€25,000 NL Hold'em III
Day 1 Completed
2022 PokerStars EPT Prague
€25,000 NL Hold'em III
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1
2022 PokerStars EPT Prague
Buy-in
€25,000
Prize Pool
€216,090
Entries
9
Level
10
Blinds
2,000 / 4,000
Ante
4,000
Entries
9
Players Left
1
Level 10
: Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
In what turned out to be an abbreviated closing event to the 2022 PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague festival, Adrian Mateos was deemed the winner in the €25,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller III after just five hours of poker. Mateos overcame a field of nine entries and made an ICM deal to pocket €71,072 in the last high-roller event.
Although Mateos was the clear short stack when Philip Sternheimer got eliminated in third place, he and Alex Kulev agreed to an ICM chop and flip for the trophy. Mateos won three in a row to take home the crown, but Kulev will be walking home with the larger prize amount of €101,798.
“It’s always nice to win a tournament. It’s a small field, like a sit-and-go, but nice to win," Mateos had to say after the tournament finished. It was an odd situation that saw 33% of the field get paid and Mateos said he had to adapt to the strategy. “(There was) one big stack and two smaller stacks, so the strategy changed. I had to play tighter to try to get the other player eliminated first before me."
Through some table chat throughout the day, it was determined that Mateos has now won his (sixth?) EPT trophy and Kulev still has that monkey on his back. The Bulgarian has yet to capture a PokerStars Spadie after another second-place finish but still found a nice payday for a few hours of work.
Final Payouts of €25,000 High Roller III
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Adrian Mateos | Spain | €71,072* |
| 2nd | Alex Kulev | Bulgaria | €101,798* |
| 3rd | Philip Sternheimer | United Kingdom | €43,220 |
*denotes heads-up ICM deal
Action of the Day
It was a late start for this high-roller tournament that was scheduled over the course of the final two days. Late registration was scheduled to remain open until the start of Day 2 but the tournament director was forced to amend that schedule. There were eight players who took their seats in the early going but that was the extent of the number of players who would show up for this event.
Ben Heath, who already had two titles to his name at this festival, was the first to bow out when his rivered pair was no good against the set of Sternheimer. Moments later before the first break of the day, Daniel Dvoress put his short stack at risk but faced resistance from Juan Pardo and Kulev. With the latter two players engaging in a side pot, the stacks got in the middle and Kulev spiked a pair on the river with his ace-king against the pocket pair of Pardo.
The field was dwindled down to just five players and none of the three eliminated players chose to re-enter. Newcomer to the high-roller scene Arnold Oosterbaan was next on the chopping block when he ran into Mateos' full house. He, however, chose to re-enter and make another appearance.
The remaining five players didn't last long as Pascal Lefrancois felt the cold side of the deck when his pocket tens were up against the pocket kings of Kulev and the pocket kings of Mateos. The two big stacks chopped the pot and Lefrancois was sent to the rail. The pressure was back on Oosterbaan to keep the tournament alive but that didn't last long either as he was eventually sent to the rail by the pocket tens of Kulev.
With the field down to just three players, the tournament director was forced to close registration and determine that the final three players would each get a share of the €216,090 prizepool. They agreed to play the scheduled 10 levels and make a decision about what to do after that.
There was going to be no need to make that decision as Kulev started to run away from his short-stacked opponent and apply the heat. On multiple occasions, Kulev put his opponent's stacks at risk and forced fold after fold while he continued to stack the chips. On the last hand of the night, Kulev barrelled three streets and got called on all three by Sternheimer. Kulev tabled a flush on the river and Sternheimer was forced to settle for third place.
The final two players immediately agreed to an ICM deal and they would flip until the trophy was won. Kulev walked away as the big winner with the six-figure score while Mateos was taking the winner's photos as the eventual champion.
That wraps up the coverage for this event but there is still some action taking place inside the Hilton Hotel Prague as the festival wraps up tomorrow. Keep it tuned into PokerNews to find out who will be the Main Event champion and who will be crowned the EPT High Roller champion.
Level 10
: Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Adrian Mateos and Alex Kulev have agreed to chop the remaining prizepool between the two of them in an ICM deal. Kulev will be taking home the larger of the two prizes of €101,798 as he held a huge portion of the chips in play. Mateos will be walking away with €71,072 but also the trophy after winning three flips in a row versus Kulev.
A full recap of the tournament will be posted shortly along with the winner's photos.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
770,000 | |
|
130,000 | |
|
||
Level 10
: Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Alex Kulev raised to 8,000 on the button and Philip Sternheimer called from the big blind. The flop fell 
and Sternheimer check-called a bet of 11,000 from Kulev.
The turn brought the 
and Sternheimer checked again. Kulev fired in a bet of 23,000 and Sternheimer still called. The 
hit the river and Sternheimer checked once more. Kulev shipped all in and Sternheimer called off his last 47,500 chips.
Kulev tabled 
for a rivered flush and Sternheimer was forced to show his 
. With Sternheimer eliminated in third place, Kulev and Adrian Mateos decided to ICM chop the rest of the prizepool and flip for the trophy.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
770,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
130,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level: 10
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 4,000
Level 9
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Adrian Mateos completed in the small blind and Philip Sternheimer checked his option in the big blind.
Mateos checked on the flop of 
and Sternheimer bet 3,000. Mateos called. Mateos checked again on the 
turn and Sternheimer sized up to 12,500. Mateos again called.
Mateos checked a third time on the 
river and Sternheimer checked back. Mateos showed 
for a pair of fours and Sternheimer gave an annoyed sigh as he tabled 
to chop the pot after having his flopped two pair counterfeited by the river card.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
710,000
-5,500
|
-5,500 |
|
|
100,000
-10,500
|
-10,500 |
|
|
90,000
16,000
|
16,000 |
|
|
||
Level 9
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Alex Kulev raised to 9,000 in the small blind and Adrian Mateos re-raised to 23,500 in the big blind. Kulev announced all in and Mateos instantly folded.
On the next hand, Kulev raised to 6,500 on the button and Philip Sternheimer defended from the big blind. The flop came 
and Sternheimer check-called a bet of 17,500 from Kulev.
The turn brought the 
and Sternheimer checked again. Kulev sized up a bet of 45,000 this time and Sternheimer still called. The 
completed the board and Sternheimer checked for the third time. Kulev announced all in once again and Sternheimer had to give up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
715,500
115,500
|
115,500 |
|
|
110,500
-59,500
|
-59,500 |
|
|
74,000
-56,000
|
-56,000 |
|
|
||
Level 9
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
In a heads-up pot between the blinds, Philip Sternheimer bet 4,500 on the flop of 
and Alex Kulev called.
The turn brought the and Sternheimer bet 10,000 Kulev again called. The 
river completed the board and Sternheimer sized up to 32,000. Kulev studied the board for a moment and called.
Sternheimer tabled 
for trip jacks and Kulev mucked in defeat.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
600,000
-33,500
|
-33,500 |
|
|
170,000
38,000
|
38,000 |
|
|
130,000
-4,500
|
-4,500 |
|
|
||
Level 9
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Philip Sternheimer limped in from the small blind and Alex Kulev checked his option. The flop came 
and Sternheimer led out with a bet of 4,000. Kulev called and the landed on the turn.
Sternheimer splashed in another bet of 11,000 and Kulev stuck around to see the on the river. Sternheimer checked this time and Kulev knuckled back. Sternheimer showed 
but Kulev held 
for the only pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
633,500
53,500
|
53,500 |
|
|
134,500
-25,500
|
-25,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
132,000
-28,000
|
-28,000 |
Level: 9
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 3,000