British pro scores biggest win of his career in Irish capital
After three days of high-octane poker in the Irish capital, Simon Deadman has emerged as the victor of the €1,200 buy-in, WPT National Dublin. Deadman, a 24-year-old poker pro from Nottingham outlasted a field of 238 at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin to claim the first major WPT title of 2013 and with it a €67,500 payday. Starting the new year the way he ended the last, the win comes only a few months after Deadman took down the Blackpool leg of the GUKPT for just under £50k.
Returning at midday for the third and final day’s play, the unofficial final table of ten was quickly whittled down to the usual eight, after Philip Daner and Charley Harvey hit the rail early on. Joachim Haralstad who started the final day as one of the big stacks was the busiest of the players early on, personally responsible for two of the first three knock-outs. Sean Prendiville, the only Dubliner at the table eventually fell in third place, collecting a very respectable €30,250 for his efforts. The stage was now set for Simon Deadman and Joachim Haraldstad to battle it out for the title. Alongside Prendiville, two other Irishman who made the final table with Tommy O’Rourke from Limerick finishing in 6th, while Galway’s Fintan Gavin was the first final-tabler to hit the rail, coming home in 8th.
The heads-up battle didn’t last long though and in the end it took British pro Deadman just under thirty minutes to overpower his Norwegian opponent and claim his crown along with the €67,500 first prize, not a bad way to kick-off 2013. Speaking just after his win to the Irish Independent, Deadman commented “It’s always fun playing in Dublin. If you go bust, you go on the beer.”
Here’s how the final table ended up:
1. Simon Deadman – €67,500
2. Joachim Haraldstad – €47,100
3. Sean Prendiville – €30,250
4. Jack Salter – €22,350
5. Ben Carpenter – €16,750
6. Tommy O’Rourke – €13,750
7. Daniel Laming – €11,250
8. Fintan Gavin – €8,900
