Kevin Paqué Topples Steve O’Dwyer Heads-Up to Win Masters Classics Main Event Title

The 28th edition of Master Classics of Poker (MCOP) hosted its latest stop at the Holland Casino in Amsterdam from Nov 22 to Dec 1. The star attraction at the stop, the €4,300 MCOP Main Event, featured two starting flights that brought in a total of 346 competitors (257 Day 1A and 71 Day 1B) between them generating a guarantee-crushing €1,370,155 prize pool.

Twenty-three years old Dutch native, Kevin Paqué (cover image), was the last player standing in the event after defeating the formidable Steve O’Dwyer heads-up to win €260,878 (~$287,146) in prize money and the plate (bordje) trophy. This victory brought him his biggest career score to date, boosting his lifetime tournament winnings to over $370,000. O’Dwyer settled for €174,421 (~$191,983) for his runners-up finish.

“It’s delightful,” was the first thing Paqué said in his post-victory interview. “This is what every Dutch poker player dreams of. I don’t have the words for it yet, I am so happy. I didn’t realize it at first, the river was dealt, it was quiet for a second and then the rail went crazy. I then grasped that I had won.”

O’Dwyer complimented Paqué on his victory and said: “He is a good player, he seems to play a lot of heads-up poker, he played really well,”

Several heavyweights took part in this event but fell short of the money line, including the brand new Hall-of-Famer Tobias Peters, defending MCOP Main Event champion Alberto Stegeman, WSOP bracelet and MCOP plate winner Albert Hoekendijk, Fatima Moreira de Melo, November niner Kenny Hallaert , Juha Helppi, Kalidou Sow, Jasper Meijer van Putten, Ioannis Angelou Konstas, Steven van Zadelhoff,

Thierry van den Berg and former MCOP Main Event winner Hakim Zoufri.

Bas de Laat ended up hitting the rail as the money bubble, assuring the remaining 47 players a payday worth € 8,632 at least.

Tommie Janssen (37th), Firoz Mangroe (38th), Raoul Refos (40th), and Marcel Vonk (44th) collected the min-cash of €8,632.

Floyd Rosner (10th for €25,485), Kees Aerts (11th for €25,485), Christopher Frank (14th for €19,867), Bjorn Geissert (15th for €19,867), Gert-Jan Albers (22nd for €12,605), Kimmo Kurko (27th for €12,605), David Hu (28th for €10,276), Michiel van Elsacker (29th for €10,276),

Mathijs Jonkers (30th for €10,276) were others who ran out of steam before the final table was formed.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Pascal Vos – 2,455,000
2. Kevin Paqué – 1,970,000
3. Johan Rensink – 1,605,000
4. Paraskevas Tsokaridis – 1,105,000
5. Frederico Silva – 835,000
6. Jan Bednar – 815,000
7. Ole Schemion – 640,000
8. Steve O’Dwyer – 580,000
9. Shyngis Satubayev – 385,000

Final Table Recap

Entering the final table in the chip lead was Pascal Vos, who held 2,455,000. The eventual winner Kevin Paqué was second in chips with 1,970,000 with superstars Ole Schemion (640,000) and Steve O’Dwyer (580,000) the short stacks on the final table.

Former MCOP Main Event champion Ole Schemion was the first player to depart when his got terribly unlucky against Pascal Vos`s that flopped a set.

On the next hand, Shyngis Satubayev decided to put the last of his chips on the line with , facing a raise from Kevin Paqué. Paqué made the call tabling . An ace on the flop spelled doom for Satubayev, who hit the rail in eighth place.

After Satubayev, it was Johan Rensink’s turn to join the rail. Soon after doubling up Steve O’Dwyer, Rensink handed over his remaining stack to O’Dwyer as well. Holding , Rensink was in serious trouble facing O’Dwyer’s pocket aces, and with no help from the board, Rensik crashed out in seventh place.

Jan Bednar was the next one to depart in what turned out to be a battle between the blinds. Bednar moved all-in from the small blind with , but unfortunately for him, Paraskevas Tsokaridis woke up with behind him and held through.

On the very next hand, Frederico Silva was eliminated in fifth place when his ran into Paqué’s and couldn’t improve.

Pascal Vos and Paraskevas Tsokaridis were the next casualties in fourth and third places, respectively.

It took three hours of heads-up play to find a champion! Kevin Paqué had started off holding a 3:2 lead over Steve O’Dywer and gradually managed to pull ahead. Finally, with the board open , Paque moved all-in with holding a flush draw. O’Dywer called with for top pair. The contest was still wide open, but the on the river completed Paque’s flush getting him the title!

Final Table Results (EURO)

1. Kevin Paqué – €2,60,878

2. Steve ODwyer – €1,74,421

3. Paraskevas Tsokaridis – €1,24,548

4. Pascal Vos – €95,911

5. Frederico Silva – €73,441

6. Jan Bednar – € 56,177

7. Johan Rensink – €43,023

8. Shyngis Satubayev – €33,021

9. Ole Schemion – €25,485

Content & Images Courtesy: Master Classics of Poker & Poker City