By Simon Young

University mathematics student Alexander Jung has used his analytic brain to win the PartyPoker.com Million VI trophy and a handy $358,280.

The 25-year-old beat fellow German Dominik Stopka heads up, and now plans to bank some of his cash and also launch an assault on the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas this summer.

Alexander Jung is all smiles wih chips and trophy

Jung beat a field of 171 runners in the $8,000 No-Limit Texas Hold’em event, which started on board the stunning MSC Poesia on Sunday as she made her way from Italy to Greece, Turkey, Croatia and back to Venice.

Most players won their seats in online qualifiers at PartyPoker.com and brought family and friends to enjoy a week of luxury on the sea.

Jung, who first played poker with friends 10 years ago and says his maths helps his game, added that the week had been a fantastic experience. “This is my biggest live win so far. The structure of the tournament was perfect for me, and there were some very good players here.

“I had a lot of respect for Dominik. I had seen him play a great many hands, mostly without a showdown – and when he did have to show it was often something like aces – so he is a good player. However, I felt one or two others were a bit tight on the final table – perhaps wanting to try and climb the money positions.”

Jung and Mike Sexton

Jung, from Berlin, studied poker strategy books to improve his game, and is now reaping the rewards. He was presented with his beautiful glass trophy by PartyPoker’s “Ambassador of poker” Mike Sexton. In total, 24 players made the money in the PartyPoker.com Million VI.

Entrants came from all over the world, including Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Canada and throughout Europe. A bumper 20% travelled from Germany, so it was not a huge surprise to see two battling it out heads up.

Third place finisher was Cory Albertson from Texas in the USA, who was the only non-European to make the final table.

Final Table Positions and Payouts:

1 Alexander Jung, Germany, $358, 280

2 Dominik Stopka, Germany, $285,583

3 Cory Albertson, USA, $159,235

4 Mika Paasonen, Finland, $119,425

5 Raymond Estall, UK, $92,883

6 Andreas Jorbeck, Sweden, $67,675

7 Johannes Strassman, Germany, $47,770

8 Peter Steinlesberger, Austria, $31,845

9 Kenneth Gregersen, Denmark, $21,230

Here’s the final table action in detail:

4.55pm: JUNG WINS: Alexander Jung wins the PartyPoker Million VI tournament, scooping $358,280. He beat fellow German Dominik Stopka soon after they sat down for the heads-up battle. After taking a number of pots uncontested, he moved in with J-7 against Stopka’s A-9. The board came 3-Q-7-5-6, the seven being enough to win the event.

Stopka, right, and Jung

4.25pm: PLAYER OUT: Cory Albertson, who started the final short of chips has busted in third place, winning $159,235. He pushed all in with A-3 clubs against Jung’s A-J. The flop of 4-2-8 gave him hopes of a filling a straight, but the following Q and 4 ended his tournament. Albertson, from Texas, was the only non-European on the final table and picked up the biggest win of his career.

Jung and Stopka, both Germans, now face each other heads up. Jung has 1.1 million to Stopka’s 610,000.

4.20pm: PLAYER OUT: Mika Paasonen has busted in fourth place. On a board of 2-Q-2-9-3 with three hearts, he pushed with Q-8 but was insta-called by Alexander Jung with the A-7 hearts for the nut flush. Paasonen, a familiar face on the European circuit, picks up $119,425.

Mika Paasonen before his exit

4.15pm: Dominik Stopka took a decent pot off Alexander Jung on a tricky-looking board. On a flop of 6-2-8 Jung raised to 71,000. Stopka called, the both checked the 7 turn, and when another 6 hit the river Stopka bet 150,000. Too much for Jung, and a healthy lump of orange 5,000 chips moved Stopka’s way.

4.05pm: The dealer was not having to put out many flops, with raises and re-raises taking down the pots without a card being dealt. With the money now jumping in significant amounts, a wrong play would cost a small fortune.

