2024 PokerStars EPT Prague: Martin Tsvetanov Wins Record-Breaking Eureka Main Event; Espen Jorstad Takes Down €25K Super High Roller Warm Up

The 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague is in full swing at the Hilton Prague, and the energy is electric. With the series halfway through its run and whispers circulating that this might be the EPT’s last hurrah in Prague, every hand feels like it’s making history. So far, 21 champions have been crowned, and the action shows no signs of slowing down.

One of the biggest stories to emerge from the series so far is the record-breaking €1,100 Eureka Main Event. A massive field of 4,732 entries generated a colossal €4,542,720 prize pool. When the dust settled, Bulgaria’s Martin Tsvetanov (cover image – left) hoisted the trophy and claimed a staggering €449,034 after a heads-up deal with Austria’s Gerald Karlic, who took home €396,086. Tsvetanov’s performance was a masterclass in navigating a tough field and high-pressure situations.

While the Eureka Main Event drew the crowds, the €25,000 Super High Roller Warm Up provided a dose of high-stakes excitement. Thirty-four players ponied up the hefty buy-in, creating an €807,500 prize pool. After a day of intense poker battles, it was Espen Jorstad who emerged victorious, claiming the €277,500 top prize and his first-ever EPT title. Already a WSOP Main Event champion, Jorstad added another impressive accomplishment to his ever-growing poker legacy!

Martin Tsvetanov Grabs Fairytale Maiden EPT Title With Astonishing Comeback in Record-Setting Eureka Main Event (€449,034)

The 2024 EPT Prague will be remembered for many things, but etched into the history books will be the incredible story of Bulgaria’s Martin Tsvetanov in the €1,100 Eureka Main Event. This tournament, already historic for its record-setting field, witnessed one of those unforgettable poker moments – a comeback for the ages. When the dust finally settled, he had booked himself a life-changing €449,034 payday from a prize pool that hit €4,542,720, following a heads-up deal with Austria’s Gerald Karlic, who took €396,086.

Bulgaria's Martin Tsvetanov rides a final day rollercoaster to top the record-breaking Eureka Main Event at #EPTPrague, banking €449,034 after a heads-up deal.

🌍 https://t.co/wB377x1mty
🇬🇧 https://t.co/OsiaCuwTkl
🇺🇸 https://t.co/gZjwvYShZf pic.twitter.com/jRuLqpZIB3

— PokerStars Blog (@PokerStarsBlog) December 10, 2024

On paper, Tsvetanov looked unstoppable at the start of the final day, coming in as the chip leader. But in reality, his path to the trophy was anything but simple. Everything seemed to take a turn when play was down to three-handed. Tsvetanov’s stack was suddenly whittled down to a dangerous ten big blinds—a position that would send most players into a tailspin. Instead of bowing out, he found that extra gear: he doubled through Karlic not just once but twice, breathing new life into his chances. Then came the knockout blow that no one could have predicted—Tsvetanov’s ace cracked the queens of Portugal’s Ricardo Caridade, sending Caridade off in third place and putting Tsvetanov right back in the driver’s seat.

It didn’t stop there. With all eyes on the heads-up showdown and a deal in place, Tsvetanov held firm and claimed the extra €19,034 set aside for the winner, along with a trophy that will surely become a cherished memory. This win alone shattered his previous tournament earnings, which totalled around $134,000 before this life-changing score.

Throughout a day that saw him swing from leader to underdog and back again, Tsvetanov managed to keep his emotions in check. While others might have crumbled, he held steady as the pressure mounted from every angle.

Still looking a bit overwhelmed afterwards, Tsvetanov tried to put it into words. “I haven’t processed it yet,” he said. “I’m going through the hands in my head, and honestly, I’m ready to play more right now! It’s life-changing, but I think it’ll take a few days to really feel it.”

As for how he stayed so focused, he explained, “I’ve been a professional player for a few years, mainly in cash games. My approach is not to get phased by the money or the situation. Don’t let the pressure sink in, have no expectations—just try to play the best you can. Sure, I got lucky in some spots, but I never let the setbacks knock me out of my rhythm. Even when I lost half my stack early or hit that low point with just ten big blinds, I stuck to my plan. We saw how quickly things can turn. One moment you’re on the brink, and twenty minutes later you’re out in front again. It still hasn’t fully sunk in.”

Looking ahead, Tsvetanov admitted this win might change his future plans. “I’ve mostly played mid-stakes cash, but now I’ll probably look at bigger tournaments,” he said. “I have a family—my wonderful wife and a second child on the way—so I can’t just dive into events like I would have a decade ago. But you’ll definitely see me at more EPT stops. I can’t play the Main Event here because of a family holiday, but I’ll be showing up in Paris for sure!”

