€5,300 Main Event | 2025 PokerStars EPT Prague

12-14-2025 15:38 UTC+1

Paawan Bansal Eliminated in 5th Place (€269,000)

David Salituro

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Bora Kurtulus limped in from under the gun, Traian Stanciu called on the button, while Dimitrios Gkatzas came along in the small blind. Paawan Bansal was forced all in from the big blind.

The A♥K♦9♣3♥6♥ board was checked down, and Kurtulus showed Q♥2♥ for a flush. Bansal mucked J♣4♣, and his comeback story came to an end in fifth place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bora Kurtulus	18,250,000 600,000	600,000

Dimitrios Gkatzas	4,880,000 1,600,000	1,600,000
Traian Stanciu	1,700,000 700,000	700,000
Paawan Bansal	Busted

Tags: Bora Kurtulus Dimitrios Gkatzas Paawan Bansal Traian Stanciu

12-14-2025 15:30 UTC+1

Krakow Can't Take Advantage of Kurtulus' Misclick

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David Salituro

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Matan Krakow raised to 400,000 under the gun and Bora Kurtulus called in the big blind.

The flop came K♥9♠5♦ and Krakow bet 300,000. Kurtulus called, and the 4♥ fell on the turn.

Krakow then bet 1,000,000, and Kurtulus again called. Kurtulus checked the 6♥ river and thought Krakow checked back, turning over his 7♣6♣ before Krakow had acted.

Krakow then bet 1,500,000. "You could raise if you want," Dimitrios Gkatzas joked with Kurtulus, who eventually called with his pair of sixes showing. Krakow mucked A♣2♦.

"If I bet bigger, do you call too?" Krakow asked.

"I don't know," Kurtulus replied.

"This is the most fun final table I've ever played," Paawan Bansal added.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bora Kurtulus	17,050,000 3,600,000	3,600,000

Matan Krakow	11,550,000 2,500,000	2,500,000

Tags: Bora Kurtulus Matan Krakow

12-14-2025 15:24 UTC+1

Stanciu Doubles, Leaves Bansal on Fumes Again

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Frank Visser

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Traian Stanciu raised to 750,000 on the button, putting in the majority of his stack. Paawan Bansal took some time in the big blind before he moved all in, and Stanciu quickly called off for his stack of 1,050,000.

Traian Stanciu: 4♠4♥ All in
Paawan Bansal: K♣9♥

Stanciu ran to his rail to watch the dealer fan the 5♠3♠7♥ flop. The 10♣ turn changed nothing, and Stanciu won the flip when the river was dealt the J♣.

Stanciu doubled up to a stack of 12 big blinds, leaving Bansal with a stack of less than two big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Traian Stanciu	2,400,000 350,000	350,000
Paawan Bansal	300,000 1,250,000	1,250,000

Tags: Paawan Bansal Traian Stanciu

12-14-2025 15:14 UTC+1

Chip and a Chair Story Alive as Bansal Triples

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David Salituro

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Paawan Bansal moved all in for 350,000 under the gun and Bora Kurtulus called in the cutoff. Matan Krakow then reraised to 1,100,000 on the button, and Kurtulus folded.

Paawan Bansal: 5♦5♣ All in
Matan Krakow: A♥4♦

"Yes!" Bansal yelled out as he found himself ahead and a favorite to climb back up over 1,000,000. The flop came K♠6♦3♥.

"I had the king. I called without looking," Kurtulus said, revealing he folded K♦5♥. The rest of the board ran out 9♣2♣ and Bansal tripled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matan Krakow	14,050,000 450,000	450,000

Bora Kurtulus	13,450,000 150,000	150,000

Paawan Bansal	1,550,000 1,200,000	1,200,000

Tags: Bora Kurtulus Matan Krakow Paawan Bansal

12-14-2025 15:06 UTC+1

Conor O'Driscoll Eliminated in 6th Place (€206,900)

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David Salituro

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

"If you have aces, you should fold there," Bora Kurtulus said about the previous three-way all in.

"No, absolutely not. The upside is so huge," Paawan Bansal replied.

Matan Krakow then raised to 400,000 under the gun and Bora Kurtulus called in the small blind. Conor O'Driscoll also came along from the big blind.

The flop came A♦A♥5♦ and O'Driscoll moved all in for 800,000. Krakow folded, but Kurtulus quickly called to put O'Driscoll at risk.

Conor O'Driscoll: K♦Q♦ All in
Bora Kurtulus: A♣Q♥

Kurtulus had flopped trips, while O'Driscoll was left looking to complete a flush draw to stay alive. The 7♠ turn was no help, while the river came the K♠ and O'Driscoll was sent to the rail in sixth place.

"You are the winner for the night," Kurtulus said to Bansal, who made another pay jump with just 50,000.

"I can't believe it," Bansal replied.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matan Krakow	14,900,000 400,000	400,000

Bora Kurtulus	13,300,000 1,800,000	1,800,000

Conor O'Driscoll	Busted

Tags: Bora Kurtulus Conor O'Driscoll Matan Krakow

12-14-2025 14:58 UTC+1

Vitezslav Cech Eliminated in 7th Place (€159,150)

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Frank Visser

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Traian Stanciu made it 400,000 to go in the cutoff. Dimitrios Gkatzas pushed in a three-bet to 850,000 on the button, and Paawan Bansal folded 6♥2♥ in the small blind after having invested two-thirds of his stack.