3.50pm: Approximate chip counts: Alexander Jung 820,000, Dominik Stopka 425,000, Cory Albertson 250,000, Mika Paasonen 135,000.

3.30pm: Mika Paasonen raised to 65,000 but had to fold to Cory Albertson’s all in for another 165,000.

3.10pm PLAYER OUT: Raymond Estall busted when he ran his K-Q into Alexander Jung’s A-2. With no help on the board, the Englishman, who works for a chemical distribution company, picked up $92,883.

This was his first live event, and he’s thrilled with his result. “It has been great fun. But I don’t think it will be the start of a new poker career. I’ll be back at work on Monday with a great story to tell.”

Estall rakes in a pot

2.50pm: PLAYER OUT: Andreas Jorbeck is out in sixth place, winning $67,675. After a succession of pushes without being called, he went again with 9-9 and went up against Cory Albertson’s K-Q. The flop came K-4-Q, meaning the Swede needed a 9 to stay alive, but the turn and river was 7-8.

2.30pm: Approximate chip counts: Jung, 480,000, Stopka 420,000, Paasonen 260,000, Estall 240,000, Albertson 130,000, Jorbeck 120,000. Blinds are 4,000-8,000 with a 1,000 running ante.

2.20pm: PLAYER OUT: Johannes Strassmann, who had been chip leader for much of the tournament, busted when his 3-3 all in was called by Raymond Estall holding A-6 clubs. The flop came 2-6-4 sending the Englishman ahead but giving the German a gutshot chance. The turn was another 6 and the river a 9 – sending Strassman to the rail.

He takes $47,700 for 7th place, but was frustrated. “This is my another final table and again I have missed the big money positions, which is frustrating. I’d much rather win one than finish lower in these others.” Strassmann, from Bonn, plays poker professionally having started with just $5 in a poker ccount, and never depositing since. “I really want that big tournament win: hopefully it will come in Vegas at the World Series.”

Johannes Strassmann

2.14pm: Stopka raised from the button, and Albertson moved all in for 91,000 more. After a long dwell, the German folded and the American stayed alive. On the next hand, Estall won a nice pot, re-raising Jung all in.

2pm: Raymond Estall lost a huge pot to Dominik Stopka, who took a clear chip lead with 500,000. On a board showing J-10-7-4-2, the Englishman bet 65,000 into a pot of 90,000. Stopka made a great call with 8-8, beating Estall’s K-Q missed straight draw. Estall, a chemical engineer, was left short stacked on about 80,000.

1: 45pm: PLAYER OUT: Peter Steinlesberger is out, moving all in for his last 24,000 with A-10. He was ahead of Mika Paasonen’s A-8 of diamonds but the flop of 9-7-K was all diamonds, giving the Fin the nut flush. Steinlesberger finished eighth and takes home $31,845. The pro player, who used to be a card dealer in Vienna, said: “This is my biggest live tournament win. It’s been a very good week.” He normally plays pot limit Omaha cash games online.

Peter Steinlesberger

1.30pm: Andreas Jorbeck, the Swede who won the PartyPoker Late Night Poker tournament, defended his big blind by re-raising Jung, the young player from Berlin, Germany, who promptly folded. But the Swede then lost an 80,000 pot to the UK’s Raymond Estall, who is playing his first live tournament. The Swede raised to 17,000 and Estall called. The flop came 5-K-10 all clubs, and Jorbeck bet 22,000, which Estall called. After a second ten came on the turn, Jorbeck checked, and Estall bet 40,000 to take the pot.

Mika Paasonen then got in on the action, raising to 17,000 from the button. Cory Albertson said: “This is a position raise.” He folded, and was shown 3-3 for his trouble. We then nearly lost our second player when young German Johannes Strassmann got all in with
A-9 against Austrian Peter Steinlesberger’s A-K – and promptly hit a 9 on the flop to save his tournament skin. He moves up to 180.000, while Steinlesberger drops to 50,000.

Like so many other players here on the PartyPoker Million VI cruise, Steinslesberger won his seat in an online qualifier on PartyPoker. Check the website www.partypoker.com for more chances to qualify for live events.

