Interesting hands of IFP’s European Nations Cup

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IFP’s new ‘Match Poker’ technology allowed for the first time ever to collect data from four 3-hour+ sessions of play containing 51, 65, 71, and 72 hands respectively (259 hands in total). Here are some interesting hands we’d like to share with you.

Read between the lines

Here’s the frequency of how many times each team scored above average (blue) and how many times they scored below average (red). Perhaps this is the clearest visual representation of why Ireland became champions!

Frequency Team Score

The Quad 6 Hand

Hand 128J9QT6699K7T5TOTALPoints
Netherlands-251030010075-250002010014
France-25-505175-100000410013
Russia-50-505400-220000310012
Hungary-25-1504700-192500260011
Poland-25-501150-4750060010
Cyprus-150-150350200002509
Estonia-25-5010075-100000008
Ireland-125-501075-107500-1757
UK-25-502175-267500-5756
Serbia-25-1252275-500000-28755
Lithuania-150-50-125-462500-49504
Bosnia-25-50-150-522500-54503
Spain-25-502750-1000000-73252
Denmark-25-50675-1000000-94001

The Netherlands destroyed the field in this hand, achieving two separate double-ups against the 99 (no other team got beyond the flop with the QT in Seat 2). One double-up would’ve been enough, however, since they also minimized the damage when they held the 99 in Seat 4. Cyprus was the only team to win with the 99 (re-raising pre-flop to take a small pot) but slow-played their quad 6s to death! Estonia’s uber-aggressive play in both spots evened itself out, and it was Denmark and Spain who lost out most with the 99s without managing to compensate with their 6s. Two other interesting points to note from this hand – Cyprus might have gained a point over Poland if they hadn’t got involved in the blinds (half the other teams simply folded both spots). The UK (Ross Boatman) also gained a point over Serbia by folding a 3k river-bet and making the correct laydown.

The KK v AT Hand

Hand 150Qd6d44ATA7Tc2cKKTOTALPoints
Lithuania-65010075825-50016501185014
Russia011200-700-50010751152513
Hungary010075-975-50-250900970012
Estonia07350-25-500-175710011
UK03275-1500-2500-150137510
Ireland0-1400-25-500900-5759
Netherlands-150-2000-700-15002250-7508
Spain0-150-250-500-800-8007
Serbia0-700-25-500-925-9256
Cyprus0-150-2400-12501050-16255
Bosnia0-350-25-500-3200-36254
France-10000-250-25-5002725-76003
Denmark-1752700-1950-500-10000-94752
Poland-50-150-725-52500-10000-161751

With an A23 flop (2 diamonds), Th on the turn and 5h on the river you might expect this hand to go to the KK half the time (pre-flop) and half the time to the AT (post-flop). NOT TRUE!!! Lithuania were the only team to win with the AT here – amazing stuff!

The Final Hand of the Tournament

After 258 hands
1Ireland[C]2011
2Russia [Q]1993.5
3Spain [Q]1986.5
4UK [Q]1973.5
5Estonia [Q]1970
6Cyprus1949.5
7Denmark1947.5
8Poland1946.5
9France1944
10Serbia1907.5
11Bosnia1879.5
12Lithuania1871
13Hungary1868.5
14Netherlands1841.5

Of course the teams didn’t know if it was close or a forgone conclusion at this point – they only knew how things stood at the beginning of the session. And with just the last hand to be dealt 5 of the teams were safely through, plus the European Championship decided. However, that final qualifying spot for the IFP Nations Cup Finals was still up for grabs with just 5.5 points separating 6th-9th place. If ever there is a lesson to be learned in sport, to keep fighting to the end, this is it!

Hand 25954Q57284K286TOTALPoints
Cyprus-5017500450675125014
Poland-50000015010013
Spain-5000001257512
Russia250000-25010
Denmark-5000750-25010
Netherlands250000-25010
UK-150750075-25-258
Ireland-500000-25-756
Estonia-500000-25-756
France-500000-25-756
Bosnia-1500000-25-1754
Serbia-125-12500050-2003
Hungary-150750200-625150-3502
Lithuania-5000-3750-25-4501

Exhausted and fatigued from close to 15 hours play over the two days, all six French players folded their final hand. Poland and Denmark also only contested the hand in just one spot each (achieving a 2nd and 5th respectively), but Cyprus kept their heads down and won this “nothing hand” in three spots (with Q5, K2 and 86). The hosts kept their 6th place and haven’t stopped partying since.