€5,300 Main Event Day 5 | 2025 PokerStars EPT Prague

12-13-2025 18:52 UTC+2

Kurtulus, Gkatzas Play it Slow in Three-Bet Pot

David Salituro

Level 28 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Conor O'Driscoll raised to 160,000 in the cutoff and Bora Kurtulus called in the big blind.

Both players checked the J♦7♣2♠ flop before Kurtulus led out for 200,000 on the 10♠ turn. O'Driscoll called, and the A♠ fell on the river.

Kurtulus checked to O'Driscoll, who bet 900,000. "Ace-ten? Very good cards I fold. Two pair," Kurtulus said as he sent his cards into the muck.

Dimitrios Gkatzas then raised to 160,000 in the cutoff, Kurtulus three-bet to 450,000 on the button, and Gkatzas called.

The A♥J♥J♦10♣J♣ board was checked down. Gkatzas then showed K♣Q♣ for a straight, but Kurtulus had made a full house on the river with Q♠Q♥ to win the pot.

"What a board. Saved you," Kurtulus said to Gkatzas.

"No, it saved you," O'Driscoll corrected Kurtulus.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bora Kurtulus	7,500,000 425,000	425,000

Conor O'Driscoll	5,600,000 700,000	700,000

Dimitrios Gkatzas	3,400,000 550,000	550,000

Tags: Bora Kurtulus Conor O'Driscoll Dimitrios Gkatzas

12-13-2025 18:52 UTC+2

Bansal Keeps Chipping Up

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Frank Visser

Level 28 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Paawan Bansal three-bet jammed A♦10♣ from the small blind after Traian Stanciu had opened J♦7♣ on the button for 160,000. Stanciu quickly folded to grant the pot to the short stack.

On the next deal, Bansal open-jammed A♦6♣ on the button and once again got two folds for his effort.

Player	Chips	Progress
Traian Stanciu	2,740,000 200,000	200,000
Paawan Bansal	1,540,000 560,000	560,000

Tags: Paawan Bansal Traian Stanciu

12-13-2025 18:47 UTC+2

Krakow and Stanciu Avoid Flipping

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Frank Visser

Level 28 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Matan Krakow opened his button for 160,000. Traian Stanciu defended the big blind before he check-called Krakow's continuation-bet of 140,000 on the 7♥6♠J♠ flop.

The 5♥ turn and J♣ river were checked to showdown, where Stanciu's 8♥8♣ was good enough to best the A♥K♠ of Krakow.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matan Krakow	4,320,000 340,000	340,000

Traian Stanciu	2,940,000 300,000	300,000

Tags: Matan Krakow Traian Stanciu

12-13-2025 18:44 UTC+2

Bansal Nearly Doubles Without Showdown

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Frank Visser

Level 28 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Paawan Bansal opened 10♠10♦ to 300,000 on the button, putting in over half his stack. Matan Krakow folded K♣7♠ in the big blind, shipping the chips to Bansal.

The next hand, Bansal made it 400,000 in the cutoff with A♦2♦. Once again, every other player mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matan Krakow	4,660,000 40,000	40,000

Paawan Bansal	980,000 560,000	560,000

Tags: Matan Krakow Paawan Bansal

12-13-2025 18:42 UTC+2

O'Driscoll Recovers at Fan's Expense

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 28 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Conor O'Driscoll limped in from the small blind, and Ding Fan checked from the big blind.

The flop came A♣A♠6♥, and O'Driscoll check-called a 150,000 bet from Fan.

Both players checked the 2♦ turn, leading to the 10♦ river. O'Driscoll bet 1,000,000, and Fan used a time extension before calling.

O'Driscoll turned over 6♣6♠ for a flopped full house to take down the sizable pot, recovering almost all of the chips he had lost over the last hour.

