Risk management: Nick Abou Risk wins UKIPT Edinburgh and £50,000
Nick Abou Risk has won the UKIPT Edinburgh beating a field of 401 players for £50,000 and a £5,000 seat into the UKIPT Grand Final, aka EPT London. And didn’t he play well. Having seized the chip lead at the end of Day 1B, albeit with Owen Robinson still ahead as Day 1A chip leader, he never looked back. Abou Risk started the tournament sat on the left of Jesse May and Liv Boeree, upon whom he wreaked merry hell. Boeree lost one huge pot to him, shoving a non-nut flush into, but of course, the nut flush. Abou Risk played a tough questioning brand of poker all the way through to the final table and ultimately to take down the inaugural UKIPT Edinburgh title.
Nick Abou Risk played great poker throughout the UKIPT Edinburgh main event
“I had a good feeling on that first day where I was talking through a lot of hands with Liv Boeree,” said Abou Risk “Realising that she had some respect for my game gave me a lot of confidence and I started stealing a lot more blinds.” Abou Risk wasn’t the only player in contention though and must have been thankful that short stacks Owen Robinson (9th £3,400) and Jake Cody (11th £2,200) earned early dismissals after play restarted with 11 left at 3pm earlier today.
Jake Cody was the first player out today
All three of the Day 2 million chip club (Abou Risk, Joeri Zandvliet and Luke Marsh) made it to the final four, and no-one could have said that any of them wouldn’t have been a worthy winner. Entering their ranks, and eventually making it to heads up, was Mantas Puidokas. The Lithuanian played a tighter game than most making some big folds, at one point folding queens four-handed to Luke Marsh (who held ace-six so we’ve been told). The preying mantis almost went all the way and even held the lead three-handed but Abou Risk attacked him relentlessly heads up winning nine hands in a row at one point. Abou Risk finally broke the Lithuanian with [jc][6s] to [kh][9h] flopping two-pair and turning a boat for good measure.
Mantas Puidokas and Nick Abou Risk heads up for £50,000
Poker commentator Jesse May had been in Nick Abou Risk’s firing line on Day 1 and wasn’t surprised that he made it this far: “I had a feeling Nick was going to go a long way. He looked really comfortable at the table and managed to make someone fold kings face-up preflop.” To be fair, no-one at the table said it was a good pass at the time but Abou Risk’s cultured aggression took him all the way to heads up.
Abou Risk picked out Luke Marsh as the key threat at the table: “Luke started running over the table and I got it in with [as][6s] and he made a big call with king jack.” It was a huge turning point that shifted the sands of this tournament, bringing Abou Risk and Marsh back close to even. Had Marsh won that pot he would have around two-thirds of the chips in play with four players left. The term ‘walk in the park’ springs to mind had he won that pot. Marsh played some fantastic poker and we expect to see more of the young player.
Luke Marsh: roundly regarded as a major threat at the table
Fouth place finisher Joeri Zandvliet came so close to scoring an historic double UKIPT win after claiming the UKIPT Manchester win back in February. It’s a boast that hasn’t been achieved on the PokerStars European Poker Tour which has 57 separate winners. That monkey remains well and truly on the back of both tours.
Zandvliet is a player that not only has game but also loves his time at the table. This very first UKIPT Edinburgh final table had been a quality one with plenty of three- and four-betting and just as much banter. Max Silver and Joeri Zandvliet were particularly chatty but Silver’s tongue got him into trouble when he called for a chop on the river when he was already ahead and the board duly delivered a split. He went out in sixth.
Zandvliet’s impression must have angered the monkey
Zandvliet’s knockout at the hands of Lithuanian Puidokas has done another Lithuanian a big favour. Marius Lietuvninkas looks like he has kept his place at the top of the UKIPT Leaderboard thanks to Zandvliet’s failure to bag a second title (which, of course, would have bagged more points for the Dutchman). Check the UKIPT Leaderboard out here - it currently holds the point totals pre-Edinburgh. There are two stops left on the UKIPT; Dublin and London which will have plenty more points up for grabs at the beginning and end of September respectively. Join us then – in person or on the blog – as we find out who becomes the UKIPT Player of the Year. Satellites are running now.
The final table payouts are below but if you want to see all of the 56 cashing players click here.
