Jon Spinks busts the partypokerLIVE MILLIONS Main Event
Jon Spinks cast the figure of a man not knowing whether to laugh or cry when we caught up with him after his kings were toppled by a call from Jeremy Pantin with ace-high. We spoke to Spinks about his tournament and return to live poker.
"The way the bust-outs happened, I had no hands at all. I was always squeezing fairly wide in that spot because I'd found out that Maria [Lampropoulou] was opening way too wide from the button. It was always a really good squeeze spot but I couldn't believe it when I actually looked down and had it."
Jon was all-in with pocket kings and Jeremy Pantin called with Ace-seven off-suit to eliminate him after an ace hit the flop.
"He literally call within a minute. Both his pre-flop call and then his call on mine are not very good, what can you do?"
Two cards from being out of the tournament on Day 3, Spinks caught running cards to split a pot with Broadway. His chances have been singing ever since until the last hand. He's perfectly happy with his result, however.
"I'm absolutely fine; I can't believe whats happened. I don't play tournaments any more, and this happens. I don't mind playing, but I have other commitments these days, it's a lot of travel and hard work - i'm exhausted. It was an amazing week, you dream of this kind of stuff. I've been waiting ten years for this kind of result. I've never final tabled a major tournament like this. I've made two WSOP finals, but one was really small and the other one came a week after it, so I didn't appreciate it The final tables on both occasions were on the same day as when we played down to it, so it didn't feel quite the same in terms of prestige. When the next day is the final table, it feels a bit more real."
Now he's been at the first, can Spinks see the partypokerLIVE MILLIONS becoming a fixture on the European poker circuit?
"To make the [£6 million] guarantee was an amazing achievement. To do it a second time would take a lot. Its been an amazing success, is it sustainable? We'll have to wait and see. You certainly can't complain about the event. People generally go with it if it's a good tournament. This has probably been the best one ever in the UK and its just before other tournaments so i t makes sense that everyone was over for it. They timed it perfectly - it's weird seeing this many big names coming over for an event in the UK!"
Jon Spinks departs without the win he and his vociferous rail desperately wanted. But after a tremendous performance throughout the week, maybe we've seen the relaunch of a live circuit player who always gives as much entertainment at the table as anyone in Britain.
In a limped battle of the blinds, Jacob Mulhern bet the flop with on a gutshot, and Maria Lampropoulou called with the . On the turn, Mulhern checked and folded to Lampropoulou's bet worth 18M.
One hand later Mateusz Rypulak raised with the for 14M and Jeremy Pantin called in the big blind with . The duo checked down the board of and the ace claimed the pot.
Then, Lampropoulou made it 13.5M to go with from the button and Rypulak called in the big blind with . Both players checked on the flop and Rypulak bet the turn for 16.5M to pick up a call. On the river, Rypulak fired 39M and Lampropoulou took a long time before calling. Rypulak mucked his cards and Lampropoulou didn't have to show her cards to claim an important pot.
First to act, Jacob Mulhern raised to 12M with the and fellow Golden Chip contender Mateusz Rypulak defended the big blind with . The duo checked the flop and the turn, before the filled up on the river.
Rypulak checked, Mulhern bet 10.1M to claim the pot without showdown after a muck of Rypulak.
Then, Rypulak raised to 18M out of the small blind with the and Mulhern three-bet 39M in the big blind without his cards showing. Rypulak let go and the pot was shipped to Mulhern.
Jon Spinks found in first position and made it 12M to go, but didn't get any action whatsoever. He did in the next hand, however, as Maria Lampropulos raised to 14M from the button with , Jeremy Pantin made the call with out of the small blind before Spinks peeked down into another monster; this time .
Lampropulos quickly folded, but Pantin made the call to put Spinks at risk. Spinks was more at risk than ever as the flop came , and with no Kings in sight on the turn and the river, a disappointed Spinks shook hands with his competitors and headed for the rail.
With that, the remaining four players have locked up £320,000 each.
Maria Lampropoulou raised to 13M with the showing and claimed the blinds and antes.
Jeremy Pantin then picked up the and made it 14M to go, which Mateusz Rypulak called with . One seat over in the small blind, Jacob Mulhern three-bet to 29M with the and both opponents called.
On the flop, Mulhern bet 55M and that shut down both opponents to let the crowd of Mulhern go wild.
Jacob Mulhern raised it up to 13M with from first position, Maria Lampropoulou flatted in the cutoff, and Mateusz Rypulak defended his big blind with .
The flop brought something for everyone as it came and after Rypulak had checked, Mulhern fired 17M. Lampropoulou just opted for a call with the top set and Rypulak made the disciplined laydown.
The om the turn changed nothing and Mulhern continued for 29M. This time the Argentinian turned up the heat and raised to 85M, and after a bit of hesitation, Mulhern decided to let it go.
Jeremy Pantin raised to 14M first to act with the and Maria Lampropoulou called out of the big blind with . The flop of gave both players trips and Lampropoulou checked. Pantin continued for 10M and Lampropoulou called to see the on the turn.
Lampropoulou checked and Pantin fired a second barrel worth 25M, and Lampropoulou called again. The on the river saw Lampropoulou take her time and check, before Pantin made it 30M to go. Lampropoulou ultimately called and lost by a minor kicker difference
The play has so far been very quiet after the break with only one hand making the river. In that hand, Jon Spinks called the preflop raise of Maria Lampropoulou and they checked it through to the river. Lampropoulou went for a value bet with second pair, but Spinks weren't falling for it and preserved his stack by folding the smaller pair
flop with 
on a gutshot, and Maria Lampropoulou called with the 
. On the 
turn, Mulhern checked and folded to Lampropoulou's bet worth 18M.
for 14M and Jeremy Pantin called in the big blind with 
and the ace claimed the pot.
flop and Rypulak bet the 
turn for 16.5M to pick up a call. On the 
and fellow Golden Chip contender Mateusz Rypulak defended the big blind with 
. The duo checked the 
filled up on the river.
out of the small blind before Spinks peeked down into another monster; this time 
, and with no Kings in sight on the 
river, a disappointed Spinks shook hands with his competitors and headed for the rail.
and made it 14M to go, which Mateusz Rypulak called with 
and both opponents called.
in the cutoff, and Mateusz Rypulak defended his big blind with 
and after Rypulak had checked, Mulhern fired 17M. Lampropoulou just opted for a call with the top set and Rypulak made the disciplined laydown.
on the river saw Lampropoulou take her time and check, before Pantin made it 30M to go. Lampropoulou ultimately called and lost by a minor kicker difference