€10,400 Championship
Day 3 Completed
2025 PLO Grand Slam Prague
€10,400 Championship
Day: 3
Event Info
2025 PLO Grand Slam Prague
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
Buy-in
€10,400
Prize Pool
€1,005,800
Entries
107
Level
23
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
100,000
Entries
9
Players Left
1
Players Left 1 / 107
Filter
Level 23
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
The past week has been a busy one for Juha Helppi here at the All Inn Casino in Prague. Two days ago, Helppi made the final table of the PLO Grand Slam €5,200 Million, where he finished third for €98,700. Today Helppi once again found himself at a final table with three players remaining, this time in the €10,400 Championship, the flagship event of the series.
The final three players agreed to an ICM deal to split the lion's share of the €1,005,800 prize pool, and when it came time to flip for the Diamond Poker Series trophy it was Helppi who was the last player standing, taking home €168,400 and the trophy, while Aki Vihikainen received the highest payout of €198,700.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juha Helppi | Finland | €168,400* |
| 2 | Aki Vihikainen | Finland | €198,700* |
| 3 | Alexander Petersen | Denmark | €186,600* |
| 4 | Luuk van den Belt | Netherlands | €94,550 |
| 5 | Cesar Garcia | Spain | €75,950 |
| 6 | Kevin Gorsic | Slovenia | €59,300 |
| 7 | Jeremy Trojand | Germany | €46,750 |
| 8 | Veselin Karakitukov | Bulgaria | €35,700 |
| 9 | Ole Schemion | Germany | €26,150 |
*Denotes three-way ICM deal
Winner's Reaction
The newly crowned champion told PokerNews that he felt "very good" after the successful week of four-card action, before describing how he was happy to chop after so many long days in a row at the tables.
"It was nice to make a deal. I had played for six days straight, almost the whole time, because I was top three also in the €5k. So basically I spent all my time here, from Monday to now. Playing poker and sleeping, playing poker and sleeping, that’s it.”
Helppi described the difference in playing styles from the two final tables he had made in just as many days.
“I think the play in this €10k was a bit more cautious. People really wanted to ladder up. In the €5k, people gambled a bit more. Otherwise I think the level of play was very good in both tournaments.”
Helppi, a veteran of the game for over 25 years, described how different the games are now compared to before.
“When I first started playing, of course I was very bad, but most people were even worse than me, so I was able to make pretty easy money. Of course, the level of play now, you can’t even compare it. Good players 20 years ago would be fish nowadays.”
Helppi attributed his adaptability to the success he's had at the poker tables over the last three decades.
“I think what I can do is change my game according to my opponents. Many of these younger generation players, they don’t change their game as much. I think I can call down some players, bluff some players, change my style according to who I’m playing against. I think that’s the key.”
Final Table Action
Helppi began the day with a middling stack and was all-in within the first hour of play, holding the nut-straight against Alexander Petersen's flush draw. Helppi remained ahead the whole way to double, while Petersen was left as an extreme short stack with five big blinds. The action ground to a halt, with the other final table players attempting to outlast Petersen to ladder. Petersen didn't make it easy for them, quickly doubling up, while Ole Schemion became the first final table casualty after running into Helppi's aces.
Petersen doubled again soon after to bring himself back to life, leaving Veselin Karakitukov very short. Karakitukov was eliminated soon after, before start-of-day chip leader Vihikainen extended his chip lead significantly with the eliminations of Jeremy Trojand in seventh and Kevin Gorsic in sixth.
Helppi was at risk again with five players remaining, holding with top set against the Broadway wrap of Luuk van den Belt for another double up. Meanwhile, Petersen completed his comeback from five big blinds after doubling up through Cesar Garcia to leave the latter player short, with Petersen getting the rest of Garcia's chips soon after.
Following Van den Belt's elimination in fourth at the hands of Petersen, the final three players agreed to an ICM chop to split the remaining prize pool. All that was left was to determine who would walk away with the trophy. Helppi was the shortest of the three stacks at the time, but after three blind flips he was the last player standing.
That concludes the PokerNews coverage for this event. Stay locked in with our live reporting hub for all the action on poker series across the globe.
