There were 24 players to return for Day 3 of the inaugural PokerStars Festival London Main Event on Sunday but only one left the Hippodrome Casino as the big winner some hours later. Rehman Kassam, a 23-year-old law student and occasional poker player, was that lucky one. The player collected £89,320 for his triumph, his best live cash so far, and the PokerStars-stamped tournament trophy.
Kassam also became the winner of the first-ever PokerStars Festival to have taken place on European soil.
Winning the Main Event was not an easy task as Kassam had to face a number of really tough fellow players. Daniel Harwood, his heads-up opponent, proved to be the toughest of them all. In fact, there were moments throughout Day 3 play when it looked as if it would be Harwood to scoop the title.
The player took the chip lead at the time when there were 12 players left at the Hippodrome Casino tables. He extended his advantage until he accumulated a hefty stack of 18 million. During three-handed play, Harwood held two times more chips than his two remaining opponents combined.
Aside from Harwood and Kassam, Australian Eric Cech was the other remaining survivor at that stage. The three players stopped the clock to discuss a deal. One was reached, securing Cech with a payout of £70,000, Harwood with £95,000, and Kassam with £81,320. The three players set aside £8,000 and the trophy to play for.
Two-handed play between Kassam and Harwood began with the latter still holding the lead. However, even though he had a lot to catch up, the young law student did not seem ready to miss the opportunity to win the title that easily. Harwood pushed the action for the greater part of Day 3 but he suddenly found himself significantly weakened after Kassam won a huge pot to take the lead. And once he took it, he finished off his final opponent within the span of several minutes.
On the final hand in play, Kassam raised to 400,000 and Harwood called. The [10d][6c][5s] ran out on the flop. Harwood then checked. Kassam bet 500,000 to see his opponent move all in. Kassam called immediately, turning [Kh][10c] against Harwood’s [10h][7d]. The [4d] appeared on the turn. And just when the clock struck midnight, the [Qs] was dealt on the river to decide it all.
The PokerStars Festival London was a £990 buy-in tournament. It drew 944 entries who generated £824,112 for the prize pool. The top 24 finishers received a share of the money.
The conclusion of the Main Event marked the end of the first PokerStars Festival London. PokerStars’ new festival format will next be hosted by King’s Casino in Rozvadov, the Czech Republic, another popular European poker destination.