The Eureka Main Event registered a staggering field of 4,732 entries across six starting flights. The top 707 finishers were assured a piece of the €4,542,720 prize pool. PokerStars India Ambassador Goonjan Mall was the only Indian who cashed in the Eureka Main Event, finishing 44th for €2,360 (₹2.11 Lakhs) – his first-ever cash at an EPT event.

Only 14 players came back to the tables on the final day, all of them hoping to become the one who would walk away with the top prize. Right from the start, the action never let up. It began with short-stacked Manuel Roca making his move but finding no luck when his pocket pair lost out to Gerald Karlic’s hand. Roca was the first to go in 14th place for €25,850.

Alexantr Spatharis made sure there was plenty to keep track of in these early stages. He doubled up Andris Rasins, then quickly turned around and snatched some chips back from him. Moments later, Spatharis broke through the aces of Magnus Persson, leaving the Swede holding little more than a chip and a chair. Persson was out in 13th place (€31,030) just one hand later.

Andris Rasins (12th for €31,030) followed soon after, unable to win a crucial flip against Jack Sinclair. Then, it was Martijn Kiers’s turn to leave. Down to a short stack, Kiers jammed and ran right into the kings of Konstantinos Nanos, finishing in 11th (€37,250).

Ryan Plant surged ahead after flopping quads against Sinclair, giving himself a major boost. Meanwhile, the tension rose as the final table loomed. Play slowed to a crawl when the field was down to the final ten, the hand-for-hand mode ensuing. Finally, Nanos broke the deadlock after shoving from the small blind and ran into a better ace held by Spatharis in the big blind, ending Nanos’s run in 10th place (€37,250) and clearing the way for the final table lineup.

Once everyone took their seats at the final table, Karlic looked like he had a firm grasp on the title, although Plant and Spatharis were not too far behind. Martin Tsvetanov was somewhere in the middle, while Mikkel Nielsen came in clinging to the shortest stack. Nielsen took a shot but ran into Tsvetanov’s stronger ace, and with that, he bowed out in ninth place.

Karlic then hit a tough patch, losing a big flip to Ricardo Caridade, who flopped quads. That hand sent Caridade soaring into the lead and left Karlic shaking his head. Jack Sinclair, who had never fully recovered from his earlier collision with Plant, met his end in eighth place after he lost yet another flip to Caridade, who by now had the bulk of the chips piled in front of him.

Alexantr Spatharis followed in seventh after losing a tense flip to Tsvetanov, even though he picked up some extra outs along the way. Shortly after, Matthew Micallef’s time ran out. As the shortest stack, he made his move but couldn’t get past Karlic, exiting in sixth place.

With five players left, they briefly considered a deal, but no one could agree on terms. So the cards went back in the air, and Karlic quickly swung back into the race by doubling through Caridade. Theodoros Ampelikiotis, who had done an admirable job hanging on all day, finally saw his run end in fifth. Big Slick didn’t come through for him when he needed it most, sending him to the payout desk.

That left four players, and the pressure went up another notch. Tsvetanov and Karlic led the way, but no one was out of it just yet. Ryan Plant, however, found himself on the wrong end of some bad luck against Caridade, losing a critical pot that left him nearly empty-handed. A brief triple-up wasn’t enough to revive him, and he finished in fourth, undone by Tsvetanov’s overpair.

By the time players broke again, Tsvetanov had nudged ahead with around 50 big blinds, while Karlic and Caridade hovered around 35 big blinds each. Something had to break, and it did. Karlic caught Tsvetanov trying a bold bluff that never came together, taking control and looking as if he might steer the rest of the game from there.

But Tsvetanov wasn’t finished. He found another gear, refusing to let the biggest opportunity of his career slip away. He took down three big pots in a row, doubling through Karlic twice. This sudden surge turned the tables yet again, leaving Caridade on the sidelines as Tsvetanov and Karlic exchanged heavy blows.

Eventually, the heads-up battle was decided when Tsvetanov’s ace toppled Ricardo Caridade’s queens, sending Caridade out in third.

With that, Martin Tsvetanov and Gerald Karlic started discussing a deal. Tsvetanov had the upper hand with 45 big blinds to Karlic’s 23. They agreed that Tsvetanov would take €430,000 and Karlic €396,086, leaving €19,034 and the trophy in play.