1. Nick Abou Risk, Canada, PokerStars qualifier, £50,000
2. Mantas Puidokas, Lithuania, £27,700
3. Luke Marsh, UK, £17,600
4. Joeri Zandvliet, Netherlands, PokerStars qualifier, £13,100
5. Richard Chadwick, UK, £10,300
6. Max Silver, UK, £8,200
7. Suzanne Pyefinch, UK, PokerStars qualifier, £6,300
8. Mary Martin, UK, £4,800
9. Owen Robinson, Ireland, £3,400
10. Steve Lovett, UK, £2,600
11. Jake Cody, UK, £2,200
To catch up with all the day’s action click on the links below:
UKIPT Edinburgh Day 3: Levels 25 & 26, blinds 30,000-60,000, ante 5,000
12.33am: Nick Abou Risk wins UKIPT Edinburgh
Here’s how the final hand of the inaugural UKIPT Edinburgh went down. Nick Abou Risk made his standard open to 135,000 on the button and Mantas Puidokas re-raised to 410,000. Abou Risk moved all-in and Puidokas called all-in for just over 2,000,000.
Abou Risk: [Jc][6s]
Puidokas: [Kh][9h]
The board [6c][Jd][9c][6d][10d] gave Abou Risk a full house, the title and £50,000. — NW
Heartbreak for Mantas Puidokas in Edinburgh
12.31am: Risk nets return
Nick Abou Risk has won the UKIPT Edinburgh and £50,000. Details on the way. — NW
12.30am: Easy eight
Nick Abou Risk has won the last eight hands of heads up play, he’s ground Mantas Puidokas down to 2,050,000. — NW
12.25am: Risk strikes back
From the button Nick Abou Risk made it 130,000 to go and was called by Mantas Puidokas. On a flop of [5s][2c][Ac] Puidokas checked, Abou Risk bet 130,000 and Puidokas called. The turn was the [5d] and both players checked. On the [9h] river Puidokas led for 225,000 and Abou Risk called showing [Ah][Ks] to win the pot Puidokas had [9c][4h]. With that pot Abou Risk regains the chip lead. — NW
12.15am: Mantas wins a big pot
The first hand of heads up play was a big one. Nick Abou Risk made it 135,000 to play and Mantas Puidokas made the call. On a flop of [6c][Jd][6h] Puidokas checked, Abou Risk bet 155,000, Puidokas raised to 325,000, Abou Risk made it 650,000 and Puidokas moved all-in and Abou Risk folded. Puidokas now has the chip lead, 3,050,000 against 2,700,000. — NW
12am: Luke Marsh eliminated in third place winning £17,600
Luke Marsh limped from the small blind and Nick Abou Risk checked his option. The flop fell [5c][7c][Qc] and Marsh led for 75,000. Abou Risk made it 225,000 total and Marsh made the call. The turn was the [6h], Marsh checked and Abou Risk bet 400,000. Marsh tanked for a minute before moving all-in for around 1,200,000 total, Abou Risk called and he had Marsh covered, just.
Abou Risk [8c][6c]
Marsh: [Jc][7h]
Marsh needed to hit a club to double up, but the river was the [6d] and Abou Risk now takes the chip lead to heads up play with around 3,300,000 to Mantas Puidokas 2,400,000. — NW
11.55pm: Luke Marsh out in third (£17,600)
Details to come.
11.50pm: Puidokas claims the chip lead
Mantas Puidokas has gone into the lead three-handed. Puidokas raised to 135,000 from the small blind and was called by Marsh in the big blind. He fired 155,000 on a [9c][qh][ks]. Both checked through to the [7c][kc] river where Puidokas led for 250,000. Marsh called but mucked when he was shown [kh][4s]. — RD
11.40pm: Abou Risk making a push for the win
Abou Risk has been the most active of the three players since Zandvliet was knocked out. He has been raising and shoving by far the most. — RD
11.25pm: Double domination denies Dutchman
There will be no monkey slaying in Edinburgh, Joeri Zandvliet has just been eliminated in 4th place. Mantas Puidokas raised to 125,000 and Zandvliet moved all-in for 960,000. Puidokas sighed, put his head in his hands and agonized over the decision, eventually he quietly announced call.
