Venezuelan scoops €1.5m in Grand Final

VENEZUELAN  Ivan Freitez won €1.5 million at the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Grand Final after defeating a 686-strong field comprising some of the best players in the world.

As well as his cash prize - and a seat in the EPT Champion of Champions - Freitez also wins a stunning bracelet worth €22,000 from EPT Season 7.

Freitez, who was celebrating his sixth wedding anniversary on the day of the final, beat German Torsten Brinkmann heads-up in a historic live simultaneous TV broadcast, with hole cards revealed, whichwas shown on TV channels across Europe, and in Canada.

"When we were down to four players, I felt I was going to win," said Freitez.
"I brought out the animal in me, and just went for it. After some poor results, at last I've made it and won a big tournament. I met a lot of aggressive players along the way but I adapted my game and stayed calm and it paid off."

Freitez triumphed when he flopped a pair with ten-nine suited against Brinkmann's ace-king. A total of 686 players entered the Main Event, creating a total prize pool of €6,860,000.