Uk-Poker.co.uk

The European Masters of Poker (EMOP) is one of the continent’s finest tournaments, featuring some of Europe’s finest players. EMOP tournaments are popular among live events and with UK online poker players, who can to some extent cut their teeth on the big stage at relatively low stakes. Many such players tend to enter low-key UK poker tournaments before venturing into much higher-profile events, such as the EMOP Lisbon. Comprising a field of 394 players, it was a UK poker player who stepped up to take the EMOP Lisbon title and prize money of €86,680.

Timothy Timotheau is not yet a household name, yet he is relatively well-known on the UK professional poker circuit. Timotheau took down the EMOP Lisbon after being reduced to a dangerously short stack on day one of the tournament. However, Timotheau showed that in poker tournaments, day one performance is by no means everything. Going head-to-head with Povilas Purtokas on the final table, the UK player managed to defeat his Lithuanian opponent in just six hands; as Purtokas moved all-in with pocket tens, Timotheau struck gold with K-9 in hand and a king on the flop. The defeat left Purtokas in second position on €53,190, which is by no means a meagre sum.

Finishing third at the EMOP Lisbon, Henrik Torsteenson picked up €34,672. The final table also consisted of: Diogo Borges (4th, €22,064); Paul Lucey (5th, €17,336); Joao Candeias (6th, €13,396); Mikael Tholander (7th, €11,820); Mariusz Beranden (8th, €10,244); and Pyry Oksanen (9th, €8,668).

Other UK poker stars who wish to repeat Timotheau’s European success will eagerly await the next leg of the EMOP, which is scheduled to take place in Campione, Italy, between the 27th and 30th May. The EMOP will then move on to Bulgaria, Barcelona and Malta before the infamous EMOP Master Cruise, which sets sail from Los Angeles and heads to the Mexican Riviera.