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21:44
That's it from us - off to the bar for a few German bieres and vodka and bitter lemons. And possibly a cash table if we can find one less than 5/5. It's been emotional. Ta ta for now.
Winner MacDonald €933,600
Runner Up Gulunay €528,500
Finished 3rd Hasse €307,000
Finished 4th Perez €234,200
Finished 5th Rinaldi €193,000
Finished 6th Strassmann €152,000
Finished 7th Durand €120,200
Finished 8th Harder €85,500
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21:29
After some hefty flop and river bets by Andreas Gulunay on a board of 


, all of which called by Mike McDonald, the German finally pushes with the river
. But McDonald was slow playing 
and the EPT Dortmund, and a first prize of €933,600, is his with trip kings. A spirited and aggressive heads-up effort from Gulunay, who pockets €528,500 for his troubles. But the 18-year-old thouroughly deserves the accolades and takes another step from transferring his fearless online reputation to the live scene.
And he puts me €30 up for the week, so thanks for that Mike.
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20:48
Heads up play begins with me wishing I had gone with my gut and bet on Andreas instead of Diego. I am currently 20 euro down to Simon and will be losing 10 more if Mike goes on to win it. Equally damaging, just in the value of pride, would be Andreas winning and me not having followed through with my instinct on his sucking out ability. He will however have to suck out quite a bit should MacDonald continue his standard of play, as he has a 3 to 1 chip lead over Gulunay:
MacDonald 3,006,000
Gulunay 1,100,000
Finished 3rd Hasse €307,000
Finished 4th Perez €234,200
Finished 5th Rinaldi €193,000
Finished 6th Strassmann €152,000
Finished 7th Durand €120,200
Finished 8th Harder €85,500
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20:42
A family pot and the flop of 

is checked to Torsten Haase, who bets 150k. Mike McDonald check-raises him all-in which is instant called by Haase with 
. Mike shows 
, and the turn and river are no help for the German who leaves in 3rd with €307,000. Heads-up now as Gulunay attempts to stop the runaway poker train that is Mike McDonald.
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20:32
MacDonald 1,683,000
Haase 1,224,000
Gulunay 1,199,000
Finished 4th Perez €234,200
Finished 5th Rinaldi €193,000
Finished 6th Strassmann €152,000
Finished 7th Durand €120,200
Finished 8th Harder €85,500
_______________________________________
20:28
Mike McDonald makes it 75k to go from the button and Perez moves in with 
for his last 610k from the small blind. Mike makes an astonishing read and call with 
and the board comes 



to help timex increase his chip lead and admirers in the press room. Perez leaves in 4th and a cheque for €234,200.
_________________________________________
20:24
John Duthie provides laughs for the pressroom via his commentary on our live feed. After consistently reading plays wrongly, John begins to offer all available possibilities on a hand ('he might fold, but he might call too' or 'he might have a big pair, or he might be bluffing'). In a moment of brilliance John tickles us immensely when commentator Barry asks during a tennis discussion 'Didn't Boris Becker grunt a lot?' and John replies calmly 'I don't know, I didn't go out with him'. Ho ho ho.
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20:12
Claudio Rinaldi moves on Andreas Gulunay again, but this time with the pot at 552k the German calls with 
, to Rinaldi's 
. The board is 



and the Swiss departs in 5th place and pockets a cool €193,000.
____________________________________________
20:04
| Level 24 | |
| 15k/30k (3) | |
| 5 | |
| 822,000 | |
_____________________________________________
18:53
We stop for dinner and will return at 20:00 CET / 19:00 GMT looking like this:
MacDonald 1,205,000
Haase 960,000
Gulunay 780,000
Perez 620,000
Rinaldi 550,000
Finished 6th Strassmann €152,000
Finished 7th Durand €120,200
Finished 8th Harder €85,500
_____________________________________________
18:48
Johnannes Strassmann crossed the line between super-aggressive and suicidial by coming all-in for around 550k over the top of a Mike McDonald raise. The Candaian makes an instant call with 
and Strassmann is caught with fingers in the till on 
. And a
on the flop seals the deal. Still, he walks away in 6th place with €152,000 but leaves McDonald with over a million chips going into the dinner break.
_____________________________________________
18:38
Gulunay has been very active lately and opens for a standard button raise, but Claudio Rinaldi, who hasn't shown a hand down all day, pushes in from the big blind for 390k. The German considers it before mucking and showing an ace and Rinaldi delightedly turns over 
. That's table image for you.
But the Swiss is straight in again next hand, and scoops up the blinds and antes. He's up to 5th - his highest position all day.
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18:27
Perez makes it 60k OTB, and Gulunay re-raises to 140k. They see a flop of 

and Gulunay immediately fires out 200k. Perez folds, meaning Gulunay wins a 300k pot.
Haase 962,000
Gulunay 947,000
MacDonald 710,000
Strassmann 619,000
Perez 487,000
Rinaldi 435,000
Finished 7th Durand €120,200
Finished 8th Harder €85,500
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18:16
On a board of 


