if you'd like to join the bwin team yourself and get a taste of what it's like to play in major poker tournaments and enjoy the famed bwin hospitality, click here for full details.
Making his way on to the bwin Poker team for 2010 and winning $100,000 to be used for poker tournaments. It wasn't as easy as it sounds though as the heads up battle against taschini went on for over an hour!
A♣A♠ vs. K♣T♠. Board: 7♠2♥5♠J♥8♥.
Chipkicker67 throws his Aces on the felt, sees the Flop, the Turn and the River and finally realizes that he's actually won the biggest bwin tournament of the year 2009!
The cameras pounced on the winner!
The Magic Moments of Poker 2009 comes to an amazing end and victor with Chipkicker67.
With 6 fantastic stops on the MMOP 2009 tour taking us all the way from Real Madrid, AC Milan, the MotoGP, EuroBasket 2009 and PokerIsland this reporter has to say what a long and amazing journey it's been. Let's hope that 2010 will prove an even more successful one for Chipkicker67. He'll represent bwin at some of the largest international poker events. We hope that he cashes several times in 2010 and of course brings us some good news for the bwin Pokerblog. So what else is there to say apart from: CONGRATULATIONS!
Only one of them is now member of the bwin Poker team: Chipkicker67!
The handover of the main prize
The moving speech from Chipkicker67
saturnin1, Iweitsch1, THE WINNER: Chipkicker67, ivichuelas, taschini, x_whiskey_x, henne827
Against the chipleader ivichuelas uses all of his chips to find a caller. Holding Pocket Sevens against Q♦J♦ Chipkicker67 hits his overpair with the Queen and sends ivichuelas packing.
It seems that Chipkicker67 is starting to bully this table, placing the others under pressure and doesn’t fear tough calls. Could this be the right way to get himself onto the bwin Poker team?
Bust #5 - x_whiskey_x
K♥T♦ and only 12k in chips. x_whiskey_x is looking to get paid, Chipkicker67 has enough chips and coughs up the chips holding K♣J♠. And then low and behold 7♦5♦J♥K♦5♥ are dealt and Chipkicker67 has an incredible advatage in the heads-up against the Italian taschini (Blinds are already 800/1600, Antes 200).
x_whiskey_x vs. Chipkicker67
Local hero Iweitsch1 at the rail...
The blinds have now climbed to 400/800, Antes 100. And the blinds are getting torturous especially for the short stacks at the table…
A couple of hands later Chipkicker67 knocks out saturnin1 and collects his next giant stack of chips! Before last street saturnin1 (A♠8♣) sees his chance to earn some chips if he can just hit an Ace. But Chipkicker67 manages to even hit two pair with Aces and Fours ((K♥2♠A♦4♣). The Queens on the River won't change anything and send saturnin1 to the rail…
saturnin1
New Chipcount:
Chipkicker67 - 49,000
x_whiskey_x - 29,000
taschini - 16,000
ivichuelas - 11,000
henne827 loses against Iweitsch1
In the next hand Chipkicker67 (A♣Q♦) picks up a massive pot against Iweitsch1 (K♣Q♠). Both of them hit the Queens, but Iweitsch1’s straight doesn’t happen.
New Chipcounts after 63 hands played:
Chipkicker67 - 32,100
x_whiskey_x - 27,250
taschini - 16,100
ivichuelas - 12,825
saturnin1 - 11,225
Iweitsch1 - 5,500
Chipcount after the dinner break (34 hands played, blinds at 100/200, 25 Antes)
ivichuelas- 24,800
x_whiskey_x - 20,450
Chipkicker67 - 15,750
Iweitsch1 - 15,575
henne827 - 12,475
taschini - 12,000
saturnin1 - 3,950
Right after the break saturnin1 doubled up. With 9k he’s coming back!
This has been the Magic Moments
During the whole of 2009 the Magic Moments of Poker tour stopped off at seven top-sport events: Which included fantastic stops in Real Madrid, AC Milan, the MotoGP, the EuroBasket 2009 and PokerIsland! At each stop of the tour one player qualified for today’s grand final!
And with the cameras rolling just one last time – there’s a lot at stake here! It'll be bad luck for places 2-7 but what an incredible chance for the winner: Joing the bwin Poker team every step of the way in 2010.
Now scchhhhh.....as the Blinds are 25/50, and all players are starting with 15k in chips.
