The European Poker Tour is no stranger to breaking new ground and welcomes players from across the globe. Last week it was in the Caribbean, soon it will be the ski-slopes of Austria, after it hits Berlin for the first time. Its 51 champions hail from 15 countries, and today in Deauville, there was the chance to jab a flag in even more virgin turf.

We thought we were going to get our first double champion, then we thought we would see the first man from Romania to clinch one of these events. But when push came to shove there was no getting past a 21-year-old named Jake Cody, who produced a miraculous comeback from the brink of elimination to become the seventh British player to enter the EPT winner's enclosure.

"This is so overwhelming," Cody said. "It's the sort of stuff I dreamed about with my mates just a few weeks back. I feel like I should be asleep as I can't believe this is happening."

It was his first time at an EPT but few would deny him the plaudits. This kid can play.

Cody takes €847,000 and a buy in to the Grand Final in Monte Carlo. He also has the satisfaction of emerging victorious from arguably the most compelling final table in any poker event in years. Cody found himself utterly crippled by a massive coup against the Canadian Mike McDonald when they were six handed: ace-king against tens, king on the flop. But Cody simply would not die and eventually got it heads up with Teodor Caraba, the aforementioned Romanian, who was chip leader going into the final table, as he was when there were 24 players left.

Caraba played an almost strategically perfect match, mostly sitting out the opening exchanges of the final table as players around him bust. He stayed out of trouble until his chip lead cruised him to the final three. But even after pulling out all the stops when it got short-handed, he could not overcome the fearless tenacity of Cody, who embraced the variance, rode the volatility, and only broke into a smile once the deal was sealed.

The final hand came after they had played two hours mano-a-mano during which Caraba had Cody strangled, then the Brit had the Romanian scratching the felt, and then honours evened out again. But after massive chip leads in each direction, the death knell sounded at 11.45pm local time. Caraba found ace-king and Cody had kings. All in. Game over.

Heads up play

Before that, McDonald had carried the hopes of the sentimentalists. No one has ever won two EPT Main Events, but the young Canadian, known as "Timex", had the best chance to break that hoodoo since Mark Teltscher finished second in Barcelona in 2007. Still too young to play cards in Las Vegas, McDonald is an online and an EPT sensation: this was his third final table and he is still only 20 years old.

Mike McDonald: Timex made to wait for his two-time

McDonald assumed the chip lead at one point today, prompting the engraver's hand to hover over the trophy, looking for the stencil of "Mc". But he hadn't accounted for Caraba, who enjoyed the first major suck-out of the final table, taking [as][td] against McDonald's jacks and flopping an ace. Timex and history will need to wait.

Going into the final table, the other story featured a man named Peter Eastgate. The Team PokerStars Pro had the chance to add an EPT title to his glittering resume - something that no other former World Champion has managed, despite six seasons in the attempt.

Indeed, no other former World Champion has ever made an EPT final table, but this was Eastgate's second in the same season - and he was keen to go one better than his second place in London in October.

However, it was always going to be a tough ask with a short stack, and although Eastgate set it to work in the opening level, he eventually ran pocket tens into Craig Bergeron's [kc][9s] and a king flopped. Eastgate's own quest for an historic double was put on ice. He was out in eighth.

Peter Eastgate, pictured on day three but in day five pose

A division in the chip stacks soon developed, with the likes of Michael Fratty, Stephane Albertini and Claudiu Secara languishing way behind the big four. And although they all jousted and doubled up a couple of times apiece, the big stacks found big hands at the right time to pick them off.

Fratty ran [ah][qd] into Jake Cody's kings; Albertini's [kc][9c] couldn't beat Cody's aces. And then when McDonald's cowboys held on over Secara's jacks, pins seven, six and five had been quickly skittled.

Michael Fratty, out in seventh

Stephane Albertini, sixth

Claudiu Secara, our fifth placed finisher

Amid the wanton culling of the short stacks, there had also been some violent swings at the top of the ladder, with McDonald and Cody chomping at one another's throats like pit-pulls in the back-room of a pub. Timex was actually all in and with his tournament life on the line when he flopped a king holding [ad][kd] to beat Cody's [10c][10h]. They had three, four, five bet it pre-flop as the shorties looked on in glee.

