Chris Pyke outlasted the largest field in the history of the long-running IPO Dublin tournament to claim the title and €46,211.
The €200+€30 event attracted 1,656 entrants at the Regency Hotel and generated a prize-pool of €331,200, with 619 players making it through to Day 2 and nine returning for the final table on Day 3.
After a deal had been reached five-handed there was €3,000 left to play for, along with the title, which went the way of Pyke after he beat Paudie Cusack heads-up... Pyke shoving from the button on a JD-5S-10C-7D-QS board with QH-7S for two pair and Cusack calling with JS-6S.
Runner-up Cusack had already locked up €35,500 by virtue of the deal, which also saw Pyke net €43,211. Victor de Rijke took most from the negotiations, securing €43,794, with Richard O’Neill bagging €37,500 and Joe Ward €33,500.
Dublin driving instructor Ward busted in fifth after losing a race with pocket fours against O'Neill's shove with K-9 from the small blind... O'Neill hitting a king on the flop.
De Rijke busted in fourth shortly after losing a monster pot against Cusack. With K-3 in the small blind, he announced all-in and was called by Pyke with 9-7. Pyke hitting a seven on the flop.
Dubliner O’Neill went out in third after he got his AC-4S all-in on a KC-6C-9C flop against Cusack with KH-7D. O’Neill needed any club or any ace but the turn was the 8D and the river the 7S to leave Cusack and Pyke heads-up.
With nine players returning for the final day's action, Ibragimzhan Niyazov was the first to exit after he raised under the gun to 800k and Pyke re-popped to 1.6m. Niyazov announced all-in with AH-KH and Pyke snap-called with pocket queens.
The JC-7H-10D flop left Niyazov hoping for a queen which didn't arrive and he exited in ninth place.
Lively Dutchman Robert Pekel was next out in eighth place after he shoved with A-J and couldn’t outrun De Rijke's pocket queens and Jim Paulus from Luxembourg exited next running his K-J into De Rijke's pocket eights, which improved to a set on the flop.
France's Roland Premesnil finished in sixth after raising on the button to 1.2m with KS-7H, Pyke calling with AH-9C from the big blind. Both players checked the 8S-QH-10S flop and then all the chips went in with the JH on the turn, Pyke already holding a straight and Premesnil needing either of Pyke's cards for a split pot, which he didn't find.
IPO Dublin, 16-20 October
1 Chris Pyke €46,211
2 Paudie Cusack €35,500
3 Richard O'Neill €37,500
4 Victor de Rijke €43,794
5 Joe Ward €33,500
6 Roland Premensil €14,240
7 Jim Paulus €9,270
8 Robert Pekel €6,620
9 Ibragimzhan Niyazov €4,635
