Tournament Details

This week the WPT was hosted to a tremendous tournament in the City of Light at the classy and elegant Aviation Club de France, for the annual European poker pilgrimage, the Grand Prix de Paris. Befitting its address just down from the Arc de Triomphe, on the world famous avenue des Champs-Élysêes, this tournament regularly draws the finest players in the world, and this year was no exception. A record 205 players ponied up €12,000 (that's about $10,000 to you and me) to take a crack at a seam-busting €2,050,000 prize pool, making this officially the largest poker event in European history. Here's how it looked out on the "feutre vert" at the start of the final table play...

In Seat 1, European poker legend and member of the European Poker Hall of Fame, Surinder Sunar, in 5th chip position with € 202,000. In Seat 2, the non-stop Australian trash-talker, and self-proclaimed poker genius, Tony G, in 2nd chip position with €442,000. In Seat 3, the 2003 European player of the year, Dave "El Blondie" Colclough, in 4th chip position with €338,000. In Seat 4, Dublin Ireland's tough journeyman pro, Peter Roche, chip leader with €615,000. In Seat 5, sole amateur and only American, Washington, D.C. shop foreman, Jim Overman, in 3rd chip position with €359,000. In Seat 6, suave and popular top Europan pro from Britain, Ben Roberts, the short stack with €99,000. Blinds and antes started at €1,000, €4,000, and €8,000.

With the table a little on the tight side at the start of play, things started decently for chip leader Roche, but after showing a bluff to the brash Aussie, Tony G, he found himself in trouble on the next hand when they tangled again, this time Tony doubling up when his pocket 5's held up against Roche's Q high. Worse than the hand, though, was the harangue that Roche suffered afterward. It was a theme that would plague him, and the rest of the table, all night. It certainly didn't help Colclough who on the next hand lost a crippler with 6's full of K's, to Overman, with K's full of 6's.

With blinds going up to 2,000, and antes going up to 10,000 and 20,000, Colclough found Kd-Qc, and brought it in for a nice raise of 80,000. Overman, with Th-Td, went right over the top of him, all-in. Colclough, covered and pot-logged, called. When the board went 9h-4h-2h, 5c, and finally Tc, giving Overman unnecessary trips, Colclough had called it quits, going out in 6th place, with €84,890.

On the next hand, Roberts looked down to find big slick, Ah-Kd, and made it 90,000 to go. Sunar, with wired 3's, asked for a count. Finding that he had Roberts covered, he pushed all-in. Roberts quickly called, getting the pretty money in with a good hand. But an unbelievable 9c-8c-3h flop, delivering trip treys to Sunar, had him drawing dead before the turn! Already on his way out of the chambre by the time the turn and river came 4h, Kc, Roberts went with class, shaking hands all the way to a 5th place finish, and €101,000. Sunar later admitted that 3 is his lucky number, and he felt good raising with his pocket 3's, but interestingly would not have called all-in bet with them.

Roche had nothing but problems from the start, doubling up Tony G. early, then having his chip lead slowly whittled away by pushing weak holdings too far, after not flopping to them. His bad timing continued when he ran into Sunar just as he gained the chip lead. Roche found Ad-Ts, and made it 70,000 to go. Sunar, with Ks-Kh, bumped it up 140,000, and Roche, again overvaluing his holdings and undervaluing Sunar's raise, pushed right back over the top of him, all-in. Sunar's call was the quickest move he made all night. And when the flop came Kd-9c-7h, tripping Sunar's K's, Roche was all but out. A 4h on the turn sealed his fate, and the 7s on the river was perfunctory. A seemingly shell-shocked Peter Roche wandered into the Paris night, €135,970 richer, with a 4th place finish.

Having obnoxiously proclaimed on several occasions to various opponents, "I'm going to destroy you," and "I'm going to take everything you have," Tony G now upped the histrionics. In his most masterful move of the night, he goaded Sunar into a stone bluff after declaring that he held " a bad hand" – which he did, indeed, 6-3 offsuit. But he made trips with 3's on the flop and river, and slapped Sunar down when he made a €200,000 move at the pot. It was the only chink in the armor of Sunar's calm demeanor, causing him to smack the table in dismay for his own poor decision, chasing with 8s-2s in the small blind.

Even though just about every spectator in the house was rooting for Tony G's destruction, the poker gods would have none of it. Finding Qd-6h in the small blind, Tony brought it in for 90,000. Overman, with 8d-8s, quickly went over the top of him, all-in for 273,000 more. Without considering too much, Tony called. Having already lost with 8's to Tony's T's, Overman was much pleased to see that this time, Tony only had one live card. But after a flop of 9d-3h-7d, and a fourth flush card, 6d, paired his 6, Tony sucked out a huge winner when Qc fell on the river. Overman went out with a respectable 3rd place finish, earning €203,960 on his $100 investment.

Now down to two, with blinds and antes going up to 5,000, 25,000, and 50,000, the action got even crazier. After Tony rubbed Sunar's nose in a stone bluff that got the stoic India native to muck the winner giving Tony a dominating 2-1 chip lead, he began to call himself the "table captain." But seemingly having only one speed, the abominable Aussie proceeded to call Sunar's all-in bet of 595,000 with J high! When Sunar's pocket 6's held up, he was back in the lead. Then Tony, tilting with Ts-8h, pushed in his last $810,000. Surinder thought long over his Ad-Js, and called. He slapped down his dominating hand with confidence, only to see the flop come Td-7c-5d, giving Tony top pair, and a huge edge! 6d on the turn, and 9h on the river doubled Tony up, and a singed Sunar sat down again, nearly sunk, suddenly dominated again by 1,708,000 to 346,000.

With blinds going up again, to 10,000, 40,000, and 80,000, Tony again proved prophylactic to his own profit, doubling up Sunar, with wired J's on the very next hand, calling with Jc-4c! And finally, Sunar caught some luck. He pushed all-in with Kd-6d, only to have Tony call him with a real hand, Td-Th. The flop came 9-6-6 rainbow, giving Surinder trip 6's! A 9s, 5c on the turn and river didn't help Tony, and the trash-talker from down under found himself on the ropes. Not surprisingly, finding Kd-3h on the next hand, he pushed in his remaining 841,000. Sunar, spotting just his first card, Ad, briefly considered, then called without checking his 2nd card, which was 7s. The board went Qc-Td-6s, Js, 6c, and a subdued, somnolent Surinder Sunar was crowned champion of the Grand Prix de Paris, claiming his €679,860 top prize. Tony G, looking worse for the wear, went out in 2nd place, taking €339,930 to dress his wounds.

This tournament is included in the World Poker Tour Best of Season Three DVD Collection. Special features include deleted hands – never-before-seen exclusive hands that didn't air on TV!