Jake Cody suffers a set-back

"The flip I lost against Timex was a big moment as I felt I would have a great chance of winning if I won that hand," Cody said. "It wasn't to be and I had to grind to get back in to it, which I did."

No kidding. The Cody fightback was terrific, starting with a major pot against the lone American Bergeron, who will probably regret limping from the button with [9s][6s] and flopping a nine. Cody, who had checked his big blind also had a nine, but flopped two pair and they got it all in.

Bergeron could not recover and fell in fourth, two places short of fulfilling the wish of his online screen-name to play HU4ROLLZ. But he had played his part particularly in the tournament's later days, where he had never been far from the chip lead.

Craig Bergeron: HU4ROLLZ will wait for another day

No one had any clear advantage when they went three handed - each of Cody, McDonald and Caraba had about the seven million mark. Caraba had been the quietest of the three at the final table, but loosened up as befitted the situation when the octet was reduced to a trio. He re-raised McDonald out of a decent pot to be the first through the ten million mark. And he certainly looked comfortable and at home amid the madness of a fearlessly fought three-handed battle.

But Cody. There was no denying Jake Cody.

Jake Cody celebrates the winning moment

Read all about that remarkable victory in any of the following level-by-level run-downs:

Final table player profiles
Level 27 updates
Level 28 updates
Level 29 updates
Level 30 updates
Level 31 updates
Level 32 updates
Level 33 updates

It's also all available in French (even beyond the fifth-place elimination, which ended the home interest) and German, whose last representative perished in 22nd.

There are video blogs and loads of other goodies always available at PokerStars.tv. And pictures, pictures and more pictures are all © Neil Stoddart.

So there we have it. Romania still waits for its first champion and still no one has won two EPTs. But on the showing of the past week, Jake Cody has as much chance as any of breaking through that glass ceiling. It'll be fun to watch him try.

Live event coverage on PokerStars Blog barely lets up for one minute, with the ANZPT Adelaide event, the UKIPT tournament in Manchester, the NAPT's debut at the Venetian in Las Vegas, the EPT Copenhagen event and the LAPT Punta del Este tournament in Uruguay all coming at you next month.

Good night for now, but see you again very soon. We'll leave you with all this in moving pictures...

Watch EPT Deauville 2010: Main Event Final Table on PokerStars.tv

PokerStars Blog reporting team: Howard Swains, Stephen Bartley, Marc Convey and Simon Young

11.46pm: Jake Cody wins EPT Deauville for €847,000
Teodor Caraba runner up for €516,000
It's over! And after a final full of skill and flair, it was fitting that this ended when two monster hands collided. Teodor Caraba raised to 800,000 and Jake Cody re-raised to 1,760,000. Caraba then moved all in, call!

Cody: [kd][kc] Caraba: [ad][kh]

Caraba was in big trouble, needing an ace to survive. But the board ran [10s][7s][10c][4d][qd], giving the title to Brit Jake Cody. A full tournament wrap is on its way. It'll be a must read, so don't go away.

11.40pm: Re-raise, fold
Teodor Caraba raised to 800,000 and Jake Cody re-raised to 1,800,000 - and that was enough to take the pot.

11.37pm: Nearly all square
Well scratch Cody's lead. Well almost. Caraba shoved once more with [as][kc] getting called by Cody with [ks][6c]. Cody's head dropped as the board came [2h][qc][kh][5s][jd]. Cody still has the lead but only just.

Cody -- 12,100,000
Caraba -- 10,600,000

11.33pm: All-in call
Teodor Caraba moved all in for 2,660,000. Jake Cody announced call, turning over [ac][4h]. The title would be his if the board dodged Caraba's [qh][6d]. It didn't.
[kc][2c][6s][4s][jc]. Caraba doubles up. His pals on the rail find their voice again and we play on.

