 |
It may have been the European Poker Tour in name, but there were plenty of players on this side of the Atlantic who made a splash over the course of EPT Season 5. With over $14.5 million in prize money accrued and 22 final table finishes notched up between America and Canada during this year’s tour, WPT Poker takes a look at the home-grown players who took Europe by storm.
Michael Martin: EPT London
While Jason Mercier may have got the ball rolling a month earlier in Barcelona, it was Michael Martin who truly kick-started the 2008 U.S. invasion by capturing the main event title at the EPT London. Martin took home $1.8m from a final table that included compatriot Eric Liu and Canada’s Philippe Dauteuil, but his victory was merely the beginning of American success in the UK.
Jason Mercier: EPT London £1 Million Showdown
With the EPT debuting their first ever £1 Million Showdown Event, it was U.S. phenom Jason Mercier who bagged himself $944,847 and a shed-load of poker kudos after bull-dozing a granite-tough field to capture the title against John Juanda. Of the nine finalists in the £20,000 buy-in event, only two players hailed from outside Canada and the U.S., with Mike Watson, Peter Jetten, Scotty Nguyen, Issac Haxton and Isabelle Mercier all finishing in the money.
Matthew Woodward: EPT San Remo
As detailed in our EPT Monte Carlo review on page 14, the most recent American to score major tournament success during season 5 is Matthew Woodward, who finished runner-up to Dutchman Pieter de Korver in the tour’s Grand Final last month. After dominating the closing stages of Day 4, Woodward rode his chip-stack to a second place finish and over $1.7 million in prize money.
Poorya Nazari: PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
In another final table that was dominated by players from this side of the Atlantic, Canadian Poorya Nazari became the highest earning home-grown player in season 5 of the EPT after earning himself a staggering $3 million for defeating American Tony Gregg to capture the PCA title. Among the other six players that made up the final table on Paradise Island, Dustin Dirksen, Dan Heimiller and Kevin Saul all also hailed from the U.S.
Mike McDonald: EPT Dortmund
Having won the event a year previously, Canadian Mike “Timex” McDonald came within a whisker of defending his EPT title after finishing fifth at the German Open in Dortmund. Despite the final table being dominated by the host nation, McDonald managed to carve out a cool $256,100 for himself in what was the third EPT cash of the young poker pros career.
William Reynolds: EPT San Remo
PokerStars online regular William Reynolds emerged on the live scene in explosive fashion after battling his way to a fourth place finish in the EPT San Remo. There, at a final table that included fellow American young-gun Alexander Fitzgerald, Reynolds managed to bag himself $491,955 – a marked improvement on his previous live career winnings of $793. |
