Frederik Jensen Wins EPT Madrid Title

by Mario Alfonsi  |  Published on Mar 18, 2012  |  Updated on Mar 18, 2012

Danish pro Frederik Jensen had come close to winning a major title on several previous occasions. In the last two years, several final tables, only to fall short of the ultimate prize – the closest call coming in January 2010, when he finished second at the Aussie Millions. But Jensen’s breakthrough finally came on Saturday, as he navigated both a final table and a three-way deal on his way to winning the European Poker Tour Madrid Main Event.Jensen came into the final table in third place, and managed to stay in contention throughout the action. Two major obstacles were taken out of the way earlier than he might have expected, clearing the path to the top of the standings for the eventual champion.First, French pro Nicolas Levi – perhaps the most successful tournament player at the final table – was eliminated in 7^th place. Levi came into the final table as the short stack, but was certainly a concern for his opponents until the moment he was eliminated. A little later in the day, Ricardo Ibanez – who led the table at the start of the day – would be knocked out of contention in 5^th place, winning €115,000.After Bruno Lopes was dropped in 4^th place, that left Jensen, Fraser MacIntyre and Andrei Stoenescu to battle for the title. In an unusual display for just a major tournament, the final three players publically agreed to a deal, guaranteeing each player a sizable prize while still leaving €110,000 on the table for the eventual winner.This led to an unusual situation in the final payouts. Andrei Stoenescu would be eliminated in 3^rd place, and take home €330,000. This was more than the runner up, MacIntyre, would win; since no money from the deal was reserved for second place, and Stoenescu had a larger stack than MacIntyre, the second place finisher won just €290,000.For his efforts, Jensen would ultimately win €495,000, marking one of the largest cashes of his career.The extended day of final table play may have had something to do with the players’ willingness to make a deal. From the start of play, it took more than 12 hours for Jensen to eliminate his final opponent and win the EPT Madrid title.