11.30pm: First all-in
Teodor Caraba moves all in. No action though. Jake Cody folds.

11.26pm: All change
Teodor Caraba opened for 800,000 and Jake Cody raised to 2,100,000. Caraba then announced all in and Cody called, pumping his fists when he saw the showdown. His [8h][8c] was up against Caraba's [6c][5c]. For the first time Cody looked happy. The board came [4c][9s][2h][kc][7s]. The flop had left Caraba needing a seven, the turn had given him a flush draw but neither hit the river. Cody suddenly becomes the overwhelming chip leader.

Cody - 19,780,000
Caraba -- 2,960,000

11.23pm: A limp!
Jake Cody called from the small blind and Teodor Caraba checked his option. The flop came [qh][3c][2c], Caraba checked and Cody bet 300,000. It was good.

11.20pm: Another bluff in the books
Jake Cody raised from the button and Teodor Caraba called to see a [2d][7s][8d] flop. Both players checked and that gave Carabs the license to lead out for 700,000 on the [js] turn. Cody was having none of it though as he raised to 2,000,000. Caraba folded and then was shown K-10 by Cody for another bluff.

11.11pm: All in, fold
Jake Cody raised to 670,000, Teodor Caraba moved all in, and Cody folded.

11.09pm: Caraba this time
This time Teodor Caraba raised to 800,000 and Jake Cody called. The flop was [ks][qh][10h], Cody checked and Caraba bet 900,000 - and that sent Cody packing.

11.06pm: A quick one
Jake Cody raised to 670,000 and Teodor Caraba re-raised to 1,700,000. That was enough.

11.04pm: Another hand
Caraba raised 800,000. Cody re-raised to 2,000,000 and Caraba then folded.

11.00pm: A hand
Teodor Caraba bet pre-flop, Cody raised, and Caraba called for a flop of [3c][7h][4c]. Caraba checked to Cody who bet on the flop. Quick fold by Caraba.

10.55pm: Raise and take by Jake Cody

10.50pm: Action first hand
In the first hand of this level Jake Cody opened with a raise to 800,000 before Teodor Caraba three-bet to 2,000,000. Any four-bet at this stage would be all in and Cody wasn't prepared to do that and quickly folded.

10.45pm: Problem solved
We'll be playing 150,000-300,000 this level.

10.40pm: New level, blinds are... oh, wait
This is level 33. Trouble is the EPT structure sheet only goes up to level 32, a sign of just how long this final table has gone on so far (it started just after noon). We had the same issue in Prague back in December.

Turns out it is now up to the tournament director's discretion as to exactly what blind levels we now play. We'll let you know just as soon as we can.

Meanwhile, here are the chip counts:

Teodor Caraba: 12,580,000
Jake Cody: 10,160,000

PokerStars Blog reporting team: Stephen Bartley, Marc Convey, Howard Swains and Simon Young

10.27pm: Break time
And with that hand comes the end of the level. Players are taking a 15 minute break.

10.20pm: Nice pot for Cody
Jake Cody (hand 203) raised to 560,000 and was called by Teodor Caraba. They saw a [10c][5s][jc] flop, Caraba checked and Cody bet 580,000. Call. The turn was [6s] and again Caraba checked then called Cody's 1,320,000 bet. The river was [9h], Caraba checked and Cody put out 2,440,000, and that was enough to force Caraba out of the pot.

Cody must have had a decent hand?

Nope. He showed 7-4.

10.15pm: Landmarks
A period of calm is broken by the 200 hand mark.

9.50pm: Player out, down to two - Mike McDonald out in third place for €295,000
Teodor Caraba opened for 480,000 and Mike McDonald raised to 1,180,000. Caraba announced all-in and McDonald called showing [jd][js] to Caraba's [as][td]. McDonald seemed happy enough, Caraba too, but it was the Romanians on the sidelines going nuts on the flop: [kd][6h][ad]. McDonald was now behind and poker's record book looked likely to stay closed as hopes of a double winner looked slim. [8h] on the turn, [tc] on the river. Mike McDonald out in third place.

