Steve ODwyer Wins EPT Grand Final Main Event
Monday May 13,2013 : IRISH EYES SMILE IN EUROPEAN POKER TOUR GRAND FINAL MAIN EVENT (Update)
Steve O'Dwyer collects a Euro 1,224,000 main prize
Dublin, Ireland poker pro Steve ODwyer has won the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo Casino European Poker Tour Grand Final main event for a massive Euro 1,224,000, with the action culminating in a top-talent final table.
O’Dwyer, who was appearing on his fourth EPT final table in 18 months, faced a stacked field that included four Team PokerStars pros, two of whom were two EPT champions.
The Dublin pro faced a formidable final table in Andrew Pantling, Johnny Lodden, Daniel Negreanu, Jake Cody, Noah Schwartz, Jason Mercier and Grant Levy, all of whom earned at least six-figure winnings.
The 31-year-old Dublin communications graduate beat businessman Andrew Pantling heads-up to win the title. As well as his cash prize, O’Dwyer received a watch worth Euro 9,000 from luxury Swiss brand Slyde.
O’Dwyer won his main event seat online at PokerStars, and is a familiar face on the European Poker Tour, finishing second at EPT London last season for GBP 465,000.
Only two months ago, he finished fifth, again at EPT London, for GBP 146,000. His live tournament winnings now total well over $4 million.
After the thriller of a heads up O’Dwyer said: “People are saying this was the toughest final table of all time so for me to be able to say that I won is unbelievable. I am in shock. At the start of the final, I knew I needed to get lucky to win because these guys are so good. It's very satisfying to finally have that title. I will play the Euro 100,000 Super High Roller tomorrow.”
Heads up opponent Pantling, who hails from Canada but now lives in London, took Euro 842,000 for his runner-up finish.
The last surviving Team PokerStars Pro at the final was Johnny Lodden, who finished third for Euro 467,000. It was the Norwegian’s 14th EPT main event cash, his second final table appearance and the best live event cash of his career.
Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu was playing his second EPT final table and finished fourth for Euro 321,000, bringing his total live tournament winnings to nearly $18 million. Hopes of a double EPT champion were thwarted however when EPT Deauville winner Jake Cody bust in fifth place for Euro 251,000.
EPT Sanremo champion Jason Mercier also made the final but was eliminated in seventh place for Euro 137,000.
A total of 531 players from 56 countries competed in this season’s EPT Grand Final main event, creating a prize pool of Euro 5,310,000.
81 players cashed in the Euro 10,000 buy-in event, one of fifty tournaments taking place at Le Sporting Casino in Monaco as part of the ninth EPT Grand Final “Festival of Poker” running from May 6-16.
