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Marvin Rettenmaier: History Maker!
Level 31: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante
It was one of the coldest winters that Venice had ever suffered and 'Mad' Marvin Rettenmaier was standing in the midst of it, suffering from a state of shock. It was December 2011, and he had just been eliminated in 8th place at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Was he ever going to win a major title? When was his luck going to turn? Why were the poker gods not shining on him?
Boy oh boy how fickle this poker world can be!
Fast forward the beta-max of life and Marvin Rettenmaier has won just under $2 million in live tournament earnings, has found a sponsor who loves him and has just become the first human being in history to win back-to-back World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event titles in the space of three-months. That icy cold winter seems a long, long time ago.
The WPT Season XI starter was an amazing feast of poker and partying. The Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino really know how to throw a party and host a poker tournament. But in the end the final table was a bit of a let down…no that's too kind…it was about as exciting as watching paint dry. But it will always be remembered as the time that Marvin Rettenmaier put that question on the lips of everyone who cares about poker.
"Could he win back-to-back WPT Main event titles after his incredible victory at the WPT Championships in May?"
When all was said and done Rettenmaier didn't just win it, he ate it, he destroyed it and he made it look so easy as he eliminated every single opponent who dared to sit in front of him. The first person to feel the wrath of the mad one was Kyril Radzivonau. The Belarusian was easily one of the better players at the final table, but he had a woeful day. It was left to Rettenmaier to put him out of his misery Q
Q
v J T all in pre flop to send him out in 6th place.
Joseph El Khoury and Victor Paraschiv found double ups before Marvin Rettenmaier took a chunk of change from the chip leader, Ran Azor, to replace him at the top of the chip counts; a position that he would not relinquish ever again. Then the game turned into a fold-fest until the blinds hit 50,000/100,000 and everybody was reduced to a shove or fold strategy. It took an eternity for two players hands to match up in all-in and call heaven and when it happened it was Joseph El Khoury against that man Marvin Rettenmaier. El Khoury shoved holding A
2, Rettenmaier called holding A
Q and that was the end of that.
With over 5 million in chips the word was spreading around the casino that Rettenmaier was a shoe-in for the victory, but the German look composed, sharp and as professional as ever. Then Rettenmaier opened for 240,000, Victor Paraschiv shoved in the big blind, Rettenmaier called and turned over the cowboys. Paraschiv meekly rolled over the dominated K 5 and despite hitting a five on the turn was confirmed as our 4th place finished one community card later.
That elimination left Rettenmaier with over seven million chips and the two remaining obstacles in his path were Artur Voskanyan with 900,000 and Ran Azor with not much more. Then came a rare moment when Rettenmaier actually lost an all-in and when it came it was against our Russian Tournament Director, Artur Voskanyan. Rettenmaier moved all-in with T T and Voskanyan called with A Q. The flop and turn had come and gone and Rettenmaier was still in the lead, but the dealer put an ace on the river to give Voskanyan a $65,000 lifeline.
A few hands later and it was Ran Azor trying to replicate the success of Voskanyan. He decided to chance his tournament life with 7 7 and Rettenmaier held Q 9. It was all-in pre and this time the river was kinder to Rettenmaier as a queen popped us to push Azor out in 3rd place.
So we were heads up and Marvin Rettenmaier had 9,870,000 good reasons why he was going to make history and Artur Voskanyan with only 1,070,000 reasons why he was going to stop him. In the end the heads-up lasted two hands and the outcome went with form. It was J 9 for Rettenmaier and A T for Voskanyan and the board came down 9 8 4 Q 7 to send Rettenmaier into rapture.
So 'Mad' Marvin Rettenmaier becomes the first ever back-to-back WPT Champion. Congratulations from the World Poker Tour team…now if you really want to impress us try making it number three at Parx tomorrow!
08:39 PM, 08/09/12
Artur Voskanyan Eliminated in 2nd Place ($184,020)
Level 31: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante
In the end it took just two hands for the end to come. Marvin Rettenmaier moved all-in, Artur Voskanyan called and their respective hands were turned on their backs.