Vitezslav Cech spent three time banks in the big blind before he called all-in for 675,000. With the action back on Stanciu, he four-bet jammed, also putting Gkatzas all-in for 2,700,000.

Gkatzas quickly rechecked his cards before he immediately called off.

Vitezslav Cech: J♠J♥ All in
Dimitrios Gkatzas: A♥A♦ All in
Traian Stanciu: Q♠Q♦

"Why did I do this?" Cech lamented as the cards were revealed.

The 6♦7♦3♣ flop and 9♠ turn left Cech and Stanciu with two outs each. The 7♠ river paired the board instead, sending out Cech while Gkatzas' aces scooped the massive pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dimitrios Gkatzas	6,380,000 3,680,000	3,680,000
Traian Stanciu	2,050,000 2,750,000	2,750,000
Paawan Bansal	50,000 75,000	75,000

Vitezslav Cech	Busted

Tags: Dimitrios Gkatzas Paawan Bansal Traian Stanciu Vitezslav Cech

12-14-2025 14:26 UTC+1

Bansal Left With Chip and Chair as Stanciu Doubles in Ultimate Cooler

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Frank Visser

Level 31 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Paawan Bansal raised to 300,000 in middle position. Traian Stanciu was in the big blind and three-bet to 750,000 after spending a time bank.

Bansal moved all in for 2,350,000, and Stanciu snap-called, playing only 50,000 less than his opponent.

Traian Stanciu: A♠A♣ All in
Paawan Bansal: K♥K♦

Bansal was left with running outs after the 7♠J♦A♦ flop gave Stanciu top set. The 5♥ turn left him drawing dead, however, and the meaningless 3♦ river completed the board.

Stanciu raked in the double-up, leaving Bansal with just one-third of a big blind to try and spin up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Traian Stanciu	4,880,000 1,980,000	1,980,000
Paawan Bansal	50,000 1,930,000	1,930,000

Tags: Paawan Bansal Traian Stanciu

12-14-2025 14:03 UTC+1

Krakow Binks the Turn to Widen His Lead

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David Salituro

Level 31 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Matan Krakow raised to 300,000 in early position with 9♦8♦, Bora Kurtulus three-bet to 950,000 in the big blind, and Krakow called.

Kurtulus checked to Krakow on the J♥7♣7♥ flop, and Krakow bet 800,000. Kurtulus called and checked again on the 10♣ turn, and Krakow bet 2,000,000 with his straight. Kurtulus folded A♦K♥.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matan Krakow	16,080,000 3,030,000	3,030,000

Bora Kurtulus	9,030,000 1,900,000	1,900,000

Tags: Bora Kurtulus Matan Krakow

12-14-2025 13:33 UTC+1

O'Driscoll Gets Back in the Game With a Double

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David Salituro

Level 31 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Matan Krakow raised to 300,000 under the gun with A♠9♥ and Conor O'Driscoll called in the big blind.

Krakow continued for 275,000 on the Q♥9♣8♦ flop, and O'Driscoll quickly folded 5♥4♣ to drop down to less than 1,000,000.

The next hand, Vitezslav Cech opened to 300,000 in the cutoff and O'Driscoll three-bet to 600,000 in the small blind. Cech moved all in, and O'Driscoll called for 175,000 more.

Conor O'Driscoll: A♥8♣ All in
Vitezslav Cech: J♥10♥

O'Driscoll hit two pair on the A♠3♥3♦ flop, and he signalled to his supporters on the rail to start cheering once the 9♠ turn left Cech drawing dead. The river was the 8♠ and O'Driscoll doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matan Krakow	12,930,000 530,000	530,000

Conor O'Driscoll	1,850,000 620,000	620,000

Vitezslav Cech	1,250,000 780,000	780,000

Tags: Conor O'Driscoll Matan Krakow Vitezslav Cech

12-14-2025 13:28 UTC+1

Krakow Takes Over Lead; Bansal Has Time to Spare

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Frank Visser

Level 31 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Matan Krakow opened to a larger than usual size of 400,000 in middle position. Paawan Bansal spent one of his time banks on the button before he let go of 9♣2♠, and Bora Kurtulus called in the big blind.

Krakow continued with a bet of 300,000 on the A♥9♦2♣ flop. Kurtulus check-called, after which the K♣ turn and 10♥ river were checked to showdown.

Kurtulus had a pocket pair with 6♥6♦, but Krakow tabled 9♠8♠ for a higher pair. Krakow took down the pot, gaining a narrow lead over Kurtulus on the leaderboard.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matan Krakow	12,400,000 920,000	920,000

Bora Kurtulus	12,230,000 95,000	95,000

Traian Stanciu	3,850,000
Dimitrios Gkatzas	2,700,000 375,000	375,000
Paawan Bansal	2,250,000 375,000	375,000

Vitezslav Cech	2,030,000 370,000	370,000
Conor O'Driscoll	1,230,000 5,000	5,000

Tags: Bora Kurtulus Matan Krakow Paawan Bansal