€2,200 Eureka High Roller
Day 1a Completed
2023 PokerStars EPT Prague
€2,200 Eureka High Roller
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2023 PokerStars EPT Prague
Buy-in
€2,200
Prize Pool
€2,837,760
Entries
1,478
Level
37
Blinds
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
600,000
Entries
1,062
Players Left
159
159 Players Make it Through Day 1a, Jovan Kenjic Bags Chip Lead
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
The €2,200 Eureka High Roller is always a popular event, and today was no different. Running as part of the 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour at the Hilton Prague, Day 1a attracted 1,062 entries. After 16 full levels of play, 159 players made it through to Day 2 and into the money.
After a marathon day of poker, the bubble was a quick one, and the hand for hand phase never truly reached as Kamil Dobosz lost a flip with queens against Franz Bracher's ace-king right before it was about to start, to be eliminated in 160th place on the bubble.
That brought the flight to a finish and, as players bagged and tagged, Jovan Kenjic of Serbia had emerged as the chip leader. Along with a handful of other five figure scores, Kenjic cashed in the same event at the EPT Cyprus back in October, finishing 21st for $13,625. He's now set for another deep run in his second consecutive Eureka High Roller.
In second place was Nicola Grieco, an Italian player who according to Hendon Mob has locked up $649,719 in live cashes. No stranger to high pressure situations, Grieco came fifth in the EPT Monte Carlo Main Event in 2019.
Yaroslav Shkliar of Ukraine finished the flight in third place, Luigi D'Alterio in fourth, and Dorian Melchers in fifth.
Top Ten Day 1a Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jovan Kenjic | Serbia | 806,000 |
| 2 | Nicola Grieco | Italy | 736,000 |
| 3 | Yaroslav Shkliar | Ukraine | 641,000 |
| 4 | Luigi D'Alterio | Italy | 631,000 |
| 5 | Dorian Melchers | France | 595,000 |
| 6 | Hussein Abud | Norway | 547,000 |
| 7 | Juhani Rantala | Finland | 527,000 |
| 8 | Dominykas Mikolaitis | Lithuania | 510,000 |
| 9 | Baurzhan Akimov | Kazakhstan | 502,000 |
| 10 | Jon Ander Martinez | Spain | 497,000 |
Day 1b, the turbo flight of the event, also ran on the same evening, attracting 416 entries. Of those, 62 players made it through. The total prize pool stands at €2,837,760 and payouts will be announced at the start of Day 2.
The Eureka High Roller continues on Monday, December 11 at noon local time. By the end of the night, a new champion will be crowned.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as reporters bring live updates straight from the tournament floor as the event plays down to a winner on Day 2.
The Most Memorable & Unexpected Moments from PokerStars EPT Prague
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
2007 was the first year that the PokerStars European Poker Tour visited Prague, and the Czech capital city has since woven a rich tapestry of poker history.
There have been a plethora of memorable and unexpected moments over the last 16 years, and as PokerStars gears up for the 2023 edition of EPT Prague, PokerNews thought it'd be fun to look back at some of the epic tales that have taken place at the stop.
Check the Seat Draw on the PokerStars LIVE App!
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
For the complete seat draw for this and all EPT Prague events, be sure to get the PokerStars LIVE App.
Download it now on Android or iOS.
EPT event seat draws can also be found online
here.
End of Day 1a Chip Counts (full)
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
806,000
806,000
|
806,000 |
|
||
|
736,000
603,000
|
603,000 |
|
641,000
484,000
|
484,000 |
|
631,000
306,000
|
306,000 |
|
595,000
557,600
|
557,600 |
|
547,000
547,000
|
547,000 |
|
527,000
527,000
|
527,000 |
|
510,000
510,000
|
510,000 |
|
502,000
502,000
|
502,000 |
|
497,000
290,000
|
290,000 |
|
495,000
225,000
|
225,000 |
|
494,000
494,000
|
494,000 |
|
468,000
301,000
|
301,000 |
|
449,000
366,500
|
366,500 |
|
430,000
270,000
|
270,000 |
|
430,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
421,000
319,000
|
319,000 |
|
||
|
418,000
418,000
|
418,000 |
|
373,000
269,000
|
269,000 |
|
364,000
7,000
|
7,000 |
|
355,000
355,000
|
355,000 |
|
351,000
86,000
|
86,000 |
|
348,000
321,000
|
321,000 |
|
341,000
21,000
|
21,000 |
|
340,000
-50,000
|
-50,000 |
Dobosz Shoves Queens and Busts on Bubble
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
The floor staff announced to the dealers to stop dealing after the current hand had finished, signifying the start of hand for hand play. Yet on one table, there was still action.
Kamil Dobosz open shoved all in from early position for around 60,000 and was called by Franz Bracher in the big blind. The players flipped their cards, with Dobosz at risk.
Kamil Dobosz: Q♥Q♠
Franz Bracher: A♦K♦
It was a classic poker race. The board ran out 10♠8♠6♠A♣2♥. Bracher paired up his ace on the turn and held to win the pot. Just like that, the bubble was over. Dobosz was eliminated in 160th place.
The other 159 players bagged and tagged their chips for Day 2.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
310,000
156,700
|
156,700 |
|
Busted |
Hand for Hand
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
The tournament is now hand for hand on the bubble.
Lopes Busts Near Bubble
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Miguel Angelo Faria Lopes was all in from early position with a stack of around 12,000 and was called by Dejan Jakovljevic. The rest of the table folded and players turned their cards.
Miguel Lopes: A♦5♥
Dejan Jakovljevic: A♣9♣
The board ran out Q♥10♥9♦Q♦8♠. Jakovljevic paired his nine to win the pot and Lopes was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
80,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
Busted |
Kotowicz Runs Into Queens
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Sebastian Kotowicz moved all in for his last 63,000 from middle position. Christos Xanthopoulos, to Kotowics' direct left, moved all in himself for approximately 200,000 and the hand went to a showdown.
Sebastian Kotowicz: A♣Q♠
Christos Xanthopoulos: Q♦Q♥
The board ran out 6♦8♠J♠K♣K♦; Kotowicz couldn't come back from behind and was eliminated on the soft bubble.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
270,000
270,000
|
270,000 |
|
Busted |
Vazquez Gets Double as Action Slows
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Alejandro Vazquez was all in preflop with a short stack of less than 10 big blinds against Frederik Reusch, who had him well covered as the cards were turned.
Alejandro Vazquez: 4♠4♥
Frederik Reusch: A♠Q♠
The board ran out 4♣2♠5♣A♥6♥. Vazquez flopped a set of fours and held to double up his stack, surviving to see another round.
Elsewhere around the room, action has slowed down to a snail's pace. Dealers are calling for the floor for clock. Players are being given warnings for stalling. As usual, nobody wants to bust at this stage, and it shows. Barely anyone has busted in the last 20 minutes.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
320,000 | |
|
110,000 |