Newcomer nabs latest EPT title
Some of the biggest names in poker took to the felt in Warsaw this past week to battle it out for the latest prestigious European Poker Tour (EPT) title. But the honours were finally taken by a newbie, Christophe Benzimra, who only burst onto the poker scene around a year ago.
The playing field of 203 that entered for this major international poker event, included the likes of Alexander Kravchenko; Peter Eastgate; Dario Minieri; Luca Pagano and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier. But Benzimra, who is described as “a player with a persistent playing style and level-headed attitude toward the game,” made his way to the final table seemingly effortlessly.
His final opponent was Alfio “alFioSnOb” Battisti, whose aggressive play saw him going All-In within the first half an hour of Heads-Up play. The board showed Ac-7c-5c-8h-5h but Battisti’s Kc-10c could not hold up against Benzimra’s Ad-7s which gave him the winning 2-pair.
For his efforts, Benzimra received an entry into the next EPT Grand Final which will take place in Monte Carlo, valued at €10,000. He also collected a grand first prize of 1,493,170 PLN. But the money seems to be just an added bonus. “To me,” he said, “poker is more about having fun than making money.”
