Kfir Nahum, from the smallest stack to being a winner
The conclusion of the first part of the 2014 poker season was a real ‚grand finale’ for PokerFest, with a tournament that surprised even the most optimistic: Israel Poker Tour – Summer Edition.
The start was not smooth, due to the cancellation of over 100 participations from Israel (because of the turmoil emerging in that country during that period of time) and also the summer break, which poker players comply with. In other words, the organizers and the PokerFest followers were not expecting a great Main Event, but rather a short and quick, holiday type tournament, with 300 entries at most.
The reality was a totally different story. Players took by storm the Atlas Room in Radisson Blu, first for the satellites and then for the Main Event. The final number? A surprise for everyone: 506 entries and another record for PokerFest.
The first participation record took place in November 2012, still in Bucharest – Mihai Manole managed to defeat a field of 339 players. Other massive records happened under the PokerFest brand – the most important was last October when Grand 100 had 704 entries in the prize pool.
The tournament ended after the most surprising final table and upside-downs in the history of the PokerFest final tables: the chip leader was eliminated on the 9th! Catalin Leahu, an entrepreneur from Iasi, a poker lover, ousted by Dan Murariu after an opening with A3 from the button against Dan in a big-blind with AQ.
Surprises kept coming. After two more eliminations, Dan Murariu decided to play almost all his preflop stack with eights from small-blind against the jacks of Kfir Nahum who had opened from the button and pushed all-in after Murariu’s 3bet. Dan paid on the site and folded, leaving Kfir in the position of a massive chip leader.
Kfir Nahum went against all odds and, thanks to a perfect timing with the cards, consolidated his advantage and stayed in the top position until the end. When in the heads-up with Alpas Soos, he won with his last hand when stood against the tens with a J9. Absolutely remarkable, as he had entered the final table with the smallest stack!
Like final, like tournament, both suprising.
Speaking from the heart, we would have loved to have the cup in Romania. But it is also a good thing to have a Jewish player win and go home with a PokerFest Cup, which will arouse the interest of the foreign players for participating in the next editions.
In a nutshell, the last tournament of the first 2014 season matched the number of entries: beautiful, thrilling, extraordinary and with a nail-bitting final table. Another PokerFest chapter that has a happy ending.
The fall series debuts in Cluj, between 16 and 21 of September, after a holiday end intermezzo in the Sunny Beach Bulgarian resort, under the baton of Alex Cretu, between 25 August and 3 of September.
