Sunday night marked the climax to two of the most exciting weeks on the European poker scene in 2012. Topping a talented field of 396 runners at the Montesino Casino, Morten Christensen captured the €3,500 WPT Vienna Main Event presented by PartyPoker.com and took home the €313,390 first prize, including entry into the $25,000 WPT World Championship at Bellagio, Las Vegas (19-26 May).
The internationally diverse final table pitted six different countries against one another. Overcoming the stiff competition was Christensen, who joins several other Danish players in the elite WPT Champions Club and earns his place on the one and only WPT Champions Cup. Nobody on the rail appeared too surprised as Danish players are seemingly dominating tournaments all over the world this year.
Following the awards ceremony, Christensen rejoiced, “I hope I now go on to build on the same hot run as my fellow Danish players. Gus Hansen won the very first WPT event. This was my first WPT and I won! It would be fantastic to emulate him.”
Christensen, who has been playing online for 9 years and turned pro 2 years ago, had an amazing journey in Vienna. The 27-year-old PartyPoker.com qualifier turned a €300 satellite into a first prize of €313,390. Despite his prior poker experience being predominantly online, Christensen made the most of his first cash in a live major tournament with a phenomenal victory.
“Now all my focus is on the WPT World Championship, with only one month to wait before Las Vegas!” added Christensen. For more information on the tournament action, visit : http://www.worldpokertour.com/Live_Updates/Post.aspx
Generating a €1,267,200 prize pool, WPT Vienna presented by PartyPoker.com welcomed the best poker players in the world to the Montesino including WPT Players of the Year Andy Frankenberger, Faraz Jaka and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, WPT World Champions Scott Seiver and Yevgeniy Timoshenko, and many WPT Champions Club members such as Eugene Katchalov, Roberto Romanello, Victor Ramdin, Sam El Sayed, Davidi Kitai, Mike Watson, McLean Karr and Guillaume Darcourt. Other notable names who took part in the action were Toby Lewis, Steve O’Dwyer, Fabrice Soulier, Anton Wigg, Sorel Mizzi, Arnaud Mattern, Tobias Reinkemeier, Vanessa Selbst, Casey Kastle, Max Lykov, David Vamplew, Marvin Rettenmaier, Dominik Nitsche, Chris Moorman, Jason Wheeler and Jonathan Duhamel.
The €10,000 High Roller event during WPT Vienna also caught media attention, with Sorel Mizzi overcoming Yevgeniy Timoshenko to scoop €114,000. Additionally, the WPT festival hosted two PartyPoker.com showpiece events: Premier League Poker V and the Big Game VI.
Triumphing over the amazing line-up gathered for the popular show, WPT World Champion Scott Seiver took down the elite WPT Special Event PartyPoker.com Premier League V title after a heads-up battle with Daniel ‘Jungleman’ Cates. Seiver scooped the $500,000 first prize plus entry into the upcoming $25,000 WPT World Championship, where he’ll look to defend his WPT Season IX title. The $125,000 buy-in WPT Special Event had a total prize pool of $2.2 million, including $200,000 added by sponsors PartyPoker.com.
While the WPT Vienna Main Event was underway, the 48-hour cash game “The Big Game VI” webcasted on live stream and featured the likes of Sam Trickett, Tony G, Jonathan Duhamel, Phil Laak, Daniel Cates and Eugene Katchalov. Even though the event has yet to be broadcast to the television audience, it has already emerged in poker folklore as an instant viral hit after the amazing feat of endurance by Phil Laak, who played its entirety and incredibly mucked a €60,000 winning hand in the process!
In two days, World Poker Tour® action is heading to Florida where players will now enjoy the sunny atmosphere of the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown (18-23 April). As one of only two televised WPT Main Events in the U.S. where players 18-years of age and older are eligible to compete, expect to see another massive prize pool and a week full of entertaining activities off the felt. More information is available at the WPT Blog and on the event webpage.
WPT Vienna Final Table Payouts:
1. Morten Christensen (Denmark) – €313,390 including entry into the $25,000 WPT World Championship
2. Konstantin Tolokno (Russia) – €191,740
3. Ben Wilinofsky (Canada) – €122,910
4. Ognjen Sekularac (Serbia) – €84,810
5. Goswin Siemsen (Germany) – €62,680
6. Norbert Szecsi (Hungary) – €49,100
WPT Season X Player of the Year Standings:
1. Will Failla – 1,650
2. Vitor Coelho – 1,500
3. Bobby Oboodi – 1,400
3. James Dempsey – 1,400
3. Sean Jazayeri – 1,400
Premier League V Final Table Payouts:
1. Scott Seiver – $500,000
2. Dan Cates – $300,000
3. Phil Laak – $175,000
4. Patrik Antonius – $125,000
5. Tony G – $100,000
6. Tom Dwan – $80,000
7. Mathew Frankland – $65,000
8. Sam Trickett – $55,000
All pictures from WPT Vienna are available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wpteurope/sets/72157629820907713/with/6933876820/