€25,000 Single-Day High Roller II
Day 1 Completed
2022 PokerStars EPT Barcelona
€25,000 Single-Day High Roller II
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1
2022 PokerStars EPT Barcelona
Buy-in
€25,000
Entries
102
Level
28
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
250,000
Entries
102
Players Left
1
Level 28
: Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
German Leonard Maue denied Francisco Benitez his third EPT title win of the series in the late night show at the PokerStars and Barcelona? Casino European Poker Tour in the €25,000 Single-Day High Roller.
Maue claimed second place back at EPT Prague this year when he was runner-up to Stephen Chidwick in the €5,000 6-Handed event back in March for €57,380. This time, he was able to close out the win after over 16 hours to win his first EPT trophy and €653,160.
The field attracted 102 entries to create a prize pool of €2,449,020. Francisco Benitez had won two events this series and looked set to make it a third as he headed into heads-up play with a two-to-one chip lead but Maue battled back to take the victory.
PokerNews caught up with Maue after his win and he said he didn't plan on playing the tournament and decided to register the €25,000 when he was eliminated from the €3,000 Mystery Bounty. Maue was well supported by his friends as they cheered him on from the rail. Benitez had suggested that he was open for a deal as he wanted to capture his third trophy; however, Maue decided he wanted to battle it out and a deal was out of the question.
Maue lamented how it was nice to deny Benitez another trophy and spoke positively about the great turnout for this event, with 102 entries for a high roller.
€25,000 Single Day High Roller II Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leonard Maue | Germany | €653,160 |
| 2 | Francisco Benitez | Uruguay | €421,480 |
| 3 | Imad Derwiche | France | €300,980 |
| 4 | Dario Sammartino | Italy | €231,550 |
| 5 | Yasuhiro Waki | Japan | €185,190 |
| 6 | Aleksejs Ponakovs | Latvia | €148,170 |
| 7 | Mitchell Halverson | United States | €118,530 |
| 8 | Dzhavad Abdolvand | Ukraine | €94,830 |
| 9 | Patrik Antonius | Finland | €75,850 |
Action of the Day
The day attracted a big field of a total of 102 entries as many were enticed by the tournament. The day started with many notable names firing multiple bullets in attempts to build a stack. Many flooded in to max late register at the start of Level 11 and the field quickly started thinning out when registration ended.
A total of 13 players made the money and the bubble lasted over an hour as players tried to secure the minimum cash of €48,980. Ultimately it was Jans Arends who was the bubble boy as he effectively blinded out.
After the bubble burst, there was a flurry of eliminations with Fateh Jowhary (€48,980), Sirzat Hissou (€48,980), Nick Petrangelo (€60,660) and Dimitar Danchev (€60,660) all swiftly being eliminated near after.
The final table kicked off with Patrik Antonius being first to be eliminated as he flopped middle pair against Aleksejs Ponakovs to be eliminated once all the money went in on the flop. Dzhavad Abdolvand soon followed as he shoved his ace-eight from late position and ran into Benitez's aces to be eliminated.
Next to go was Mitchell Halverson who lost a flip to the eventually champion Maue. Benitez took another victim as he out-flipped Ponakovs to send him home in sixth. Yasuhiro Waki was eliminated quickly after as his two pair was defeated by Benitez's flush.
Dario Sammartino came into the final table short-stacked but managed to secure a couple of double-ups in order to survive. However, he was to secure no more double-ups as Sammartino was to find out like others that it's hard to win flip against Benitez as his ace-queen couldn't defeat the Uruguayans pocket fives blind vs blind.
In three-handed play the colorful Frenchman Imad Derwiche was by far the shortest stack and didn't survive long as Benitez eliminated him with queen-jack against Derwiche's queen-four.
After being on a tear, many would have thought that Benitez looked destined for a legendary third title of the series when he came into the heads-up battle with a two-to-one chip lead. However, Benitez's luck would run out as Maue battled back and won a big flip pocket nines against ace-king to take control.
There was still fight in Benitez however when he called Derwiche's all in his ace-nine couldn't defeat Maue's pocket deuces as the German secured his first EPT title and his biggest cash to date.
That concludes PokerNews's coverage of the €25,000 Single Day High Roller II at EPT Barcelona. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the festival live from Casino Barcelona. Follow more EPT Barcelona updates here as our coverage of the €5,300 Main Event continues.
Level 28
: Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Leonard Maue moved all in for 3,250,000 effective from the small blind/button. Francisco Benitez quickly called in the big blind.
Francisco Benitez: 
Leonard Maue: 
Benitez had to win a flip in order for him to keep the dream of winning his third high-roller title this EPT. The flop came 
which gave Benitez a flush draw. But it didn't come in as the turn came the 
and the river the 
to end his tournament. Benitez had to settle for second place this time and the small payday of €421,480.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
10,200,000
3,100,000
|
3,100,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 28
: Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Leonard Maue limped from the small blind/button and Francisco Benitez checked behind.
The flop came 
and Benitez led out for 250,000. Maue called.
The 
was the turn and Benitez bet 500,000. Maue thought for a bit before making the call.
The river was the 
and Benitez slowed down by checking. Maue checked behind. Benitez announced a six which was good enough to win as he turned over 
to take down the pot,
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,100,000
-900,000
|
-900,000 |
|
|
3,100,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
Level 28
: Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Francisco Benitez raised to 600,000 from the small blind/button and Leonard Maue moved all in for 3,700,000. Benitez snap called.
Leonard Maue: 
Francisco Benitez: 
It was a classic flip with Maue's tournament life on the line. The flop came 
which put Maue in control. The turn of the 
gave Benitez some extra outs. However the river came the 
which gave Maue the double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,000,000
4,000,000
|
4,000,000 |
|
|
2,200,000
-4,000,000
|
-4,000,000 |
Level: 28
Blinds: 125,000/250,000
Ante: 250,000
Level 27
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Leonard Maue limped from the small blind/button and Francisco Benitez checked behind.
The flop came 
and Benitez check-called Maue's 200,000 bet.
Maue fired 600,000 on the 
when action checked to him. Again Benitez called.
The river was the 
and Benitez moved all in for 3,200,000 effective. Maue looked frustrated and threw in all his time bank cards before calling. Benitez turned over 
to be playing the board and Maue turned over 
to also be playing the board as the pair chopped.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,200,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
|
|
4,000,000
-700,000
|
-700,000 |
Level: 27
Blinds: 100,000/200,000
Ante: 200,000
Level 26
: Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Francisco Benitez limped from the small blind/button and Leonard Maue checked behind.
The flop came 
and Maue check-called Beneitez's 175,000 bet.
The was the turn and again Maue check-called. This time the bet was 375,000.
The river was the and Benitez decided to give up as action went check-check. Maue showed for two pair which was enough to take down the pot as Benitez mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,500,000
-1,000,000
|
-1,000,000 |
|
|
4,700,000
960,000
|
960,000 |
Level: 26
Blinds: 80,000/160,000
Ante: 160,000