Tony "Bond18" Dunst Wins WPT Caribbean at the Casino Royale ($145,000)

Sometimes a storyline at a World Poker Tour final table writes itself and that was certainly the case at the World Poker Tour Caribbean Main Event in St. Maarten. The Caribbean provided the setting while the plot was driven by Tony “Bond18” Dunst. Bond18 took home his first WPT title on Sunday and he captured the prize at the Casino Royale. You can’t make this stuff up.

As 747 jumbo jets landed in the background at Princess Juliana Airport, Dunst put on a clinic at the final table. He began play as the chip leader and never looked back as he stormed to victory. The Raw Deal host took home the top prize worth $145,000, which includes a $15,400 seat in the season-ending WPT World Championship. Dunst now holds $283,853 in career WPT earnings and it should be interesting to watch him dissect his own play and that of his opponents when the television episode airs in a few months.

Here is a look at the final table when cards got into the air this morning at 10 a.m.

Seat 1.  Tony Dunst  –  1,418,000  (118 bb)
Seat 2.  Giacomo Fundaro  –  458,000  (38 bb)
Seat 3.  Zoltan Purak  –  324,000  (27 bb)
Seat 4.  Marvin Rettenmaier  –  1,046,000  (87 bb)
Seat 5.  Robbie Bakker  –  1,069,000  (89 bb)
Seat 6.  Severin Schleser  –  1,416,000  (118 bb)

Robbie Bakker was relatively inactive during the first stretch of play at the final table but he got aggressive 34 hands into play when he moved all in from the small blind on the river with the board reading [Ac10h5c2dQc]. Dunst called under the gun with [Jc10c] and the flush cracked Bakker’s pocket aces ([AhAs]). Bakker took home $28,700 in prize money as the sixth-place finisher and Dunst increased his chip lead.

Champions Club member Giacomo Fundaro then doubled up thru Dunst before the next elimination sailed into port. Zoltan Purak was all in preflop with [8c8d] against the [AcQc] of Dunst and the board was dealt [5c2c5d10hQd]. Dunst made a pair of queens on the river to score his second elimination at the final table and Zoltan was awarded $35,900 in prize money for fifth place.

The next big pot was another double up sandwiched in between the eliminations and this time it was twice-over Champions Club member Marvin Rettenmaier who survived an all in against Dunst. The next time Marvin moved all in he would not be so lucky. Marvin’s last stand was made with [Jh8h] in the hole against the [AdJs] of Severin Schleser. The board ran out [AsKc2d7c10h] and Rettenmaier took home $46,800 in prize money in fourth place.

On Schleser’s final hand he five-bet shoved all in to end a raising war against Dunst and then the two players tabled their hands. Dunst was ahead with [AsKc] and Severin was dominated with [AcQd] in the hole. The board fell [Kh10d8s9c4c] and Severin was eliminated in third place, good for $63,500.

This made Dunst a huge chip leader at the start of heads-up play with 4,790,000 over the 940,000 of Fundaro. That lead took a hit when Fundaro doubled up just three hands into the final match. Fundaro shoved all in on a board reading [Jh6h4d9hJs] with [Ah3h] in the hole. Dunst called with [4h2h] but his flush was behind the nut flush held by Fundaro. That pot gave Fundaro 2,550,000, but Dunst was still in the lead with 3,180,000.

On Hand 115 at the final table Tony took control of the match once again. Dunst bet 530,000 into a pot worth 800,000 with the board reading [Jh10s3s3dAc] and Fundaro called. Dunst turned over [As3h] for a full house and Fundaro mucked his cards. Dunst held 5,345,000 after the hand and Fundaro was decimated with just 385,000 remaining.

Five hands later it was all over. Dunst moved all in preflop holding [Jd2h] and Fundaro called with [Kh3h] in the hole. The final board of the tournament was dealt [Js9d2s6s6h] and Dunst earned his spot on the WPT Champions Trophy. Fundaro was awarded $100,000 as the runner up and Dunst took home the lion’s share of the prize pool worth $145,000. Congratulations Tony!

1st:  Tony Dunst – $145,000
2nd:  Giacomo Fundaro – $100,000
3rd:  Severin Schleser – $63,500
4th:  Marvin Rettenmaier – $46,800
5th:  Zoltan Purak – $35,900
6th:  Robert Bakker – $28,700

The World Poker Tour is headed north later this week for the partypoker WPT Montreal stop that runs from November 29-December 5. It’s going to be a lot colder up in Canada but the turnout is going to be huge at the popular poker destination the Playground Poker Club.

Thanks to Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and the Casino Royale for hosting a great event here on the island of St. Maarten. Thanks also go out to Joe Giron who supplied today’s amazing photography. You can see more of his work here: www.joegironphotography.com

Farewell from paradise. Here is one last shot from one of the most scenic WPT final table settings we’ve ever seen.