Winamax Team Pro Gaelle Baumann and Kevin Noblat Win 2018 Winamax Beer Pong Open Dublin
Winamax Team Pro Gaelle Bauman and Kevin Noblat have won the Winamax Beer Pong Open here in Dublin after a classic final which went nearly all the way. The Winamax Team Pro becomes the second in a row to win the tournament after Pierre Calamusa won back in May in Marrakech at the Winamax SISMIX.
The pair topped a field of 97 total pairs to take home the trophies and winner's t-shirts. Many people including fellow Winamax Team Pros Sylvain Loosli and Romain Lewis have likened the event to the week's "Second Main Event" and Baumann said she was overjoyed to win the tournament.
"It's perhaps even better than the Main Event because it's here in Dublin!" said Baumann. "You know, with people drinking and having fun. It's funny because when I'm playing beer pong I'm just so focussed it's like I can't lose. Even more so than in poker. And winning with my [Kevin] is something you always want so it's nice, it's really nice."
"We had six months training(!)" said Harper jokingly. "For me, this is my Main Event because I'm covering the proper Main Event. This is the only moment all week where I can win."
The home favourites, as they clearly were, got off to the worst possible start after their opponents eliminated three cups in a row, but after Baumann and Harper both landed their balls in the same cup, it was all square at seven cups each.
The pair traded shots until the scores were level at 5-5 before a pivotal moment. Harper's shots was deflected and bounced once before landing in the cup. Under the rules this meant that two cups were eliminated and although their opponents remonstrated with the referee, they took a two cup lead.
Baumann had been clinical all match when shooting first, and she struck again, bringing the pair to within one cup of victory, but their opponents struck back to make it a 4-2 game.
Harper then struck to put them one cup away from victory, but both opponents struck in the same turn to eliminate two cups, and retain their throw.
However, these throws would come to nothing and Harper stepped up to eliminate the final cup and seal victory for the pair.
