Andre Lettau Outlasts the Record-Breaking EPT Barcelona Main Event Field

Reaching the final table of any tournament, no matter how small, just has a special feel to it. Making the final table of the record breaking European Tour Event is a whole different dimension. We are not talking just about big money awaiting everybody who made it that far but becoming a small part of poker history – or a big part if you go on to win the whole thing.

This is exactly what Andre Lettau of Germany was able to do. After making it to final eight of 1,496 initial players, young German was able to navigate the final table and walk away the victor, title to his name, €794,000 in his pocket (probably not, but it sounds cool) and stylish watch on his wrist. That’s a bounty of the champion!

Although Lettau had a strong rail to support him, he still had a tough battle ahead of him to seize the coveted trophy. It was clear that the victory will not come easy for anyone, as it took over an hour for the first player to take his leave. Eventually it was Bulgarian Slaven Popov who went for busto or robusto with a ten big blinds stack and moments later was on his way to the cashier to claim €121,000.

German Ji Zhang was the next to go, despite of having a good stack, demonstrating once again how luck in poker can quickly change. Losing several hands in a row, Zhang eventually lost a crucial flip and was stopped in seventh place, worth €171,600. Kiryl Radzivonau of Belarus fell in the war of the blinds against Sam Phillips and that hand marked his departure in sixth, earning €224,500.

His neighbor, Andrey Shatilov of Russia bit the dust next. He got in the mix with the eventual winner Lettau and could not outrun German’s relatively small advantage, leaving his seat €286,000 richer. Italian Andrea Dato would leave next, picking up fourth place money in the amount of €362,000 and the tournament went into three handed phase.

Although the trio went at it for a while, they would soon come to the realization that striking a deal could be the best way to avoid the variance. Thing were getting to the point where luck could easily decide about the next one out and there was plenty of money to warrant at least an attempt to make the deal.

Although settlement was not reached easily, the players eventually came up with the numbers everybody found acceptable. Sam Phillips would lock €1,021,000, Andre Lettau was guaranteed €704,000 while another German at the final table, short-stacked Hossein Ensan locked up €652,667, leaving €90,000 to play for.

Even with the deal in place, there was still enough at stake for players not to go to crazy, so it actually took a while before Ensan left in third place, leaving the other two to battle it out for the title and additional €90K.

This triggered a very long and grueling heads up match. At the very start Phillips was able to double up and get back into the game, promising nothing less. But eventually the stacks got short and the two got it in preflop, with Lettau holding a superior hand. By the river, superior hand became the winner, meaning German would walk away the winner, while American Phillips would have to take the second place finish (although he can find some consolation in being the one who walked away with most money).

And thus ends the story of the biggest EPT Main Event ever held on European soil. One thing is certain – no one can say that 100th birthday of European Poker Tour was not a memorable one!

Photo: Neil Stoddart, PokerStars Blog