See our other PartyPoker Million VI coverage: Germans dominate PartyPoker Million final, Bubble bursts and we’re in the money, Chips ahoy!, Strassmann takes command of cruise, Jorbeck works up his appetite for chips, Lidviksson runs aground, Overnight chip leaders, Ludvik takes chip lead on first day, Early fallers as the action kicks off, Cash games before the tournament action begins, Calm before the poker storm.
By Simon Young
University mathematics student Alexander Jung has used his analytic brain to win the PartyPoker.com Million VI trophy and a handy $358,280.
The 25-year-old beat fellow German Dominik Stopka heads up, and now plans to bank some of his cash and also launch an assault on the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas this summer.
Alexander Jung is all smiles wih chips and trophy
Jung beat a field of 171 runners in the $8,000 No-Limit Texas Hold’em event, which started on board the stunning MSC Poesia on Sunday as she made her way from Italy to Greece, Turkey, Croatia and back to Venice.
Most players won their seats in online qualifiers at PartyPoker.com and brought family and friends to enjoy a week of luxury on the sea.
Jung, who first played poker with friends 10 years ago and says his maths helps his game, added that the week had been a fantastic experience. “This is my biggest live win so far. The structure of the tournament was perfect for me, and there were some very good players here.
“I had a lot of respect for Dominik. I had seen him play a great many hands, mostly without a showdown – and when he did have to show it was often something like aces – so he is a good player. However, I felt one or two others were a bit tight on the final table – perhaps wanting to try and climb the money positions.”
Jung and Mike Sexton
Jung, from Berlin, studied poker strategy books to improve his game, and is now reaping the rewards. He was presented with his beautiful glass trophy by PartyPoker’s “Ambassador of poker” Mike Sexton. In total, 24 players made the money in the PartyPoker.com Million VI.
Entrants came from all over the world, including Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Canada and throughout Europe. A bumper 20% travelled from Germany, so it was not a huge surprise to see two battling it out heads up.
Third place finisher was Cory Albertson from Texas in the USA, who was the only non-European to make the final table.
Final Table Positions and Payouts:
1 Alexander Jung, Germany, $358, 280
2 Dominik Stopka, Germany, $285,583
3 Cory Albertson, USA, $159,235
4 Mika Paasonen, Finland, $119,425
5 Raymond Estall, UK, $92,883
6 Andreas Jorbeck, Sweden, $67,675
7 Johannes Strassman, Germany, $47,770
8 Peter Steinlesberger, Austria, $31,845
9 Kenneth Gregersen, Denmark, $21,230
Here’s the final table action in detail:
4.55pm: JUNG WINS: Alexander Jung wins the PartyPoker Million VI tournament, scooping $358,280. He beat fellow German Dominik Stopka soon after they sat down for the heads-up battle. After taking a number of pots uncontested, he moved in with J-7 against Stopka’s A-9. The board came 3-Q-7-5-6, the seven being enough to win the event.
Stopka, right, and Jung
4.25pm: PLAYER OUT: Cory Albertson, who started the final short of chips has busted in third place, winning $159,235. He pushed all in with A-3 clubs against Jung’s A-J. The flop of 4-2-8 gave him hopes of a filling a straight, but the following Q and 4 ended his tournament. Albertson, from Texas, was the only non-European on the final table and picked up the biggest win of his career.
Jung and Stopka, both Germans, now face each other heads up. Jung has 1.1 million to Stopka’s 610,000.
4.20pm: PLAYER OUT: Mika Paasonen has busted in fourth place. On a board of 2-Q-2-9-3 with three hearts, he pushed with Q-8 but was insta-called by Alexander Jung with the A-7 hearts for the nut flush. Paasonen, a familiar face on the European circuit, picks up $119,425.
Mika Paasonen before his exit
4.15pm: Dominik Stopka took a decent pot off Alexander Jung on a tricky-looking board. On a flop of 6-2-8 Jung raised to 71,000. Stopka called, the both checked the 7 turn, and when another 6 hit the river Stopka bet 150,000. Too much for Jung, and a healthy lump of orange 5,000 chips moved Stopka’s way.
4.05pm: The dealer was not having to put out many flops, with raises and re-raises taking down the pots without a card being dealt. With the money now jumping in significant amounts, a wrong play would cost a small fortune.
3.50pm: Approximate chip counts: Alexander Jung 820,000, Dominik Stopka 425,000, Cory Albertson 250,000, Mika Paasonen 135,000.
3.30pm: Mika Paasonen raised to 65,000 but had to fold to Cory Albertson’s all in for another 165,000.
