Pieter De Korver Wins EPT Berlin Main Event

Monday April 22, 2013 : DUTCH POKER ACE TAKES THE BERLIN CUP HOME
 
Along with a main prize of Euro 145,400
 
The international poker action centred on Berlin in Germany this weekend, where the European Poker Tour Berlin main event kicked off, and the Berlin Cup came to a conclusion, with Dutch player Pieter De Korver claiming the lion's share of the Euro 500,000 guaranteed Berlin Cup prize pool.
 
With a reasonably affordable buy-in of Euro 1,100, and the chance that 112 players would make the money bubble, the Cup tournament attracted a healthy entry field of 911 players, generating a prize pool well in excess of the guarantee at Euro 883,670, and a potential first placing reward of Euro 180,000.
 
By the time the final table was reached, Anatoly Filatov – a Russian pro – was in charge, leading a group of survivors that included Pieter de Korver (Netherlands); Sebastian Gohr (Germany); Jonas Garstick (Switzerland); Esben Guenther (Norway); Erik Scheidt (Germany); Gokhan Onal (Germany) and Vladimir Geshkenbein (Russia).
 
But it was middle-stack man De Korver who ended up the ultimate victor, working his way through his opponents and building his stack with patience and talent.
 
When the table was down to three – De Korver, Filatov and Ghor – a three-way chop was agreed before Filatov was eliminated and De Korver and Gohr faced off in the heads up.
 
De Korver's overwhelming chip lead was too much for Gohr to surmount, and the honours went to the Dutch player, albeit with a slightly reduced main prize of Euro 145,400 due to the earlier chop.
 
This was Gohr's third six-figure payout in the last half-year; he was the runner-up in the Master Classic of Poker main event in November, and finished third in the Pokerstars Hold'em Challenge Winter Edition main event in December.
 
Gohr took home Euro 93,600.
 
The main event of the Euro 5,300 buy-in season 9 of the European Poker Tour Berlin kicked off over the weekend with 347 hopefuls taking their seats for Day 1A. By day's end just 250 bagged their chips and officials prepared for starting day 1B.
 
Leading the first day survivors is Ronny Voth with 196,100 in chips, closely pursued by Mike Kunze (188,000) and Thomas Richter (176,100). Average chip stacks are at 41,640.
 
Last season’s EPT Berlin main event champion was Belgian pro Davidi Kitai, who won Euro 712,000 after besting a 745-strong international field.