Poker News

ElkY Grospellier has won the €25,000 High Roller event at the European Poker Tour Grand Final in Madrid.

The charismatic Frenchman defeated a field of 58 of the world's top players after beating Benny Spindler heads-up to scoop the €525,000 first prize.

After his win a jubilant Grospellier said: “It feels really wonderful to win, as it’s over two years since my last major win at the PCA.

"This is the most prestigious of the EPT High Roller events as it’s the Grand Final.”

Both players were hyper aggressive throughout the event and Grospellier went into the final table as one of the shorter stacks.

But one big double-up gave him the lead and when his full house had the German's trips dominated, a new champion was crowned.

it is Grospellier's second EPT High Roller title - he won his first at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in January 2009.

The win takes the Frenchman's lifetime live tournament winnings to more than $7 million, extending his lead at the top of the all-time money list for French players.

Earlier, fellow Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso finished fifth for €100,000.

The young American bust when, facing another agressive Spindler raise, she pushed her last 181,000 with A♠6♦. But the German pro did, for once, have a decent hand with 8♦8♥, and Rousso was gone.

She was vying for her second EPT High Roller title having won one before at the Monte Carlo Grand Final in 2009. It takes her lifetime live tournament winnings to more than $3 million.

EPT Madrid €25,000 High Roller
Final places and payouts

1 ElkY Grospellier, France, €525,000
2 Benny Spindler, Germany, €316,000
3 Juha Helppi, Finland, €185,000
4 David Sands, USA, €135,000
5 Vanessa Rousso, USA, €100,000
6 Alex Repik, Russia, €72,000
7 Galen Hall, USA, €57,500
8 Peter Jetten, Canada ,€45,000