Pocket Rockets Propel Denis Zelenkin to $1,100 EAPT Grand Final Cyprus Title
Table Of Contents
As the curtains drew at the 2024 Mediterranean Poker Party at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel in Northern Cyprus, all eyes were on the final table of the $1,100 Eurasian Poker Tour Cyprus. The last tournament running in the room saw action surpass 4 a.m. local time, where three players were still in the race for the win.
Fate dealt a winning hand to Denis Zelenkin, who picked up pocket aces that held out following an unbelievable three-way all-in and call situation to become the winner of the EAPT Grand Final Cyprus.
Zelenkin defeated a field of 855 entries and won $139,000. Tibor Nyuli and Iurii Zuev finished in second and third place for $93,400 and $64,000 after their double wipeout.
$1,100 EAPT Grand Final Cyprus Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denis Zelenkin | Russian Federation | $139,000 |
| 2 | Tibor Nyuli | Hungary | $93,400 |
| 3 | Iurii Zuev | Russian Federation | $64,000 |
| 4 | Milad Langar | Iran | $48,000 |
| 5 | Victor Fryda | France | $38,000 |
| 6 | Achir Eldaye | Lebanon | $29,500 |
| 7 | Bulent Kose | Turkey | $23,000 |
| 8 | Alfredo Versace | Italy | $17,860 |
| 9 | Guo Liang Wei | China | $13,500 |
When PokerNews asked him about his first reaction after he won, Zelenkin took his phone out of his pocket and typed a few words in Russian that Google translated as: “I am very happy. It was complicated. I put a lot of effort and was able to win”.
He was also very proud to show the picture of an old EAPT trophy that he won during EAPT Montenegro in 2017. “It’s my second trophy” he said, with a smile that never left his face.
Final Day's Action
As the final day began, just 131 players remained after five starting flights. They were all hoping to be crowned as the winner of the last tournament of the Mediterranean Poker Party festival. But it didn’t take long for a lot of players to make their way to the exit, as half of the field was eliminated before the first break.
Cedric Schwaederle (129th), Dmitry Gromov (119th), Yuliyan Kolev (106th) and Tommy Nguyen (104th) were part of these players, but they secured a minimum cash-prize of $1,700. They were followed by Alessio Isaia (96th, $1,850), Joseph Mouawad (81st, $2,050), Andrey Pateychuk (74th, $2,300), Jack Sinclair (73rd, $2,300) or Bart Lybaert (58th, $2,850), who didn’t reach the second break of the day where only 45 players remained.
The final table of nine convened after more players found themselves on the wrong side as the tournament inched closer to its climax.
Guo Liang Wei found himself as the initial casualty of the final table following a three-way all-in confrontation. Subsequently, Alfredo Versace, left with only two blinds, found his options limited and ultimately succumbed to Iurii Zuev's king-jack. Bulent Kose suffered a similar fate, unable to overcome the odds as his eight-seven fell short against eights, relegating him to seventh place with a $23,000 prize.
Following a brief intermission, Achir Eldaye met his end in sixth place with a $29,500 reward. Despite holding eights, his hopes were dashed by Tibor Nyuli's ace-king.
The ensuing hours saw minimal action as the remaining players protected their stacks vigilantly, each reluctant to concede so close to the coveted trophy. However, Victor Fryda's dwindling stack forced his hand, ultimately leading to his demise in fifth place for $38,000.
Shortly thereafter, Milad Langar bowed out in 4th place, pocketing $48,000, leaving Zelenkin, Nyuli, and Zuev to battle for the tournament's ultimate prize.
Nyuli managed to double up against Zuev, narrowing the gap with Zelenkin. However, fate favored Zelenkin in the decisive moment, as all chips found their way into the middle in another three-way all-in showdown. Armed with aces and the largest stack, Zelenkin emerged unscathed as the board failed to alter the outcome and was crowned the tournament champion.
