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Mix-Max Main Event Final Table: Klodnicki Wins the Marathon

Topics: Epic Poker League, December Main Event, Scott Clements, Michael Mizrachi, Joe Tehan, Chris Klodnicki, Andrew Lichtenberger [+]

The Epic Poker League Mix-Max Main Event Final Table began at noon and would continue for nearly 15 hours. The unique structure meant the players would have plenty of chips to play their game while trying to become the 3rd Main Event Champion. The atmosphere was exciting throughout the final table with large groups of supporters sitting in the stands who stayed vocal from the first hand to the last. 

Play started off quickly with two eliminations but slowed down considerably when the three remaining players were sitting with similar stacks. While Andrew Lichteberger started with the top chip stack, it would be Chris Klodnicki who would finish his tournament with the Champion's Ring and over $800,000.

Scott Clements knew it would take a lot of work to get into the mix when he began the day with far fewer chips than the rest of his opponents. He wasn't involved in the first few hands but decided to get his chips in with K9 and was dominated by the KT of Andrew Lichtenberger. Clements jumped ahead on the 9-high flop but his tournament ended when Lichtenberger turned the T. He picked up his first Epic Poker League Main Event cash and $89,680 for 5th place.

Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi began the day with the second most chips at the table and was going well in the early stages of the final table. The first hit to his stack was against Chris Klodnicki when he had nearly 500,000 in the pot only to fold on the river. The next drop occurred when Lichtenberger check-called all the way with KK, which was good, versus the flopped top pair of 9's of Mizrachi. It was Joe Tehan who knocked out "The Grinder" when his K6 outflopped Mizrachi's A3. He took home $174,640 for his 4th place finish.

Joe Tehan provided the tournament with excitement at the end of Day 3 but lost his chiplead on Day 4. Three-handed play against Chris Klodnicki and Andrew Lichtenberger went more than 100 hands including a big double up against Lichtenberger with 99. In the end it would be the pocket Nines of Chris Klodnicki which would end his evening. Tehan was unable to come from behind with A7 and the former chipleader was knocked out in 3rd place for $306,800.

The Heads Up Match between Klodnicki and Lichtenberger was predicted to be an extended affair with the deepstacks and structure. The Mix-Max format was designed to have the champion determined by a best 2 out of 3 Heads Up Match where the player would begin with the chips they won throughout the tournament for the first two matches. If after two matches, they were split one win a piece, the final match would have the players start with identical counts.

Klodnicki began with 3,470,000 while Lichtenberger was behind with 1,526,000. The first match went exactly as expected. Both players were content to play smaller pots until finding a major hand. Lichtenberger doubled up early in the match to even things out and the chiplead changed hands several times.

It took over 140 hands of heads up play until Klodnicki won the first match when his KK was able to hold up against the flopped flush draw of Lichtenberger's J9. Klodnicki had just a small chiplead over Lichtenberger and won the first match.

The second match did not take as long but still went nearly 70 hands. Lichtenberger fought hard but was never able to take the initial lead away from Klodnicki. The two went back and forth pre-flop until Klodnicki called the six-bet of Lichtenberger to see a 873 flop. Klodnicki bet, Lichtenberger raised all-in, and Klodnicki called.

Lichtenberger was ahead with AK for a better ace-high but Klodnicki had plenty of out with his A4. Looking for any diamond or one of the remaining fours, the turned 4 put Klodnicki ahead and Lichtenberger was unable to catch a King on the river to double up. After 5 days of play and 15 hours on the final table, the tournament had just one player standing.

With the final hand complete, Chris Klodnicki became the third Epic Poker League Main Event Champion. For his victory he will receive $801,680 along with the Champion's Ring.