€560 Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2023 EAPT Barcelona
€560 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2023 EAPT Barcelona
Buy-in
€560
Prize Pool
€200,000
Entries
357
Level
30
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
200,000
Players Left
1
Fernando Santa Maria Completes a Dream Run Through the EAPT Barcelona Main Event
Level 30
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Thirty years ago, the Dream Team put on the most dominating performance in sports history right here in Barcelona, outscoring opponents by 44 points on their way to the Olympic Gold Medal. Fernando Santa Maria may not be Michael Jordan, but he just had his own sensational run through the field in the EAPT Barcelona €560 Main Event.
Santa Maria ended Day 1a as the chip leader. He was leading again after Day 2. And he finished the tournament with every chip in play, putting together an incredible performance on his way to claiming the €26,625 top prize and EAPT trophy.
Santa Maria had no recorded live cashes before this event. Originally from the Dominican Republic, he now works as an operations engineer in Barcelona. But for the past four days, he played like a seasoned professional as he navigated his way through the starting field of 357 entries.
The man he beat heads-up had his own incredible journey, and he had a ton of fun doing it. His full name is Ariel Faskowicz, but here at Casino Barcelona he’s known simply as “Galactico,” with all of his cashes going back more than a decade coming in this building. Galactico entertained his tablemates with his conniving blend of table talk and jokes. He could burst into song at any moment, shout out his trademark “Show me the money” after winning a pot, and constantly show his opponents his cards. And he did it with a smile on his face the entire tournament as the fun-loving Galactico seemed to be having the time of his life on his way to his runner-up finish.
Final Table results
| Place | Player | Country | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernando Santa Maria | Dominican Republic | €26,625 |
| 2 | Ariel Galactico | Argentina | €24,675 |
| 3 | Carlos Esquerdo | Spain | €27,400 |
| 4 | Jose Rodriguez | Honduras | €19,275 |
| 5 | Cedric Jaby | France | €9,400 |
| 6 | Christopher Arpal | Spain | €7,280 |
| 7 | Jordi Mataix | Spain | €5,730 |
| 8 | Hector De Gea | Spain | €4,510 |
| 9 | Teddy Kamel | Lebanon | €3,735 |
Day 3 Action
The final day of the EAPT Barcelona Main Event began with 18 players assembled around the last two tables. Jaskirat Singh Bindra had a short day, being left on fumes the first hand when he ran a set of threes into the set of fives of Jose Rodriguez. He was eliminated the next hand as Antonio Perez picked up aces to double off Andre Carvalho.
Daniel Polkamp (17th) and Carvalho followed to the exit with three eliminations at the table within the first few hands of the day. Mark Buckley (15th), Sanjay Haran (14th), Antoine Nicoli (13th), David Carballas (12th), and Perez (11th) also fell short of the final table. Antonio Pagliuca then lost a race with fives to Santa Maria’s king-queen on the final table bubble.
Santa Maria began the nine-handed final table in second place with 2,200,000 trailing only Carlos Esquerdo’s 2,800,000. But he lost a big chunk of his chips early when Christopher Arpal completed a straight on the river.
Santa Maria then flopped two pair against Cedric Jaby’s top pair to double up and reclaim those lost chips immediately. Teddy Kamel, chip leader at one point in the day, was then all in for 835,000 with ace-jack but dominated by Galactico’s ace-king to fall in ninth place.
Hector De Gea was next to fall, moving all in for 435,000 with ace-six. Esquerdo called holding queen-jack and spiked a jack on the river to bust De Gea in eighth place. Jordi Mataix then shoved his last 815,000 into Esquerdo’s two aces as Esquerdo began to take a big chip lead over the rest of the field, holding nearly double the amount of chips as Santa Maria when the final six headed off on a 40-minute dinner break.
When they returned, Arpal shoved for 945,000 with two eights and Galactico woke up with queens in the small blind to bust Arpal in sixth place. Arpal’s elimination ensured that Esquerdo won the “last man standing” contest as the final player still wearing an EAPT badge, earning a free seat into the Main Event of a future EAPT festival.
A brutal cooler was responsible for sending Jaby out in fifth place. He flopped top two pair, but Santa Maria had the nut straight to win the pot and score the knockout. Santa Maria was then involved in another all-in pot, but with the opposite result as Rodriguez picked up kings to beat his ace-queen and knock Santa Maria down to a short stack.
The four remaining players then agreed to a deal, Esquerdo taking €27,400, Galactico €20,880, Santa Maria €20,625, and Rodriguez €19,275, leaving an additional €6,000 for first place and €3,795 for second.
The hand that began Santa Maria’s rise from short stack to eventual champion began on an eight-high flop, where Esquerdo bet 250,000. Santa Maria then raised to 700,000, Esquerdo moved all in, and Santa Maria called for 3,200,000 with two jacks and held against Esquerdo’s tens to double up and take the chip lead.
Galactico then had his turn as the leader when he snapped off a pre-flop shove with two aces. Galactico also made a full house on the river with pocket fours to send Rodriguez to the rail in fourth place, calling out “Show me the money” as he opened up a big lead. On the first hand back from break, however, Esquerdo picked up kings and doubled up to drop Galactico back toward the pack.
Esquerdo was then all in for 2,100,000 with ace-king and poised for a double up back into contention as he had Santa Maria’s ace-nine dominated. The flop gave Esquerdo a pair of kings but Santa Maria the nut flush draw as Esquerdo turned away from the table, barely able to watch. The turn confirmed his fears as Santa Maria completed his flush to bust Esquerdo. Despite the third-place finish, it was still a profitable event and festival for Esquerdo. Thanks to the deal, he took home the biggest payout while also earning the “last longer” seat and a €5,000 package to the EAPT Grand Final in Cyprus next September. Esquerdo also won the EAPT Cup earlier this week, ensuring he would be leaving Barcelona with at least one trophy.
