Christos delighted with PPT crown

ParadisePoker Tour London winner Christos Xanthopoulous was happy to share the plaudits with Lady Luck following his success at the Fox Poker Club.

The Greek (pictured with his winning hand) endured a rollercoaster final table on his way to victory, losing a massive chip lead to UK rival Jim Reid before turning things round to pick up the PPT record £30,105 cheque.

Here's what he had to say after his triumphant display...

How does it feel to have won the ParadisePoker Tour London?
It was a fantastic experience. I was very lucky along the way but it felt great to win and I think I'll be coming back to play in Vienna.

How does it compare with your other achievements in poker?
This is my biggest achievement in a live poker event, as well as the biggest prize I've ever won playing poker, so it feels great.

You were the big chip leader when we went to the final table so did that put pressure on you or was it a great opportunity?
I started very aggressively letting the short stacks play against me because I knew they would put all their chips in against me. I lost a huge pot with Jim Reid when his Q9 beat my AK so I had to be patient and wait for right moment to win the chips back. He was playing very loose-aggressive so I just waited for my chance to hit back at him and become the big stack again.

That hand was a strange one, with Reid claiming he thought he was holding QQ rather than Q9, so how did you feel about losing the pot in such a bizarre fashion?
I didn't believe him at the time and I still feel that way now. He'd been playing like that the whole time and he was just trying to push me off my hand by overbetting the pot. He tried to buy it but I made the right decision and I would do it again.

Did winning a big pot later on, when he pushed all-in against your Aces, feel like karma after that earlier hand?
No it didn't really matter whether I won the chips back from him or another player. I just played every opponent according to his playing style and my reads and it paid off.

This is the biggest ever prize anyone has won on the ParadisePoker Tour to date. How will you spend the money?!
It’s also an honour to have won the largest first prize in ParadisePoker Tour history and I’ll be using the money to go on a great holiday before returning to the tables!