Thang Duc Nguyen punches the air after winning the title

German chef Thang Duc Nguyen has won the EPT Baden, beating New Yorker Ben Johnson to win the crown and €487,397.

He went into the heads up battle with a two to one chip lead, and Johnson never really looked like clawing it back. The killer hand was painfully conclusive for Johnson, but he has a €251,560 consolation prize to help him get over it. With blinds at 20,000-40,000, he limped pre-flop with K-3. Nguyen re-raised to 130,000 with 4-4, and faced an all-in re-re-raise.

Cue a three-minute dwell from the chef, a regular and successful online player with PokerStars. Eventually he called, the audience rose to their feet, and the players revealed their cards. Nguyen's pair of fours were way ahead, only a king, it would seem, could save dejected Johnson.

The flop offered some hope when it hit the felt as A-3-Q, giving Johnson a pair of threes, but still behind to Nguyen's fours. The turn, however, was a four, making the German's set. Johnson, though, could save himself with a backdoor flush on the river, but instead it was a 9 of clubs.


Katja Thater translates for Nguyen

Nguyen leapt into the air with a shriek. A popular winner here, and to be honest, he deserved it. He waited and waited, then pounced when the time was right. A quick interview for the cameras, with Team PokerStars' Katja Thater doing the translation, and Nguyen went off to phone home and give his wife the good news. Will he now give up the day job? "No, but I am going to have a nice holiday," he said.


Ben Johnson leaves dejected