Once they settled the financials, it didn’t take long for Tsvetanov to finish the job. With one final push, he brought Karlic’s run to an end and claimed the trophy that so many had chased. It was an ending few would have predicted at the start of the day, and Tsvetanov’s name will be the one everyone remembers.

Final Table Results (EURO)

1. Martin Tsvetanov – €449,034*
2. Gerald Karlic – €396,086*
3. Ricardo Caridade – €233,860
4. Ryan Plant – €179,890
5. Theodoros Ampelikiotis – €138,370
6. Matthew Micallef – €106,400
7. Alexantr Spatharis – €81,680
8. Jack Sinclair – €62,690
9. Mikkel Nielsen – €48,430

*denotes a heads-up deal

WSOP Main Event Champion Espen Jorstad Conquers €25,000 Super High Roller Warm Up (€277,500)

Prague in December can be a pretty chilly place, and as the EPT Prague kicked off at the Hilton Prague, it seemed like the city’s cold front had settled in for good. But then the €25,000 Super High Roller Warm Up started, and suddenly, things heated up – fast. With a €25,000 buy-in, 34 players were ready to put their money where their mouth was, generating a hefty €807,500 prize pool. After a day of intense poker battles and gutsy moves, Espen Jorstad emerged as the champion, taking home €277,500. This was no ordinary victory: the man who already holds a WSOP Main Event bracelet found a way to add an EPT title to his growing legacy.

Even if Jorstad’s name already belongs among poker’s elite, this win etched his name even deeper into poker history. He became an EPT champion, a feat that many aspire to but few achieve. On a day filled with seasoned high rollers who showed up ready to fight, Jorstad’s performance at the final table left no doubt that he knows how to thrive when the stakes are high.

Andras Nemeth, who had just scooped €132,980 two days ago in the €10,200 EPT Mystery Bounty, tried to push his luck even further in the €25,000 Super High Roller Warm Up. He fired two bullets for a total of €50,000. His first attempt saw him clash with Jorstad in a blind-versus-blind battle. Nemeth’s pocket tens looked promising, but Jorstad’s ace-queen came through, sending Nemeth to the rail. Unfazed, Nemeth re-entered with another €25,000, only to suffer a similar fate. His tens were cracked again, this time by Enrico Camosci’s ace-king, ending Nemeth’s day much earlier than he`s hoped.

Thomas Santerne, hoping to add another trophy to his recent win in the €20,000 No-Limit Hold’em (and his later success in the €50,000 EPT Super High Roller), saw his hopes dashed when Morten Klein’s straight sent him packing.

Niklas Astedt, known to many as an online sensation turned live powerhouse, saw his day come to a close in tenth place. His departure set the stage for the official final table, where the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Once the final eight players were set, it felt like everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the first domino to fall. Markkos Ladev‘s eighth-place exit signalled that the time for playing nice was over; it was time to fight for every last chip. But before the serious money started flowing, Morten Klein had an unusual request. He wanted a €5,000 payout for seventh place to beat Kayhan Mokri in a friendly Norwegian points competition. The whole table got a good laugh out of it and agreed to take €1,000 from each of the top five spots to create a special €5,000 prize for the final table bubble boy.

In a twist of fate that felt almost scripted, Klein ended up finishing seventh! Despite being down €20,000 for the day, he left with a smile, finding it amusing that his own idea ended up benefiting him. With that, the official payouts kicked in, and soon after, Viacheslav Buldygin was eliminated in sixth place. The knockouts started coming faster, and Jorstad, quietly but confidently, amassed a massive chip lead.

By the time the tournament was down to three players, Jorstad was in complete control. Then, in one heart-pounding hand, a three-way all-in decided it all. Camosci started with the best hand, but the poker gods had other plans. The river brought an ace, giving Jorstad the win and sending both Enrico Camosci and Ilya Nikiforov to the rail in a dramatic double elimination.

Jorstad’s victory was about more than just the money. He earned a trophy that cemented his place among poker’s elite. He may have started the day as “that WSOP Main Event champion,” but he ended it as an EPT champion, proving that when the pressure is on, true champions rise to the occasion.

Complete Payouts (EURO)

1. Espen Jorstad – €277,500
2. Enrico Camosci – €180,700
3. Ilya Nikiforov – €124,200
4. Roman Hrabec – €91,900
5. Nikita Kuznetsov – €71,700
6. Viacheslav Buldygin – €56,500
7. Morten Klein – €5,000

Content & Images Courtesy: PokerNews and PokerStars

Keep following PokerGuru for all the latest updates from the 2024 PokerStars EPT Prague!