€5,300 EPT Main Event Day 1a | 2024 PokerStars EPT Prague

Dec 09, 2024

El Bar Leaves Fournier Short

Matthew Warburton

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Samuel Fournier raised to 1,100 from middle position, Yakov Bar El called in late position, and Christian Rudolph called from the next seat across.

The flop came J♣4♣K♣ and Fournier checked. Bar El continued for 1,200 and only Fournier called. Both players then checked it back on the K♠ turn.

The river was the 3♥ and Fournier led with a bet of 5,000. Bar El then moved all in for 18,500 and Fournier went into the tank. He flicked in a chip to make the call and showed A♦K♥ for trip kings.

It wasn't enough though, as Bar El had K♦J♦ for a full house, kings full of jacks. He won the pot and doubled up his stack.

Tags: Christian Rudolph Samuel Fournier Yakov Bar El

Dec 09, 2024

Sormunen Takes From Tajiou

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Tim Baker

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

With the flop showing 3♠6♦9♥, Mounir Tajiou checked from the big blind and faced a bet of 1,100 from Pasi Sormunen out of the cutoff. Tajiou called.

The J♣ dropped on the turn and Tajiou checked. Sormunen bet 1,100 again and Tajiou showed K♥3♦ for bottom pair as he folded and forfeited the pot to Sormunen.

Tags: Pasi Sormunen Mounir Tajiou

Dec 09, 2024

Andreev Saved by the River

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Maxime Taldir

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Petar Andreev in the small blind found himself at risk for 19,400 against Toni Kaukua under the gun.

Petar Andreev: J♦J♥ All in
Toni Kaukua: A♣K♦

Andreev started to stand up after Kaukua hit top pair on 6♠4♦7♠A♥. But he immediately sat back down when the J♠ river gave him a set to double up.

Tags: Petar Andreev Toni Kaukua

Dec 09, 2024

Flashback: Padraig O'Neill Turns 12 Big Blinds into €1,030,000 En Route to 2023 EPT Prague Main Event Victory

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Sandra Barbour

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

The road to PokerStars European Poker Tour glory always has plenty of twists and turns, and the record-breaking 2023 EPT €5,300 Prague Main Event was no exception.

Jon Kyte, who had led the tournament from Day 3, entered the finale with 229 big blinds and a historic chip lead, one that was assumed to be unassailable. Padraig O'Neill had other ideas and was unexpectedly awarded the final EPT Trophy of the 2023 season after overcoming the Norwegian in heads-up play.

Known affectionately as "Smidge" in the Irish poker community, O'Neill came into the day as the shortest stack and turned his 12 big blinds into a €1,030,000 payout. With the victory, he became Ireland's second-ever EPT Main Event champion, 11 years after Steve O'Dwyer reigned supreme in Monte Carlo.

2023 EPT Prague €5,300 Main Event Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize (EUR)
1	Padraig O'Neill	Ireland	€1,030,000
2	Jon Kyte	Norway	€643,000
3	Umberto Ruggeri	Italy	€459,240
4	Cheng Zhao	China	€353,240
5	Adam Wagner	Czechia	€271,660
6	Grigorii Rodin	Russian Federation	€209,000
7	Govert Metaal	Netherlands	€160,750
8	Marle Spragg	United States	€123,600
9	Vincent Meli	France	€95,000

Read the Full Recap Here

Dec 09, 2024

Jacks For Lasouski

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Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

There were already around 10,000 chips in the pot on a 10♠2♠7♠ flop when Wissam Ouertani checked from the cutoff and Artsiom Lasouski bet 3,200 on the button. Ouertani called.

A K♣ on the turn saw Ouertani check again, then Lasouski put out a bet of 5,500. Ouertani was slightly slower to react to this bet, but after some time, he made the call.

The 2♦ on the river paired the board and Ouertani checked for a third time. Lasouski was thinking how to proceed, but with a big smile, he checked back.

