After four years in the English Capital, this week marked the debut of the World Series of Poker Europe in Cannes, a tourist hotspot in the French Riviera which also plays host to the hugely popular Partouche Poker Tour.
One player who pursued the WSOPE down the English Channel is Black Belt Poker pro Jerome Bradpiece. Having already cashed in Event #2, Jerome further lined his pockets with a final table finish in Event #3's Pot Limit Omaha freezeout, ultimately departing in fifth place for €57,912.
A respectable 180 stumped up the €5,300 entry fee, including a seemingly endless array of poker talent: Tom 'durrrr' Dwan, Daniel Negreanu, Patrik Antonius, Jason Mercier, Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier and recent Hall of Fame nominee Barry Greenstein. But despite the esteemed opposition, Jerome finished Day 1 third in chips with 128,500, before surviving turbulent winds on Day 2 to make the final table in seventh place with 146,000.
The final lineup was tougher than a two-dollar steak with the likes of Ramzi Jelassi, Erich Kollmann, November Niner Eoghan O'Dea and Sam Trickett, the latter holding a mammoth chip lead with almost double that of Steve Billirakis in second. It was also an eclectic final, with Britain boasting the only duplicated flag.
After O'Dea seeped first blood in ninth, Jerome dispatched of Canadian Sam Chartier before climbing another two rungs when Kollmann and Konstantin Uspenskiy departed in seventh and sixth respectively.
With five remaining, Jerome was left as the short stack, but would enjoy a fortunate double-up after moving all in with Kh-Jh-Td-5d on a 7s-Js-Jd flop. Despite Trickett holding Ks-Kc-Jc-5c, Jerome snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when the As turn was pursued by a house-filling Tc river.
Those chips proved to be a temporary luxury, however, as Jerome doubled up American Billirakis shortly after, flat-calling a three-bet preflop with 6s-6h-2s-2h before open-shoving the Qs-8s-4c flop. Billirakis made the call with Ah-Ac-Th-7d and duly held firm on a harmless 8c turn and 3d river.
This setback left Jerome as the short stack once again, and upon returning from the dinner break, he moved his final chips in on a 9c-Kc-2s flop with Kd-Qc-Td-9d. Nemesis Billirakis' Jd-Tc-7c-3d improved to a flush and Jerome was forced to settle for fifth.
Although he later commented, "Cheers for the funk. I'm pretty gutted at the moment, but I'm sure I'll see the upside soon," this confirmed a return to form for the Brown Belt and former GUKPT Walsall Champion who has now cashed an impressive eight times since July for over $100,000, including a win in a London Calling Mini Festival side event in which girlfriend Sarah Berry finished in the runner-up spot.
In total, Jerome now has $602,502 in live tournament winnings, but makes his bread and butter online at Black Belt Poker where he plays Pot Limit Omaha cash, along with Black Belt Richard Ashby who had been railing him throughout the final. In this event, Jerome sold a small percentage of his action to a number of Black Belt Poker members, including Blue Belt Kevin Willams who'd shrewdly purchased a two percent share.
Following Jerome's demise, it was Billirakis who took top honours, adding to the gold he won in Vegas four years prior when he became the youngest bracelet-winner to date having only been above the minimum age for 11 days. Trickett, meanwhile, finished fourth and, like Jerome, will have to wait before adorning his wrist with a first bracelet win.
1st Steve Billirakis (United States) -- €238,140
2nd Michele Di Lauro (Italy) -- €147,171
3rd Ramzi Jelassi (Sweden) -- €105,937
4th Sam Trickett (United Kingdom) -- €77,642
5th Jerome Bradpiece (United Kingdom) -- €57,912
6th Konstantin Uspenskiy (Russia) -- €43,950
7th Erich Kollmann (Austria) -- €33,922
8th Samuel Chartier (Canada) -- €26,610
9th Eoghan O'Dea (Ireland) -- €21,221
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