Good Evans! Richard Two for Two after UKIPT Comeback

Welsh poker player Richard Evans, from the picturesque village of Portmeirion in North Wales, made it two cashes in two live events after taking down the PokerStars-sponsored UKIPT Dublin Main Event at the weekend.

Richard´s only previous attempt at live poker culminated in a minor cash in the UKIPT Nottingham last month, and the PokerStars qualifier now aims for a hat-trick of cashes when the tour moves onto Newcastle in September.

Richard´s victory was made all the more remarkable by the fact that on Sunday, Richard had less than 2 big blinds in front of him. Never giving up, he battled back to start the 8-man final table in fourth position behind fellow PokerStars qualifier Graeme Crozier.

Atherton in Double Cooler Tragedy

Lee Atherton was the first player to depart on the dramatic climax to the Main Event. First folding his pocket Queens against Richard Evans´ flopped set of Kings, Lee got all his chips in the middle with a flopped set of 9s, only to see Padraig O´Neill top set of Jacks. Meanwhile the battle of the short stacks was won by Vincent Buis (pocket 5s), who called Keith Swain´s shove with pocket 3s and sent the man from Birmingham home in seventh.

With his enhanced chip stack Buis became even more active than before and, after taking a massive pot from Graeme Crozier with a pocket Queens overpair, out-drew Stephen McGrath (Q♠ J♠) on a board of K♥ 5♣ J♦ / A♥ / 8♣ with J♥ 8♥ for a rivered two pair. Crozier and McGrath clashed in the next piece of major action – which saw the overnight chip leader crash out when his A♠ J♥ could not come from behind to master McGrath´s A♣ K♦.

McGrath and Evans Dominate

Soon after Graeme Crozier´s departure, Richard Evans joined Stephen McGrath at the top of the leaderboard with the elimination of Padraig O´Neill in fifth. The Irishman had raised Evans 80,000 post-flop bet to 210,000 (blinds 20,000/40,000 ante 4,000) on a board of A♠ J♠ 3♥ and then bet a further 460,000 on the 4♦ turn. Evans shoved and O´Neill was committed to his last 200,000 chips.

Evans:                  A♥ 8♠ for top pair

O´Neill:                 6♠ 3♠ for bottom pair and flush draw

The 9♣ was of no help to O´Neill, and he was sent to the rail while Evans took a significant chip advantage ahead of McGrath.

Buis Can´t Treble Double

Vincent Buis was the next player to depart having doubled up twice in quick succession against Seamus Birt with A♣ A♦ -v- J♠ 3♦ and Q♠ Q♦ which held against Birt´s A♣ 8♦. However it was not to be third time lucky for the Dutchman; who called Stephen McGrath´s pocket 9s shove with his A♥ K♦. The board ran bare for Buis, and he left the game in fourth.

Following Buis´ departure, the three remaining players – Richard Evans (3.5 million chips) Stephen McGrath (3 million chips) and Seamus Birt (2 million chips) – agreed to a three-way deal which would see each of them collect €60,000 with €15,500 left for the winner, and it was Seamus Birt who took the early initiative – taking down massive uncontested pots with previously unseen aggression.

Birt Hurt as Evans Builds

It was Birt´s aggression which eventually caught him out – first hurt by Richard Evans´ runner, runner trip 8s and then his run of unfortunate all-in situations continued when he shoved with K♣ Q♣ against Evans´ A♥ 5♠. The flop of 3♣ 9♣ 2♦ gave Birt a sack of outs, but the turn (9♦) and river (J♥) could not complete his hand and he finished in third as Evans took a commanding chip advantage into the heads up.

Evans continued to add to his stack when his A♣ 3♦ both found partners in a 1.5 million chip pot and, just before the last hand of the night went down, Evans had increased his chip advantage to 6.8 million –v- 2.8 million.

Nines Good Enough for Evans

The hand which gave Richard Evans the Dublin UKIPT title started innocuously enough. Stephen McGrath limped in from the small blind (blinds now 50,000/100,000) and Evans called. After the flop of 5♠ 6♣ 4♥, Evans checked and McGrath bet 300,000 which the Welshman called. McGrath was the aggressor once again following the turn 9♥ – moving his last 1.35 million chips into the middle. Evans snap-called and the showdown was set.

Evans                    9♦ 3♥ for top pair and open-ended straight draw

McGrath             6♥ 2♥ for second pair and a flush draw

The river card of A♣ was enough for Richard Evans´ pair of 9s to claim the day, winner´s cheque of €75,500 and the title of UKIPT Dublin Champion.