Level 23
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
After a three-way deal, Juha Helppi has won the PLO Grand Slam Prague €10,400 Championship.
Stay tuned for a full recap.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juha Helppi | Finland | €168,400* |
| 2 | Aki Vihikainen | Finland | €198,700* |
| 3 | Alexander Petersen | Denmark | €186,600* |
| 4 | Luuk van den Belt | Netherlands | €94,550 |
| 5 | Cesar Garcia | Spain | €75,950 |
| 6 | Kevin Gorsic | Slovenia | €59,300 |
| 7 | Jeremy Trojand | Germany | €46,750 |
| 8 | Veselin Karakitukov | Bulgaria | €35,700 |
| 9 | Ole Schemion | Germany | €26,150 |
*Denotes a three-way ICM deal
Level 23
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
After a second blind all-in failed to produce any eliminations, the players were all-in once again, with Juha Helppi still holding the covering stack, while Alexander Petersen was the shortest of the three.
Alexander Petersen: A♦Q♦8♣4♣ 
Aki Vihikainen: J♥9♥7♠5♦
Juha Helppi: K♥Q♥9♣2♣
The 3♣K♣6♥9♦5♣ runout gave Helppi a flush to win the final hand of the tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
21,960,000
6,260,000
|
6,260,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 23
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
All three players were all-in preflop without seeing their cards, with Aki Vihikainen covering his two opponents.
Juha Helppi: 8♣7♥7♦7♠
Alexander Petersen: A♣Q♣Q♥4♥
Aki Vihikainen: A♥10♥9♠5♣
The board ran out A♦4♠8♠8♥2♣, giving Helppi trip eights for the triple up. Petersen took the side pot with two pair, aces and eights with a queen kicker.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
15,700,000
10,525,000
|
10,525,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
4,200,000
3,175,000
|
3,175,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,060,000
7,290,000
|
7,290,000 |
|
|
||
Level 23
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
The final three players have agreed to an ICM Chop to split the remaining prize pool.
| Player | Chips | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| Aki Vihikainen | 9,350,000 | € 198,700 |
| Alexander Petersen | 7,375,000 | € 186,600 |
| Juha Helppi | 5,175,000 | € 168,400 |
They will now flip blind to determine who takes home the Diamond Poker Series trophy.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,350,000
1,650,000
|
1,650,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
7,375,000
175,000
|
175,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
5,175,000
475,000
|
475,000 |
|
|
||
Level 23
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
The tournament clock has been paused as the final three players look at ICM numbers to discuss a potential deal.
Level 23
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Luuk van den Belt was all-in preflop for around 2,000,000, and up against the covering stack of Alexander Petersen.
Luuk van den Belt: K♦K♠7♦3♣
Alexander Petersen: A♣A♥J♠3♠
The flop came Q♦Q♣5♦, keeping PEtersen's aces in front, while giving Van den Belt outs to a flush.
"Diamond. Ace of Diamonds" Petersen announced, and sure enough the A♦ came on the turn, bringing in the flush for Van den Belt but a full house for Petersen. Van den Belt was drawing dead, and after the 2♣ river he exited the tournament area.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,200,000
2,300,000
|
2,300,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 23
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Luuk van den Belt opeened to 350,000 from the button, and Alexander Petersen called from the big blind.\
The two players checked the flop and turn, leading to a 10♠8♦7♠9♣4♥ runout. Petersen bet 300,000, and Van den Belt called.
"Baby straight" Petersen announced, tabling 10♦6♣5♠3♦ to win the hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,900,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,900,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
Level 23
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Aki Vihikainen opened to 350,000 from the cutoff, Alexander Petersen called from the button, and Luuk van den Belt defended from the big blind.
All three players checked the 2♦9♥K♦ flop, leading to the 10♠ turn. Van den Belt checked, Vihikainen bet 600,000, PEtersen called, and Van den Belt folded.
Petersen checked and then folded to a 1,250,000 bet from Vihikainen on the 2♣ river.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,000,000
1,050,000
|
1,050,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
5,000,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,500,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
