In the early years, German pro Johannes Strassmann – currently our chip leader in the EPT London £50,000 Super High Roller event - was all over the EPT.
Between the EPT3 Grand Final in March 2007 and EPT Snowfest in Season 6 (March 2010), Johannes cashed in a total of nine events including three final tables and two ninth place finishes. His lifetime live tournament winnings exceed $1.1 million – and the vast majority of that comes from EPTs.
Since March 2010 however – when he finished third at EPT Snowfest for a career best cash of €166,000, Strassmann has been largely off the scene. Today he said he took a break from the live poker circuit for some “personal spiritual development”. He said: “I’ve actually been traveling a lot, all over ... Europe, Thailand and quite a long time in the US. My father is American and I have a huge family over there. He had five sisters, so I have lots and lots of cousins – there’s actually about 200 people in my American family.”
Strassmann hadn’t abandoned poker altogether however. He played the EPT Berlin High Roller last season and has also been playing high stakes cash games at casinos in the Czech Republic and online – “to
make a living”.
He also went in to business, launching a German poker coaching site which subsequently failed. He said: “It’s OK. As an entrepreneur, you expect some ventures to fail.” Originally from Bonn but now living in
Vienna, 28-year-old Strassmann plans to play more live events going forward – including EPT Prague in December, the PCA in January and the Grand Final.
He said: “I’m going to play the High Rollers and someMain Events – the fun ones!” He is also in the process of setting up Europe’s first ever €100,000 Heads-Up tourney in Prague in December.
Action folded to Christoph Vogelsang on the button and he raised to 23,000. John Juanda defended from the big blind and it was heads-up action to the flop. Juanda check-called a bet of 26,000, and then called one double that amount on the turn.
When the completed the board on the river, Juanda checked for a third time and Vogelsang slowed down and did the same. Juanda tabled the , and it was good as Vogelsang mucked.
Over on one of the outer tables there was a mystery involving a 25,000-chip which remained unsolved.
Play in the tournament was halted for five minutes and the clock was paused while the tournament director looked into this situation. The TV crew had been filming the previous hand and the footage was played back. There was no clear shot of the well and the tournament director ruled that this chip would be taking out of play because it could not be determined who it belonged to.
Play continues with 25,000 chips less in the tournament.
Rick Salomon, born January 24, 1968, is a film producer known for his relationships with the likes of E.G. Daily, Shannen Doherty, Paris Hilton, and Pamela Anderson. Interestingly, the ladies also defined Salomon here today.
In a recent hand, Talal Shakerchi opened for 20,000 only to have Salomon three-bet all in for 110,000. November Niner and current EPT10 Player of the Year leader David Benefield then four-bet all in over the top for 288,000 total. Shakerchi gave it some thought before making the call, and he no doubt regretted it upon seeing the cards.
Shakerchi:
Salomon:
Benefield:
Benefield's queens held as the board ran out and Salomon made a hasty exit from the tournament floor, giving him the evening off in London. Meanwhile Shakerchi counted out chips to send to his opponent.
Action folded around to Viktor "Isildur1" Blom on the button and he min-raised to 20,000. Shawn Buchanan, who has been nursing one of the shorter stacks in the room the last two levels, decided it was time to make a stand and shoved for 120,000 total from the small blind. Timothy Adams then called from the big and Blom got out of the way.
Buchanan:
Adams:
Buchanan got it in as a big favorite, for the flop was disaster as Adams paired his jack. The turn put three spades on the board and gave Buchanan a flush draw, but he'd miss all his outs when the river blanked.
flop. Juanda check-called a bet of 26,000, and then called one double that amount on the 
turn.
completed the board on the river, Juanda checked for a third time and Vogelsang slowed down and did the same. Juanda tabled the 
, and it was good as Vogelsang mucked.
![[user20283]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and Salomon made a hasty exit from the tournament floor, giving him the evening off in London. Meanwhile Shakerchi counted out chips to send to his opponent.
when Johannes Strassmann bet 125,000 from the small blind and Jeff Gross called from the cutoff.
and Negreanu picked up this pot.
flop was disaster as Adams paired his jack. The 
turn put three spades on the board and gave Buchanan a flush draw, but he'd miss all his outs when the river blanked.