1.10pm: PLAYER OUT: Any thoughts that the final table could be a marathon seemed off the mark when we lost our first player on only the second hand. Denmark’s Kenneth Gregersen pushed in early position with A-9 for his remaining 42,000. It folded around to Cory Albertson who was a mile ahead with 9-9. Gregersen needed an ace to stay alive but the board of K-J-6-2-8 was no help.

The Dane goes home with $21,230 for his week’s work on board the MSC Poesia, which is sailing all day bound for Dubrovnik in Croatia.

Kenneth Gregersen

A €500 side tournament was well under way as the final table players sat down for their 1pm start. Blinds started at 3,000-6,000 with a 1,000 running ante, leaving plenty of play for the chip leaders. Dominik Stopka held the overnight chip lead with 327,000, just 1,000 ahead of fellow German lexander Jung.

The final table gets under way on board MSC Poesia

The PartyPoker Million VI final begins 1pm local time on Thursday 

By Simon Young

People who know far more about statistics than I do assure me that 20% of starters for the PartyPoker Million VI were from Germany. It’s no huge surprise, therefore, to find two of them almost neck-and-neck for the chip lead – and a third, day two chip leader Johannes Strassmann, joining them on the final table.

Only a grey 1,000 chip separates Dominik Stopka and Alexander Jung, and both are a healthy 90,000 ahead of the next man, Finland’s Mika Paasonen, who played a patient game throughout day three before building just at the right time, thanks mainly to winning two important races with medium pairs.

Dominik Stopka takes a breather from stacking chips

All of these three are seasoned players used to the cut and thrust of tournament poker, whereas fourth-placed Raymond Estall, from the UK, is playing in the biggest and first proper event of his life. That’s the great thing about being able to qualify online.

Estall, a chemical engineer from Solihull, is by far the elder statesmen on the final table – which begins at 1pm local time on Thursday. He will be the first to admit he is lucky to have made it to the last nine from the 171 starters. Shortly before the last card of the night was dealt, he had the escape of his life when he found himself all in against Denmark’s Kenneth Gregersen.

Raymond Estall

Estall had 3-3, a mile behind the Dane’s 9-9. The flop was 7-A-K, and when the turn produced a 10 Estall was out of his seat and putting on his jacket. The river, as you would have guessed by now, was a 3, giving the Englishman a set. He shook his head in disbelief, while poor old Gregersen turned away and took a little of his disappointment out on a nearby plant.

The plant survived, as did Gregersen, but only just. He was down to 30,000 or so chips, while Estall soared to more than 150,000. A short while later, Gregersen got all in against Estall again, this time as the underdog with Q-9 against 10-10. The poker gods must have wanted to right a wrong, because the board came 5-3-2-4-A for a split pot.

“I had to call with the 3-3 as I was getting short stacked,” said Estall. No need to explain, sir – it’s these twists that win tournaments.

Gregersen will have nightmares about a set of threes

Gregersen made it to the final table as the short stack with 44,000, while American Cory Albertson, the only surviving non-European, sits in eighth place with 90,000.

Final table bubble boy was Sweden’s Mikael Erixon, out in tenth place when his 10-10 failed to improve against Alexander Jung’s Q-Q. Jung had been up and down in chips all day, but his timing at the end was just right to give him a great shot at the PartyPoker Million VI title and the $358,000 first prize.

Alexander Jung

Dominik Stopka had been quietly creeping up on the rails towards the end of day two and much of today before whizzing into the chip lead about two levels from the end of play. His decisive moment was a handy double up against then chip leader Johannes Strassmann when his Q-Q was enough on a ten-high board.

Johannes Strassmann eyes up top spot

He never really looked back – doing away with Irishman Matthew Dobbins a short while later, and then seeing off England’s Alan Forsyth in brutal fashion. Forsyth had 10-10 and was chuffed to see the flop Q-10-8 – but he gave Stopka a free card, and the turn came a nine, filling up the German’s straight – twice, as it happened, because he had pocket jacks.

