Tobias Reinkemeier took down the very final event of this season's European Poker Tour thanks to a mixture good cards, good play and the ability to make a big bluff when he really needed to.
Reinkemeier started the day 4th in chips, but really began to take control when he cold-decked Allen Bari's Ace-King with his own pocket Kings. From there Reinkemeier was always likely to be there towards the end and when he knocked out Sorel Mizzi, it looked as though he might run over the table.
But he met his match in Oliver Busquet as the two of them tussled in a tense heads-up, though Reinkemeier admitted a slight advantage - He knew Busquet's online nickname, but Busquet did not know his.
Afterwards, a delighted Reinkemeier paid tribute to his opponent, calling him a "sick, sick player," while at the same time happily enjoying his win.
With the end of this tournament, the EPT will close down for a few months... But worry not! The European Poker Tour will return from Tallinn in Estonia in August and the Pokernews Live Reporting team will be back then to bring you all the news from Season 7 of the EPT.
Having been crippled by Tobias Reinkemeier's big bluff earlier, Oliver Busquet dropped below 1 million in chips.
Reinkemeier raised to 100,000 from the button/small blind, Busquet moved all-in for 980,000 and the German made perhaps the fastest call of his life.
Busquet:
Reinkemeier:
The flop gave Busquet a couple of additional outs when it came . It looked for a second like another deuce had come on the turn but was in fact the that had appeared. Reinkemeier asked for the on the river but instead it was the that arrived to seal Reinkemeier's triumph.
Afterwards, Busquet paid tribute to Reinkemeier, admitting he'd been outplayed in the crucial big pot when the German made a big bluff for his entire stack.
Nevertheless Busquet will be able to go home a rich and happy runner-up.
Tobias Reinkemeier minimum-raised from the button and when Olivier Busquet made it 220,000 to go he thought about it only very briefly before calling. So far, pretty standard.
Flop:
Busquet bet out 240,000 and Reinkemeier called. Now this started to get interesting.
Turn:
Busquet bet out again, this time 450,000. Once more, Reinkemeier called.
River:
Busquet thought about it long and hard before betting out 560,000 with 1.2 million behind. Said Reinkemeier, ominously, "How much do you have behind?" He thought about it for a while - and then shoved.
"I can't call," said a now dejected Busquet, and indeed he folded. Reinkemeier showed him a nothing-y .
After the huge pot had been pushed towards Reinkemeier, Busquet lamented that he should have shoved on the river, and revealed that he'd been holding . Reinkemeier told him that he'd put that firmly in Busquet's range.
We now have a dominant chip leader, Reinkemeier playing roughly 4.5 million to Busquet's 1.2 million.
Olivier Busquet min-raised his button and Tobias Reinkemeier called, but they both checked down the flop and turn. Come the river Reinkemeier bet out 125,000 and Busquet folded, looking extremely unhappy.
"You folded something?" enquired Reinkemeier with interest. "Yes I did," replied Busquet, "Two red jacks, I folded."
Tobias Reinkemeier made a now standard minimum raise from the button and Olivier Busquet called.
The flop came down and Busquet check-called 100,000 form Reinkemeier; he checked again on the turn and this time Reinkemeier checked behind. Both players checked again on the river and Busquet hazarded, "I have a two." He turned over abd it was good enough to take it. Reinkemeier mucked, and Busquet moved up to 3.35 million.
Tobias Reinkemeier made it 80,000 to go preflop. Olivier Busquet bumped it up to 220,000 to go and Reinkemeier made the call.
Flop:
Busquet bet 240,000 and was called.
Turn:
Busquet checked, giving Reinkemier the chance to bet - and he did. He fired 320,000 into the pot. Busquet made the call, and the two were off to the river.
River:
Both players checked and Busquet flipped over .
Busquest now has the chip lead with 3.1 million to Reinkemeier's 2.6 million.