2024 EPT Barcelona: Jean-Noel Thorel Cruises to Victory in €30K Super High Roller Warm Up (€512,370)

The 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona is setting the stage on fire as it celebrates its 20th anniversary at the iconic Casino Barcelona!

The latest high-stakes showdown in Event #17: €30,000 Super High Roller Warm Up was a clash of titans, attracting 54 of the world’s best players. When the dust settled after a full day`s play, seasoned French pro Jean-Noel Thorel (cover image) stood tall, snagging his third EPT title and a jaw-dropping €512,370. Not only that, he also added a third coveted PokerStars EPT Spade trophy to his poker case. American high roller Justin Saliba put up a valiant fight but ultimately had to settle for the runner-up spot and €339,100.

2024 has been a banner year for Thorel, marking his first live title of the year, his eleventh cash, and his sixth final table appearance. His career-best payday of $2,875,000 came earlier in March after a stellar performance as the runner-up at the Triton Poker Jeju $100K Main Event.

This latest victory pushes Thorel’s lifetime live earnings over the mind-blowing $20 Million mark, solidifying his position as the #1 ranked player on France’s all-time money list. With a grand total of $20,387,992 in live winnings, Thorel’s skill and longevity at the tables are undeniable.

Meanwhile, the bustling Event #1: €1,100 Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event wrapped up Day 2 in style. Out of a massive field of 7,138 hopefuls, only 1,066 made it to Day 2, and just 136 survived to reach Day 3. Alejandro Lococo is leading the charge with a formidable stack of 5.19 Million chips. Sweden’s Magnus Persson is a distant second with 3.73 Million, while Rafael Coutada rounds out the top three with 3.70 Million.

At the start of Day 3, just 136 players from the 7,138 entries still have chips in the Estrellas Main Event at #EPTBarcelona.

Leading the way is none other than @papomcarg, whilst @tonkaaaap has a top 10 stack.

Follow the Day 3 action 👉 https://t.co/UgEd5zt5YZ#EPT20 ♠️ pic.twitter.com/ZUh7r5ogRB

— PokerStars LIVE (@PokerStarsLIVE) August 31, 2024

The Indian contingent saw three of their own battle it out on Day 2, though none could make it to the next round. Raviteja Obili had the deepest run among them, finishing in 286th place for €5,180 (~₹4.80 Lakhs).

Ankit Ahuja, a two-time GPI Player of the Year (India), wrapped up his journey in 750th place, pocketing €2,230 (~₹2.07 Lakhs) and more valuable points in his quest to catch the current leader Santhosh Suvarna for a record-extending third GPI POY (India) title. Krishna Madhariwar rounded out the Indian payouts with €1,800 (~₹1.67 Lakhs).

Over at Event #18: €550 Estrellas Poker Cup, Day 1 drew a crowd of 2,175 entries, generating a prize pool that tipped to over €1,044,000. By the end of the day, 326 survivors bagged chips for Day 2, each guaranteed at least €840. Edgar Ishida of Brazil took the lead with a hefty 888,000 chips. British player Kian Kiani wasn’t far behind with 865,000, closely followed by Portugal’s Diogo Simoes holding 859,000.

Two Indians managed to progress in this event. Shyam Chhabria built a solid stack of 178,000, while Ankit Ahuja, fresh off his exit from the Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event, jumped into Event #18 and bagged a promising 103,000, although falling out early.

The poker action doesn’t stop there! Two more thrilling events kicked off today—Event #21: €2,200 Estrellas High Roller and Event #22: €100,000 EPT Super High Roller. The Estrellas High Roller saw fierce competition in both its starting flights. India’s Ankit Ahuja and Paawan Bansal were right in the mix on Day 1A of Event #21, ready to battle for high-roller glory.

Event #17: Super High Roller Warm Up was a high-stakes spectacle, with a €30,000 buy-in creating a massive €1,577,070 prize pool. The top seven finalists were guaranteed at least €82,800 each, but everyone had their eyes on the top prize.

The tournament was a star-studded affair, featuring many familiar faces from the previous day’s high-roller battles at the EPT. Notable names like Mike Watson, Jamil Wakil, Derk Van Luijk, Sean Winter, Sven Andersson, Steve O’Dwyer, Sam Grafton, Kayhan Mokri, Nacho Barbero, Jesse Lonis, and Niklas Astedt all fell short of the final table.

The action reached a fever pitch as Event #12 runner-up Sam Greenwood bowed out in tenth place. This elimination narrowed the field down to the final nine contenders, each ready to fight for the championship title.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Ottomar Ladva – 2,500,000
2. Patrik Antonius – 2,250,000
3. Teun Mulder – 2,100,000
4. Jean-Noel Thorel – 1,700,000
5. Justin Saliba – 1,600,000
6. Maher Nouira – 1,250,000
7. Boris Angelov – 820,000
8. Nick Petrangelo – 670,000
9. Brock Wilson – 600,000

Final Table Recap

The final table was where the real drama unfolded. With nine players remaining and a minimum payout of €82,800, the stakes were sky-high.

Teun Mulder was the first to fall in ninth place. He started with a misfire, doubling up Justin Saliba when his unlucky couldn’t beat Saliba’s . Then, on the very next hand, Mulder shoved with but ran headlong into Patrik Antonius’ . The board rolled out , giving Antonius a pair of aces and sending Mulder packing.

Nick Petrangelo was next to go in eighth place. He moved all-in with and was in good shape for a double-up against Jean-Noel Thorel`s . The flop came , keeping Thorel firmly in the lead. However, the ace on the turn changed the equation, and the river sealed Petrangelo’s fate, making him the unfortunate bubble boy.

With everyone now in the money, Bulgaria’s Boris Angelov, fresh off his Event #5 win, was the next to fall. After losing a big pot to a rivered straight, Angelov shoved with and went broke when Jean-Noel Thorel’s flopped a straight on the board. Thorel’s aggressive play continued, and Angelov was eliminated in seventh place.

The action didn’t let up. Patrik Antonius, the latest Poker Hall of Fame inductee, holding , found himself outmatched by Jean-Noel Thorel’s , falling out in sixth place to the cooler.

Shortly after that, Estonia’s Ottomar Ladva, holding , couldn’t survive a clash against Justin Saliba’s . The board came , giving Saliba a higher pair and sending Ladva to the rail in fifth place.

The battle between Brock Wilson and Maher Nouira was a nail-biter. Nouira won a couple of crucial all-ins, the second of which sent Wilson packing in fourth place. Wilson shoved with , but Nouira’s hit a straight on the runout.

Jean-Noel Thorel seemed unstoppable as the final table dwindled. Despite a brief resurgence from Justin Saliba, Thorel eliminated Maher Nouira in third place when Nouira’s couldn’t beat Thorel’s on a dramatic board of .

The heads-up duel saw Jean-Noel Thorel (9.60 Million) starting with a commanding over 2:1 chip lead over Justin Saliba (3.90 Million). Despite Saliba doubling up once, the final hand was swift. Saliba, holding , couldn’t catch up to Thorel’s . The final board of secured Thorel the victory, the grand €512,370 prize, and the prestigious PokerStars trophy.

Complete Results (EURO)

1. Jean Noel Thorel – €512,370
2. Justin Saliba – €339,100
3. Maher Nouira – €228,700
4. Brock Wilson – €173,500
5. Ottomar Ladva – €134,100
6. Patrik Antonius – €106,500
7. Boris Angelov – €82,800

Content & Images Courtesy: PokerStars & PokerNews

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