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Constant Rijkenberg Wins European Poker Tour San Remo

Twenty-Year-Old Dutchman Wins €1.5 Million on Italian Riviera

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The eight players who found themselves at the final table of the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour San Remo had already achieved a remarkable feat, having bested 1,170 other players on their way to their shot at the €1.5 million top prize. Chip leader Dragan Galic had done something no other player had in EPT history — he was chip leader overnight each night since day 1 — but could he sustain his charge for the title? Only time would tell.
 
The final table consisted of:
  1. Dragan Galic: 3,098,000
  2. Gustav Sundell: 2,625,000
  3. William Reynolds: 2,531,000
  4. Constant Rijkenberg: 932,000
  5. Alexander Fitzgerald: 721,000
  6. Danilo D’Ettoris: 686,000
  7. Kalle Niem: 641,000
  8. Ovidiu Balaj: 625,000

Here’s how play panned out for the final eight.





Danilo D’Ettoris Eliminated in Eighth Place (€114,000)

Italian Danilo D’Ettoris was all in for 600,000. It was folded around to Constant Rijkenberg, who called with pocket fours. D’Ettoris flipped over A Q, and the board fell J 7 3 5 3. Rijkenberg was on a roll.

Danilo D’Ettoris was the first to leave the final table but takes home €114,000 as a consolation prize.




Alexander Fitzgerald Eliminated in Seventh Place (€171,000)

Alex FitzgeraldAlexander Fitzgerald (pictured right) pushed all in, and William Reynolds called. Fitzgerald showed A K, and Reynolds showed pocket jacks. The board came 10 6 2 8 2, and Reynolds won 1,280,000. Fitzgerald was left with less than three big blinds.

The young American shoved in the very next hand for 135,000. Dragan Galic was next to act; both he and Ovidiu Balaj called. The flop was 10 3 2, and Galic bet 150,000 while staring at Balaj. Balaj looked him in the eye, and after two minutes he folded, showing his hand (which we didn’t have the privilege of seeing).

The cards were revealed:

Fitzgerald: K9X


Galic: J-10





The turn was the Q and the river was a brick. Galic’s paired tens held up, and Fitzgerald left the tournament in seventh place for €171,000.





Ovidiu Balaj Eliminated in Sixth Place (€229,000)

Ovidiu Balaj was all in for 640,000 in chips, and William Reynolds shoved over the top of him.

Balaj showed pocket nines, and Reynolds, pocket sixes. The cards were dealt 6 3 2, giving Reynolds a set. He smiled and said, "Don’t resuck me, please!" The turn was the A and the river the 4.

Romanian Balaj was the sixth-place finisher and went home with €229,000 for his efforts.









Dragan Galic Eliminated in Fifth Place (€314,000)


Dragan GalicConstant Rijkenberg raised and Dragan Galic (pictured left) moved all in for two million and his tournament life.



He flipped over 9 9, and Rijkenberg had A Q. The board created a tremendous reaction as it fell K J 10. Rijkenberg had flopped another straight. The turn was the 3, and Galic was drawing dead as the river came the 10.



Galic maintained the chip lead in this tournament for three whole days. However, Constant Rijkenberg put the Croatian out of EPT San Remo in fifth place for €314,000.

 
William Reynolds Eliminated in Fourth Place (€377,000)

William ReynoldsSoon after dinner, William Reynolds (pictured right) made some moves. His final one in the EPT San Remo, however, came when he raised all in with K J and faced a call from Constant Rijkenberg with A 7.

An ace came on the flop, and it put Reynold straight out of the tournament in fourth place for €377,000.





Gustav Sundell Eliminated in Third Place (€480,000)

After a moment’s break where the three players left the table for what can only be presumed to be a deal discussion, they rejoined and then found their heads-up players.

Gustav Sundell met the end of his tournament life after running his A-6 into Kalle Niemi’s A-J. He was the third-place finisher and took home €480,000.




Constant Rijkenberg is EPT San Remo Champion (€1,508,000)

Constant RijkenbergWith plenty of action on a 10-5-3-5 board, the two heads-up players only experienced the final battle for a very short period of time before it was all over.

Constant Rijkenberg (pictured right) took down the event with pocket aces versus Kalle Niemi’s A-10. Niemi needed a 10, but it was a 4 that fell on the river, and he went out in second place for €862,000.

The 20-year-old Rijkenberg takes home a massive €1,508,000 for withstanding the trials and tribulations within a field of 1,178 from all around the world.

Next stop coming up shortly is Monte Carlo for the Grand Final. Another amazing and large field is expected there, with a huge amount of money on the line. Join the Card Player reporting team there for all the action.