The eagerly-awaited final table of the €4,250 LIDO Main Event of the 2015 Master Classics of Poker gets underway in one hour from now at 15:00 local time and poker enthusiasts can look forward to an interesting line-up as well as the unique walk in with a personalized song and light show in the Holland Casino in Amsterdam.
Donald Rae was leading the remaining hopefuls of the 291-entry strong field into the money at the end of Day 2 and he also bagged up the most chips on Day 3 when the field was whittled down to its last nine participants. The Brit, mainly an online cash game player with just one entry in the Hendon Mob, claimed 25% of the chips in play thus far with 2,265,000. He is followed by Georgios Zisimopoulos (1,611,000) and Jussi Nevanlinna (1,388,000) with the latter knowing exactly what it means to be in the spotlight at the MCOP after finishing 4th last year and 2nd to David Boyaciyan in 2011.
Kees van Brugge is 4th in chips with 1,003,000 and also already made MCOP history after winning the initial €1,500 Side Event in 2014. Clyde Tjauw Foe (904,000) is trying to improve his result of last year after coming 4th for a payday of €83,786. The final table line-up is completed by Dutch poker pro Joep van den Bijgaart (617,000), World Series of Poker Circuit Rozvadov 3rd place finisher Johnny Hansen (393,000), [Removed:172] (371,000) and Makarios Avramidis (222,000).
Kramer has been enjoying a stellar year at the poker tables already after finishing 18th in the WSOP Main Event and 5th in it's European pendant in Berlin one month ago. The Spielbank Berlin also brought moments of glory for Avramidis, who took down the €2,200 No Limit Hold'em - Six Max #1 and claimed the first-ever golden bracelet for his home country Greece. Avramidis also finished 8th in this very event in 2011 as well.
There are 47:06 minutes left in Level 23 at blinds of 10,000/20,000 and a running ante of 3,000. A live stream with hole cards and Dutch commentary on a security delay of half an hour will be available, and all the finalists have €23,047 locked up for their efforts. Make sure to tune into the PokerNews live reporting to find out who is crowned champion and takes home the €300,000 first-place payout.
Jussi Nevanlinna raised to 45,000 from the cutoff and the action reached Johnny Hansen in two seats over, who moved all in for 294,000. All other opponents folded and Nevanlinna called.
Hansen:
Nevanlinna:
The flop was no good for the Dane but he had the back door nut flush draw. A turn left him drawing to three eights only and the river then bricked to send Hansen to the rail in 8th place.
Jussi Nevanlinna raised to 55,000 from the button with and Georgios Zisimopoulos just flat-called in the big blind with . On the flop , the Greek check-called a bet worth 67,000 and did so again on the turn for 139,000.
Zisimopoulos then bet the river for 65,000 and Nevanlinna made a big raise to 300,000, sending his opponent into a world of pain. Zisimopoulos tanked for a few minutes and folded, then getting shown the king-eight by Nevanlinna with a big grin on the face.
It started rather innocent with a raise of Donald Rae from the button for 55,000. Joep van den Bijgaart in the small blind checked his cards, gave it some thought and then moved all in for 580,000.
Jussi Nevanlinna just flat-called from the big blind and Rae then had a decision to make. After two minutes of consideration, he moved all in and Nevanlinna snap-called to immediately leave the Brit with his head shaking in disbelief.
van den Bijgaart:
Rae:
Nevanlinna:
The board ran out and van den Bijgaart was eliminated in 7th place for €46,095 while the clock was stopped to count the stack of Nevanlinna. It was then determined to be 2,106,000 and Rae was left with a mere 15 big blinds.
Jussi Nevanlinna raised to 55,000 and was called by Clyde Tjauw Foe in the big blind. On the flop , Tjauw Foe check-called a continuation bet worth 67,000 and checked again on the turn.
Nevanlinna fired a second bet worth 152,000 and Tjauw Foe stared over at his opponent and then called. The came on the river and Tjauw Foe checked for the third time.
The Finn then bet 530,000 and Tjauw Foe snap-called to grab a big pot with , Nevanlinna had flopped two pair with .
Makarios Avramidis moved all in for his last 115,000 from the cutoff and Jussi Nevanlinna called in the big blind.
Avramidis:
Nevanlinna:
The kicker problem became crucial when the flop fell and the turn and river filled up the board to send Avramidis to the rail in 6th place. He was eliminated by the player that was on the final table with him in 2011 as well and had to settle for a payday of €57,618.
Clyde Tjauw Foe started the hand with a raise to 85,000 from under the gun and Jussi Nevanlinna three-bet to 200,000 from the button. Tjauw Foe four-bet to 450,000 and Nevanlinna called to see the flop of .
Tjauw Foe had exactly pot-size behind and bet 200,000 before Nevanlinna moved all in. The Dutchman called off for 985,000 in total and they turned over the cards.
Nevanlinna: for a flush draw
Tjauw Foe: for top pair
The dealer burned and turned the and that improved Nevanlinna to a flush, though the Finn was not guaranteed the win yet. Another diamond would have saved Tjauw Foe, but it was not meant to be with the river filling up the board.
In a battle of the blinds, Kees van Brugge open-shoved for 535,000 chips and Georgios Zisimopoulos called in the big blind.
van Brugge:
Zisimopoulos:
The flop saw neither player hit anything while the Greek spiked a pair of aces on the turn. Only a queen could save van Brugge, but the local player headed to the rail in 4th place after the fell on the river.
Jussi Nevanlinna raised to 130,000 from the button and Donald Rae three-bet to 330,000 with an effective stack of 2,600,000 out of the big blind. Nevanlinna moved all in and was snap-called by the Brit:
Nevanlinna:
Rae:
The flop came and Nevanlinna had immediately improved. Both the turn and the river blanked and that sent Rae to the rail in 3rd place after pocket kings became his nemesis for the second time today.
There is now a short break to set up the heads-up duel for the title and payday of €300,000.
In a raising war, Georgios Zisimopoulos got his remaining 18 big blinds in before the flop and Jussi Nevanlinna quickly looked him up to reveal the better kicker in showdown.
Zisimopoulos:
Nevanlinna:
The flop all but locked up victory for Nevanlinna and it was officially confirmed as soon as the fell on the turn, making the river a formality.
Zisimopoulos had to settle for second place and a payday of €178,616 while the third final table appearance for Nevanlinna was the charm.
was no good for the Dane but he had the back door nut flush draw. A 
turn left him drawing to three eights only and the 
river then bricked to send Hansen to the rail in 8th place.
and Georgios Zisimopoulos just flat-called in the big blind with 
. On the flop 
turn for 139,000.
river for 65,000 and Nevanlinna made a big raise to 300,000, sending his opponent into a world of pain. Zisimopoulos tanked for a few minutes and folded, then getting shown the king-eight by Nevanlinna with a big grin on the face.
and van den Bijgaart was eliminated in 7th place for €46,095 while the clock was stopped to count the stack of Nevanlinna. It was then determined to be 2,106,000 and Rae was left with a mere 15 big blinds.
turn.
, Nevanlinna had flopped two pair with 
.
turn and 
saw neither player hit anything while the Greek spiked a pair of aces on the 
flop all but locked up victory for Nevanlinna and it was officially confirmed as soon as the