The WPT Prague main event came to an end yesterday. The final table was probably one of the sickest final tables in WPT history and it lasted for nearly 10 hours. Below you find a short recap of how the final table was played out, and also you will find out what we mean with "one of the sickest final tables in WPT history".
The first player to hit the rail was the short stack Russell Carson. Carson moved all in for 545k from the small blind with 55. Stanislaw Kretz called from the big blind and turned over a Q and 9. A 9 landed on the flop and the rest is history.
The next elimination was Siguard Eskelund, the WSOP bracelet winner. Eskelund was all-in with KQ versus JJ of Andrey Pateychuk. A Queen of diamonds landed on the flop and gave Eskelund the lead. In fact, Pateychuk only had 2 outs, and luckily (for Pateychuck) one of them came on the river. A shocked Eskelund left the tournament room.
Benjamin Pollak was extremely unlucky on the final table. For example: he flopped flush and managed to get his opponent, Adria Balaguer, to call with only a pair of aces with a 7 kicker - not flush draw. It was a big pot that everyone expected Pollak to win. But the poker gods wanted differently as the remaining 2 cards were two 7's and Balaguer took home the pot with a full house. Pollak was eliminated shortly after by Balaguer, and it was another unlucky hand for Pollak. Pollak moved all in with J9, Balaguer called with AT. The flop came J74 and gave Pollak the lead. But a K and a Q came on the turn and the river and Balaguer took home the pot with a straight.
When the final table was down to three handed it was Kretz's, who was the most inexperienced player on the final table, turn to get unlucky against Pateychuck. Well, it wasn't a huge pot but still thrilling till the river card. Kretz moved all in from the small blind holding 99 and Pateychuck called with A6. The flop and the turn was to no help for Pateychuck. But of course the river brought the A and Kretz was out of the tournament.
When the two remaining players, Pateychuk and Balaguer, entered heads up play they had even stacks, and it turned out to be one sickest heads up matches in WPT history. The community cards always seemed to side with the weakest hand and therefore both players and their supporters were careful with celebrating until the river card had been dealt. After many hands of play, Balaguer had a great lead and it seemed like he would be the champion. But somehow Pateychuck managed to stay in the game and build up a big stack again.
However, it didn't take long before both players were all in and Balaguer held the strongest hand (Balaguer had AJ and Pateychuk A6). In fact, the WPT officials started to pack the trophy up. But a 6 came on the flop and turn and river cards were to no help for Balaguer. The final hand came shortly after when Balaguer moved all in with pocket queens and Pateychuck called with A5. The flop came down with more spades on it than a gravediggers convention and only Balaguer had one. The turn was the 3, which gave Pateychuk more outs. The river card was the 2 and Pateychuk took home the tournament with a straight.
For the win Andrey Pateychuk received $630,263 and his very first WPT trophy. Now he has both an EPT title and a WPT title, so next year we can expect him to play a lot of WSOP events in order to complete what we call poker's triple crown.
Final table results:
1. Andrey Pateychuk $630,263
2. Adria Balaguer $320,381
3. Stanislaw Kretz $212,690
4. Benjamin Pollak $139,999
5. Sigurd Eskeland $107,691
6. Russell Carson $84,807