EPT Berlin: Kevin MacPhee dodges grenades, machetes and Kalashnikovs to win record €1 million first prize
Kevin MacPhee beat 945 players and several armed gunmen to win the EPT Berlin and a record €1 million first prize last night.
The 29-year-old American won Germany’s biggest ever poker tournament – which will be remembered for the bungled raid which saw a masked gang with machine guns, machetes and hand grenades try and plunder the €3,686,400 prize pool.
Several players were injured as chaos swept the Grand Hyatt Hotel on Saturday – but the Pink Panther-style crooks, who you can watch cock up the raid in the video below, fled with barely a penny after being confronted by security guards.
That left the Pokerstars sponsored tournament – and the loot – wide open, and online qualifier MacPhee stepped up to pocket the cash as well as a place in the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo in April.
MacPhee – who plays under the name “ImaLuckSac” – as a phenomenal track record of winning seats to EPT events but has never before won big.
MacPhee, from Idaho found himself heads-up against Finland’s Ilari Tahkokallio, just as he had in a £1,000 side event at EPT London last year – which Tahkokallio won.
MacPhee said: “Winning an EPT was a real goal of mine.
“I have worked very hard for this. It feels awesome.
“Ilari is an extremely good player and I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”
At the time of the dramatic raid, Tahkokallio was involved in a huge pot with Italian Luca Cainelli. Cainelli was ahead with AQ v Tahkokallio’s AT.
When the event resumed, tournament director Thomas Kremser said the players could consider the hand dead and take their chips back.
However, despite the fact that he was losing the hand, Tahkokallio said the river card should be dealt – a sporting gesture greeted by applause.
Tahkokallio, a professional player for two years, said: “I like to be fair and play in good spirit. It wasn’t even really a choice for me.”
He later busted Cainelli and his second place finish netted him €600,000.
EPT BERLIN 2010 – FINAL RESULTS











