Grzegorz Gosk Breaks Spanish Hearts to Claim Estrellas Ibiza Main Event

With seven Spanish poker players among the final eight in the PokerStars-sponsored Estrellas Main Event which concluded in Ibiza last night, a home victory was widely expected.

However, nobody had read the script to Polish qualifier Grzegorz Gosk, who broke Spanish hearts with a lightning fast demolition of a quality final table in only his fifth live poker tournament.

Grzegorz Sits Back While Others Fall

At the start of play, Grzegorz was in fifth position with 528,000 chips – with work to do to catch chip leaders Jeff Zsolt Soros (1,710,000 chips) and Alvaro Santamaria (1,533,000), and the blinds about to increase to 20,000/40,000 (4,000 ante). Alvaro Marino was the first player to fall, running his 6♦ 2♦ into the A♠ 10♥ of Carlos Simon Martinez and Javier Tazon burned the last of his chips with A♥ 9♥ against Jeff Zsolt Soros´ J♠ 10♠ which paired a Jack on the flop before finishing as a spade flush.

Double Up and Bust Gives Grzegorz the Lead

Grzegorz Gosk was more than slightly fortunate in his ascendancy to chip leader. First he doubled up with A♠ 9♠ against Jeff Zsolt Soros, when the 5♠ on the river completed his flush, and then he cracked Raul Paez´s K♦ K♣ when the A♣ on the turn paired the ace Grzegorz held in his hand. Within 30 minutes, Alvaro Santamaria had regained a massive chip advantage with the three eliminations of Manuel Martinez, Jeff Zsolt Soros and Carlos Simon Martinez.

Heads Up between Grzegorz and Santamaria

At the start of the Heads-Up, Alvaro had a 3,895,000/2,375,000 chip advantage over Grzegorz, but within three hands Grzegorz had regained the lead – his J♦ J♥ holding on against Santamaria´s A♠ K♣. Santamaria clawed his way back into the lead when his A♥ Q♥ rivered a flush to master Grzegorz´s two pair, but Grzegorz turned the poker game back in his favour again with Jacks holding on against Santamaria´s Ace high hand.

AQ Good for Grzegorz

AQ is often regarded as the most expensive hand in Texas Hold´em, but on this occasion it paid dividends for Grzegorz Gosk. Alvaro Santamaria – down to his last 1.5 million chips – raised 130,000 from the button with A♣ 4♥. Grzegorz responded by moving all in with A♦ Q♦ and Santamaria called. The board ran out 2♦ 7♣ K♠ / 2♥ / Q♥ to give the Pole two pairs, victory in the tournament and the winner´s cheque for €92,100.

Estrellas Ibiza Top Payouts

A total of 426 players bought in or qualified for the Estrellas Ibiza Main Event, creating a total prize pool of €372,154. The top 50 players cashed and, as well as the winner, a further 17 players in the money had qualified for the €910.00 + €90.00 buy-in tournament courtesy of an online PokerStars tournament.