Santa Maria led Galactico 9,800,000 to 4,500,000 at the start of heads-up. Santa Maria took down most pots to extend his lead until the final hand, when Galactico moved all in for 2,200,000 on the flop with a pair of eights. Santa Maria called with his own pair of eights but a better kicker and dodged a flush draw on the river to win the title.
Santa Maria joined a list of EAPT Main Event champions that extends back more than a decade to German star Marvin Rettenmaier. The next EAPT festival is in Bucharest in November, followed by stops in Madrid, Malta, and the United Kingdom next year before heading to Cyprus for the Grand Final.
New champions will emerge with their own stories in those events, but few will have as dominating a run as Santa Maria put on the past four days.
That concludes PokerNews’ coverage of the EAPT Barcelona Main Event. Stay tuned for more coverage of poker tournaments around the world.
Ariel Galactico Eliminated in 2nd Place (€24,675)
Level 30
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Fernando Santa Maria raised to 400,000 and Ariel Galactico called.
The flop came K♣4♣8♠ and Santa Maria continued for 250,000. Galactico then moved all in for 2,200,000 and Santa Maria gave the decision some thought before flicking in a chip to call.
Ariel Galactico: 9♣8♦
Fernando Santa Maria: Q♠8♥
Santa Maria had the better pair of eights as the 7♣ fell on the turn, also giving Galactico a flush draw.
Galactico began asking the dealer for help, but the 2♦ river was safe for Santa Maria as he emerged as champion. Galactico, still with the same smile on his face he had seemingly the entire tournament, rose from his seat to congratulate Santa Maria before heading off to collect his runner-up payout.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
14,300,000 | 3,000,000 |
|
Busted |
Santa Maria Cracks Jacks
Level 30
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Ariel Galactico picked up J♥J♣ on the button and raised to 475,000. Fernando Santa Maria called with Q♠J♦ as they saw a flop of Q♥K♣9♣.
Both players checked to the K♥ turn where Santa Maria led out for 400,000 with his two pair.
Galactico called and the 6♥ river was checked through, Galactico flinging his two jacks up in the air and into the muck as Santa Maria took the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,300,000 | 900,000 |
|
|
3,000,000 | -900,000 |
Galactico Moves In Twice
Level 30
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Fernando Santa Maria raised to 450,000 with A♠Q♣ and Ariel Galactico called holding Q♥6♥.
Galactico outflopped Santa Maria on J♥4♦6♦ and instantly shoved all in for 2,400,000. Santa Maria quickly folded.
A few hands later, Santa Maria again made it 450,000 holding 10♥4♦, then folded when Galactico shoved A♣7♠ for 3,200,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,400,000 | -800,000 |
|
|
3,900,000 | 800,000 |
Santa Maria Leads the Turn
Level 30
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Ariel Galactico limped in with 8♥3♣ and Fernando Santa Maria checked 10♦5♣.
The flop came 4♥7♥6♦ and Galactico bet 225,000. Santa Maria called with his straight draw as the Q♥ fell on the turn.
Santa Maria then led out for 650,000 and Galactico let out a sigh before mucking his own straight draw.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,200,000 | 800,000 |
|
|
3,100,000 | -800,000 |
Galactico Bets Big on the Turn
Level 30
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Ariel Galactico limped in with 9♠8♠ and Fernando Santa Maria checked 9♣7♠.
Both players hit a pair on the 8♣7♥3♠ flop and Galactico fired out 425,000 with his eights. Santa Maria called with an inferior pair of sevens.
The 3♦ fell on the turn and Galactico slammed in a tower of white 100,000 chips for a bet of 1,900,000. Santa Maria counted out the chips to call and tanked for a minute before mucking.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,400,000 | 100,000 |
|
|
3,900,000 | -100,000 |
Level: 30
Blinds: 100,000/200,000
Ante: 200,000
Santa Maria Steals the First Heads-Up Pot
Level 29
: Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
On the first hand of heads-up, Fernando Santa Maria limped in with 3♣2♥ and Ariel Galactico checked J♦3♦.
The flop came J♠8♣9♣ and Santa Maria bet 160,000. Galactico called as the 10♠ fell on the turn.
Santa Maria then fired out another 350,000 and Galactico laid down his top pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,300,000 | 500,000 |
|
|
4,000,000 | -500,000 |
Carlos Esquerdo Eliminated in 3rd Place (€27,400)
Level 29
: Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Fernando Santa Maria raised to 380,000 in the small blind before Carlos Esquerdo three-bet to 1,100,000. Santa Maria then jammed all in and Esquerdo snap-called for his last 2,100,000.
Carlos Esquerdo: A♦K♦
Fernando Santa Maria: A♣9♣
Esquerdo had Santa Maria dominated heading to the flop, which came 6♣K♣J♦. Esquerdo made top pair but Santa Maria picked up the nut flush draw as Esquerdo turned away from the table.
The 7♣ fell on the turn to complete Santa Maria's flush and Esquerdo was already drawing dead and shaking hands with his tablemates before the 9♠ river fell, sealing his elimination in third place.
Despite the third-place finish, Esquerdo still took home the most prize money thanks to the four-handed deal, as well as a €5,000 package to the EAPT Grand Final in Cyprus next September and the "last longer" seat for a future EAPT festival.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,800,000 | 2,200,000 |
|
|
4,500,000 | 400,000 |
|
Busted |