3.10pm PLAYER OUT: Raymond Estall busted when he ran his K-Q into Alexander Jung’s A-2. With no help on the board, the Englishman, who works for a chemical distribution company, picked up $92,883.
This was his first live event, and he’s thrilled with his result. “It has been great fun. But I don’t think it will be the start of a new poker career. I’ll be back at work on Monday with a great story to tell.”
Estall rakes in a pot
2.50pm: PLAYER OUT: Andreas Jorbeck is out in sixth place, winning $67,675. After a succession of pushes without being called, he went again with 9-9 and went up against Cory Albertson’s K-Q. The flop came K-4-Q, meaning the Swede needed a 9 to stay alive, but the turn and river was 7-8.
2.30pm: Approximate chip counts: Jung, 480,000, Stopka 420,000, Paasonen 260,000, Estall 240,000, Albertson 130,000, Jorbeck 120,000. Blinds are 4,000-8,000 with a 1,000 running ante.
2.20pm: PLAYER OUT: Johannes Strassmann, who had been chip leader for much of the tournament, busted when his 3-3 all in was called by Raymond Estall holding A-6 clubs. The flop came 2-6-4 sending the Englishman ahead but giving the German a gutshot chance. The turn was another 6 and the river a 9 – sending Strassman to the rail.
He takes $47,700 for 7th place, but was frustrated. “This is my another final table and again I have missed the big money positions, which is frustrating. I’d much rather win one than finish lower in these others.” Strassmann, from Bonn, plays poker professionally having started with just $5 in a poker ccount, and never depositing since. “I really want that big tournament win: hopefully it will come in Vegas at the World Series.”
Johannes Strassmann
2.14pm: Stopka raised from the button, and Albertson moved all in for 91,000 more. After a long dwell, the German folded and the American stayed alive. On the next hand, Estall won a nice pot, re-raising Jung all in.
2pm: Raymond Estall lost a huge pot to Dominik Stopka, who took a clear chip lead with 500,000. On a board showing J-10-7-4-2, the Englishman bet 65,000 into a pot of 90,000. Stopka made a great call with 8-8, beating Estall’s K-Q missed straight draw. Estall, a chemical engineer, was left short stacked on about 80,000.
1: 45pm: PLAYER OUT: Peter Steinlesberger is out, moving all in for his last 24,000 with A-10. He was ahead of Mika Paasonen’s A-8 of diamonds but the flop of 9-7-K was all diamonds, giving the Fin the nut flush. Steinlesberger finished eighth and takes home $31,845. The pro player, who used to be a card dealer in Vienna, said: “This is my biggest live tournament win. It’s been a very good week.” He normally plays pot limit Omaha cash games online.
Peter Steinlesberger
1.30pm: Andreas Jorbeck, the Swede who won the PartyPoker Late Night Poker tournament, defended his big blind by re-raising Jung, the young player from Berlin, Germany, who promptly folded. But the Swede then lost an 80,000 pot to the UK’s Raymond Estall, who is playing his first live tournament. The Swede raised to 17,000 and Estall called. The flop came 5-K-10 all clubs, and Jorbeck bet 22,000, which Estall called. After a second ten came on the turn, Jorbeck checked, and Estall bet 40,000 to take the pot.
Mika Paasonen then got in on the action, raising to 17,000 from the button. Cory Albertson said: “This is a position raise.” He folded, and was shown 3-3 for his trouble. We then nearly lost our second player when young German Johannes Strassmann got all in with
A-9 against Austrian Peter Steinlesberger’s A-K – and promptly hit a 9 on the flop to save his tournament skin. He moves up to 180.000, while Steinlesberger drops to 50,000.
Like so many other players here on the PartyPoker Million VI cruise, Steinslesberger won his seat in an online qualifier on PartyPoker. Check the website www.partypoker.com for more chances to qualify for live events.
1.10pm: PLAYER OUT: Any thoughts that the final table could be a marathon seemed off the mark when we lost our first player on only the second hand. Denmark’s Kenneth Gregersen pushed in early position with A-9 for his remaining 42,000. It folded around to Cory Albertson who was a mile ahead with 9-9. Gregersen needed an ace to stay alive but the board of K-J-6-2-8 was no help.
The Dane goes home with $21,230 for his week’s work on board the MSC Poesia, which is sailing all day bound for Dubrovnik in Croatia.
Kenneth Gregersen
A €500 side tournament was well under way as the final table players sat down for their 1pm start. Blinds started at 3,000-6,000 with a 1,000 running ante, leaving plenty of play for the chip leaders. Dominik Stopka held the overnight chip lead with 327,000, just 1,000 ahead of fellow German lexander Jung.
The final table gets under way on board MSC Poesia
