EPT Grand Final winner a Canadian

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CANADIAN TAKES THE EPT GRAND FINAL

Online qualifier Chorny wins the 2008 EPT and a US$ 3.2 million purse.

Glenn Chorny of Timmins, Ontario is victorious in this year’s European Poker Tour Grand Final, a tournament that started off with 842 hopefuls from the poker world. After a tough 14 hour final table tussle Chorny, who was chip leader at the start ended up in a heads up with Denes Kalo. For coming in second, Kalo took home $ 1 864 116.

In the end, Chorny’s A-5 was better than Kalo’s K-Q and the 22-year-old Canadian became the third North American in a row to take this European title. Rob Hollink of the Netherlands took the title ion 2005 and remains the only European to win this tournament.

This year’s event was filled with excitement and, many opined, the best card playing the EPT has yet seen. Poker players from all over the world converged on the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel and Casino Resort in hopes of taking home the first place prize of $3.2 million, but by the fifth day, only 10 remained.

Antonio Esfandiari, who needed this win to go with his World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker wins for a triple crown, busted out in 8th. Henrik Gwinner went out in 9th and Stig Rasmussen in 10th, with both earning $199 219 for their efforts.

Going out in 7th place was Valeri Ilikyan. Holding the A-Q of Spades, he moved all in against Michael Martin, who was holding the A-K of Diamonds. The flop did not help anyone, but fourth street brought the A of Hearts, enough to give Martin the win and send Ilikyan home with $400 018.

Luca Pagano, who had made history by being part of the first father/son duo of poker players to make it into the money at the EPT, went out in 6th place. His A-J could not hold up to Kalo’s pocket Queens. Pagano won $532 831, setting another record with his tenth EPT cash.

Michael Martin was eliminated in 5th place by Chorny. Martin called all in with the Q-10 against Chorny’s pocket Jacks. Fifth place brought Martin $665 643.

Isaac Baron, whom many felt was the tournament favourite, went all in with A-Q on the 215th hand but lost to Chorny and ended up pocketing $931 268 and fourth place bragging rights.

Chorny went on to eliminate fellow Canadian Maxime Villemure in 3rd place. Villemure, who played a great game despite fighting off a fever and stomach problems during the last two days of the tournament, had a Queen high straight, but Chorny made a King high straight and send him packing with $1 130 487.

Chorny, who qualified for the event through Pokerstars, is set to become another of the many great Internet poker stories. A business student, he has previously won a World Poker Open pot limit Omaha event and finished 13th in the Pokerstars EPT Caribbean Adventure.