Six Players Return to Battle For Glory at the EPT Cyprus Main Event Final Table
A week ago, 1,284 players from 70 different countries descended on this island paradise at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa, all with one common goal: become the next European Poker Tour champion.
That dream is still alive for six players who will take their seats at the PokerStars European Poker Tour Cyprus final table at 12:30 p.m. local time as the Golden Shard EPT trophy and $1,030,000 top prize will be handed out at the end of the day.
Leading the way is Oliver Weis, who stormed his way into a massive chip lead with 18,505,000, more than three times his closest challenger. The German pro has already enjoyed a stellar year, winning the EPT Paris High Roller in February and earning more than $1.7 million even before his run here this week, but even all those accomplishments will be eclipsed if he lifts the trophy today.
Final Table chip counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oliver Weis | Germany | 18,505,000 | 185 |
| 2 | Mikhail Shalamov | Russia | 6,050,000 | 61 |
| 3 | Bobby James | United Kingdom | 5,215,000 | 52 |
| 4 | Andriy Lyubovetskiy | Ukraine | 3,295,000 | 33 |
| 5 | Anton Wigg | Sweden | 3,190,000 | 32 |
| 6 | Georgios Tsouloftas | Cyprus | 2,255,000 | 23 |
Weis��s closest challenger is the Russian-born, Slovenia-based poker streamer Mikhail Shalamov, who begins the final table with 6,050,000. Shalamov first rose to prominence 15 years ago when he set a world record by playing 40,000 hands in a single day. Once a Team PokerStars Online pro known as ��innerpsy,�� he��s still a prolific streamer with nearly 90,000 subscribers to his Twitch channel. He has EPT cashes dating back to 2010 but is making his first final table appearance today.
The UK��s Bobby James has enjoyed a rollercoaster ride to the final table over the last few days. He was chip leader at the end of Day 3, fell to a short stack by Day 4, and now finds himself in the middle of the pack at the final table with 5,215,000. James already won one Spadie trophy here in Cyprus, taking down the $1,000 8-Game event earlier in the series, but his run to the final table already surpasses all his previous career winnings combined.
Andriy Lyubovetskiy is no stranger to competing for big titles. The Ukrainian pro and itiernant poker circuit grinder has already won multiple WCOOP and SCOOP titles, plus two WSOP bracelets. He��ll be looking to add an EPT title to his resume when he begins the final table in fourth position with 3,295,000.
Anton Wigg has a chance to add his name to the EPT record books today. As a fresh-faced 23-year-old in 2010, Wigg won the EPT Copenhagen Main Event. Fast forward 14 years later, the now-37-year-old can become only the fourth player to win multiple EPT titles, joining Victoria Coren Mitchell, Mikalai Pobal, and Mike Watson. He��ll have to come from behind to do it as he sits in fifth place with 3,190,000.
Short-stack Georgios Tsouloftas rounds out the final table with 2,255,000. The only native Cypriot to make it this far, Tsouloftas has cashes in Merit Poker events dating back to 2017 and a win in June 2022 for more than $260,000. He also finished in fourth place in the Irish Open in March and is coming off a third-place finish in a WSOP Europe event last month.
Final Table payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,030,000 | ||
| 2 | $642,300 | ||
| 3 | $459,000 | ||
| 4 | $353,100 | ||
| 5 | $271,400 | ||
| 6 | $208,720 | ||
| 7 | Anton Kraous | Bulgaria | $160,500 |
| 8 | Andrea Dato | Italy | $123,400 |
The action at the final table picks up with 69:54 remaining in Level 29 with blinds of 50,000-100,000 and a 100,000 big blind ante. Everyone left is guaranteed $208,720, but they��ll all have their eye on the top prize and taking their turn under the poker spotlight by being the last man standing. The final table will be streamed on PokerStars�� YouTube and Twitch channels, with updates provided on a 30-minute delay beginning at 1 p.m. to match the stream.
Six remain, but at the end of the day there can only be one EPT champion. PokerNews will be following along and providing updates until a champion is crowned.