronald Lee held a big chip lead. But both Fabrizio Baldassari and James Bord managed to hit some well-timed doubles to chip up and knock Lee down to size. It was at this point that Lee raised to 155,000 from the small blind with Q♠10♥ only to have Baldassari reraise to 410,000 with 5♦5♣ from the big. Lee called and the pair watched the flop fall Q♦9♠5♥.

Lee checked his top pair while Baldassari led out for 275,000 with his flopped set. Lee then check-raised to 800,000, Baldassari called, and the dealer burned and turned the K♣. Lee slowed down with a check, as did Baldassari. The A♦ on the river inspired Lee to check a third time and Baldassari bet 620,000. Getting 5:1 on a call, Lee put in the chips and lost the 3,690,000 pot and the chip lead.

Lee Busted in Third Place: You could see Ronald Lee’s frustration as he moved all-in for 1,700,000 after James Bord had raised to 175,000. Fabrizio Baldassari got out of the way as Bord made the call.

Lee: 5♦5♥
Bord: A♣K♥

It was a coinflip preflop, but the 8♣J♠K♣ flop gave Bord a pair of kings and a near-fatal lead. Lee was looking for a five but the 2♠ turn and K♦ river were no help. Lee’s fast and furious decline was complete as he was sent packing in third place (£376,829).

And the Winner Is?: When heads-up play began, Fabrizio Baldassari held a 3:2 chip lead over James Bord. That all changed when Baldassari limped, Bord raised to 330,000, Baldassari moved all-in, and Bord snap-called.

Baldassari: Q♠8♠
Bord: A♦K♣

With 6,410,000 in the pot, the board ran out 6♥4♥5♣3♦4♦ and Bord seized the chip lead. Not long after, Baldassari looked down at 5♠5♥ and raised to 200,000. Bord, who picked up 10♦10♥, repopped it to 855,000, Baldassari moved all-in, and Bord made the call. With the pot at 9,030,000, the board ran out 9♠6♦8♦J♠A♦ and Baldassari was eliminated in second place (£513,049). Meanwhile, England native Bord celebrated with his hometown crowd as he became the 2010 WSOP Europe Main Event champion and took home the first-place prize of £830,401.