saturnin1, ivichuelas, henne827
Seat 1: saturnin1
(France)
Qualified: Munich
Seat 2: ivichuelas
(Spain)
Qualified: PokerIsland
Seat 3: henne827
(Germany)
Qualified: „Train and Meet“ AC Milan
Chipkicker67, taschini, x_whiskey_x, Iweitsch1
Seat 4: Chipkicker67
(Germany)
Qualified: MotoGP Jerez
Seat 5: taschini
(Italy)
Qualified: „Train and Meet“ Real Madrid
Seat 6: x_whiskey_x
(Switzerland)
Qualified: FIBA
Seat 7: Iweitsch1
(Austria)
Qualified: Real Madrid - Atlético Madrid
Iweitsch1 - Austria
Qualified: Real Madrid - Atlético Madrid (to the blog)
Country: Austria
Age: 22
Occupation: Student, Card Dealer
henne827 - Germany
Qualified: „Train and Meet“ AC Milan (to the blog)
Country: Germany
Age: 26
Occupation: Student
Chipkicker67 - Germany
Qualified: MotoGP Jerez (to the blog)
Country: Germany
Age: 42
Occupation: Ship Engineer
ivichuelas – Spain
Qualified: PokerIsland (to the blog)
Country: Spain
Age: 25
Occupation: Telecommunication Consultant
saturnin1 - France
Qualified: Munich (to the blog)
Country: France
Age: 27
Occupation: Marketing Consultant
x_whiskey_x - Switzerland
Qualified: FIBA (to the blog)
Country: Switzerland
Age: 36
Occupation: Computer Engineer
taschini - Italy
„Train and Meet“ Real Madrid
Country: Italy
Age: 24
Occupation: Student
After starting at the traditional Spanish football club at the beginning of the year (City-Derby Real – Atlético) the last free seat in the MMOP final is battled for at Real Madrid too.
"Train and Meet Real Madrid" – what else is left to say, the name says it all! Training at the facility of the world famous club and getting to meet some of the most famous players in the football world. On top of all that the players got to enjoy the famed bwin support – trips to the most exclusive clubs, bars, and restaurants of the city. “Train and Meet Real Madrid” – that’s it!
Special Highlight at theis station: Not Raul, not van Nistelrooy but Wretched84! He is the first player who successfully qualified for the MMOP the second time! At the stop MMOP MotoGP in May he did it to the head-up but didn’t make it to the final. This time he will be much more focused to take the final ticket – that’s for sure!
The "Train"
Wearing the official Real Madrid Training outfit the seven bwin qualificants run on the filed of the Valdebebas training facility. There awaited their very own challenge: a training session directed by the Real coaches!
Training at Valdebebas: Freekick and Celebrating the goals
The "Meet"
Relaxed handshake and gossip with Raul, Guti and van Nistelrooy after a hard training. Enough time to exchange tips, photos and autographs from the stars. Can there be anything more exciting then that?
Handshake with Van Nistelrooy
Freekick-Practice with Guti
The last ticket to the Final
Unforgettable days at a top sporting event in Europe, playing poker in front of running cameras and the way to the final – that was the procedure at each MMOP sop. After the "Train and Meet" Real Madrid the TV poker table was waiting now where the cameras already started recording. Who will walk away with the last ticket to the final in the next few hours and keep alive their hopes of grabbing the $100,000 membership of the bwin Poker team?
You were able to take part in the EuroBasket 2009 final. What has been the highlight of the weekend, your Magic Moment? The free throw competition in a packed room, training with “EPI” or the parties?
The best Magic Moment of this semi-final was unquestionably meeting and spending time with the other finalists coming from the four corners of Europe and the bwin support. But also my victory in the free throw competition during the finals, which earned me the right to be carried aloft by the EuroBasket mascots in front of a beaming crowd.
The MMOP promises: “Some great moments that all the money in the world could not buy you”. What kind of great moments could the MMOP be talking about here?
Being able to experience in a few days so many emotions. Executing some free throws in a packed room, basketball training by “EPI”, visiting some magnificent hotels and visiting the EuroBasket VIP entry areas will remain some unforgettable memories and ones which I will be able to tell my grandchildren about.
What do you think of the other qualifiers at the MMOP? Have you made any new friends?
Actually, I was able to form some new friendships. We were able to share some new memories and good times during our journey.
All the players were unpredictable. For all of us, this tournament was our first big event offline. It goes without saying that the cameras put us all under enormous pressure. That’s why we are hoping to quickly get back to an online table for a welcome return game.
Did you think that you were able to win the MMOP semi-final?
No, I didn’t think that I would win this semi-final. My victory during the qualifications was already a great surprise for me.
You were aggressive during many hands but more reserved at other times. What were your tactics – why did you win?
It took me a long time before I was fully focussed on the game. At the beginning, I was too passive and found myself with hardly any chips. But my opponents also played a passive game and I took advantage of this situation in order to come back into the game. However, I think that it was possible for me to win this semi-final thanks to my observation of the other opponents. Certain gestures betrayed them and allowed me to win my ticket for the final.
How long have you been playing poker for?
I discovered poker about a year ago with a few friends. But it was about 8 months ago when I first played online at bwin.
What other successes have you been able to celebrate up to now at poker?
The MMOP EuroBasket is my only success up to now.
And now, the most important question of all: why do you think that it is YOU who will win the MMOP final, thus becoming the new member of the bwin Poker team?
Firstly, I’m going to win this final for my family and friends who are encouraging and supporting me. Joining the bwin Poker team is a dream which will allow me to learn a great deal about poker and become a professional player. It’s for these reasons that I’m going to do everything possible in order to win this final and fulfil my dream.
Does the winner of the MMOP EuroBasket 2009 have a message to send out to the world of poker?
Watch out for your chips! I still have a lot to learn, but I will soon be seated at the great poker tables.
Have fun and be happy.