Ouertani then revealed a pair of tens with A♥10♥, but Lasouski held J♠J♦ for a bigger pair to take the pot.

Tags: Artsiom Lasouski Wissam Ouertani

Dec 09, 2024

Ladies Help Freslon to Double

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Tim Baker

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Karim Maekelberg raised to 1,100 from under the gun and Tom Cohen three-bet to 3,300 the next position. Enguerran Freslon four-bet shoved from the cutoff for 9,000, which only Cohen called.

Enguerran Freslon: Q♥Q♦ All in
Tom Cohen: J♦10♦

Freslon looked poised to double-up with queens. The runout of Q♣7♠5♠2♣3♣ improved Freslon to a set, and he earned the much-needed double.

Tags: Enguerran Freslon Karim Maekelberg Tom Cohen

Dec 09, 2024

Zhou Hits the River to Eliminate Guglielmoni

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Maxime Taldir

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Viacheslav Buldygin opened to 1,000 from middle position, but EPT champion Giuliano Bendinelli in the cutoff three-bet to 3,000. Luca Guglielmoni on the button then four-bet to 8,300 and made Buldygin fold. However Bendinelli five-bet to 28,000.

Guglielmoni went deep into the tank, but eventually folded.

On the very next hand, Buldygin raised again to 1,000 from early position. Chengzhou Zhou to his left three-bet to 2,800, then Luca Guglielmoni in the cutoff four-bet to 8,500. Buldygin folded, but Zhou jammed and Guglielmoni called, finding himself at risk for 18,500.

Luca Guglielmoni: A♥Q♦ All in
Chengzhou Zhou: A♣K♣

After the flop of 8♠5♦10♠, Guglielmoni hit the Q♥ turn and was on his way to double up. But the brutal J♣ river gave a straight to Zhou, sending Guglielmoni to the rail.

Tags: Chengzhou Zhou Giuliano Bendinelli Luca Guglielmoni Viacheslav Buldygin

Dec 09, 2024

Kocab Wins at Showdown

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Matthew Warburton

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Darius Gadeikis raised to 1,100 from late position, the small blind called, and Jiri Kocab three-bet to 3,500 from the big blind. Only Gadeikis made the call.

The flop came 2♠J♥3♥ and Kocab made it 4,200 to go, which Gadeikis called. The turn was the 4♣ and Kocab sized up to 12,000. Gadeikis called again.

Both players then checked it back on the 3♠ river to go to showdown. Kocab had A♦J♦ for two pair, jacks and threes. His opponent mucked and Kocab scooped in the pot.

Tags: Darius Gadeikis Jiri Kocab

Dec 09, 2024

Ivarsson Picks Off Sorainen's Bluff Shove

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Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Luka Sorainen opened to 1,100 from middle position and Alexander Ivarsson three-bet the button to 3,500. When the action got back to Sorainen, he called.

They both saw a flop of 10♠9♣5♣ where Sorainen check-called a bet of 3,500 from Ivarsson to the K♦ turn, which went check-check.

A 3♥ filled out the board and Sorainen moved all-in for 16,400. Ivarsson didn't react for a while then eventually asked for a count, and upon receiving it, went into deep thought with his stack of around 20,000. Around 90 more seconds went by when Ivarsson made the call, which put Sorainen at risk.

Sorainen then stood up and tabled A♠Q♠, and Ivarsson revealed J♥J♣ for the winner.

Tags: Alexander Ivarsson Luka Sorainen

Dec 09, 2024

Andrian Sends Ribeiro Home

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Tim Baker

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Julio Carvalho Ribeiro got his last 14,000 into the middle preflop with Simone Andrian making the call to try and bust him.

Julio Carvalho Ribeiro: J♥J♦ All in
Simone Andrian : A♠K♠

It was a classic flip until the dealer fanned out a flop of K♥6♥9♠ to give Andrian top pair. The rest of the board came 9♣8♦ and Ribeiro was out of the tournament.

Tags: Julio Carvalho Ribeiro Simone Andrian