2015 PokerStars EPT Season 12 Prague

€10,300 High Roller
Day: 3
Event Info

2015 PokerStars EPT Season 12 Prague

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a6
Prize
€595,500
Event Info
Buy-in
€10,000
Prize Pool
€3,150,000
Entries
315
Level Info
Level
30
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
25,000

€10,300 High Roller

Day 3 Completed

Kenny "kenny05" Smaron Wins EPT Prague €10,300 High Roller for €595,500!

Level 30 : 80,000/160,000, 25,000 ante
Kenny Smaron wins!
Kenny Smaron wins!

The 2015 PokerStars European Poker Tour Season 12 Prague €10,300 High Roller attracted 315 entrants, which created a €3,150,000 prize pool. On Wednesday, the final 18 returned to battle down to a winner, and when the dust had settled, Kenny "kenny05" Smaron emerged victorious to capture the €595,500 first-place prize.

For Smaron, who will turn 31 on Christmas Day, the win was by far his largest live cash to date. In fact, prior to this one he had just $202,744 in live tournament earnings with his largest cash being $90,175 for finishing third in the 2008 World Poker Tour Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic.

Smaron, who finished 91st in the EPT Prague Main Event for €11,540, is best known for his online exploits where he plays high-stakes six-max hyper sit-n-gos on PokerStars. Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the online poker expatriate now splits his time between Costa Rica and Colombia.

"I played like a savage at this final table," said Smaron, who hadn't played in an EPT for nearly five years. "It was finally my time."

The day kicked off with a flurry of eliminations; in fact, it took just three levels for 10 players to fall and set up the final table. Among those to exit early were Artem Metalidi (18th - €31,480), Nicholas Palma (17th - €36,060), Bryan Paris (16th - €36,060), Mikkel Lokkegaard Hansen (15th - €40,640), William Foxen (14th - €40,640), Luc Greenwood (13th - €45,220), Mihails Morozovs (12th - €45,220), Aleksandr Denisov (11th - €51,330), and Kevin MacPhee (10th - €51,330).

In regards to MacPhee, he began the day as chip leader and was looking to close out his very impressive 2015 with another big win. Unfortunately for him, he fell after he opened to 60,000 and was three-bet to 215,000 by Smaron. MacPhee responded with an all-in four-bet for around 900,000, and Smaron insta-called with the {A-Hearts}{K-Diamonds}. MacPhee had the {A-Clubs}{J-Diamonds}, and he looked to have earned a reprieve when the {J-Clubs}{5-Spades}{10-Clubs} flop came into view. But, he then fell behind on the {Q-Hearts} turn. After the {3-Spades} hit on the river to seal his fate, MacPhee headed to the cashier's cage.

The elimination of Davidi Kitai came a short time later and set up the official final table of eight. From there, Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Selbst fell in eighth after shoving with the {j-Hearts}{10-Hearts} and running into the {a-Spades}{a-Diamonds} of Felix Bleiker. She was soon joined on the rail by Rocco Palumbo, who was the loser of two back-to-back hands, and then Daniel "Jungleman" Cates, who grew short only to shove into two pocket pairs.

The smaller of those pairs, held by Greece's Iliodoros Kamatiakis, ended up getting crippled in the hand, and then he lost a race to bust a short time later. By that time the blinds were getting big, so it was no surprise to see Ihar Soika go with queens in a three-way all-in pot. Two players managed to survive, but the Belarusian was not one of them.

Three-handed action took awhile, but eventually the blinds whittled away at Bleiker, who fell when his {K-}{3-} failed to get there against the {A-}{3-} of Smaron. That set up a heads-up match with Smaron holding a more than 6-1 chip lead against Jaroslaw Sikora. For as long as three-handed play lasted, heads-up play was just the opposite, as It took just two hands for Smaron to seal the deal.

Final Table Results

PlacePlayerPrize
1Kenny Smaron€595,500
2Jaroslaw Sikora€378,280
3Feliz Bleiker€283,550
4Ihar Soika€229,470
5Iliodoros Kamatakis€180,890
6Daniel Cates€138,110
7Rocco Palumbo€101,440
8Vanessa Selbst€74,550

Tags: Kenny Smaron

Jaroslaw Sikora Eliminated in 2nd Place (€378,280)

Level 30 : 80,000/160,000, 25,000 ante
Jaroslaw Sikora
Jaroslaw Sikora

Jaroslaw Sikora is the runner-up, busting during the first couple of hands of heads-up play.