Player	Chips	Progress
Conor O'Driscoll	4,900,000 925,000	925,000

Ding Fan	2,850,000 1,150,000	1,150,000

Tags: Conor O'Driscoll Ding Fan

12-13-2025 18:38 UTC+2

Bansal Survives First All-In

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Frank Visser

Level 28 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

With Paawan Bansal short-stacked in the big blind, Matan Krakow opened to 160,000 in the cutoff. Bansal called off for 150,000 in the big blind, and the cards were tabled.

Paawan Bansal: Q♦10♦ All in
Matan Krakow: A♣2♦

Bansal flopped a flush draw on 7♠8♦6♦ and turned top pair on the Q♠ turn. The river was the harmless 2♥, doubling up Bansal to a stack of five big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matan Krakow	4,620,000 150,000	150,000

Paawan Bansal	420,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Matan Krakow Paawan Bansal

12-13-2025 18:35 UTC+2

Ragone Gets Value With Aces

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Frank Visser

Level 28 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Filippo Ragone opened his A♥A♦ to 160,000 in the cutoff. Traian Stanciu called in the big blind with 10♠9♥, and the dealer fanned the 10♣2♠J♠ flop.

Stanciu checked before he saw Ragone toss in a continuation bet of 225,000. Stanicu spent a time bank, then called.

The turn fell the 3♠. After Stanciu checked again, Ragone put his stack of 710,000 over the line for an all-in bet.

Stanciu quickly folded his second pair, granting the pot to Ragone without need for a showdown.

Player	Chips	Progress
Traian Stanciu	2,640,000 460,000	460,000
Filippo Ragone	1,600,000 440,000	440,000

Tags: Filippo Ragone Traian Stanciu

12-13-2025 18:30 UTC+2

Krakow Overtakes Stanciu

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Frank Visser

Level 28 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Traian Stanciu opened to 160,000 under the gun. Matan Krakow flat-called in the small blind and check-called Stanciu's continuation-bet of 110,000 on the 6♣7♦6♠ flop.

Stanciu sized up to 550,000 on the J♥ turn. Krakow kept check-calling, after which the 5♠ river was checked to showdown.

Krakow had turned top pair with A♣J♣, and took down the pot against the K♦10♣ of Stanciu.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matan Krakow	4,770,000 1,420,000	1,420,000

Traian Stanciu	3,100,000 820,000	820,000

Tags: Matan Krakow Traian Stanciu

12-13-2025 18:30 UTC+2

Cech Wins Two on the River

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David Salituro

Level 28 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Dimitrios Gkatzas raised to 160,000 on the button and Vitezslav Cech called in the big blind.

Both players checked to the river on a board of K♠5♠4♥Q♠2♦. Cech then led out for 100,000, and Gkatzas called. Cech showed 3♠3♦ to win the pot.

The table then asked the floor if they were playing faster than the feature table, but they were told the number of hands at each table was equal.

"If we both play fast, this will be over in no time. First-ever five-day EPT," Conor O'Driscoll said.

A few hands later, Cech opened to 160,000 in the cutoff and Ding Fan called in the small blind.

Action was again checked to the river as the board ran out Q♦10♠2♥4♠K♠. Cech then bet 250,000, and Fan flashed the 9♠ as he mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vitezslav Cech	6,500,000 800,000	800,000
Ding Fan	4,000,000 150,000	150,000
Dimitrios Gkatzas	3,950,000 725,000	725,000

Tags: Dimitrios Gkatzas Ding Fan Vitezslav Cech

12-13-2025 18:26 UTC+2

Life Outside Poker: Mounir Tajiou Brings No Filter to Life w/ Scotty Nguyen, Michael Mizrachi & Juha Helppi

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Sandra Barbour

Level 28 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Life Outside Poker is a podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.

In the 35th episode, Connor talks with No Filter Poker Series founder Mounir Tajiou about growing up in Sweden, working as a high court judge, playing professional soccer, making a deep run in the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, and the new No Filter Poker Series, which values fun at the table over poker strategy.

We also hear from 1998 Main Event champion Scotty Nguyen, reigning WSOP champ Michael Mizrachi and Finnish poker legend Juha Helppi about their involvement with the No Filter Poker tour.

Learn More About Life Outside Poker!