$3,000 Mystery Bounty
Day 3 Completed
2023 PokerStars EPT Cyprus
$3,000 Mystery Bounty
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2023 PokerStars EPT Cyprus
Buy-in
$3,000
Prize Pool
$1,683,396
Entries
981
Level
37
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Entries
18
Players Left
1
Quan Zhou Wins the $3,000 Mystery Bounty at EPT Cyprus ($242,623)
Level 37
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
The PokerStars European Poker Tour at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa, in Northern Cyprus, continued today with an action-filled Day 3 of the $3,000 EPT Mystery Bounty. A total of 981 entrants made up this field generating a prize pool of $2,664,396, of which $981,000 was set aside for the elusive Mystery Bounties that came into play on Day 2.
After 27 levels of play over two days, 18 players returned to the felt this afternoon for their shot at EPT glory and the first-place prize of $298,496. A further ten levels elapsed and it was Quan Zhou who emerged victorious, claiming the silver PokerStars spadie trophy and the title of the EPT Cyprus Mystery Bounty champion.
Zhou had a close call earlier this week, coming in sixth for $156,200 in the $50,000 EPT Super High Roller on Sunday. For his second final table of the series, Zhou came dressed to impress with an all-white suit and shades in preparation for his second chance at a winner's photo. This win today is Zhou’s fifth and largest cash of the series, so far.
$3,000 EPT Mystery Bounty Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quan Zhou | Hong Kong | $242,623 |
| 2 | Walid Bou Habib | Lebanon | $242,623 |
| 3 | Dmitrii Nazarov | Romania | $133,400 |
| 4 | Dumitru Pora | Romania | $102,600 |
| 5 | Manuel Fischer | Germany | $78,950 |
| 6 | Dylan Destefano | United States | $60,700 |
| 7 | Jacques Der Megreditchian | France | $46,700 |
| 8 | Kemal Aslan | Turkey | $35,900 |
| 9 | Damir Zhugralin | Kazakhstan | $27,600 |
Bounty Breakdown
Day 2 saw the introduction of the Mystery Bounties. For each opponent a player eliminated, they would claim a token that would grant them the opportunity to pull a mystery bounty. While there was plenty of fortune on offer, it was the two $75,000 bounties that captivated the attention of the field.
Francesco Blasio was the first player to lay claim to a $75,000 bounty on the 16th level of Day 2. At the time of the bounty pull, Blasio’s recorded live tournament cashes stood at $23,246, ensuring this bounty alone exceeded his career earnings by more than three times.
It was five levels later that the second $75,000 bounty was pulled by Georgios Vrakas. Vrakas is no stranger to tournament success; this run in the Mystery Bountry became his fourth and largest cash in Cyprus this week.
A lengthy list of players to have claimed one of thirteen $25,000 Mystery Bounties include tournament veterans Jon Kyte, Alexandre Vuilleumier and Aliaksandr Shylko. The eventual winner Zhou was also a recipient of both a $10,000 and a $25,000 bounty.
Day 3 saw finalist Manuel Fischer become the beneficiary of the last $25,000 bounty as he got tablemate Dumitru Pora to pull the bounty from the chest on his behalf.
Day 3 Action
It was Silius Moll who was first to depart the final 18, exiting in the first 20 minutes of play. Moll was quickly followed by both [Removed:432] and Damir Gabdullin which prompted the final two table redraw.
The penultimate reshuffle of the day saw the final 15 take their seats as the field thinned down to a final table. Ekrem Sanioglu, Farid Jattin, Milos Petakovic, Deividas Daubaris and Nikolay Ponomarev steadily made their way to the payout desk over the following two levels.
With ten players remaining, the finalists were on the bubble of the final table. With a pay jump of $6,350 and a priceless amount of glory for making the final nine, a heavy amount of stalling meant it was one and a half hours before Hossien Taki departed in tenth place.
Final Table Action
With the pay jump secured, the chips started to move fast. Damir Zhugralin was the first to bust this final table after being left short by Dylan DeStefano. Zhugralin was effectively forced all in blind, resulting in him committing the rest of his stack with the worst starting hand in hold’em, ultimately leading to his departure.
Kemal Aslan followed in eighth place as his short stack ran into the kings of Dumitru Pora. Aslan couldn’t find any help by the time the dealer had completed the runout and he made his way to the rail.
Bowing out in sixth place was Jacques Der Megreditchian. Der Megreditchian got his money in good against Walid Bou Habib, but the flop reversed their fates and he exited the tournament floor. Der Megreditchian came into the day short and managed to consistently ladder up to seventh place, so won’t be disappointed as he left with $60,700.
One of the most accomplished finalists was DeStefano, who eventually made his departure in sixth place. DeStefano lost the final flip of his tournament journey, as his pocket jacks fell behind the ace-queen of Zhou, sending him to the rail.
It was Fischer who left proceedings in fifth place. Fischer’s Kings got cracked by the ace-queen of Dmitrii Nazarov, and he was sent packing with $78,950 as an apt consolation prize.
Pora left in fourth place. His ace-four was all in and behind against the ace-queen of Zhou, ending his deep run. This made Pora the third player in a row to be eliminated by an opponent holding ace-queen.
