Maria Lampropulos won the partypokerLIVE MILLIONS on Sunday at Dusk Till Dawn (partypoker photo)

The European Poker Tour waited until Season 3 to crown their first female champion. The World Poker Tour didn’t have a woman win an open event until Season XV. PartypokerLIVE, the new live tournament series backed by partypoker, only had to wait until their second event.

Maria Lampropulos beat Jacob Mulhern heads up to win the partypokerLIVE MILLIONS Dusk Till Dawn event and earn a cool £1,000,000 ($1,284,000 US). The £5,000 buy-in event attracted a field 1,240 players for a total prize pool of £6,017,395 – just a little over three buy-ins greater than the £6 million guarantee.

The final table of eight actually included two female players. Lampropulos began the day third in chips, while Katie Swift was right behind her in fourth. It took just under an hour for the first elimination and it marked the start of Lampropulos’ incredible run to the title.

With blinds of 2.5M/5M (500K), Lampropulos raised to 11,000,000 from the cutoff before Neel Murthy raised to 31,000,000 from the big blind. Lampropulos called to see a flop of Th9h2h. Murthy lead out for 22,000,000 and Lampropulos called. The turn was the 4c and Murthy moved all in for 83,500,000. Lampropulos called and tabled KdKh while Murthy showed 7h5d. The river was the meaningless Ac, giving Lampropulos the pot and sending Murthy home in eighth place.

Just 30 minutes later Swift moved all in for 37,900,000 from UTG+1. Action folded to Jeremy Pantin in the small blind and he moved all in over the top for just over 128,000,000. Swift table TdTs but was behind the QcQd of Pantin. The As6c4c8s8c runout was no help for Swift and she was eliminated in seventh.

After the very next hand, Stephen Chidwick found himself on the outside looking in. Pantin raised to 11,000,000 and Chidwick raised to 146,500,000 from the small blind before Mateusz Rypulak came over the top of 192,300,000. Pantin folded, Chidwick showed AcQh before Rypulak turned over KcKs. The Tc6h5d flop was no help for Chidwick and the 6c turn and 6h river only served to give Rypulak a full house and eliminate Chidwick in sixth.

The first three eliminations came rather quickly, but five-handed play lasted a little over 90 minutes. With blinds now at 3M/6M (600K) Lampropulos raised to 14,000,000 from the button, Pantin called from the small blind and Jon Spinks moved all in for just over 53,000,000. Lampropulos folded,m but Pantin called and turned over Ah7s while Spinks showed KcKd. The AsJd8h flop put Pantin ahead with a pair of aces and the 2s turn and 5h river failed to change anything, sending Spinks to the rail in fifth.

Lampropulos picked up another elimination just over an hour later. Blinds were now 4M/8M (800K) and Mulhern opened to 16,000,000 from early position, Lampropulos called from the button and Rypulak also called from the big blind. The flop was Td7c5h, Rypulak and Mulhern both checked, allowing Lampropulos to bet 26,000,000. Rypulak moved all in for 124,000,000, Mulhern folded and Lampropulos called. Rypulak had 8s7s for middle pair but got bad news when Lampropulos showed QhTh for top pair. The Ts turn sealed the deal for Lampropulos, sending Rypulak out in fourth place while the dealer dealt the meaningless 5d river.

She wasn’t done there. Lampropulos limped and Pantin raised to 28,000,000, Lampropulos called and then checked after the Qd4c3h flop. Pantin bet 22,000,000 and Lampropulos called. The turn was the Ac and both players checked. The river was the 2s and Lampropulos fired out 35,000,000 before Pantin moved all in for 117,300,000. Lampropulos called and turned over Ah3s for two pair while Pantin showed KsJh for a missed straight draw and a third place finish.

When heads-up play began, Mulhern had 630M to the 617M of Lampropulos. The two players played for two hours, with Mulhern turning down talk of a deal because he wanted the £1 million score. The final hand basically played itself. Lampropulos raised to 20,000,000, Mulhern raised to 50,000,000 before Lampropulos moved all in for just over 840,000,000. Mulhern called and showed AhQc while Lampropulos showed KcKs. The 9c6s3h flop kept Lampropulos ahead and after the 5s turn and 4s river, Mulhern was out and Lampropulos was showered in confetti as the winner.

Final Table Payouts

  1. Maria Lampropulos -1,000,000
  2. Jacob Mulhern – 650,000
  3. Jeremy Pantin – 450,000
  4. Mateusz Rypulak – 320,000
  5. Jon Spinks – 220,000
  6. Stephen Chidwick – 150,000
  7. Katie Swift – 100,000
  8. Neel Murthy – 72,395