€5,300 Main Event | 2025 PokerStars EPT Prague

12-14-2025 10:50 UTC+1

Seat 5: Conor O'Driscoll, 36, Ireland, lives in London, UK (1,225,000)

David Salituro

A familiar face to Twitch poker fans, Irishman Conor O'Driscoll is a regular streamer contesting tournaments and cash games, and is a member of the same online poker communities as PokerStars Ambassadors Spraggy and Lex Veldhuis.

A fan of a bankroll challenge, he is also, as of last year, a WCOOP champion, making two final tables in the same event on the same night — and beating a field of more than 6,000 to land a title. (He sat alongside Spraggy at one of those FTs).

Though he has made numerous deep runs in huge tournaments in the UK, Ireland and further afield, including a UKIPT Main Event final table, this EPT Prague run marks a significant step forward. He'll record the biggest cash of his career whatever happens on Sunday.

It’s taken some getting used to.

“I’m not used to the spotlight,” he says. “I prefer my tiny camera at home.”

Final table bios courtesy of Jan Kores/PokerStars

Career statistics

Career earnings: $631,999
EPT cashes: None
Best result: None

Tournament progression

Day 1: 86,500 (61/124, 1A)
Day 2: 540,000 (12/163)
Day 3: 825,000 (19/45)
Day 4: 3,530,000 (1/16)
Day 5: 1,225,000 (7/7)

Event highlights

O’Driscoll earned two big double ups off former chip leader Gianfranco Iaculli on Day 4, first calling for 630,000 with ace-king and beating Iaculli’s ace-five, then picking up ace-king once more and doubling for 1,305,000 against king-jack as he swapped places with Iaculli atop the leaderboard.

O’Driscoll increased his lead early on Day 5 when he got a five-bet bluff through against Vitezslav Cech. He slid down the leaderboard approaching the final table, before recouping some of his chips after flopping a full house and getting paid on a 1,000,000 river bet by Ding Fan.

Tags: Conor O'Driscoll

12-14-2025 10:50 UTC+1

Seat 6: Matan Krakow, 44, Tel Aviv, Israel (9,700,000)

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David Salituro

“My wife always knows that I will be gone in December,” says Matan Krakow, who has been a regular at EPT Prague for years. Krakow loves the Czech capital, and while he claimed to have had “no significant results yet,” this is actually his third EPT Main Event cash. He’s previously made the money here in Prague and once in Malta.

Krakow works as a poker manager for an online poker site, so he knows the industry from the other side as well. Playing on the biggest stage for a million euros, however, is a unique experience. “I respect the pay-jumps, but I don’t want to be stressed about it,” Krakow says “I want to stay relaxed.”

The 44-year-old has a background in journalism, and helped co-write Eli Elezra’s autobiography Pulling the Trigger, before he started seriously competing in poker himself. Now he has the chance to become only the second EPT Main Event champion from Israel, matching the achievement of Uri Gilboa who won in Sochi in 2019.

Final table bios courtesy of Jan Kores/PokerStars

Career statistics

Career earnings: $461,652
EPT cashes: 2
Best result: 109th, 2015 EPT Malta

Tournament progression

Day 1: 211,500 (5/124, 1A)
Day 2: 673,000 (7/163)
Day 3: 1,065,000 (9/45)
Day 4: 2,705,000 (6/16)
Day 5: 9,700,000 (2/7)

Event highlights

Krakow was knocked down to just 180,000 late on Day 4 before two timely double ups. He then shoved the river in a big pot against Paawan Bansal near the end of the day as he climbed back up past 2,500,000.

On Day 5, Krakow called Vasyl Pidhrusnyi’s shove for 415,000 with two deuces, but Pidhrusnyi had pocket nines and was poised for a double up until Krakow spiked a set on the river. Ding Fan then moved all in for 1,550,000 at the final table and Conor O’Driscoll called. Krakow, though, woke up with two queens on the button and reshoved to force out O’Driscoll. He stayed in the lead against Fan’s two nines, sending Fan to the rail in eighth place.

Tags: Matan Krakow

12-14-2025 10:50 UTC+1

Seat 7: Traian Stanciu, 30, Bucharest, Romania (5,325,000)

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David Salituro

From Rozvadov to Cyprus, via Paris, Sanremo and Campione, Traian Stanciu has been travelling across Europe as a poker player for several years.

“I’ve been playing for nine years, but in recent years, we could say poker has become my job,” he says.

For all that, this final table at EPT Prague marks not only his first deep run in an EPT Main Event, but also his best live career performance and his biggest cash to date. He says: “Obviously, I’m very happy, especially since I’ve been mentally preparing for this moment for a month!”

The 30-year-old from Bucharest starts the final day with a healthy stack and will be supported by a whole group of Romanian players, including PSO Campione winner Adrian State. But his real lucky charm is waiting further away, in Romania: his six-month-old daughter.

Final table bios courtesy of Jan Kores/PokerStars

Career statistics

Career earnings: $379,660
EPT cashes: None
Best result: None

Tournament progression

Day 1: 77,000 (133/255, 1B)
Day 2: 167,000 (81/163)
Day 3: 710,000 (25/45)
Day 4: 3,110,000 (4/16)
Day 5: 5,325,000 (3/7)

Event highlights

Stanciu was all in for 340,000 right at the end of Day 3 with two queens against Merijn van Rooij’s ace-seven. Van Rooij spiked an ace on the flop to take the lead, and Stanciu was one card from elimination until he hit a two-outer on the river and made a set to double up.

Stanciu doubled up again on Day 4 when his two aces held on against Ding Fan’s straight and flush draws.

On Day 5, Stanciu woke up with two kings and called when Filippo Ragone shoved for 1,280,000 on the final table bubble, beating Ragone’s king-ten to send him out in 10th place.

Tags: Traian Stanciu

€5,300 Main Event

Day 6 Started