Stopka’s last big scalp of the night was Sweden’s Samir Shakhtoor, albeit in curious fashion. On a flop of 9-5-6 – all diamonds – all the money went in. Shakhtoor had J-9, with no diamonds, while Stopka had 3-4, one a small diamond. The turn was an ace and the river a 7, making Stopka’s straight.

Andreas Jorbeck

PartyPoker Late Night Poker winner Andreas Jorbeck, from Sweden, had been toying with the chip lead throughout the evening session, but fell away a little, finishing with a still healthy 182,000.

But how he may come to regret calling light to Austria’s Peter Steinlesberger’s all in, which cost him a fair chunk of his stack, as did a sizeable pot with Cory Albertson.

Steinlesberger, left, and Albertson

All the players have a day off tomorrow (Wednesday) to enjoy the sights of Istanbul in Turkey, before playing out the final during a day at sea on Thursday.

The MSC Poesia is proving to be an excellent venue for the PPM VI event, and all players have agreed the card room, the Moulin Rouge on the seventh deck, has been a great success.

Please see below for the final table chips counts and payouts so far.

Final Table Chip Counts:
1 Dominik Stopka, Germany, 327,000
2 Alexander Jung, Germany, 326,000
3 Mika Paasonen, Finland, 236,000
4 Raymond Estall, UK, 187,000
5= Andreas Jorbeck, Sweden, 182,000
5 = Johannes Strassmann, Germany, 182,000
7 Peter Steinlesberger, Austria, 132,000
8 Cory Albertson, USA, 90,000
9 Kenneth Gregersen, Denmark, 44,000

Other results:
10 Mikael Erixon, $21,230
11 Fredrik Keitel, $17,250
12 Samir Shakhtoor, $17,250
13 Victor Sazonkin, $17,250
14 Paul Testud, $13,270
15 Florian Langmann, $13,270
16 Alexey Yuzikov, $13,270
17 Marcel Finnema, $11,280
18 Julian Lenz, $11,280
19 Allan Forsyth, $11,280
20 Matthew Dobbins, $11,280
21 Joseph Myles, $11,280
22 Christoph Haller, $11,280
23 Heinrich Mayr, $11, 280
24 Nicholas Bower, $11,280

25 Keith McGrath
26 Simon Munz
27 Christoph Niesert
28 Thomas Bihl
29 Epifanio Armando Licon
30 Ralph Rudd
31 Christian Schafer
32 George Dunst
33 Philip Hulse

Final Table Payouts:
1 $358,280
2 $285,583
3 $159,235
4 $119,425
5 $92, 883
6 $67,675
7 $47,770
8 $31,845
9 $21,230

By Simon Young

When the tournament bubble approaches, it normally takes time to burst as many players try and steer themselves to a money-paying position. We started with 33 players this afternoon, all hoping at least to make it to the prized 24^th spot.

There was no pussy-footing around, however, as again everyone went at each others’ throats, and within two one-hour levels the bubble had burst and one extra had gone for good measure.

At dinner tonight, 23 players remain in the PartyPoker Million VI, each shooting for a prize of more than $350,000. Overnight chip leader Johannes Strassmann, a young hot-shot from Germany, is keeping his place at the top of the pile, although his domineering stack has been cut back to about 180,000.

Wide awake: Strassmann is not as tired as looks

Chasing hard are PartyPoker Late Night Poker 2008 winner Andreas Jorbeck (150,000), from Sweden, Germany’s Dominik Stopka (130,000), Alexander Jung (110,000) and the UK’s Raymond Estall (80,000).

The day began in dramatic, but not unexpected fashion, when overnight short-stack Philip Hulse, a retired maths teacher from the UK, pushed all in on the first hand for his 5,000. He had K-10 and wasn’t too unhappy to be called by Keith McGrath’s 3-3. But the dealer had other ideas – out popped 4-7-3-3-9 for quads. If you’re going to go out, it may as well be in style.

