EPT Season 4 (2007-2008)
Recap of the 4th European Poker Tour Season
The fourth season of the European Poker Tour kicked off at Casino Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain. Starting earlier than previous seasons, the initial event began on 28 August, marking the first time the tour hadn’t started in September. The buy-in jumped drastically to €7,700, a €2,700 increase from the previous year. This change indicated the European Poker Tour was aligning with other major poker tours, which had average initial buy-ins of around $10,000. Sander Lyloff of Denmark, a backgammon player, won the 2007 Barcelona Open, defeating his 2005 backgammon partner, Brit Mark Teltscher, for first place.
European Poker Championships at the Grosvenor Victoria Casino
The second event of Season 4 took place at Grosvenor Victoria Casino in London, England. The European Poker Championships lasted five days and drew 392 entrants. The buy-in was ₤5,200, resulting in a ₤2,038,400 prize pool. Antony Lellouche made a strong showing, finishing sixth and securing a spot on the European Poker Tour all-time leaderboards. Joseph Mouawad became the first Lebanese player to win an EPT title, taking home the ₤611,520 first place prize.
Competitive Play at EPT Baden Classic
The third stop in Season 4 was at Casinos Austria in Baden, Austria, for the EPT Baden Classic. Julian Thew, who had made two final tables during Season 1, finally secured the €670,800 first place prize. Thew is known for his risky playing style, but this victory was his largest single-game win and his last final table at the European Poker Tour. Anton Allemann’s eighth place finish marked the first time a Swiss player reached a final table in the EPT.
Exciting Event in Dublin
Season 4 was the last season to include Dublin as a host city. EPT Dublin, held at the Royal Dublin Society, had a €7,700 buy-in, a significant increase from Season 3. American Reuben Peters won the €532,620 first place prize, narrowly defeating Annette Obrestad of Norway. Obrestad, who had led most of the game, settled for the €297,800 second place prize. This was the first and only time a non-European won the Dublin event in the European Poker Tour. Obrestad had won the inaugural event of the World Series of Poker Europe only a month before, becoming the youngest player to do so.
New Addition in Prague
Prague was added as a new locale in Season 4, with EPT Prague taking place at the Hilton Prague Hotel in December. The buy-in was €4,700, contributing to a healthy turnout of 555 entrants. Frenchman Arnaud Mattern won €708,400, maintaining his spot on the European Poker Tour Leaderboards. Dag Palovic became the first Slovak player to make an EPT final table, finishing seventh and winning €93,600.
Thrilling Action at PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
Season 4 marked a crucial transition for the European Poker Tour with the addition of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA). This event, previously part of the World Poker Tour, became part of the EPT until Season 6. Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier won his first EPT title here with pocket eights, claiming the $2,000,000 prize and beating 1,135 competitors, including American David Pham, who finished fourth.
Intense Competition at EPT German Open
The EPT German Open in Dortmund, Germany, saw intense competition. The five-day event at Spielbank Hohensyburg had 411 entrants paying the €7,700 buy-in. Canadian Michael McDonald, at 18, became the youngest EPT winner, taking home €933,600. He outplayed local competitors Andreas Gulanay, Torsten Haase, and Johannes Strassmann. Strassmann’s sixth place finish helped him secure a spot on the EPT leaderboards.
Scandinavian Open in Copenhagen
In mid-February, the EPT Scandinavian Open at Casino Copenhagen in Denmark saw American Tim Vance winning the kr6,220,488 first place prize. He outplayed local Danish talent, including Soren Jensen, Magnus Hansen, Rasmus Nielsen, and Simon Dorsland, who all made the final table.
Strategic Wins at EPT Polish Open
The action moved to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Warsaw, Poland, for the EPT Polish Open in March. With 359 entrants, Germany’s Michael Schulze dominated, winning $926,220. Ricardo Sousa became the first Portuguese player to make an EPT final table, while Juan Maceiras became the second Spanish player to do so, following Diego Perez’s final table in Dortmund.
Major Success at EPT Sanremo
Season 4 added EPT Sanremo in Sanremo, Italy, soon becoming a major EPT event. American Jason Mercier made his first EPT final table here, winning €869,000. He defeated top players like Antony Lellouche, PokerStars pros Dario Minieri and William Thorson, and Dag Palovic, who made his second final table of the season. ESPN ranks Mercier as the third best poker player in the world as of early 2011, further solidified by his EPT performance the following season.
European Poker Tour Grand Finale
The season concluded at Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort in Monte Carlo, Monaco, with the EPT Grand Final. 842 entrants competed for a share of the €6,636,400 prize pool. Newcomer Glen Chorny surprised everyone by winning the €2,020,000 first place prize, despite being relatively unknown. Chorny bested professional players like EPT leaderboard leader Luca Pagano and Americans Isaac Baron, Michael Martin, and Antonio Esfandiari. Martin would win a title the following year, while Esfandiari never claimed an EPT title.
Conclusion
The fourth season of the European Poker Tour was marked by significant changes and thrilling competitions. New locations, increased buy-ins, and emerging poker stars made this season an exciting chapter in EPT history.