The PokerStars Festival Hamburg wrapped up over the weekend with amateur Ulrich Pauls winning the Main Event. The 10-day festival saw 2,609 entrants from 54 countries awarded €1,170,138 ($1,394,629) in prize money.
Amateur Hits Paydirt
The five-day €1,100 PokerStars Hamburg Main Event atCasino Schenefeld began with 567 entries and a €549,990 prize pool. On Sunday, Germany’s Ulrich Pauls defeated Poland’s Michal Lubas to walk away with a €105,850 ($124,221) first-place prize.
It marked the first documented tournament cash for the 36-year-old Pauls, who was up against some stiff competition. For instance, earlier this year Lubas finished runner-up to Petr Svoboda in the PokerStars Festival Rozvadov Main Event, which was good for $96,077.
In the final hand of the tournament, which took place in Level 30 (60k/120k/20k), Lubas raised to 270,000 and Pauls defended from the big blind to see a 7♠5♦4♣ flop. Pauls checked, Lubas bet 200,000, and Pauls check-raised to 475,000.
Lubas responded by moving all-in for 3.18 million and Pauls thought long and hard before calling with just the 4♥3♠. He was way behind the 7♦7♥ of Lubas, who had flopped top set. But Pauls had outs, and was looking for a six. Then the 2♠ turn gave him additional outs. And sure enough, the wheel arrived when an A♠ spiked on the river.
“I like to play following my feeling,” Ulrich Pauls told PokerStars officials after the win. “If I feel something I pay and today this strategy worked really well.”
Others who cashed the Main Event were Igor Rybak (15th for $6,642), Daniel Niemitz (27th for $3,931), Walid Ali (47th for $2,641), and Jesper Hansen (67th for $2,382).
Final Table Results
1 Ulrich Pauls (Germany) €105,850/$124,221
2 Michal Lubas (Poland) €66,220/$77,713
3 Jan Sigel (Germany) €47,410/$55,638
4 Behzad Zarnegar (Germany) €36,960/$43,375
5 Bo Rundström (Sweden) €28,980/$34,010
6 Andrei Nodea (Romania) €22,770/$26,722
7 Karolis Domarkas (Lithuania) €16,990/$19,939
8 Marcin Horecki (Poland) €11,770/$13,813
9 Rudolf Köster (Germany) €9,290/$10,902
Hamburg High Roller
Another tournament that played out over the weekend at the PokerStars Festival Hamburg was their €2,200 High Roller event, which had a total of 90 entries (80 unique players, 10 re-entries), generating a prize pool of €174,600 ($205,168).
German Andre Haneberg, who has a six-year-old daughter and works for an insurance company, came out on top to win €46,380 ($54,500) and the trophy.
“It’s incredible and it’s a fantastic feeling, I played really well,” said the 30-year-old from Oldenburg. “I’ll use the winnings for my family and to continue to play poker.”
Other notable winners at the PokerStars Festival Hamburg included Reinhard Nack (€330 Hamburg Poker Cup for €20,000/$23,549), Nebojsa Musulin (€220 PokerStars Open for €13,020/$15,359), and Jascha Ahmadi (€440 Pot-Limit Omaha for €8,234/$9,711).
The next PokerStars live tournament series, the PokerStars Championship Prague, will take place Dec. 7-18. The next festival, the PokerStars Festival London, will run Jan. 22-28, 2018.