9.48pm: Video interlude
While we've been enjoying the excellent poker in the EPT main event final, the high roller event was coming to a conclusion across the tournament room. The winner? Martin Kabrhel. Click the little white triangle below to find out more...

9.44pm: Cody lets it go
Jake Cody bets 500,000, and Teodor Caraba re-raises to 1,200,000. Jake Cody goes into the tank, and counts out what looks like a potential re-re-raise. But he thought better of it, and mucked.

9.36pm: Same old same old
Yet again Jake Cody is using his position over Mike McDonald to great effect. Twice McDonald has raised only to lay down to a large three-bet by his British neighbor. If he is going to be our first double EPT champion he's going to need to find some hands that he is able play back with.

9.32pm: All calm
Not much has changed. Gripping poker but nothing in these first hands back from the break getting anywhere near a flop.

9.20pm: Small is the new big
Opening skirmishes of the level are small. Teodor Caraba made it 460,000 and Mike McDonald moved all in, forcing him to let go.

Earlier, Jake Cody made it 420,000 and Mike McDonald called. The flop was [6c][5d][10c], McDonald checked and then folded to Cody's 420,000 continuation bet.

9.11pm: McDonald on the attack
Mike McDonald takes the first pot after dinner. Jake Cody had limped in from the small blind and McDonald checked. On the [5h][2d][9s] flop, McDonald bet 240,000 and Cody called. But on the [3s] turn, Cody folded when McDonald made it 520,000.

9.07pm: Cards are in the air
And we're off again.

9pm: Dinner was nice
After a one-hour break for dinner (a tasty steak polished off with an apple crumble), the three players are beginning to get settled back at the final table. This one has 'loooong' written all over it, as all three are exhibiting an impressive standard of play.

Mike McDonald, so close to becoming the first double EPT champion, has had the worst of it three-handed so far, but as his many supporters on the rail will tell you, never write Timex off.

Here are the chips as we head into level 32, where blinds will be 100,000-200,000 with a 20,000 ante. That's big.

Teodor Caraba: 10,040,000
Jake Cody: 8,370,000
Mike McDonald: 4,130,000

PokerStars Blog reporting team: Howard Swains, Marc Convey, Stephen Bartley and Simon Young

8pm: Dinner time
That's the end of the level as players take a one hour dinner break. They'll each be required to eat different meals from the buffet so that if one gets food poisoning the other two will be able to play to a finish.

Teodor Caraba -- 10,090,000
Jake Cody -- 8,320,000
Mike McDonald -- 4,130,000

Play resumes at 9pm.

7.59pm: Huge hand extends Caraba's advantage
The pot was un-raised pre-flop and off to the flop we went: [Js][5h][2h]. Cody checked and Caraba made it 200,000 which Cody called. The turn came [8d]. Cody checked again and Caraba made it 500,000 to play which Cody called for a river card [2d]. Another check from Cody. Caraba now put five towers of red together and then a little more, a bet totalling 2,240,000.

Cody leant forward to confirm the amount and thought for several minutes, amassing the call in front of him then pausing to reflect. Finally, he called. In the excitement the TV cameras didn't show the winning hands but Caraba's jack was better than Cody's jack. The pot, worth 6,260,000 went to Caraba.

7.48pm: Tick tick
A spell of what you'd call tentative play. Few hands reaching a flop, just pre-flop action settled with minimal fuss. At the end of this level, in about 12 minutes times, they'll be a one hour dinner break.

7.35pm: Bet raise fold
Teodor Caraba opened for 360,000. Cody took some towers from his stack and three-bet, 1,000,000 chips in total. Caraba took a moment but soon folded.

7.25pm: Cody takes chip lead
Jake Cody takes the chip lead for the first time in the final, moving over 8million. On a [10c][3s][5s] flop, he bet 480,000, Caraba re-raised to 1.2million, but was then forced to fold when Cody moved all in.

7.20pm: More woes for McDonald
For the first time three-handed Mike McDonald managed to raise without being three-betted out of the pot, but that was all that went right for him. His 350,000 raise from the small blind was called by Jake Cody in the big blind to see a [3h][7h][ts] flop. McDonald led for 480,000 and was called by Cody. The [9s] turn came and McDonald slowed to a check.