Rettenmaier: J 9
Voskanyan: A T
Board: 9 8 4 Q 7
Rettenmaier hits his nine on the flop and wins the WPT Merit Cyprus Poker Classic, and in doing so becomes the first ever back-to-back WPT Main Event winner after winning the WPT Championship at the Bellagio in May.
Commiserations to Artur Voskanyan for his runner-up spot.
07:52 PM, 08/09/12
Marvin Rettenmaier v Artur Voskanyan
Level 31: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante
Marvin Rettenmaier is set to make history and become the first player ever, in the history of the World Poker Tour (WPT), to win back-to-back WPT Champions titles.
07:46 PM, 08/09/12
Ran Azor Eliminated in 3rd Place ($118,360)
Level 31: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante
Marvin Rettenmaier has just eliminated his fourth player in succession. This time it is Ran Azor and it was the river that came to the German's rescue, unlike in his previous all-in against Voskanyan. The action was all-in pre flop.
Rettenmaier: Q 9
Azor: 7 7
Board: J T 6 5 Q
Rettenmaier moves into a heads up confrontation with Artur Voskanyan and he is odds on to make history with a monumental chip lead.
Rettenmaier ~ 9,870,000
Voskanyan ~ 1,070,000
07:39 PM, 08/09/12
Voskanyan Doubles Through Rettenmaier
Level 31: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante
Marvin Rettenmaier moves all-in from the small blind and Artur Voskanyan makes the call from the big blind. Somehow the pair of them have found some monsters.
Voskanyan: A Q
Rettenmaier: T T
It looked for all the world that Rettenmaier was going to eliminate his fourth opponent but the river proved that the German is human after all.
Board: 6 5 2 7 A
Voskanyan moves up to 1,800,000 and Rettenmaier has 6,700,000.
07:35 PM, 08/09/12
Victor Paraschiv Eliminated in 4th Place ($87,610)
Level 31: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante
(Photo: Not the five on the turn?)
Marvin Rettenmaier raises to 240,000 and after it folds around to Victor Paraschiv in the big blind he moves all-in. We swear we saw Rettenmaiers face turn a different colour, in fact it lit up. Rettenmaier calls and turns over K K and Paraschiv has the dominated K 5.
Board: Q T 4 5 J
Marvin Rettenmaier eliminates his third opponent and now has over seven million in chips. Surely, he is going to be our first back-to-back WPT Champion of all-time?
07:19 PM, 08/09/12
Azor All-In Then Rettenmaier All-in
Level 31: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante
Both Ran Azor and Marvin Rettenmaier have moved all-in and won the blinds and antes in the past two hands.
07:13 PM, 08/09/12
Joseph El Khoury Eliminated in 5th Place ($65,770)
Level 30: 50,000-100,000, 10,000 ante
The action folds around to Joseph El Khoury in the cutoff and he moves all-in for 1,225,000. A few folds later we arrive at the doorstep of Marvin Rettenmaier and he makes the call.
Rettenmaier: A Q
El Khoury: A 2
Board: 8 6 4 3 8
At last we have an all-in and call, and the man on a heater of a lifetime continues his winning ways with the elimination of Joseph El Khoury. Rettenmaier now has 5,300,000 chips and a stranglehold on this final table.
07:00 PM, 08/09/12
Rettenmaier Taking Charge
Level 30: 50,000-100,000, 10,000 ante
Marvin Rettenmaier raises to 205,000 in the cutoff and Joseph El Khouri decides to peel from the big blind. The action checks through to the river on a board of A K 6 8 2 before El Khouri pays off a 280,000 Rettenmaier value bet. The German was holding A 2 and now has 4 million chips. El Khouri now has 1,250,000.
06:53 PM, 08/09/12
Two More Shoves
Level 30: 50,000-100,000, 10,000 ante
Ran Azor raises to 250,000 in first position and folds to a Joseph El Khoury all-in. Then Marvin Rettenmaier raises to 205,000 on the button and folds to a shove from Artur Voskanyan.
06:49 PM, 08/09/12
