CANNES POKER TRUIMPH FOR ALAIN ROY

12 September 2008

A long battle, but a $1 426 645 reward

In a tough four day tournament characterised by long hours at the felt, Frenchman Alain Roy was victorious in the Partouche Poker Tour Cannes Main Event over the weekend, beating a field of 480 entrants that included top global players like Gus Hansen, Scotty Nguyen, Robert and Michael Mizrachi, Noah Schwartz, Jeff Madsen, David Williams, Alexander Kostritsyn, Pascal Perrault, Nicholas Levi, Erica Schoenberg, Tiffany Michelle and Phil Ivey.

Roy's heads up with Claudio Rinaldi after the gruelling four days of poker action was by contrast a short and sharp three hands affair that ended with Roy pocketing the $1 426 645 winner's cheque, leaving Rinaldi with a generous second placing payday of $729 158.

The elimination of Gus Hansen after 15 hours of tiring Day 3 play set the final table for the main event, which comprised Stephane Bazin holding the chip lead on 2 387 000 with Roy close behind on 2 225 000, followed by Philippe Narboni, Brice Cournut, Jean Philippe Rohr, Claudio Rinaldi, Anthonin Teisseire and Michel Abecassis.

Hopelessly short stacked Abecassis was first to go, eliminated by Rinaldi and collecting $112 278 for his trouble. Out in seventh place for $143 378 was Brice Cournut, taken out by Bazin and only minutes later he was followed by Rohr in sixth place - another victim of Rinaldi, but taking home $175 477.

Narboni took the fifth spot, picking up $223 270 after being sent to the rail by Roy, who went on to eliminate Bazin in fourth place for $321 709. Roy was by now chip leader, and his next target was Tesseire who was sent home in third place with $477 926.

Goping into the heads up, Roy held a significant chip lead of almost 8 to 1, and his dominance was reflected in the three hands it took to despatch Rinaldi.

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