In poker, there are losses that hurt… and others that leave an echo difficult to forget. That was exactly what the Pole Krzysztof Grubka
The tournament gathered 475 entries, comfortably exceeding its €200.000 guarantee and raising the final prize pool to €285.665, with 63 players in the money. Everything was proceeding like any other tournament on the European circuit until the story took an almost cinematic turn.
Grubka had qualified for the event through WPT Global, which made him eligible for a very special promotion: the €100.000 Live Champion Bonus received by any player who qualifies online and then wins the live tournament. That is to say, if the Pole took the title, he would not only collect the €55.065 for first place, but he would also add a juicy six-figure bonus. The dream seemed possible when the tournament reached heads-up.
Krzysztof Grubka Could Not Lift This Check.
However, on the other side of the table was the Irishman Gavin McGrath
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Play continued. And minutes later, the opportunity evaporated. McGrath ended up prevailing to take the trophy, while Grubka had to settle for second place and €34.860, a solid result but inevitably accompanied by the feeling of what could have been.
Even so, the cash carries weight in his career: it is his second-largest live prize and the most significant since 2009, when he won €95.000 in the European Masters of Poker. Additionally, the result raised his live tournament earnings above US$200.000, according to The Hendon Mob.
For McGrath, on the other hand, the story was the opposite: with only four previously recorded cashes and US$14.201 in total earnings, the Irishman achieved his first live title and the best result of his career.
A champion celebrated. And a few meters away, someone surely thought again about those €100.000 that were so close… and slipped away in the final hand.
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Source: Pokernews.com