Mike McDonald bets 65k which is flat called by Andreas Gulunay. A river of
and Mike bets 130k. The German moves all-in in a very suspicious jack-ten-esque move given the action. The Candian lays it down and his stack shrinks to under 500k.
But never fear - the next hand Mike bets 70k on the turn of 


which Lopez calls, and the Spaniard pays off a 140k river McDonald bet to a
. Timex shows 
for two-pair and helps re-coup some of his losses.
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18:03
After a little battle between Haase and Gulunay, Haase raising and being re-raised with Gulunay's 150k, Haase shoves it in (having Gulunay covered), Haase comes out stronger without showdown and takes down the 400k total pot.
Haase 1,008,000
Perez 839,000
MacDonald 729,000
Strassmann 695,000
Rinaldi 441,000
Gulunay 408,000
Finished 7th Durand €120,200
Finished 8th Harder €85,500
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17:55
| Level 23 | |
| 10k/20k (2) | |
| 6 | |
| 685,000 | |
___________________________________
17:50
Torsten Haase 863,000
Diego Perez 851,000
Johannes Strassman 825,000
Andreas Gülünay 643,000
Mike McDonald 528,000
Torsten Haase 863,000
Claudio Rinaldi 383,000
Finished 7th Durand €120,200
Finished 8th Harder €85,500
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17:28
Torsten Haase is getting busy. He moves all-in for 400k on a board of 

. Andreas Gulunay thinks an age before laying down 
and Torsten shows a 
bluff. Not sure why you'd show that.
But next hand he raises to 42k and Timex Mike McDonald comes over the top with 128k. And the German moves in again. McDonald folds and the previously dominant duo of Strassmann and himself are being bullied around a bit themselves now. Should be fireworks soon if this continues.
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17:21
Perez stands up to yet another Strassmann re-raise by going all-in. The German stares him out before laying down and saying: "I won't call you this time but I will next time, very probably."
Perez replies with: "Take a note of that."
Then Rinaldi, next hand, moves in over the top of another Strassmann raise for his last 315k. The German again mucks; he's not going to have it all his own way from now on.
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17:00
Strassmann 1,067,000
Gulunay 776,000
MacDonald 735,000
Perez 697,000
Haase 540,000
Rinaldi 315,000
Finished 7th Durand €120,200
Finished 8th Harder €85,500
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16:54
Durant shoves 59k from the cut off with 
and gets no help against Strassmann's 
. Durant finishes 7th for €120,200.
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16:50
| Level 22 | |
| 8k/16k (2000) | |
| 7 | |
| 587,142 | |
___________________________________
16:40
Gulunay 968k
MacDonald 798k
Strassmann 659k
Perez 625k
Haase 595k
Rinaldi 291k
Durand 184k
Finished 8th Harder €85,500
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16:15
Straasmann intends to re-raise Haase all-in but announces call in a slip of the tongue and flips his 
. The desicion must stand and they see the 

flop. Straasmann shoves over the top as intended and with the flop having made no difference to Haase, he calls and doubles up with his 
.
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16:06
Christian Harder is out in 8th place, collecting €85,500. He re-raised Mike McDonald all-in with 
only to run into the Canadian's 
with no help on the flop for the American.

only to be dominated by Torsten Haase's 
. But a board of 



saw the Frenchman's two-pair survive, much to the delight of his followers. ___________________________________
15:44
Pre-flop, the pot has amounted to 100k, and on a flop of 

