Fantasy Poker - The Results

The results are in for our inaugural fantasy poker game and congratulations are in order for justmenow, whose team triumphed after a titanic battle that extended all the way to the PPT London's final table!

Our eventual winner was one of the first to enter on Day 1a of the competition but had to wait for the following day for his team to get started, as Ronnie Espensen, Angelo Lima (pictured) and Rene Knapp all took their seats on Day 1b.

Knapp was perhaps the most widely heralded selection, having come third at the PPT Vilamoura in September, but after the young German crashed out early it was left to Espensen and Lima to carry justmenow to victory.

Close on his heels throughout the day were mooskito and Passoo87, who both had a pair of players make Day 2, with Tommy Lidstrom featuring for both teams.

His demise in 13th proved fatal to Passoo87's chances after Tomasz Horecki had exited in 23rd, but with Espenden out in 14th there was still everything to play for between the final two.

It came down a straight shootout between Lima and mooskito's other strong performing team member, Plamen Todorov, as both men made the final table with their fantasy poker managers just a point apart.

The Bulgarian eventually left the PPT Main Event in 10th, scoring 41 points, and with Angelo Lima holding on for 6th the day belonged to justmenow.

Our first ever fantasy poker winner wins a prize package to Vienna, which includes the buy-in to our next €125,000 Guaranteed Main Event, where the PPT blog will be running another round of fantasy poker.

So be sure to follow all the action from Austria right here and you could be our next winner!

PPT London Fantasy Poker Results
1st Justmenow – 82 points
2nd mooskito – 79 points
3rd Pasoo87 – 66 points

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!

Winning pics from PPT London

Luis plays his part in Portuguese success

Second-place finisher Luis Rodrigues spoke to the PPT blog in the aftermath of his £17,500 win and was keen to celebrate the positives despite losing his heads-up duel.

The Portuguese (pictured) was an impressive performer under the glare of the final table, maintaining a steady upward trend despite the chips flying around him and was a little unfortunate in the hand that brought his rival victory.

Here are his post-game thoughts...

How was the experience of playing in the ParadisePoker Tour?
It was fantastic, I really enjoyed this tournament and while I'm disappointed not to have won, I think it's a great result for me.

You were second in chips when we went to final table, but Christos had a big lead, did that mean you were under less pressure?
I didn't feel any pressure going into the final table, despite being second in chips at the start of it. It didn't affect my game at any point, I just set out to play my best poker.

You were the only player who managed to avoid going up and down in chips throughout the final table, was this down to you strategy or was it just how the cards fell?
It was definitely part of my strategy, I had to make a lot of big calls along the way but I had to trust my instinct in those moments. I was pleased with the calls I made against Peter with 6s and earlier on with Jacks, but they were mainly possible because I had studied my opponents.

In the end the final call cost you the chance to win - was that the one decision you were disappointed with?
I was disappointed but by the time I had bet the turn, I was pot committed and I just couldn't fold. He played the hand well and so it's a deserved victory for him.

Portuguese poker players seem to be making a big impact on the ParadisePoker Tour. Does that make you proud?
Portuguese poker is doing really well right now and that's because we have a lot of high quality players. Antonio Lemos came third in Madrid, a number of players did well at the Vilamoura event and now two more were on the final table in London. This is also my third final table in a row, so hopefully I'm doing my part to keep up our good reputation!

No deal proves right move for Christos

Christos Xanthopoulous took down the top prize at the ParadisePoker Tour London, defeating Luis Fernandes in a short heads-up duel after the pair failed to agree a deal.

It means Christos secured the full £30,105 - a record amount for a PPT winner - and fulfilled the promise of being the early final table chip leader.

Charged with acting the part of monster stack going into the final, the Greek succeeded where others have failed in previous events, though not without his own dose of drama.

Xanthopoulous had seemingly lost the momentum when his AK was cracked by local player Jim Reid's Q9, but he recovered in considerable style to wrestle the chips back from his nemesis and eventually secure the honours.

Having discussed a deal once Peter Csecsetka had been eliminated in third, the final two could find no common ground and instead agreed to play according to the original prize structure.

The decision still couldn't delay a rapid finish, as both men flopped two pair on a 8♦-8♠-4♥ flop only for Christos - who was ahead by way of his kicker on the flop - to further improve on the turn.

It was then that the chips were shipped into the centre, with Luis close to drawing dead, and the blank river confirming the PPT London title was destined to be owned by the Greek.

Interviews with both Christos and Luis, unofficial fantasy poker results and more pictures will be on the ParadisePoker blog soon.

Like London buses

After a long spell of equality on the final table of the ParadisePoker Tour, two exits came almost from nowhere to take us to heads-up play.

First to go was the ParadisePoker Tour London's last 'home' player Jim Reid (pictured), who finished in fourth after returning the chips he had earlier won from Christos Xanthopoulous.

The PPT blog mused earlier on karma for Christos after the Greek suffered a bizarre bad beat at the hands of his British rival, but only now was it complete as Reid mistimed his aggressive streak and ran into Aces in a three-bet pot.

Just minutes later it was Peter Csecsetka who followed him out the door, as yet again a blind battle sparked fireworks.

Luis Rodrigues was the beneficiary this time around, showing his sound judgement skills again when he called his Hungarian opponent's pre-flop all-in with the 6s that held up against Csecsetka's 7♦5♣.

Reid collected £10,750 for his fourth-place finish, while Csecsetka's third is worth a cool £12,550.

Stacks level out as Peter doubles through

Deadlock prevails at the Fox Poker Club after Peter Csecsetka followed up his victory over Pawel Chmiel with a double up to level out the stacks.

Chip leader Jim Reid had tried to force the issue with pockets 3s, raising pre-flop then boldly calling Csecsetka when the Hungarian came back over the top.

Csecsetka even praised his rival for taking the positive course of action and seemed destined to depart when the flop came 7♥-9♣-4♣, but a runner runner straight - courtesy of the 8♥ and 10♣ - restored parity on the final table.