Hulse said: “This is the biggest tournament I have ever played, and I’ve had a great time. I had to push in that spot, so I can’t be too disappointed.”

Andreas Jorbeck

McGrath, from Ireland, was short-stacked himself, and managed to remain in the hunt right until the last minute, when he went out on the dreaded bubble, just one place off the money.

Down to his last 3,000 or so, just enough for the next blinds, he pushed with K-8, got two callers and was quite confident on the 3-K-6-10-3 board – until he was shown K-J by his neighbour and it was all over.

All remaining players, therefore, had $11,280 guaranteed in their pockets, and were now preparing to dig in and strike for the big money at the final table.

Except, that is, Nick Bower, from the UK, who went out moments later when his 2-2 remained ahead of Strassmann’s 5-7 all the way until a 5 hit the river. He seems to have had fun, though, and now has some spending money with which to enjoy the rest of his cruise on board the MSC Poesia, which has left Izmir in Turkey and is now heading for Istanbul.

While Strassmann, who has made two decent cashes on the European Poker Tour this season, maintains his lead, it has not all been plain sailing. Dominik Stopka took one huge pot off him with pocket queens before he recovered to rebuild again.

Fin Mika Paasonen showed he had a big heart when he re-re-raised all in pre-flop against Christoph Niesert of Germany. Niesert dwelled for an age before folding – only for Paasonen to flash Q-9 for a well-timed bluff.

Notable fallers before the bubble included Australian George Dunst, knocked out by Alexander Jung, Christian Schafer (who ran his J-J into Raymond Estall’s K-K), Ralph Rudd (his Q-Q banged up against Jorbeck’s K-K), and most surprisingly Thomas Bihl, the WSOP bracelet winner from Germany, who fell to Sweden’s Samir Shakhtoor, who still has a healthy stack.

Once the bubble burst, the seats were redrawn. We’re now down to 23 players on three tables. When they come back from dinner they’ll be facing blinds of 1,200-2,400 with a running 400 ante.

We’ll report back later with their progress.

Leaving Izmir port behind us

By Simon Young

Welcome to day three of the PartyPoker Million VI on board MSC Poesia, currently docked in Izmir in Turkey. Play resumes at 4pm local time today, with just 33 of our 171 starters remaining. All hope to get their hands on the $358,280 first prize when the final table plays out on Thursday.

Germany’s Johaness Strassmann is currently well ahead of the chasing pack. Here are the chip stacks for all our survivors:

Johaness Strassmann, Germany, 218,000

Andreas Jorbeck, Sweden, 99,900

Thomas Bihl, Germany, 95,500

Marcel Finnema, Holland, 87,100

Alexey Yuzikov, Russia, 82,400

Peter Steinlesberger, Germany, 71,300

Alan Forsyth, UK, 70,200

Samir Shakhtoor, Sweden , 70,200

Fredrik Keitel, Germany, 62,500

Heinrich Mayr, Austria, 59,500

Raymond Estall, UK, 58,900

Alexander Jung, Germany, 58,400

Victor Sazonkin, Russia, 57,200

Christoph Nesert, Germany, 55,300

Florian Langmann, Germany, 53,200

Dominik Stopka, Germany, 47,400

Mika Passonen, Finland, 45,400

Paul Testud, France, 43,400

Matthew Dobbins, Ireland, 41,300

Cory Albertson, USA, 41,100

Simon Munz, Germany, 37,300

Joseph Myles, UK, 33,300

Christian Schafer, Germany, 29,500

George Dunst, Australia, 29,100

Nicholas Bower, UK, 27,800

Mikael Erixon, Sweden, 27,100

Christoph Haller, Austria, 24,800

Julian Lenz, Germany, 22,800

Epifanio Licon, Mexico, 21,300

Ralph Rudd, USA, 15,300

Kenneth Gregersen, Denmark, 9,800

Keith McGrath, Ireland, 7,700

Philip Hulse, UK, 5,800