EPT Barcelona Highs and Lows

Young Swedish pro Kent Lundmark prevailed over the largest EPT Barcelona Main Event field to date to take home the top $1,127,604 payout and his first live tournament win. The popular Barcelona leg of the European Poker Tour ran from November 22 – November 27 this year, attracting a total of 758 determined Main Event entrants.

Both Daniel Negreanu and Alexandre Gomes fell far short of their Triple Crown goals with Negreanu defeated in Day 1b and Gomes gone by the end of Day 3. The final eight players, in the order they placed, were: Kent Lundmark, Jesus Lizano, Konstantin Puchkov, Shander De Vries, Giuseppe Pantaleo, Thor Stang, Georgios Skotadis and Francesco Notaro.

The final table’s short stacks were picked off quickly with Lizano absorbing Notaro’s chips only a few hands in. Stang made a valiant effort to double up when he eliminated Skotadis, but ultimately surrendered those spoils to Lundmark with his next all-in. Guiseppe Pantaleo seemed like an early favorite, leading all the way from Day 3 through the final table, but the energetic Italian lost his momentum on the last day and finished the tournament in fifth.

By now it was clear that Lundmark and Lizano were in it to win it, and it didn’t take Lundmark long to finish off De Vries. Lizano brought the Swede back down to earth by doubling up off his all-in shortly thereafter, but Lundmark rebounded when he eliminated third place player Puchkov. The local crowd no doubt favored native pro Lizano, but ultimately it was Lundmark that would take the win.

Lundmark’s rise to the top has been nothing short of meteoric. Thus far he has only competed in EPT events, posting his first small cash late in 2009. He cashed at the EPT Caribbean Adventure Main Event in January and again at the EPT Tallinn in August. His impressive takedown in Barcelona will no doubt inspire him to branch out to other major live events.

In other, weirder, news from Barcelona, a cryptic Facebook message from American pro Carter Phillips was finally explained this week. Phillips and fellow EPT Barcelona competitor William Reynolds were enjoying the city last Wednesday night when they witnessed several men – one armed with an 18” machete – robbing another player, Kayvan Payman. While ultimately no one was harmed, it’s yet another disturbing addition to the escalating incidence of poker-related crime.

Related Entries