€5,300 Main Event | 2025 PokerStars EPT Prague

12-14-2025 14:26 UTC+1

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

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 14:21 UTC+1

Kurtulus Gets Paid by Krakow

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David Salituro

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

Bora Kurtulus raised to 300,000 on the button and Matan Krakow called in the big blind.

Krakow led out for 300,000 on the 10♣5♣2♠ flop, and Kurtulus called. Both players then checked the A♦ turn.

Krakow checked again on the J♦ river, and Kurtulus bet 600,000. Krakow used a time bank and considered the decision before he eventually called with 5♥4♠ for a pair of fives, but Kurtulus showed J♥10♠ for two pair to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matan Krakow	14,730,000 670,000	670,000

Bora Kurtulus	11,800,000 1,420,000	1,420,000

Tags: Matan Krakow Bora Kurtulus

12-14-2025 14:12 UTC+1

Spring Is Coming Early: 2026 PokerStars SCOOP Runs March 1-25

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Sandra Barbour

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

The iconic PokerStars Spring Championship Of Online Poker (SCOOP) is one of the most eagerly anticipated festivals on the online poker calendar, thanks partly to its offering of massive prize pools across three weeks of action. Usually, SCOOP runs online at PokerStars throughout May, but the 2026 SCOOP heads to PokerStars two months earlier, with the festival schedule for March 1-25.

PokerStars first ran SCOOP in 2009, and it immediately became a must-play series for tournament grinders of all skill and experience levels. The multi-tiered buy-in structure opens the door for every PokerStars player to experience a world-class poker tournament festival regardless of their bankroll size.

Since its launch in 2009, PokerStars SCOOP has seen more than 143 million PokerStars players buy into over 3,300 tournaments and share a staggering $1.4 billion in prizes, of which more than $216 million has gone to SCOOP champions.

Find Full Details Here

12-14-2025 14:08 UTC+1

Bansal Raise-Folds; Kurtulus and Krakow Enter Another Confrontation

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Frank Visser

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

Paawan Bansal made it 300,000 to go in the cutoff, holding K♥J♠. Bora Kurtulus put him to the test by jamming all in with A♣2♣, and Bansal elected to fold and preserve his stack of nearly 2,000,000.

The next hand, Kurtulus opened his button to 300,000, and Matan Krakow called in the big blind.

The table was knuckled twice on both the 10♠9♣7♣ flop and Q♦ turn, prompting Krakow to bet 225,000 on the 3♦ river.

Kurtulus quickly called for Krakow to table 9♠5♠ for middle pair. Kurtulus had the same pair, but with K♦9♥, he won the pot with a higher kicker.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matan Krakow	15,400,000 680,000	680,000

Bora Kurtulus	10,380,000 1,350,000	1,350,000

Paawan Bansal	1,980,000 670,000	670,000

Tags: Bora Kurtulus Matan Krakow

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 13:56 UTC+1

Krakow Keeps Pressure Up; Cech Gets It In

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Frank Visser

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

It folded to Matan Krakow in the small blind, who raised 6♣3♣ to 425,000. Traian Stanciu called in the big blind with Q♣10♥, but gave up on the pot when Krakow bet 250,000 on the 7♠3♠4♠ flop.

The next hand, Krakow opened his button to 300,000 with Q♦7♣ and took down the blinds and antes.

On the next deal, Vitezslav Cech moved in almost all of his 1,250,000 chips as first to act with 6♠6♣. His six opponents mucked their cards, seeing Cech chip up without showdown.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matan Krakow	13,050,000 350,000	350,000

Dimitrios Gkatzas	3,150,000 300,000	300,000
Traian Stanciu	2,900,000 950,000	950,000
Vitezslav Cech	1,630,000 380,000	380,000

Tags: Matan Krakow Traian Stanciu

12-14-2025 13:52 UTC+1

Kurtulus Folds Top Pair to Krakow

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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 K♦J♥ and Bora Kurtulus called in the small blind holding Q♣J♠ as the two chip leaders went heads-up to the 9♠5♠5♦ flop.

Krakow then bet 300,000 and Kurtulus called. The turn was the Q♥ and Krakow bet another 900,000. Kurtulus, despite hitting top pair to take the lead, quickly folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matan Krakow	12,700,000 900,000	900,000

Bora Kurtulus	10,930,000 600,000	600,000

Tags: Bora Kurtulus Matan Krakow

12-14-2025 13:48 UTC+1

Bansal Chips Up Against Kurtulus

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Frank Visser

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

Paawan Bansal looked down at his cards on the button. He decided to make the minimum raise to 300,000, which Bora Kurtulus called in the big blind.

After Kurtulus checked the A♦9♥4♥ flop, Bansal wagered 175,000. Kurtulus called almost instantly, leading to the 4♠ turn being placed on the felt.

Kurtulus checked again, prompting Bansal to size up slightly to 225,000. Kurtulus stuck around with another call, after which the 8♥ river was checked to showdown.

Kurtulus had a pair of nines with Q♥9♦, but Bansal had one rank higher with his 10♠10♣ to win the pot and chip up to 17 big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bora Kurtulus	11,530,000 850,000	850,000

Paawan Bansal	2,650,000 850,000	850,000

Tags: Bora Kurtulus Paawan Bansal

12-14-2025 13:43 UTC+1

Gkatzas Bets Out Krakow

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David Salituro

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

Matan Krakow raised to 350,000 in the hijack as action went on Dimitrios Gkatzas on the button, who used a time bank before three-betting to 750,000 with K♥Q♠. Krakow called to see the A♣9♦4♠ flop.

Gkatzas then bet 275,000, and Krakow quickly folded 3♠3♥.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matan Krakow	11,800,000 1,130,000	1,130,000

Dimitrios Gkatzas	3,450,000 750,000	750,000

Tags: Matan Krakow Dimitrios Gkatzas

12-14-2025 13:39 UTC+1

Kurtulus Remains Active

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Frank Visser

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

Bora Kurtulus made it 300,000 to go in the hijack with K♣10♦. Conor O'Driscoll spent one of his time extensions before he three-bet to 1,050,000 with 7♠7♥ in the cutoff.

Kurtulus weighed his options for a while, but ultimately decided to lay his hand down to grant the pot to O'Driscoll.

On the next deal, Kurtulus found Q♠10♥ in middle position and again raised to 300,000. It folded to Paawan Bansal in the big blind, who defended Q♥10♣.

Kurtulus placed a bet of 400,000 on the 7♦3♥A♦ flop, leading to a quick check-fold from Bansal.