WPT Spanish Championship Has Crowned a New King

A new king has been crowned at the WPT Spanish Championship in Barcelona, Spain. Ali Tekintamgac is the big winner in the Spanish Championship. Nine players returned to duke it out for the championship prize of €315,000 + WPT Championship Seat 2011 + Tiffany bracelet. Ali Tekintamgac entered the final table as the chip leader with 1,522,000 in chips, and Triston Clemoncon was the low man on the totem pole with only 139,000 in chips to start the day.

Play started out at level 22 with blinds at 8,000/16,000 and 2,000 ante. Tekintamgac raised from early position with 9 9, and Manuel Cuberos Lopez Cozar moved all in with AQ. With a swift call from Tekintamgac the board ran A Q 9 6 K to send the first player of the final table to the rail.

Gomila Romero was sent packing in 8th place after he pushed with pocket 6’s. He ran into two huge hands, AK and JJ, and wasn’t able to come out on top. Not too long after Emil Per Mattsson took 7th place when he pushed with A J, but it proved to be no good against the K K of Roberto Garcia Santiago.

Mads Hansen was able to double up, but a few rounds later he found himself at risk again. He got into a back and forth preflop battle with Manuel and then Hansen was all in with A Q vs. A 10. The board ran out 4s 7c Kd Jc Qh to give Manuel broadway. It was a brutal beat for Hansen as he was sent to the rail in 5th place.

As three way action commenced, Ali Tekintamgac had retained his chip lead on the table. Manuel Blaschke became the 3rd place finisher when he tried to push Tekintamgac around at the wrong time. Blaschke pushed with K 8 offsuit and Tekintamgac had pocket aces. The board ran dry for Blaschke.

Tekintamgac had a huge lead over Roberto Garcia Santiago going into heads up play. It didn’t take long for Santiago to push with 9d 8h against Tekintamgac’s 5c Qc. The board came Kh Ah 5h Qd 2d to give Ali Tekintamgac the big win.

Final table prizes are as follows:

1. ALI TEKINTAMGAC – 315.000€ + WPT seat in Las Vegas final + Tiffany bracelet
2. ROBERTO GARCIA SANTIAGO - 160.000€
3. MATS ERIK IREMARK- 81.000€
4. MANUEL BLASCHKE – 71.000€
5. MADS SMITH HANSEN – 61.000€
6. TRISTAN QUENTIN CLEMENCON– 51.000€
7. PER EMIL MATTSSON – 41.000€
8. BARTOLOME GOMILA ROMERO– 31.000€
9. MANUEL CUBEROS LOPEZ COZAR – 21.400€

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The Spanish Championship Has Begun

The World Poker Tour is in the process of finding its newest poker champion at the Barcelona Spanish Championship. This event had two start days which proved to draw a record breaking crowd to this event. The buy in for this championship event was an affordable €3,200 + €300 buy-in. Tournament Director Thomas Kremser announced that there were 326 players who entered which totaled the prize pool at over 1 million euro. The top 36 players will be paid. First place will take home €315,000, $25,500 seat to the WPT World Championship, and a Tiffany bracelet.

At the end of Day 2, only 44 players remained. Per Linde, the 3rd place finisher at the Grand Prix Paris event, ended the day with the chip lead. Edgars Strupka and Paulo Da Silva Pereira were trailing closely behind him. Although some players were hoping to make the money by Day 2, they would have to wait for the bubble to burst on Day 3.

Day 3 had 44 players return at their chance for a championship title. The top 36 players are guaranteed €4,900, and none of the remaining players wanted to go home with empty pockets. It was Erik Friberg who ended up being the bubble boy when he pushed with A 4 offsuit against the JJ of Mats Iremark.

As Day 3 came to a close, the final table was set. Nine hopefuls will return on Day 4 to battle for their chance to make poker history. Ali Tekintamac will go into the final table with the chip lead. Tristan Clemencon will have his work cut out for him, as he will be the short stack at the final table.

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