Event #9: WSOP Europe Main Event – €10,450 No-Limit Hold’em

Kevin MacPhee conquers 2015 WSOPE Berlin Main Event for €883,000

The fifth and final day of the World Series of Poker Europe €10,450 Main Event saw six hopefuls out of a 313-entry strong field return to the feature stage on the top floor of the Spielbank Berlin. Kevin MacPhee came into the final table as dominating chip leader, and within less than two hours, the heads-up duel for the coveted gold bracelet was set. MacPhee held a more than 2:1 lead over David Lopez, and it took three hours of dueling to determine a winner.

At the start of the day, Lopez doubled up straight away in a flip with    against the    of JC Alvarado. A few minutes later, Alvarado doubled through Andrew "luckychewy" Lichtenberger with    versus   . The     flop left Alvarado drawing dead to four tens, and sure enough, it came right away with the   on the turn. The   on the river blanked, and Lichtenberger was suddenly among the short stacks.

Felix Bleiker was sent to the rail in sixth place. The Swiss started as shortest stack and ultimately moved all in for his last three big blinds from early position with   . Lopez called with    and immediately found top pair on the     flop to put Bleiker on the brink of elimination. The   turn and   failed to get Bleiker over the hump, and he collected €130,000 for his efforts.

The second German-speaking finalist, Kilian Kramer, was the next to go. Kramer finished 18th in the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas this summer, and his dream of a victory on home soil ended only ten minutes after Bleiker. Kramer was all in and at risk preflop for less than seven big blinds with   , and MacPhee put him at risk with   . The     flop was no good for Kramer, and he was drawing dead after the   appeared on the turn.

Lichtenberger was eliminated in fourth place after moving all in from early position for 16 big blinds with   . MacPhee found    in the small blind, and the board ran out       to give MacPhee a set of queens and Lichtenberger a payday of €225,000.

After less than two hours, the heads-up duel was set with the elimination of Alvarado in third place. The Mexican pro got his stack in preflop with    and seemed determined to make a comeback with Lopez revealing the dominated   . The cruel river of a       board gave Lopez aces up, however, and Alvarado's elimination signaled the start of the heads-up match.

MacPhee started the duel with a more than 2:1 lead, but two expensive laydowns and a failed bluff attempt with    on a       board evened out the stacks. Lopez called three barrels with   , and he was good, using the momentum after to build a sizable lead himself. MacPhee then regained the lead after raising preflop and checking the     flop before firing two barrels on   turn and   river. Lopez called and was shown    for Broadway.

The advantage grew further when MacPhee flopped a full house with    on a     flop. Lopez check-raised and floated with    to make a back door flush on   turn and   river. His bet for two third of the pot was called and MacPhee, and the latter suddenly held 75% of the chips in play. The final hand was a four-bet shove by MacPhee and a snap-call from Lopez to set up the final showdown:

MacPhee:   
Lopez:   

MacPhee's girlfriend asked for the   from the rail, but the flop came    . MacPhee made a wheel with the   on the turn, though, and the meaningless   river ended Lopez's run in second place, earning a career-best payday of €475,000.

MacPhee has won the second big title of his poker career in Berlin after taking down the Main Event of the European Poker Tour in 2010 for €1,000,000 and it is also the second gold WSOP bracelet for the American pro. Earlier this year, MacPhee won the $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Turbo (Event #56) in Las Vegas, and this victory represents the cherry on top of a fantastic year.

Final Table Results:

1st place: Kevin MacPhee (USA) - €883,000
2nd place: David Lopez (Spain) - €475,000
3rd place: JC Alvarado (Mexico) - €315,000
4th place: Andrew Lichtenberger (USA) - €225,000
5th place: Kilian Kramer (Germany) - €175,000
6th place: Felix Bleiker (Switzerland) - €130,000

David Lopez gives up a hand on the flop and then on the next hand he faces a raise from Kevin MacPhee to 140,000. Lopez calls, and checks the     flop. MacPhee continues for 165,000 and Lopez calls before checking the   on the turn. MacPhee fires the second barrel for 350,000 and Lopez folds.

Kevin MacPhee - 7,300,000
David Lopez - 1,990,000

The two players agreed to head into a quick five minute break after half of the current level is over.

David Lopez raises to 140,000 and Kevin MacPhee three-bets to 410,000. Lopez calls. On the     flop, both players check. MacPhee then bets the   turn for 350,000 and Lopez calls before MacPhee fires the   river for 950,000. Lopez gives it a lot of thought and calls. He then mucks his cards as soon as MacPhee reveals his    for the nut straight.

Kevin MacPhee - 5,460,000
David Lopez - 3,930,000

David Lopez raises to 140,000 and Kevin MacPhee calls. On the     flop, MacPhee checks and Lopez checks behind. The turn brings the   and MacPhee bets 175,000 to win the pot.

The next hand, MacPhee raises to 140,000 and Lopez calls. On the     flop, Lopez checks and MacPhee continues for 155,000. Lopez calls and the   turn is checked through. Lopez bets the   river for 265,000 and wins the pot.

David Lopez - 5,500,000
Kevin MacPhee - 3,890,000

David Lopez raises to 120,000 on the button, and Kevin MacPhee calls. The flop is    . MacPhee checks, and Lopez bets 85,000. MacPhee check-raises to 250,000, and Lopez folds without incident.

The next hand, MacPhee opens his button to 120,000, and Lopez calls. The flop is    . Lopez checks, and MacPhee continues for 150,000. Lopez calls. The turn is the  , and Lopez check-calls another 350,000. The river is the  , and Lopez checks for a third time. MacPhee bets 810,000, and Lopez folds.

Kevin MacPhee opens to 120,000 on the button, and David Lopez calls. The flop is    . Lopez checks, MacPhee continues for 140,000, and Lopez calls. The turn is the  . Lopez checks, and MacPhee bets 325,000. Lopez calls. The river is the  . Lopez checks for a third time, and MacPhee bets 780,000. Lopez calls him down.

MacPhee shows    for a miss, and Lopez tables   , winning the pot with a pair of fives.

Kevin MacPhee - 4,750,000
David Lopez - 4,640,000

Kevin MacPhee opens to 120,000 on the button, and David Lopez calls.

The flop is    . Lopez checks, and MacPhee continues for 140,000. Lopez calls, then checks again on the   turn. MacPhee bets 275,000, and Lopez calls. The river is the  . Lopez checks for a third time, and MacPhee bets 530,000. Lopez check-raises the minimum, making it 1,060,000 total and committing about half of his remaining stack to the big pot.

MacPhee counts his own stack carefully, sips his water, and talks through Lopez's possible hand combinations. Eventually, he folds.

Kevin MacPhee - 5,690,000
David Lopez - 3,700,000

David Lopez opens to 120,000 on the button, and Kevin MacPhee calls. The flop is    . MacPhee checks, and a bet of 120,000 from Lopez is enough to end the hand.

Two hands later, Lopez opens to 120,000 again, and MacPhee three-bets to 350,000. Lopez calls. The flop is    . MacPhee checks, and Lopez bets 255,000. MacPhee check-raises all in, and Lopez folds after some time in the tank.

Kevin MacPhee - 6,970,000
David Lopez - 2,420,000