Matas Cimbolas Wins the 2014 partypoker WPT UK Main Event (£200,000)!
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Matas Cimbolas came into the final table as the chip leader, but it looked like he was going to have settle for second place. At one point during heads-up play, he was more than 5-1 down in chips, and it looked as thought the 2014 partypoker World Poker Tour UK title was going to stay in the home country.
The turning point of heads-up play came when Cimbolas' ace-five overtook Ben Warrington's ace-six. Momentum and the chip lead were all moved to the Lithuanian's side, and he finished Warrington off about an hour later. That's not to begrudge Cimbolas the title, because he played some incredible poker throughout the final table and was wonderfully effective at maximizing pressure on his opponents, making him a very deserving winner.
At the start of the day, six players had returned to play out the final table, but the first exit came within 15 minutes. Patrick Leonard had led out on the 
flop, with Warrington the only caller. The turn was the 
, and Leonard moved all in. Warrington called instantly with the 
for a full house, and Leonard was drawing to the case five with the 
. The 
on the river changed nothing, and Leonard was knocked out in sixth place — though having also finished second in the £6,000 High Roller event, it had still been a very good week for online poker's number one ranked player.
Apart from Leonard, Phillip Mighall had been the other short stack coming into the final table. He managed one double up early on when short, but succumbed to Warrington in a coin flip soon after. Mighall was holding the 
, but the ducks were not a match for the 
after Warrington flopped a pair of aces.
Former World Series of Poker Main Event finalist Antoine Saout was knocked out a couple of hands later, but barely. Warrington set the Frenchman all in and the latter called off his last 16 big blinds with the 
only to find Warrington pipping him with the 
. The 
flop meant the most likely scenario was a chop, but the 
turn and 
river gave Warrington the chips by the fact his seven kicker still played.
Three-handed action lasted around two and a half hours. Initially, Cimbolas dominated the proceedings, winning most of the big pots, but gradually Warrington asserted himself and pulled away as the chip leader. Tamer Kamel was unable to get anything going and eventually pushed over the top of a Warrington raise with the 
and found himself in a classic flip against his fellow Englishman's 
. Warrington spiked a set and faded a flush draw on the 
board to give himself a dominating chip lead heads up.
Warrington was the clear favorite, having knocked out every other player, and at one point even having his opponent down 8.5 million to 1.6 million in chips. Cimbolas managed to make a comeback, first doubling with ace-five versus ace-six before turning two pair against Warrington's top pair for a second double. Once in charge, the Lithuanian ruthlessly put a lot pressure of Warrington until the final hand where Warrington's came up short against Cimbolas' 
on a 
board to give Cimbolas £200,000 in prize money and his first-ever WPT title.
And that's a wrap from the marvelous Dusk Till Dawn here in Nottingham, a truly great venue. The next European PokerNews update will start on Tuesday when we'll be in Amsterdam for the Master Classics of Poker Main Event. Hope to see you there!