The 2008 PokerStars EPT Budapest Main Event is officially in the books.  The popular European series has taken the tournament circuit by storm, and its most recent stop certainly didn’t disappoint.

With 532 entrants plunking down the €4,350 buyin, the 4-day tournament drew in its fair share of internet qualifiers from PokerStars, as well as many notable live pros and other members of Team PokerStars.  After several days of intense play, the final table would commence with one of the most familiar faces of online poker being apart of the mix.

Johnny Lodden, a Stars-sponsored pro, was one of the big favorites to take down the first place price of over $765K USD.  His online status as one of the greatest Europeans to ever grace the virtual felt was to be tested on the live waters of this EPT finale.  He would be pitted against some pretty solid part-time players, as well as a qualifier from PokerStars, and a few talented rivals from Italy.

However, in the end, it would be an unknown player from the UK who would steal the show under the bright lights of the EPT cameras.  Will Fry, who would enter the final table in the middle of the pack as far as chips were concerned, would make a furious rally midway through the championship, taking out several key players before getting it heads up with Ciprian Hrisca of Romania.

Here’s the final hand, as told by PokerstarsBlog.com:

5.45pm: William Fry, UK, PokerStars player, wins EPT Budapest, earning €595,839
Ciprian Hrisca, eliminated in second place, earning €342,608
And it’s all over. There’s some big pre-flop raising, re-raising, re-re-raising and suddenly all the chips are in the middle. Fry shows his J-J and Hrisca shows his A-6, with Fry marginally ahead in both chips and holdings. The flop brings a slight improvement for Hrisca when it comes 10d-Qs-6s but turn and river are blanks (Kc-Qc) and Fry is our champion.

Here are the final results of the 2008 EPT Budapest:

1st William Fry $745,865
2nd Ciprian Hrisca $428,873
3rd Martin Jacobson $247,734
4th Albert Iversen $191,714
5th Marino Serinelli $160,054
6th Gino Alacqua $125,199
7th Zolten Toth $98,561
8th Johnny Lodden $66,595

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