€100,000 EPT Super High Roller
Day 3 Completed
€100,000 EPT Super High Roller
Day 3 Completed
The €100,000 EPT Super High Roller at Casino Barcelona, part of the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona, has crowned a new champion as Germany’s Leon Sturm conquered a 47-entry field to win one of the most prestigious titles of the series.
Sturm locked up a career-best score of €1,450,385 after a heads-up deal with David Coleman, which left €200,000 and the trophy still in play. “Yeah, new high score unlocked,” Sturm said with a smile. “That’s very nice, always very cool to win a trophy. I think that’s more important than the score in the end.”
The three-day event generated a prize pool of €4,559,940, with the final six players taking home a share. Coleman earned €1,148,755 for finishing second, while Jesse Lonis capped another strong showing in 2025 by finishing third for €706,800. “I just kind of feel lucky to have gotten lucky right now,” Sturm added.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leon Sturm | Germany | €1,450,385* |
| 2 | David Coleman | United States | €1,148,755* |
| 3 | Jesse Lonis | United States | €706,800 |
| 4 | Espen Jorstad | Norway | €524,400 |
| 5 | Aleksejs Ponakovs | Latvia | €410,400 |
| 6 | Punnat Punsri | Thailand | €319,200 |
*denotes heads-up deal
One hand in particular shifted the momentum in Sturm’s favor when he got all in against Coleman holding ace-king versus ace-king. The board rolled out a four-card flush for the German, giving him the chip lead for the first time.
“After that, I felt like I had a substantial lead and I could just do anything and all the spots worked out incredibly well,” he said. “Obviously, I was fortunate that my opponents didn’t pick up cards after that, but momentum definitely shifted in that moment, and I kind of just overtook. This one’s super, super brutal for David, of course.”
Sturm also reflected on the dynamic at the final table, which featured plenty of banter despite the high stakes. “It’s nice to play against friends and people that you know more so than if you play against unknowns,” he explained. “Here, all pros were definitely a good atmosphere. But yeah, we were also just rocking the shades, literally everyone, five people staring into each other’s sunglasses, so there’s room for growth in terms of table talk.”
Looking ahead, the German already has his next events lined up. “Yeah, the Main is on right now. I’ll play after. And other than that, there’s a 50K and a big 10K, so exciting stuff,” he said.
The final table got off to an electric start as Thailand's Punnat Punsri hit the rail on the very first hand. Coleman jammed from the small blind with a weak ace and Punsri snap-called with cowboys, only to see an ace-high flop crush his hopes and send him out in sixth place.
Coleman’s dream start just continued to get better as he dominated the early levels, dragging in pot after pot while barely putting a foot wrong. Sturm, meanwhile, found himself on the ropes, bleeding chips and sitting at the bottom of the counts with less than half the stack of his nearest rival when the first break arrived.
The start-of-day chip leader, Espen Jorstad, also struggled on the felt as his bluffs kept getting picked off, plus with his opponents relentlessly raising and reraising him. At one point, Lonis windmilled a bluff across the table at him. Still, the world champion stayed composed and didn’t let the setbacks tilt him.
Sturm’s turning point came with five players left when he found himself all in with big slick against Coleman in a hand that would decide the chip lead. Coleman held the same hand, and the two laughed, expecting a chop. But the monotone flop gave Sturm a flush draw, and when he completed it on the turn, the final table momentum shifted entirely in his favor.
With the chip lead for the first time, Sturm ramped up the aggression, putting the middling stacks of Coleman, Lonis, and Jorstad in ICM prison by repeatedly open-shoving, while Aleksejs Ponakovs clung on with fewer than ten big blinds. Ponakovs fell in fifth, and Jorstad soon followed in fourth. Three-handed play began with Sturm holding around 60 percent of the chips, leaving Coleman and Lonis nearly even.
After a level of tussling between the trio, it was Lonis who came up short, taking the bronze position on the podium. He correctly called off with ace-nine and had Coleman’s nine-eight dominated, but an eight on the flop was another dream for Coleman. Once the board ran out without an ace, Lonis was gone, and the tournament entered heads-up.
The moment Coleman and Sturm reached heads-up, they quickly agreed to a deal that left €200,000 and the trophy to play for. Sturm began with nearly a 2:1 advantage and extended it early with well-timed aggression and by picking off a bluff from Coleman.
In the final hand of the Super High Roller, Coleman had been ground down to about twenty big blinds when Sturm shoved from the button to put him at risk. Coleman called with ace-five, but was in bad shape against Sturm’s ace-nine. The board helped neither player, and Sturm’s kicker played to win him the pot, the trophy, and €1,450,385.
That concludes PokerNews coverage of the €100,000 EPT Super High Roller. Attention now turns to the Main Event, where live updates will continue from Casino Barcelona.
Leon Sturm jammed from the button and David Coleman called for his stack of 2,500,000 from the big blind.
David Coleman: A♠5♥
Leon Sturm: A♥9♦
Both players had an ace, but Sturm's was better, and if the dealer produced a clean runout, Sturm would be the champion of the event.
The flop came down J♦4♠J♥, keeping Sturm in the lead, but Coleman had some chop outs. The 6♦ hit the turn and Sturm was one card away from victory. A card was burned, then the 2♦ dropped on the river, meaning Sturm was the champion.
Coleman was out in second place, and Sturm was the winner of the €100,000 EPT Super High Roller.
*denotes heads-up deal
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,750,000
3,000,000
|
3,000,000 |
|
|
Busted |
David Coleman completed from the small blind, and then Leon Sturm made it 600,000 from the big blind. Coleman continued in the form of a call.
The flop came down 8♦J♥2♣ and Sturm bet out for 270,000. Coleman threw his cards into the muck, and Sturm won another pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,750,000
800,000
|
800,000 |
|
|
3,000,000
800,000
|
800,000 |
Level: 23
Blinds: 80,000/160,000
Ante: 160,000
On a completed board of 4♦Q♠5♦J♦8♣, David Coleman fired out a near pot-sized bet of 540,000 from the big blind, and Leon Sturm quickly called.
Coleman showed a bluff and lost the pot to Sturm's Jx4x for two pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,950,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
|
|
3,800,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
David Coleman completed from the button, and Leon Sturm checked from the big blind.
Sturm check-called a bet of 120,000 by Coleman on the 4♠A♠10♦ flop.
A 9♦ hit the turn and both players checked to see the 7♣ fall on the river. Sturm bet 300,000, and Coleman quickly called.
Sturm tabled second pair with 10♥2♣ to take down the pot with a pair of tens, as Coleman mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,250,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
4,500,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
David Coleman limped the button and Leon Sturm made it 480,000 in the big blind. Coleman elected to call.
The J♣10♣7♥ flop came down and Sturm chose to check-fold after Coleman bet 430,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,050,000
545,000
|
545,000 |
|
|
4,700,000
545,000
|
545,000 |
Play resumes with six hands remaining on the current level.
The players have agreed to a deal as outlined below, leaving €200,000 to play for, along with the trophy.
They also agreed to reduce the blind lengths to 12 hands per level.
| Player | Prize |
|---|---|
| Leon Sturm | €1,250,385 |
| David Coleman | €1,148,755 |