Season two in the southern region of the Grosvenor 25/25 Series got off to a great start for Colin MacAndrew, who took the title and £6,850, after a four-handed deal saw all surviving players scoop £5,000 each... with MacAndrew bagging the best of the rest after defeating James Royan heads-up.
A total field of 161 entries from 25-27 July created a pot of £32,200, with 54 players returning to battle for the title on day two.
Chip leader at the start of the day was Lee Ridout with 253,400 chips, followed by Chris Monk on 182,700, Daniel Whittaker with 180,500, Shaun Conning on 143,500 and Clive Macey with 129,600.
In the final hand Royan, with the shorter of the two stacks, made it 125k from the button and MacAndrew called to see the flop, which brought JC-KH-10H. And, after a check from MacAndrew with QS-9S for the straight, Royan fired in a bet of 200k with MacAndrew three-betting to 550k.
With that Royan announced all-in and MacAndrew called. Unfortunately for Royan his KC-10S had him in a world of pain and left him needing to catch a king or 10 to prevent MacAndrew becoming the champion.
The 8H on the turn and 8S on the river weren't what he wanted to see so he had to be content with the runner-up's cheque for £5,500 with MacAndrew scooping £6,850, the trophy and the title.
Third place went to Tom Murray who made it 58k to go from the small blind with pocket queens, Royan calling from the big blind with 8C-3C.
A 3S-6C-4C on the flop saw Royan check and Murray continue for 75k, with Royan raising to 175k and Murray announcing all-in.
Royan made the call and the KD on the turn and QC on the river gave him a flush against Murray's set.
Conning, one of only two of the top five at the start of the day to make the final table, was the fourth-place finisher after he made it 50k to play from under the gun and then called when MacAndrew re-raisesd to 100k from the small blind.
The flop of 9C-7C-QD saw MacAndrew lead out for 100k and Conning call, then move all-in after MacAndrew checked the JS on the turn.
MacAndrew wasted no time in calling with pocket aces, Conning showing K-J and needing a king, jack or 10 on the river to stay alive. The 6C was no good though and he left in fourth spot.
Fifth place went to Ricky Scott who was third in chips at the start of the final table, with Bahman Alizadehpour finishing sixth and Macey, who'd been fifth at the start of the day, eventually going out in seventh place.
Eighth place went to Charles Brown and the first man to leave the final table was Richard Lazarus, the short stack going into the final table.
25/25 Southampton
1 Colin MacAndrew £6,850
2 James Royan £5,500
3 Thomas Murray £5,000
4 Shaun Conning £5,000
5 Ricky Scott £1,770
6 Bahman Alizadehpour £1,320
7 Clive Macey £1,060
8 Charles Brown £900
9 Richard Lazarus £770
