button in SafariElia Salerno Sends Home World Champion En Route to Top Stack in EPC Masters
It's not every day you get to play with a WSOP Main Event champion, so when you do, you have to make the most of it. Italian player Elia Salerno certainly did so, as he played a big pot with 2019 World Champion Hossein Ensan in the penultimate level of Day 1 of the €2,000 EPC Masters, resulting in Ensan's exit and Salerno's rise to the top of the field.
Partly due to the pot, Salerno ended the first day of the penultimate Royal Scepter event of the 2026 King's Million European Poker Championship with 1,820,000 in chips, worth over 18 starting stacks and 120 big blinds when play resumes at King's Resort on Day 2. However, one player inched Salerno out for the chip lead; after a big cooler went his way in the final level of the night, Poland's Sebastian Kotowicz bagged 1,805,000 — just one chip extra — for the title of chipleader.
Among the 69 survivors from the field of 346 entries, just two other players ended with seven-figure stacks, and they did so just barely. German player Frechdachs and Alexandru Tarcau from Romania follow the two chipleaders at quite a distance, having 1,035,000 and 1,025,000 in their possession, respectively.
End of Day 1 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sebastian Kotowicz | Poland | 1,825,000 | 122 |
| 2 | Elia Salerno | Italy | 1,820,000 | 121 |
| 3 | Frechdachs | Germany | 1,035,000 | 69 |
| 4 | Alexandru Tarcau | Romania | 1,025,000 | 68 |
| 5 | Eugenio Cupellini | Italy | 930,000 | 62 |
| 6 | Malessa Malessa | Germany | 925,000 | 62 |
| 7 | Andre Winkler | Germany | 925,000 | 62 |
| 8 | Eidgenosse | Switzerland | 835,000 | 56 |
| 9 | StanTheMan | Romania | 765,000 | 51 |
| 10 | Milo | Germany | 725,000 | 48 |
Meanwhile, the top three finishers in the €3k High Roller earlier this week are all still in contention to secure a piece of the €602,040 prize pool, with Mystery Kid (585,000), Mihai Tabac (525,000), and MajikMike (190,000) all returning for Day 2
The 69 remaining contenders will return on October 5 at 3 p.m. local time for Day 2. Day 2 is the final day of the tournament; thus, it will play down to a winner. The first level of the day will be 10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 big blind ante, and all levels will remain 40 minutes long, with a break planned after every three levels.
Meanwhile, only 52 places will get paid, meaning 17 hopefuls will have to leave empty-handed. Although the minimum cash of €4,230 is in sight, the real big prizes will only be awarded at the final table, with the eventual champion set to walk away with the grand sum of €131,600.
EPC Masters Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | €131,600 | 8 | €11,450 | |
| 2 | €86,400 | 9 | €9,050 | |
| 3 | €58,100 | 10-11 | €7,275 | |
| 4 | €39,900 | 12-15 | €5,940 | |
| 5 | €28,200 | 16-23 | €4,925 | |
| 6 | €20,300 | 24-31 | €4,425 | |
| 7 | €15,100 | 32-52 | €4,230 |
PokerNews will be back on the floor tomorrow to live report the remainder of the EPC Masters, from the exciting bubble to the glorious crowning of the champion. Make sure to tune back in for all the latest from Rozvadov.