Barry Greenstein wins Stars of Poker Event in Monte Carlo
No amount of money could get you a seat at this table.
The invitation-only ‘Stars of Poker’ event, held alongside the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo, saw ten of the best players in the world fight it out over a $100,000. The winner was one of the most recognisable faces in poker, with Barry Greenstein taking the winners cheque for $50,000. The table was one of the toughest you could hope to see. Daniel Negreanu and Barry Greenstein represented the live game legends, while Dario Minieri and Bertrand Grospellier were the internet titans, both of whom have made a successful transition to live games. Noah Boerken and Katja Thater represented some of the most talented European players, while it was down to John Duthie and Vicky Coren to represent the UK. Last on the list was a PokerStars Supernova Elite Joe 'bigjoe2003' Michael, who won a Supernova Elite satellite to the event.
The tournament took over seven hours to play out, with TV lights and cameras documenting every pass, bet and call. Surprisingly, the first bust out was Daniel Negreanu, who went out with set vs. set against John Duthie. Another player many were surprised to see eliminated early was online specialist Dario Minieri. He may dominate the online versions, but on this occasion he busted after losing a race with AK. Vicky Coren also went out with AK, but in more a more sickening fashion, beingh four-flushed by another AK.
When the final three emerged, it was Duthie, Thater and Greenstein duking it out. Having made the money, all three pushed hard for the win, more intent on the victory than the money. Thater battled hard, but one steal too many meant that she ended up being knocked out in third for $20,000.
Having managed to make a major dent in Duthie’s stack a little earlier, the money eventually went in with Greenstein’s A-K suited being a 65/35 favourite over the live cards of Duthie. His 8h-9h made a pair on the flop, but Greenstein’s hand eventually made a flush, meaning he netted $50,000 for first. Duthie won $30,000 for his second place finish.
2 comments
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Posted by RowdyRandy – 18 Apr 2008, 11:33 PM
Despite the debate you often hear comparing online play to live play, it seems they are fairly evenly matched. Kudos to Greenstein and Duthie for staying the course and coming out on top.
Posted by Kellie – 17 Apr 2008, 10:59 PM
I was able to tune in the the final rounds on YouTube. It's always more entertaining when they are playing for the win, not the money. Not terribly suprising to see Greenstein take the cheque. I was surprised Minieri was out so soon.