Steve O'Dwyer Wins European Poker Tour Grand Final Main Event

Steve O’Dwyer topped an absolutely stacked final table to win the 2013 European Poker Tour Grand Final no-limit hold’em main event in Monte Carlo. For the win the American poker pro earned €1,224,000 ($1,588,997 USD) and 2,100 Card Player Player of the Year points, climbing into second place in the overall standings with 2,992 POY points and $1,841,052 in year-to-date earnings. This was O’Dwyer’s third final table of the year.

A total of 531 players posted the €10,600 buy-in in this main event, building a €5,310,000 ($6,975,747) prize pool, the lion’s share of which was distributed amongst a final eight with recognizable names. Jason Mercier, fresh off a win in a €2,000 open-face Chinese poker re-entry event earlier this week in Monaco, finished seventh for €137,000 ($177,853). After a career year on the circuit in 2012, Noah Schwartz continued his streak with a sixth-place finish for €189,000 ($245,360). Tripe crown winner Jake Cody, who along with Mercier had a chance to become the first player to win two EPT main event titles, ended up as the fifth-place finisher for €251,000 ($325,848).

Recent World Series of Poker Asia Pacific main event champion Daniel Negreanu finished fourth for €321,000 ($416,722), his third final table finish of the year. In addition to the money, Negreanu also was awarded 1,050 POY points, which catapulted him into third place in the overall standings with 2,946 points and year-to-date earnings of $1,520,978. Norwegian pro Johnny Lodden survived to third place, earning €467,000 ($606,259) and 1,400 points. This was Lodden’s third final table of the year, and as a result he has made his way to 13th in the overall standings.

With Lodden’s elimination, Andrew Pantling and O’Dwyer began heads-up play with the Canadian Pantling holding a slight chip lead. O’Dwyer was able to wrest the lead away by the time the two were sent on a dinner break. O’Dwyer was able to quickly extend his lead after play resumed, holding a roughly 3-to-1 lead when the exciting final hand arose.

O’Dwyer raised to 240,000 from the button with the 108 and Pantling defended with the K5. The flop brought the action-inducing J88 and Pantling checked to O’Dwyer, who bet 300,000. Pantling called and the turn brought the 4. Pantling checked once again and O’Dwyer bet 600,000. Pantling raised to 1,425,000 and O’Dwyer moved all-in. Pantling called with his second-nut flush and was a favorite to double up and essentially even the chip counts. The 8 on the river had other ideas, however, as it gave O’Dwyer quad eights to win the hand and secure the title of 2013 EPT Grand Final main event champion. Pantling earned (€842,000) $1,093,080 and 1,750 points for his runner-up finish, climbing to 15th in the overall standings.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at this final table:

Photos courtesy of PokerStars and Neil Stoddart.

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