High drama for the rail for both finalists (especially exciting for the Antonius Samuel fans), as the final hand played out. On a limp-checked flop of Tc 2s 3c, Hutchins check-raised to 375,000 when Samuel bet 120,000 (the size of the big blind at this point!). Samuel paused for a moment (but only a moment) before setting his opponent all in for around 2 million. He was called with extreme alacrity.
Samuel: As 4d
Hutchins: 2d 3h – he had flopped two pair, what many describe as a “big blind special”.
The rail of Samuel, to their credit, never doubted the outcome of the hand. The turn was the 7h and the river the 5h, bringing in the wheel for their boy. “I told you,” said Ali Ayub, one of the keen supporters.
Hutchins picked up €10,370 courtesy of that river, but said he was “very happy”.