EPT Season 8 (2011-2012)
Recap of the 8th European Poker Tour Season
Season 8 of the European Poker Tour saw many changes influenced by the events of Black Friday. The turnout of American players was significantly lower, which caused a decrease in player numbers at all events. This opened opportunities for new talent to emerge, making Season 8 even more engaging.
Tallinn Kicks Off the Season
The European Poker Tour started its eighth season in Tallinn, Estonia, as in Season 7. This five-day event had a €275,000 purse, which Switzerland’s Ronny Kaiser won. Despite the buy-in and fee remaining the same as the previous year, the prize pool was only two-thirds of the previous €1.5 million due to fewer buy-ins. Poland’s Grzegorz Cichocki took second place and €180,000, while Estonia’s Raigo Aasmaa secured third with €110,000. Joe Ebanks, the only American in the top 40, finished 32nd.
High Stakes in Barcelona
Barcelona was the next stop, with a prize pool four times larger than the previous event. The 811 players competed for over €4 million. German Martin Schleich won first place and €850,000, defeating Spaniard Dragan Kostic in heads-up play. American player Eugene Katchalov, originally from Ukraine, came in third, adding €315,000 to his winnings. Other notable finishes included Spaniards Raul Mestre (4th), Tomeu Gomila (5th), and Juan Manuel Pérez (7th).
London Hosts Another Exciting Event
Season 8 continued at the Hilton London Metropole. German Benny Spindler won first place, taking £750,000. Americans Steve O’Dwyer and Kevin Iacofano secured second and sixth places, respectively. Other final table players included Andre Klebanov of Germany, Juan Manuel Pastor of Spain, Sweden’s Mattias Bergstrom, Brit Martins Adeniya, and Czech Miroslav Benes.
Impressive Turnout in Sanremo
Sanremo saw 837 entrants and a €4,600 buy-in. The final table featured notable players such as Andrey Pateychuk, England’s Barny Boatman, and American Kevin MacPhee. Pateychuk won first place and €800,000, while Boatman took fourth with €225,000. MacPhee finished eighth with €63,694.
New Stop in Loutraki
Season 8 introduced Loutraki, Greece, with only 336 players. The final table featured German and Greek players, with Brit Zimnan Ziyard winning first place and €347,000. Hauke Heseding of Germany finished second, and Greek John Taramas secured third.
Regular Stop in Prague
Prague, a regular since Season 4, saw German Martin Finger win first place and €720,000. Dutchman David Boyaciyan took second place with €535,000. Other final table players included Nicolas Levi, Guillen Usero, Denys Drobnya, Ari Engel, Andreas Wiese, and Mats Wissing.
Caribbean Adventure
The 2012 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure saw strong American and Canadian participation. American John Dibella won the $1,775,000 prize from a prize pool of over $10 million. Ruben Visser of the Netherlands was the only European at the final table, finishing with $156,400.
Deauville Draws a Crowd
EPT Deauville had a large turnout, surpassing Sanremo. Belorussian Vadzim Kursevich won, becoming the first Belorussian to win an EPT event, taking home €875,000. The final table included Frenchmen, Italian Luca Pagano, and Irishman Mick Graydon.
Small Turnout in Copenhagen
Copenhagen had fewer than 300 players. Mickey Petersen won the DKK 2,515,000 prize, his first big live tournament win. Danes Bjarke Hansen and Jacob Rasmussen, Norwegian Aage Ravn, Dutch Niels van Alphen, and Americans Steve O’Dwyer and Spencer Hudson also made the final table.
Madrid Victory for Denmark
Frederik Jensen won in Madrid, becoming the second Dane in a row to win an EPT main event. Spain’s Ricardo Ibanez, a strong contender, lost his chip lead and finished out of the top spots. Second place went to Scotland’s Fraser Macintyre, with Jensen winning nearly half a million euros.
EPT Grand Final Returns to Monte Carlo
The Grand Final moved back to Monte Carlo after Season 7’s switch to Madrid. Denmark’s Jannick Wrang won EPT Campione, taking the £640,000 prize. This event lasted nearly 14 hours, with Wrang defeating American Olivier Busquet, who took second place with £430,000. Stefano Puccilli finished in seventh, becoming the leading Italian player of Season 8.
Conclusion
Season 8 of the European Poker Tour was marked by reduced American participation, new locations, and emerging talents. These elements made it a memorable season in EPT history.