Ike Haxton Scoops EPT High Roller for €559,200

7 years ago
Haxton Scoops EPT High Roller
18:51
16 Dec

(Photo: Pokerstars.com)

It’s ‘Crazy Christmas’ time for the high-rollers in Prague, with a seemingly never-ending supply of the big buy-in events on the final EPTcalendar, with Isaac ‘Hollywood Ike’ Haxton scooping the biggest of the €25K tournaments this week for a huge €1/2million-plus score.

Just a day after Leon Tsoukernik topped the field in the €50K event, Haxton grabbed the chip-lead in the 69-player field, prompting fellow nosebleed pro Steve O’Dwyer to comment:

"Don't worry, Isaac Haxton never wins tournaments.”



Not entirely true, of course, but the number 24 in the all-time tournament money-winners list with more than $12million to his name does seem to close out far fewer wins than his contemporaries.

Not this time though, as Ike saw off the challenges of the likes of Mustafa Kanit, Sam Greenwood, Rainer Kempe and a plethora of other big names, including England's Paul Newey and Charlie Carrel who had both cashed big in the €50K.

Down to three players there was talk of a deal, but Haxton wouldn’t agree to the ICM numbers against Germany’s Stuer and Spain’s Mateos so play continued, Haxton finally seeing off the German heads-up for his biggest live cash since he finished 2nd in the Aussie Millions back in February of 2014.

O’Dwyer, who won last year’s EPT Prague Super High Roller could only manage 6th spot this time around – and €125K for his troubles – but the Irishman was soon keen to get the action going again, tweeting:



These big boys have a lot of clout and soon the chips were being re-stacked for yet another run at the €25K buy-in stakes, this time 19 runners and 6-re-buys presenting the winner with a timely €226,600 to go towards their Christmas presents.

England’s Sam Greenwood stepped up to the plate on this occasion, seeing off Haxton, O’Dwyer, Carrel and others to get his hands on the top prize – before O’Dwyer announced there would be ANOTHER €25K high roller taking place today!

A yearly salary for many people seems to be a drop in the ocean for most of these big names, but it does make for very interesting play for the fans – watching the big names clash and cash so often is rarely boring, although how they can keep their cool with so much money at stake is anyone’s guess!

So, with the Main Event and a ‘smaller’ $10K high-roller still to come in Prague, it seems that the fun and games will continue until the very end of the final EPT event ever – if the high-stakes players allow it to finish that is!


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Andrew from Edinburgh, Scotland, is a professional journalist, international-titled chess master, and avid poker player.Read more

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