Andreas Gulunay fires out a small bet and calls Michael MacDonald's raise. The pot is now 300k. Andreas shoves 276k on the
turn and Michael says 'I was bluffing on the flop... but now... I call'. An astonishingly good call from Michael with his 
as Andreas is forced to show 
, needing a six, five or spade to double up and survive. He rivers the
and a gutted Michael watches as Andreas rakes in a 900k pot. And what did I say about Andreas sucking out? I am kinda regretting not changing my bet now, despite my instincts... grrr!
_____________________________________
15:40
| Level 21 | |
| 6k/12k (1000) | |
| 8 | |
| 513,750 | |
__________________________________
15:33
Nerves of steel early-on with only one flop seen and some big, big raising.
Strassmann makes it 27k to go from middle position, Andreas Gulunay playing his first pot of the day re-raises from the button to 60k. But the hyper-aggressive Strassmann goes all-in over the top forcing his German counterpart to lay down.
Then super-tight Torsten Haase raises from the button to 32k and Claudio Rinaldi moves all his 241k in straight behind him from the small blind. Torsten lays it down but sooner or later one of these re-re raises is going to get looked up.
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15:27
Pre-flop, MacDonald makes it 27k. Perez takes a few seconds to throw in 72k. MacDonald is unfazed however as he makes it 130k. Perez senses trouble with this very serious re-re-raise and folds. Incredibly strong play from MacDonald.
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15:07
| Level 20 | |
| 5k/10k (1000) | |
| 8 | |
| 513,750 | |
___________________________________
14:49
Well Simon is backing the chip leader but I'm going to be a little alternative and say the spanish bloke Perez is going to do it. I'm on double or quits with this last longer (due to my Danny Ryan bet going down the drain) so COME ON PEREZ!
I also have an interest in Andreas - I think he may suck out a lot today (just a feeling) and possibly go on to shock us all. But, for the sake of consistency I'm going to back the impressive Perez.
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14:34
The chips are being placed onto the final table ready for a 3pm CET start. It's a second final table of 2008 already for Christian Harder, who finished 7th and cashed $200,000 in the EPT PokerStars Caribbean Adventure last month.
But I've got a side bet on for Mr.Timex Mike McDonald to come out on top - go Canada.
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Join us from 15:00 CET / 14:00 GMT for live reporting on the EPT Dortmund Final Table which starts like this:
1: Mike McDonald 862,000
2: Diego Perez 744,000
3: Thibaut Durand 148,000
4: Johannes Strassman 827,000
5: Christian Harder 339,000
6: Andreas Gülünay 560,000
7: Torsten Haase 369,000
8. Claudio Rinaldi 276,000
With players looking at the following prize money:
1 € 933,600
2 € 528,500
3 € 307,000
4 € 234,200
5 € 193,000
6 € 152,000
7 € 120,200
8 € 85,500
And players to have cashed so far:
9 | Alexander Milanov | Bulgaria | 52,200 |
10 | Daniel Ryan | USA | 52,200 |
11 | Tyler Friederich | USA | 41,100 |
12 | Dan Carter | UK | 41,100 |
13 | Manfred Hammer | Germany | 31,700 |
14 | Jioi Kulhanek | Czech Republic | 31,700 |
15 | Aniol Alcaraz | Spain | 22,150 |
16 | Marco Liesy | Germany | 22,150 |
17 | Raul Paez | Spain | 17,400 |
18 | Peyman Mohammadzadeh | Germany | 17,400 |
19 | Jan Heitmann | Germany | 17,400 |
20 | Christopher Rossiter | UK | 17,400 |
21 | Marcel Cesarz | Germany | 17,400 |
22 | Marcel Luske | Netherlands | 17,400 |
23 | Hugo Felix | Portugal | 17,400 |
24 | Syikrai Istafan | Hungary | 17,400 |
25 | Andreas Sarling | Finland | 12,650 |
26 | Sebastian Till | Germany | 12,650 |
27 | Bernhard Damnik | Germany | 12,650 |
28 | Mario Kuhl | Germany | 12,650 |
29 | Brandon Schaefer | USA | 12,650 |
30 | Chabot Cyrille | France | 12,650 |
31 | Steve Jelinek | UK | 12,650 |
32 | Manfred Bass | Germany | 12,650 |
33 | Thor Hansen | Norway | 9,500 |
34 | Thomas Petersen | Sweden | 9,500 |
35 | Alexander Clauss | Germany | 9,500 |
36 | Ramzi Jelassi | Sweden | 9,500 |
37 | Russell Carson | Canada | 9,500 |
38 | Richard Fohrenbach | USA | 9,500 |
39 | Stefan Rotach | Switzerland | 9,500 |
40 | Edwin Tournier | Netherlands | 9,500 |
01/02/08