Cody took up the initiative and bet 1,020,000 which was enough to force McDonald to fold. He's really not having it his way at all at the moment.

7.15pm: Stat attack...
We've played 140 hands so far on the final table.

7.10pm: Busy Caraba
Caraba is by far the most active of the players now they are three-handed. It's as though he had this strategy planned all along. On this one, Jake Cody raised to 400,000 and Teodor Caraba re-raised to 1,200,000. Cody got out of the way.

7.06pm: All-in, fold
Teodor Caraba raised to 480,000 from the small blind and Mike McDonald re-raised to 1,100,000 from the big. It was 620,000 more for Caraba, who then asked McDonald how much he had behind. It was a lot. Caraba moved all in, McDonald mucked, and Caraba is the first player to move above the 10million mark.

7.02pm: I see no flops
All the action is happening pre-flop at the moment. Teodor Caraba bet 380,000 and Jake Cody re-raised to 920,000 - and that was enough to take the pot.

Before that, Mike McDonald opened for 350,000 and Caraba re-raised to 1,200,000 and the Canadian folded.

6.55pm: Caraba takes this one
Teodor Caraba bet 380,000 and Jake Cody called. The flop was [7d][ac][jc], Cody checked and Caraba reached for a pile of red, 20,000 chips - 480,000 in total. Cody did not want to play, and folded.

Mike McDonald is the quietest of the three in these early level 31 skirmishes.

6.47pm: First pot to Cody
First hand of the level, and Jake Cody's aggression takes the pot. Mike McDonald made it 350,000 but then was forced to fold when Cody fired back with 820,000.

6.45pm: Ready to go
We're down to three, and we're now in big money territory. All are guaranteed €295,000, second will get €516,000 and first €847,000.

As the players settle back in to their seats, here's how they stand:

Teodor Caraba: 9,070,000
Mike McDonald: 7,360,000
Jake Cody: 6,110,000

PokerStars Blog reporting team: Marc Convey, Howard Swains, Stephen Bartley and Simon Young

6.25pm: Break
That's the end of the level. We're on a 15-minute break.

6.20pm: Aces for Caraba
Jake Cody started this one off with a bet of 260,000, and Teodor Caraba called. On the [10s][7c][5c] flop, Caraba bet 500,000, Cody re-raised to 1,500,000 and Caraba called. Both checked the [jd] turn, and the [9c] river, and it was Caraba's pocket aces that one this one. Caraba later explained he had meant to re-raise pre-flop.

6.10pm: Caraba is still here
It's the the first hand of three-handed play and Teodor Caraba, by some measure the least active of all the remaining contenders, takes it down. He raises pre-flop and he and McDonald see [8h][5h][8c]. Caraba bets 460,000 at that, which is enough to persuade McDonald out of it.

6.03pm: Cody deals killer blow to Bergeron
Craig Bergeron out in fourth, earning €221,000
We're down to three. Craig Bergeron opened for one million, Jake Cody moved all-in and Bergeron called for the remainder of his stack.

Cody: [ad][7d]
Bergeron: [jh][10c]

Bergeron, who had shoved pre-flop the previous two hands, now needed help. But the flop came [5h][8d][ah] to confirm Cody's lead - and the river was [as], sealing the deal.

That leaves the final three with almost identical stack sizes:

Jake Cody: 7,730,000
Teodor Caraba: 7,625,000
Mike McDonald: 7,395,000

5.55pm: Shove and take
Craig Bergeron shoves for one million, but gets no takers. On we go.

5.45pm: McDonald comes out best v Cody
Two big stacks just send a few minutes slugging each other. Mike McDonald opened for 290,000, called by Jake Cody. The flop came [kh][6c][kc]. McDonald slid out another 300,000 which Cody called for a [qc] turn. McDonald bet 700,000 this time and again Cody called, taking this one to the river. [9s]. McDonald took a second and bet 1,500,000. Cody knew time was up and passed his hand.

