The final day of Barcelona, playing for the entire bag of marbles...

Two short-handed tables returned for the final day of play.  Surrounded by spectators three and four deep, they were quickly whittled down nine.

English representation came from Dave Gregory, who held 560,000 chips and Robin Keston (81,000).  Americans Jon Dull, with 79,000, David Daneshgar (275,000) and Phil Ivey (1,323,000) were hopeful of taking the title back over the pond. 

But Norway’s duo of Kristian Ulriksen (116,000) and chip leader Bjorn-Erik Glenne (1,209,000) had other ideas while the line-up was completed by Swede Joakim Geigert (268,000) and Italian Lisandro, who had been at the head of affairs for so long and still held an intimidating 888,000.

Of course the hallowed televised final table of the EPT contains just eight players.  The next eliminated would win €46,100 but there would still be a lot of pain involved with that payday. Kristian Ulriksen was the short straw allowing the remaining players to finally reach the Mecca they had dreamt of for days.

Amongst a rapturous welcome, from a crowd whose enthusiasm never waned, the ‘super 8’ took their seats. A final ‘good luck’ speech from Tournament Director Thomas Kremser, who is unlikely to make a full-time career out of MC’ing, and battle begun.

First to go, in a double-whammy elimination, was Robin Keston.  The Londoner had a fair shout in a three-way coup only needing an Ace to crack pocket Queens, belonging to Bjorn-Erik Glenne and John Dull’s A9.

The Queens stood up meaning just six remained and the Norwegian Gleene had consolidated his chip lead. In a fast moving table Lisandro was next to leave and he did so in a cold deck situation.  The Italian must have loved his 9T on a 5-9-T flop but Phil Ivey had flopped a set of 9’s meaning there were two superpowers at the table.

Sweden’s hopes of another EPT champion ended when short-stacked Joakim Geigart went in fifth while David Danesghar gave his chips to David Gregory leaving in fourth for a €161,300 prize.

Next, the most unwelcome distraction, dinner break.  I’m sure none of the three remaining payers at the table had much of an appetite or wish to pause when in the rhythm that only players who have played for days could understand.

Ivey was in marginal control with a 2,100,000 chip stack but Glenne was only 400,000 behind and was playing with a lot of confidence.  In fact, he seemed to win chips in most of the confrontations he entered.

Gregory, with 925,000 was not in a position to eliminate any player and, without the power of the ‘big move’, which is to ask someone a question for their entire tournament he needed a big hand at the right time.

When the players returned Gregory would not have been unhappy about the regular clashes between Ivey and Glenne.  In one Ivey bluffed off 600,000 chips with a 9T on a A-3-4-5-6 board; Glenne was not passing his A3.

Gregory was now card dead and tried his hardest to make things happen but on two occasions he could not beat just Ace-high in sizeable pots.

When he was to finally depart, after playing KT on a K-7-5 flop which was mullered by A5 that became three-of-a-kind, it transpired the Norwegian, Glenne, had amassed a huge chip advantage and entered the heads-up stage with an eleven-to-one ratio lead.

After nine hands heat-to-head, some beautiful play with pocket Tens sealed the deal.  Glenne just limped in with the big hand an Ivey saw it as weakness wasting no time in pushing all-in with A5.

No miracle Ace and the circus was over with Bjorn-Erik Glenne, a 35-year-old marketing manager from Oslo, netting €691,000 in the biggest EPT event ever staged.