Sikora pushed all-in for less than 2 million with {K-Diamonds}{j-Diamonds} and Kenneth Smaron called with {A-Diamonds}{6-Clubs}. Five community cards later and the board read {4-Diamonds}{7-Clubs}{6-Hearts}{4-Hearts}{7-Diamonds}, busting Sikora in second place.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Kenneth Smaron us
Kenneth Smaron
15,750,000
2,145,000
2,145,000
Profile photo of Jaroslaw Sikora pl
Jaroslaw Sikora
Busted

Tags: Jaroslaw SikoraKenneth Smaron

Level: 30

Blinds: 80,000/160,000

Ante: 25,000

Felix Bleiker Eliminated in 3rd Place (€283,550)

Level 29 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante
Felix Bleiker
Felix Bleiker

Felix Bleiker has bust in third place here in the €10,300 High Roller, sending the tournament into the heads-up stage.

Bleiker pushed all-in from the button with what turned out to be {K-Hearts}{3-Hearts} and Kenneth Smaron called in the big blind with {A-Hearts}{3-Diamonds}. A final board reading {3-Clubs}{6-Clubs}{8-Clubs}{10-Hearts}{10-Spades} sent Bleiker to the rail.

There was a scheduled 60-minute dinner break but the heads-up pair have opted to take a 15-20 minute break before coming back to play for the title.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Felix Bleiker ch
Felix Bleiker
Busted

Tags: Felix BleikerKenneth Smaron

Smaron Pulls Put to a Nice Lead

Level 29 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante

Jaroslaw Sikora opened the button for 250,000 and was met by a three-bet to 625,000 by Kenneth Smaron in the small blind. Sikora made the call and then called a bet of 475,000 on the {a-Hearts}{a-Clubs}{3-Hearts} flop. When the {J-Spades} appeared on the turn, Smaron waited for a bit and then moved all in.

Sikora hit the tank, counted down his chips, and then released his hand.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Kenneth Smaron us
Kenneth Smaron
10,750,000
1,850,000
1,850,000
Profile photo of Jaroslaw Sikora pl
Jaroslaw Sikora
2,700,000
-2,200,000
-2,200,000

Tags: Kenneth SmaronJaroslaw Sikora

Bleiker Binks on the River

Level 29 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante

Felix Bleiker was one card away from becoming the third place finisher, but Lady Luck shone down on him and he's still in contention for the near €600,000 first place prize.

Bleiker pushed all-in for 1,070,000 from the small blind with {A-Diamonds}{5-Spades} and Jaroslaw Sikora called from the big blind with {A-Clubs}{8-Diamonds}. Bleiker looked dead and buried by the turn of th {j-Hearts}{2-Diamonds}{9-Clubs}{3-Clubs} board, but the {5-Hearts} came to his rescue.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jaroslaw Sikora pl
Jaroslaw Sikora
4,900,000
-300,000
-300,000
Profile photo of Felix Bleiker ch
Felix Bleiker
2,300,000
-950,000
-950,000

Tags: Jaroslaw SikoraFelix Bleiker

Big Raise from Smaron Gets the Job Done

Level 28 : 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante

Jaroslaw Sikora raised to 275,000 from the small blind and received a called from Kenneth Smaron in the big. The former then bet 225,000 on the {5-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}{k-Clubs} flop, the latter called, and the dealer burned and turned the {A-Spades}.

Sikora bet again, this time 375,000, and Smaron came along to see the {3-Diamonds} river. Sikora bet for a third time — firing 525,000 into the pot — and this time Smaron pushed back with a big raise to 2.35 million. Sikora wasted little time in folding.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Kenneth Smaron us
Kenneth Smaron
8,900,000
2,800,000
2,800,000
Profile photo of Jaroslaw Sikora pl
Jaroslaw Sikora
5,200,000
-2,800,000
-2,800,000

Tags: Kenneth SmaronJaroslaw Sikora

Sikora and Smaron Swap Positions

Level 28 : 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante

Kenneth Smaron has been the more aggressive of the final trio, but has slipped into second place n the chip counts after clashing with Jaroslaw Sikora.

Smaron opened to 200,000 and Sikora called in big blind. Sikora then check-called a 250,000 bet on the {6-Clubs}{k-Spades}{k-Clubs} flop before leading for 225,000 on the {3-Clubs} turn. The river was another club, the {8-Clubs}, and Smaron folded to a 775,000 bet.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jaroslaw Sikora pl
Jaroslaw Sikora
7,000,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
Profile photo of Kenneth Smaron us
Kenneth Smaron
6,100,000
-900,000
-900,000

Tags: Jaroslaw SikoraKenneth Smaron