The money is a plus, but few things do your poker reputation as much good as some kind of record. A lot are dubious – first to do this, the first to win that, but others really separate the good from the incredible.
PokerStars blogs have always featured the possibility of a double EPT winner – just last year in Dublin Roland de Wolfe become the first player to win both a WPT and EPT event and Team PokerStars pro Joe Hachem recorded a WPT win to go with his WSOP bracelet last year.
But there remains another even more exclusive record, a club whose membership numbers less than one – titles in EPT, WSOP and WPT event – the ‘Triple Crown’ of poker.
Last night Team PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu looked to be the best hope, coming into day 2 today with close to 60k. His wins in both the WPT and WSOP left just an EPT to bag. I say ‘just’ – it would never be an easy ask. And when he chased a flush with a stack one third of what he started with today his tournament and record breaking hopes rested on a diamond – a diamond which didn’t come.
Check below to see the hand and hear what Daniel had to say about EPT Dortmund…
But today could yet see the first ever Triple Crown winner. Whilst Daniel Negreanu’s hopes of getting membership card number one are gone, across the ocean in Atlantic City Gavin Griffin – the season three EPT Grand Final winner and a WSOP bracelet winner in the $3,000 pot-limit hold’em in 2004, stands on the brink of history at the WPT Borgata Classic. There he is second in chips at the final table to be played later today, with just David Tran narrowly ahead of him in chips.
It’s an incredible achievement for anyone but Gavin coming this close will please a lot of people who follow the game so closely. Recognisable for his pink hair, reminding everyone of the work he does for breast cancer awareness with his girlfriend Kristen, were he to win in Atlantic City it would be a triumph for one of poker’s nice guys.
The man from Orange County made enough of a headline winning in Monte Carlo. In a gripping heads-up battle with Marc Karam who came out tops on a memorable last hand – a moment that can be relived here…
Everyone at PokerStars would like to wish Gavin good luck for the final table and we’ll have news of the result on the PokerStars blog when we get it.
Tournament update –
For chip counts of all remaining players in the EPT Dortmund click here.
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