The 2025 PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague €5,300 Main Event got underway today inside the luxurious Hilton Prague. The first of two starting flights for the final EPT Main Event of the year drew 409 entries, with 124 players securing a bag and advancing to Day 2 by the end of the night.
Fabian Bartuschk leads the field after finishing the first of two starting flights with 274,000, good for 183 big blinds going into Day 2. Bartuschk has had a number of deep runs in EPT events over the last four years, and will be looking to top his 20th place finish in last year's EPT Prague Main Event.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fabian Bartuschk | Germany | 274,000 | 183 |
| 2 | Enrico Camosci | Italy | 266,000 | 177 |
| 3 | Vitezslav Cech | Czechia | 249,500 | 166 |
| 4 | Diogo Vieira | Portugal | 248,500 | 166 |
| 5 | Matan Krakow | Israel | 211,500 | 141 |
| 6 | Daan Mulders | Netherlands | 201,500 | 134 |
| 7 | Ermanno Di Nicola | Italy | 200,500 | 134 |
| 8 | David Docherty | United Kingdom | 194,000 | 129 |
| 9 | Patrik Jaros | Czechia | 194,000 | 129 |
| 10 | Georgios Tsouloftas | Cyprus | 190,500 | 127 |
Bartuschk is most closely followed by Italy's Enrico Camosci (266,000), while Vitezslav Cech (249,500) rounds out the podium. Camosci, who entered midway through the day and wasted no time building up a stack, has had a number of six-figure scores at EPT events over the years. Additionally, he finished runner-up at the €100,000 EPT Super High Roller at EPT Monte Carlo earlier this year, taking home €1,304,500.
Maria Lampropulos had an impressive showing in Day 1a, finishing just outside the top ten stacks. Lampropulos had a slow start to the day before gaining momentum in the last few levels after eliminating Emily Frazer with ace-king. From there she rapidly began accumulating chips, ending the night with 184,500. Lampropulos is no stranger to success in major poker tournaments and in 2018 achieved a career highlight after taking down the 2018 PCA Main Event for $1,081,100.
Others to advance from Day 1a include 2025 EPT Malta Main Event champion Tomasz Brzezinski (161,000) and 2025 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event champion Aleksandr Shevliakov (153,000). Niklas Astedt and Barny Boatman were not as fortunate, busting both of their available bullets before the night concluded.
Remaining Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 09 | Day 1b | 12:00 | 60 minutes |
| December 10 | Day 2 | 12:00 | 90 minutes |
| December 11 | Day 3 | 12:00 | 90 minutes |
| December 12 | Day 4 | 12:00 | 90 minutes |
| December 13 | Day 5 | 12:00 | 90 minutes |
| December 14 | Day 6 | 12:00 | 90 minutes |
Players still have one more shot to build a stack going into Day 2, with Day 1b set to start tomorrow, December 9, at noon. From there, the fields combine for day 2 on Wednesday, December 10, at which point the blind levels will increase from 60 minutes to 90 minutes for the rest of the tournament. Late registration will remain open until just before the start of play on Day 2, and players are eligible to fire two bullets total across both starting flights while registration remains open.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be on the tournament floor throughout the day, so stay tuned tomorrow for all the action from the final EPT Main Event of the year.