Puidokas: [7d][7c]
Zandvliet: [4d][4c]
Puidokas even had Zandvliet suit dominated and it only got worse for Zandvliet on the [2d][3h][7h][9h][6h] board. Zandvliet wins £13,100. — NW
Zandvliet just after his elimination
11.20pm: Chips
Puidokas: 1,075,000
Marsh: 2,300,000
Zandvliet: 900,000
Abou Risk: 1,465,000
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 30,000-60,000, ante 5,000
11.03pm: Break time
The four remaining players are on a 15 minute break, tournament staff are colouring up the 1,000 denomination chips. We’ll bring you chip counts when we get them shortly. — NW
11.02pm: Richard Chadwick eliminated in 5th place winning £10,300
His run of double ups had to end sometime and it has. Chadwick actually had more than when he lost the hand with [As][8s]. He moved his stack of 600,000 in under the gun and was called by Luke Marsh.
Chadwick: [Kd][Jc]
Marsh: [Ah][Qh]
Chadwick got a sweat but he ultimately missed the [2c][6c][7c][10c][4h] board to exit in fifth. — NW
11pm: Chadwick out in fifth for £10,300
Details to come.
11pm: Chadwick doubles again
Chadwick has doubled again after spiking a gutshot with a six on the river against Nick Abou Risk. The Canadian had shoved into Chadwick from the small blind and Chadwick called with [kd][7h]. Abou Risk showed [ad][th] and the board ran out [9c][qc][5d][8d] at which point Chadwick called: “six!”. And the six duly arrived on the river. He’s up to 560,000 now. — RD
10.50pm: Chadwick down to dust
Richard Chadwick moved all-in under the gun and next to act Mantas Puidokas moved all-in too. Everyone else folded, before the cards were turned over Chadwick turned to his friends and ran his finger across his throat to signal, ‘I’m in trouble,’ indeed he was.
Chadwick: [As][8s]
Puidokas: [Ad][Ac]
The board of [6c][5c][2c][Jd][Jh] left Chadwick with around 60,000, Puidokas’ all-in was for 459,000, so he now has around 975,000. Since this hand Chadwick has doubled up twice and now has around 280,000. — NW
10.45pm: Joeri Zandvliet doubles through Nick Abou Risk
Under the gun Joeri Zandvliet moved all-in and was called by Nick Abou Risk, Zandvliet’s all-in was for 491,000.
Zandvliet: [Qh][Qd]
Abou Risk: [Ad][Qs]
The board was safe for Zandvliet running out [9h][Ks][10s][8h][3s] the Dutchman doubled to over a million. — NW
10.47pm: Chadwick and Puidokas all-in
Details to come.
10.42pm: MONSTER POT
Marsh opened the button for 88,000 and Abou Risk moved all-in for just over one million. Marsh went long into the tank and finally made the call.
Marsh: [ks][jh]
Abou Risk: [as][6s]
If he wins the flip Marsh will have something like two-thirds of the chips in play and be a huge favourite to win. The flip went the other way though with Abou Risk hitting two-pair on a [6d][8c][3d][ad][9s] board. Abou Risk is up to 2,000,000. Game on. — RD
10.35pm: Broadway for Marsh
Luke Marsh now has around half the chips in play after winning a pot against Joeri Zandvliet. The pot started off slowly enough with Marsh completing from the small blind and Zandvliet checking his option. Marsh fired three bullets of 52,000, 127,000 and 155,000 respectively on a [7d][Kh[Qd][Ad][6c] board and Zandvliet called all three, Marsh’s [10c][Jd] winning him the pot. -NW
10.27pm: Marsh turning the screw
Big stack has almost half the chips in play and he is opening and raising liberally. Abou Risk opened to 88,000 and Marsh shoved on him. Abou Risk passed. Marsh opended the next hand from the button and Zandvliet and Abou Risk passed in the blinds. — RD
10.20pm: Puidokas gets shove happy
Mantas Puidokas has been the most conservative player at the table but he might be finally opening up (a little). Luke Marsh opened under the gun to 88,000 and Puidokas shoved for over 400,000. Marsh took his sweet time before folding and Puidokas tossed [ac][tc] on its back. — RD
10.15pm: Mantas snares a chop
From the small blind Matas Puidokas moved all-in for 440,000 and was called by Luke Marsh in the big blind.
Puidokas: [Ad][6s]
Marsh: [Ah][Jc]
The board ran out [4h][4c][Kd][Ks][Qc] and Puidokas survived. — NW
10.05pm: Players returning to the action
There are just five players left in the field and Luke Marsh has a huge 2,719,00 chip lead. — RD
Pudiokas looking over at chip leader Luke Marsh
PokerStars Blog reporting team at UKIPT Edinburgh: Rick Dacey and Nick Wright. Photos by Mickey May.