Welcome to Day 1a of the 2022 PokerStars EPT Prague €5,300 Main Event
At noon local time the crown jewel of the annual pre-Christmas live poker festival in the heart of Europe gets underway. Day 1a of the 2022 PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague €5,300 Main Event will see poker enthusiasts from near and far join the action at the Hilton Hotel in Prague and a potential record for the stop in Prague may very well be on the horizon.
The Eureka Main Event once more set a record attendance and it wouldn't be a surprise if the flagship tournament does so as well in the next two days. It is the second time the EPT Prague €5,300 Main Event takes place after the rescheduled sop from December 2021 was moved to the Spring. Back then, PokerStars online qualifier Grzegorz Glowny came out on top of an 1,190 entry strong field after he defeated Andrea Cortellazzi in heads-up play to claim the biggest slice of the €5,771,500 prize pool.
Prior to that in December 2019, the very same tournament drew a field of 1,154 entries and Mikalai Pobal emerged as the winner. He earned a top prize of €1,118,277 and was also only the second player in the history of the EPT to win two Main Events, following in the footsteps of Victoria Coren Mitchell.
Other previous winners here in Prague include Paul Michaelis, Salvatore Bonavena, Arnaud Mattern, Roberto Romanello, Martin Finger, Hossein Ensan, and Jasper Meijer van Putten. Frenchman Kalidou Sow claimed the one and only PokerStars Championship Prague title and later on became an ambassador for the renowned poker operator.
All participants receive 30,000 in chips and will aim to make it through the entire ten levels of 60 minutes each. There is a scheduled 15-minute break every two levels and a 75-minute dinner break after level six. The late registration period for the 2022 EPT Prague €5,300 Main Event remains open until the start of Day 2 on December 14, 2022, and a maximum of two entries per player are allowed.
Even the snow has returned to Prague as well ahead of the first of two starting days. Follow along with PokerNews all day long and throughout the entire festival as the live poker year 2022 ends with a bang.
turn, Robin Scheidegger in the small blind checked. Elias Abou Saleh then bet 900 and Levan Rcheulishvili called on the button. Scheidegger check-raised to 3,600 and Abou Saleh folded while Rcheulishvili called.
fell on the river and Scheidegger checked after double-checking his cards. Rcheulishvili now bet 5,300 and his opponent folded with exposing the 
face-up.
, Ivan Banic checked out of the big blind. Uri Gilboa bet 1,100 from under the gun and Pasquale Braco raised to 2,800 from the next seat. Banic quickly folded and Gilboa called. After the 
turn, Gilboa check-called for 5,200 to then also check the 
on the river.
for nines and fours before they headed to the rail.
board, flopping trips to win it all. 
and headed out of the tournament area.
flop before calling the shove by Alex Peffly for 15,200.
river sent Peffly to the rail, who could all but smile.
river while in the big blind. Julien Sitbon tabled the 
from an early position and Kalynych mucked his 
with a lot of frustration.
for nines and eights to win the pot.
