Ben Wilinofsky wins EPT Berlin
Monday, 11 April 2011
If you're going to cash for the first time in a live event then you might as well make it a biggie. And that was exactly what Canadian qualifier Ben Wilinofsky did at EPT Berlin yesterday.
The 22-year-old from London, Ontario dominated the final table at the Spielbank Casino in the German capital to take home a whopping first prize of €825,000, seats in the EPT Grand Final and EPT Champion of Champions events next month as well as a specially made winner's bracelet from blingmeisters Shambala Jewels.
Wilinofsky, who has enjoyed considerable success online using the moniker “NeverScaredB”, almost missed the event thanks to some problems with his flight, “I had to jump through so many hoops to even get here! I ran very well and, for the most part, I played very well. My only goal was just to accumulate as many chips as possible so I guess I did that! I had to do everything right and hope for the best. Everyone on the final table played very well. They’re great players and really nice guys as well. I am feeling so much overwhelming emotion I can’t even think right now. It’s incredible.”
It was another case of what might have been for Martin JacobsonMartin Jacobson who made his third EPT Main Event final table this year. The Swede busted out in fourth place in Berlin earning €230,000 to take his EPT winning for the year into seven figures.
The final table positions and payouts were as follows:
1st - Ben Wilinofsky, Canada €825,000
2nd - Maximilian Heinzelmann, Germany €500,000
3rd - Vadzim Kursevich, Belarus, €300,000
4th - Martin Jacobson, Sweden €230,000
5th - Armin Mette, Germany €180,000
6th - Darren Kramer, South Africa €140,000
7th - Joep van den Bijgaart, Holland €100,000
8th - Jonas Gutteck, Germany €66,000
The next stop on the EPT is San Remo, home of Liv Boeree's triumph last year. The action in the Italian resort runs from 27 April to 3 May. Qualifiers are up and running at PokerStars.
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