BACKGAMMON ACE TAKES THE EPT PRAGUE TITLE

21 December 2007

Frenchman victorious over field of 500


Over 500 poker players registered for this weekend's inaugural PokerStars.net European Poker Tour Prague Main Event, an indication of the keen following the game has in the region. But it was French backgammon master Arnaud Mattern who emerged victorious, claiming Euro 708 400 in his first-ever EPT cash.

Among the top European poker players in the field were Rolf Slotboom, Nicolas Levi, EPT Baden champ Julian Thew and 2007 WSOP bracelet winner and Team PokerStars member Katja Thater. The flamboyant Italian prodigy Dario Minieri was in the field, along with Bertrand Grospellier, Steve Devlin, Finalnd's Juha Helppi, EPT Dublin winner Reuben Peters, 2007 EPT Warsaw victor Peter Jepsen and World Series of Poker Europe Main Event champ and Betfair ambassador Annette Obrestad.

But with clever and disciplined poker tactics, Mattern beat the large field to take a seat at the final table, then survived to a heads up with Gino Alacqua for the title and the big money prize....and won.

Held at the Hilton Hotel in Prague, the competition was the first major poker tournament to be held in the Czech Republic.

Final tablers in the contest were chip leader Mikael Norinder from Sweden, closely followed by Mattern and further back Dag Palovic, Kristian Kjondal, Gino Alacqua, Juha Lauttaumus, Markus Golser, Johan Strassman and Nedzib Suman.

Strassman was the first final tabler to head rail-wards, taken out by chip leader Norinder. His truimph was short-lived however as Norinder was himself bundled out in the eighth spot after getting into a huge and at times controversial hand with eventual winner Mattern. During the confrontation, Norinder unintentionally presented 50 percent too many chips, and the ruling was made that he had to make at least a minimum raise. In a rapid series of moves after that, Norinder went from hero to zero and exited, collecting Euro 63 000 for his trouble.

Dag Palovic was eliminated next when he was taken down by Kristian Kjondal, departing the table with a Euro 93 600 payday in prospect for his seventh placing. Nedzib Suman followed after falling victim to some smart tactics and fortunate cards from Juha Lauttamus, busted out in sixth place for Euro 119 000. Headed for the rail in fifth place with a Euro 151 000 paydat was Markus Golser, again at the hands of Lauttamus.

Lauttamus himself was the next to take the exit door after a tussle with Gino Alacqua left him in the fourth slot with a cheque for Euro 182 200.

The competition settled down to some tough three handed poker after Lauttamus departed, and play went on for just over an hour before the heads up was decided when Kristian Kjondal was busted out in the thrid spot by Alacqua. The young Norwgian player collected Euro 235 300 for his third place finish.

When heads up play commenced between Mattern and Alacqua, the latter had a 2 to 1 advantage in chips and looked very strong. But Mattern played smart, tactical poker for over an hour and steadily reduced the lead and his chances of winning. Fifteen minutes later the French backgammon champ and 2005 Gutshot Poker Master winner truimphed, leaving Alacqua a disappointed runner-up with Euro 407 300 as second placing consolation.

Mattern took the EPT Prague championship crown and Euro 708 400 in prize money.

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