5.40pm: Bergeron doubles
Craig Bergeron barely had enough to last more than a couple of rounds and would have been happy to find [as][jd] with which to shove his last 500,000-odd in. Mike McDonald called instantly and when Cody and Caraba got out the way they were heads up.

McDonald showed [kd][9d], which had potential for an outdraw, even after the board came [10c][5h][js]. The turn [4h] was only good for Bergeron, as was the [ah] river. HU4ROLLZ lives to fight another day with a little more than a million in chips.

5.32pm: Double up for Cody
Craig Bergeron limped from the button and Jake Cody checked on the big blind. The flop was [4d][kh][9d], Cody checked, Bergeron made it 120,000 and then Cody bumped it up to 330,000. But it wasn't over yet - Bergeron min-raised to 660,000, sending Cody into the tank. He counted his stack, gave Bergeron the stare, then raised again, this time to 990,000. Now Bergeron moved all in - call!

Bergeron: [9s][6s]
Cody: [9c][4h]

The turn was [10c] and the river [3d], meaning Cody's two pair sent him over 7million, Bergeron down to one million.

5.20pm: Caraba takes one
Jake Cody opened for 275,000 and got a call from Teodor Caraba. On the [6c][2d][ah] flop, Cody bet 290,000. Call. Both checked the [9s] turn and the [2c] river, and Caraba took the pot with pocket eights.

5.10pm: Cody doubles
It would be a harsh man to deny Jake Cody this double up, even though it was a minor suck-out. Mike McDonald raised to 270,000 and Cody shoved for 1,910,000. The other two got out of the way but McDonald snap-called and had [jh][jc]. Cody was behind with [ac][7d] but, as Cody's supporters on the rail said, "Boom!" The [ah] came on the flop and the rest didn't matter. Cody's roller coaster ride now takes him back to about 4 million.

5pm: Bergeron latest to bust Cody's tens
It's going to take Jake Cody a while to get over the sight of pocket tens. First hand after the break and he raised with them - [10h][10c] - and Craig Bergeron moved all in for 1,925,000. Cody called and was shown [ah][kc] by his adversary, the same hand that Mike McDonald had when Cody was slaughtered before.

This time he couldn't be eliminated either - he had Bergeron covered - but the board brought the familiar misery for the pocket pair. It ran [2d][4s][5h][as][4s] and that turn card kept Bergeron in it, putting Cody on the ropes once again.

4.50pm: Back again
Players are heading back to their seats after the 15 minute break. Just four remain, each now guaranteed at least €221,000. But they don't want that - they want the €847,000 first prize.

Level 29 was a great one for Mike McDonald, who took over the chip lead after winning a crucial race against Jake Cody, his A-K besting tens.

Here's where they stand now:

[chipcount 40]

PokerStars Blog reporting team: Stephen Bartley, Howard Swains, Marc Convey and Simon Young

4.40pm: Level end
That was the last hand of the level and we'll see how it affects the chip counts very soon. Join us in level 30.

4.35pm: Cody double up; Did Timex miss a trick?
Jake Cody is back and fighting, but Craig Bergeron is running very short. The hand could have been even bigger, but Mike McDonald opted to get out the way. It went like this:

McDonald raised to 220,000 under-the-gun and Cody moved all in for 1,840,000. Bergeron was next to act and he also moved all in for 3,795,000 putting the decision back on Timex.

McDonald, never one to dally unnecessarily, seemed to be faced with a genuine decision and was rapidly calculating odds. Eventually he folded, the double-bust out chances eliminated, and it was shorty versus shorty for the pot.

Bergeron: [as][qc]
Cody: [9d][9c]

So another flip, but this time Cody came out on the good side. It ran [5s][6s][10h][3c][5d] and that's another double up.

4.25pm: More for McDonald Teodor Caraba makes it 230,000 from the button, and Mike McDonald calls. They both check the [js][qc][9h] flop, but on the [7h] turn McDonald bets 300,000, and that's good enough to take the pot.