Markus Lehmann Wins the WPT Spanish Championship

When the World Poker Tour competes internationally, you can expect an international final table. The Spanish Championship in Barcelona was no exception, featuring six players from six different countries including Russia, Sweden, Korea, France, Austria, and Denmark. Despite a tough table featuring three-time WPT Champion Gus Hansen, Markus Lehmann overcame a short stack and a long delay to take home the title.

Coming into the final table, the chip counts were as follows:
Seat No. 1 – Vladimir "The Vampire" Poleschchuk – 176,000
Seat No. 2 – Christer Johansson – 855,000
Seat No. 3 – Steve "MuGGyLiCiOuS" Sung – 670,000
Seat No. 4 – Gus "The Great Dane" Hansen – 962,000
Seat No. 5 – Ludovic "Cuts" Lacay – 400,000
Seat No. 6 – Markus Lehmann – 329,000

After a brief introduction and a gift of champagne from the Casino de Peralada, the players were seated and ready to begin.

It didn't take long for the action to heat up. On the very first hand of play, Lacay raised to 42,000 and Johansson reraised to 192,000 from the big blind. Lacay moved all in for 398,000 and Johansson made the call. Johansson showed A Q but was in bad shape against Lacay's pocket aces. The board came 10 8 8 Q 6 and Lacay and Johansson traded places in the standings to start things off.

On the 14th hand of play, we lost Poleschchuk. Poleschchuk moved all in from the button for his last 120,000. Sung thought for a while before making the call with A 2. Poleschchuk showed K 9 and needed help to survive, but the board came 5 3 2 10 A, eliminating the Russian in sixth place. For his efforts, Poleschchuk earned 83,900 euros ($118,945).

After a large pot went to Sung, the players took a supposed 10-minute break. Two hours and 37 minutes later (a WPT record), play resumed. There were technical difficulties regarding the cameras and play could not begin until the issue was resolved. The players were a bit annoyed, but overall demonstrated remarkable patience throughout the ordeal.

On the first hand after returning, Lehmann made sure to get all of his chips into the pot. Lehmann raised under the gun to 60,000, Hansen reraised from the small blind to 175,000, and Lehmann moved all in for 291,000. Hansen called and showed A 10 while Lehmann was behind with 8 7. The board came K 8 2 9 2 to double Lehmann up and put him back in contention.

Just three hands later, it would be Johansson's turn to double up. In a battle of the blinds, both Johansson and Sung took a K 6 4 flop heads up. Both players checked to the turn, which was the J. Johansson bet out 30,000 and Sung took some time before raising to 100,000. Johansson announced all in and Sung made the call. Sung showed 6 4 for two pair, but Johansson had K J for a higher two pair. The river was the 10 and the Swedish poker pro doubled up.

At this point it, was anyone's game, with the remaining five players all within eight big blinds of each other. Over the next eight hands, the players traded chips back and forth while four of them saw the chip lead. It would be Lacay who would finish at the top, at least for a while, with a series of raises and reraises that put a big gap between himself and the players scraping to catch up.

Lacay picked up a big pot when he eliminated Hansen. Hansen raised from the small blind to 74,000 and Lacay called in the big blind. The flop came Q 6 4 and Hansen moved all in. Lacay called immediately and, before seeing Lacay's cards, Hansen said, "Well, I'm drawing dead." Lacay showed pocket aces and Hansen was way behind with A 10. The turn and river came K and 9, giving Lacay the pot and a massive chip lead. Hansen fell short of his fourth WPT title and finished in fifth place, earning 100,600 euros ($142,621).

For the second time at the final table, Sung fell victim to a cooler. Sung limped on the button and Lacay completed in the small blind. Lehmann raised from the big blind to 90,000 and Sung moved all in. Lacay got out of the way and the two players revealed their cards. Sung had two black kings, but Lehmann was ahead with his two red aces. The flop came J 9 8, giving no help to Sung, but the turn was the K giving him the lead. Lehmann could still catch up on the river, and he did when the 10 gave him the nut flush. Sung finished in fourth place taking home 117,400 euros ($166,438).

Johansson would be the next to go. In a battle of the blinds, Lehmann completed from the small blind and Johansson checked. The flop came 10 8 7, and Johansson bet 50,000. Lehmann called and the turn was the K. This time, Johansson bet 90,000, prompting Lehmann to raise to 300,000. Johansson moved all in, and Lehmann called immediately with K 5. Johansson showed Q 10 and was behind. The river was the 6 and the former WPT winner was eliminated in third place, earning 151,000 euros ($214,073).

Heads-up play lasted only 22 hands. The final hand came when Lehmann raised on the button to 125,000. Lacay reraised to 350,000 and Lehmann made the call. The flop came 8 5 3, and Lacay moved in. Lehmann called immediately with K 8 and Lacay was behind with A 5. The turn and river came 3 and 4, giving Lehmann the title, the trophy, and 554,897 euros ($786,805). Lehmann also received and entry into the $25,000 WPT Championship event at Bellagio. For his runner-up finish, Lacay took 295,200 euros ($418,505) back to France.

Here are the final results:

1. Markus Lehmann – 554,987 euros ($786,805)
2. Ludovic Lacay – 295,200 euros ($418,505)
3. Christer Johansson – 151,000 euros ($214,073)
4. Steve Sung – 117,400 euros ($166,438)
5. Gus Hansen – 100,600 euros ($142,621)
6. Vladimir Poleschchuk – 83,900 euros ($118,945)