After a lengthy three-handed battle, the start-of-day chip leader, Dmitrii Nazarov was the first player to be eliminated in podium position, as he exited in third place. This marked the start of a fierce heads-up battle between Zhou and Habib.
Both players originally made a deal to chop the money evenly, leaving $25,000 and the trophy to play for. This remained the plan for nearly an hour, but after the chip lead switched hands multiple times and Habib’s urgency to register the upcoming high roller, the deal was revised.
The money was split evenly but the floor insisted the trophy must be played for. Zhou had a greater interest in being crowned the victor, so Habib agreed to dump his chips to Zhou, hand-by-hand, until his stack was no more. Habib’s last big blind found it’s way into Zhou’s possession, and he claimed the title and trophy.
That wraps up the PokerNews coverage of the $3,000 Mystery Bounty. Stay tuned as live reporters follow the Main Event and other key events as the series concludes over this weekend.
Quan Zhou Wins $3,000 Mystery Bounty ($242,623)
Level 37
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
After a heads-up deal was agreed to give both players equal prize money, players agreed that Quan Zhou would take home the trophy. Walid Bou Habib dumped off his stack to Zhou until he had just one big blind remaining, then got his last chips in the middle.
Zhou won the hand, the tournament, and took the trophy, as agreed by both players.
Standby for the recap on PokerNews.
Unusual End as Split Agreed - Walid Bou Habib Eliminated in 2nd Place ($242,623)
Level 37
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
A deal had already been made, leaving $25,000 and the trophy aside for the winner. After some back and forth heads-up, players then agreed to split the $25,000.
Walid Bou Habib agreed that Quan Zhou could have the trophy.
However, the tournament director stated that play must continue for the trophy, so once the money was chopped Habib decided to dump his chips to Zhou so that he would end up with the PokerStars Spade.
Over the course of three hands, Habib proceeded to dump his stack to Zhou until he had just one big blind remaining. Players then went all in for Habib's last big blind.
Walid Bou Habib: 6♣5♦
Quan Zhou: 10♠2♠
The board ran out 2♣Q♠A♣Q♦8♣. Zhou held with a pair of deuces to win the tournament and take the trophy - as agreed prior to the outcome.
$75,000 Mystery Bounty Pull
Level 37
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Players Heading for 10-Minute Break
Level 37
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Players in the $3,000 Mystery Bounty have agreed to take a 10-minute break.
Habib Finds the Perfect River to Double
Level 37
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Walid Bou Habib, on the button, found himself all in and at risk against Quan Zhou, in the big blind.
Walid Bou Habib: 4♣4♠
Quan Zhou: A♥4♥
The tournament looked to be over as the first four cards came 5♠A♠10♣8♣. That was until the river landed the 4♦; Habib found the case four to make a set and double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
15,800,000 | 5,700,000 |
|
13,600,000 | -5,730,000 |
Both Players Make Trips, Zhou Wins With Kicker
Level 37
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Quan Zhou raised to 1,100,000 from the button and Walid Bou Habib called.
The flop came J♥5♠6♣. Habib checked and Zhou bet 700,000. Habib raised to 2,000,000 and Zhou called. The turn was the A♠. Habib checked again and Zhou made it 2,000,000 more to go. Habib called.
The river came the J♣. Habib moved all in with the bigger stack and Zhou quickly called for 4,275,000.
Habib showed J♦9♠ for trip jacks and Zhou showed K♦J♠ for trip jacks with the king kicker. He won the pot to give himself a near 2:1 chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
19,330,000 | 11,430,000 |
|
|
10,100,000 | -11,400,000 |
Habib Claims the Chip Lead
Level 37
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Hand One:
Walid Bou Habib raised to 1,100,000 from the button. Quan Zhou called in the big blind.
Zhou check-called a bet of 650,000, from Habib on the A♣4♠3♦ flop.
The 8♥ turn saw a repeat of the action, this time Habib sized up to 1,600,000.
The Q♣ river checked to a showdown. Zhou tabled K♠5♦ for a missed straight draw, while Habib rivered second pair with th K♦Q♦.
Hand Two:
The very next hand, Zhou raised his button to 1,050,000 and Habib called, in the big blind.
Habib check-called a bet of 550,000, from Zhou on the K♥4♠5♥ flop.
The 7♥ turn checked through to the 5♠ on the river. Habib check-called a bet of approximately 1,000,000 from Zhou, ultimately taking down the pot with K♦8♣ for top pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
21,500,000 | 6,570,000 |
|
|
7,900,000 | -6,600,000 |
Habib Calls Zhou's Bluff
Level 37
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Action was on the river on a board of 7♥4♦2♣10♣J♦. Walid Bou Habib checked and Quan Zhou bet 1,700,000 chips. Habib took his time to think before making the call.
Zhou showed Q♥3♥ for a bluff and Habib showed K♦2♠ to pick off the bluff with just a pair of deuces.
After a bit of back and forth, chip stacks are still pretty much even.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
14,930,000 | -70,000 |
|
|
14,500,000 | 100,000 |