Alex Goulder Wins 2014 partypoker WPT National Prague Main Event for €105,000
World Series of Poker gold bracelet winner Simeon Naydenov was leading the final 19 players into the last day of the 2014 partypoker World Poker Tour National Prague €2,000 Main Event at the Corinthia Hotel in Prague. Within the first level of play, the field was reduced to only 14 after fast action at the tables, but it would take until 4 a.m. to crown a new champion in a grueling heads-up match that lasted 115 hands. Ultimately, it would be Alex Goulder who emerged victorious by defeating Niclas Adolfsson to claim the trophy, DNA Monster headphones, and the €105,000 first-place prize.
WPT National Prgaue Final Table Results
| Position | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Goulder | €105,000 |
| 2 | Niclas Adolfsson | €72,000 |
| 3 | Sebastian Langrock | €46,600 |
| 4 | Andy Seth | €34,500 |
| 5 | Zo Karim | €25,400 |
| 6 | Simeon Naydenov | €20,500 |
| 7 | Alexander Lakhov | €17,200 |
| 8 | Chris Hunichen | €13,450 |
The day began when a short-stacked Vladimir Velikov finished in 19th after his A♣8♠ got cracked by A♦3♠, and Manuel Sanchez Morito followed next after running the 9♦9♥ into the K♠K♣ of Mathias Kürschner. Then, Koray Aldemir had a kicker problem with the A♦ J♥ against Goulder's A♣K♣ and found no help on a board of 5♠2♦7♣8♠4♦. Not long after, Sergej Barbarez was all in with the J♦8♦ after a four-way flop of 8♠6♦3♦, but he couldn't improve anymore versus Zo Karim's K♠K♣. The American then cracked the 10♥10♠ of Oliver Heidel with the 9♦9♠ and jumped into the lead.
Artur Voskanyan's run came to an end in 14th place when his K♦K♥ was no good in a showdown against Goulder's flopped set, and the tournament director from Russia had to settle for a payday of €6,100. Vladimir Malak received the same payout after he could not hold up with the 7♥7♠ against Karim's A♠K♠ on a board of 2♥8♠6♠K♥5♥. Jean-Philippe Piquette was then sent to the rail in 12th place after being unable to improve with the A♥8♥ versus 7♥7♠. Afterward, Sebastian Langrock sent Salvatore Pepi to the rail in 11th place when making a full house with the A♠10♦ and cracking the J♣J♥ of the Italian. With that, the unofficial final table of 10 was set.
By then, Goulder was on fire and won a coin flip with the J♠J♦ against the A♥Q♠ of Mathias Kürschner and also sent fellow German Jonathan Klüpfel to the rail in ninth place. Klüpfel got it in via a three-bet with the A♥Q♠ on a 3♠Q♣J♣ flop, and the Brit called with the 10♣8♣ and completed a flush with the 4♣ on the turn. Goulder even made a straight flush thanks to the 9♣ river and entered the official final table as massive chip leader with one-third of the chips in play.
Online poker legend Chris "Big Huni" Hunichen would be the first player to leave the final table after bluffing away half his stack and then running the 7♣7♥ into the A♣A♠ of Goulder and the A♦A♥ of Adolfsson. WPT Cyprus champion Alexander Lakhov bowed out in seventh place after his A♠9♠ was unable to improve against the A♥J♦ of Andy Seth. Then, start-of-the-day chip leader Naydenov busted in sixth place with the K♦Q♥. Once again it was Seth who claimed the chips by completing a full house with the A♠Q♦.
Karim was a big stack early on Day 3, but he could never get anything going on the final table, eventually bowing out in fifth place after calling all in with the K♠3♠ in a battle of the blinds against Goulder. The Brit flopped a jack with the J♦7♣ and scored the knockout thanks to a four-card flush on the river. Seth then lost a coin flip with the 9♦9♥ for almost even stacks against Langrock's A♠Q♦ on a board of 4♥3♣A♦Q♣2♥. The German experienced the same scenario with the 10♥10♠ against the A♠K♣ of Adolfsson, and the heads-up stage was set after 142 hands on the final table.
Until that point, Goulder had never given up the lead under the supervision of the cameras and started the heads-up battle with a 2-1 advantage. Adolfsson was ground down and doubled up twice, the second time in spectacular fashion via a two-outer after getting it in on the Q♦2♣2♠9♣ turn. The Swede had Q♠3♠ and Goulder had the A♦2♦ only to see the cruel Q♥ appear on the river. Goulder then dealt the final blow in a preflop all in by holding up with the A♠8♥ versus the K♥10♥ after the board ran out 6♣Q♥7♦3♠J♥.
That hand marked the end of PokerNews' live coverage from King's Casino for WPT National Prague, but our squad of reporters will now shoot across the city to the Hilton Prague Hotel for coverage of the next stop on the European Poker Tour. At that event, PokerNews will be providing live updates of the €50,000 Super High Roller, the €5,300 Main Event, and the €10,300 High Roller, so be sure to stay tuned to our live reporting pages where the action will begin on Dec. 9.
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