2024 PokerStars EPT Prague: Patrik Jaros Celebrates an Early Christmas With Two Titles, Including a Career-Best Win in €10,300 EPT High Roller (€573,500)

With its captivating blend of old-world charm and modern energy, Prague provided the perfect backdrop for the grand finale of the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) season. With the year-end approaching, some of the world’s best poker players converged at Hilton Prague, eager to chase those coveted pre-holiday winnings. This 12-day festival, packed with 68 events, peaked in a dramatic finale that saw Czech poker pro Patrik Jaros (cover image) join the ranks of EPT legends.

Jaros, a well-known figure in the poker community, put on a masterclass in the €10,300 EPT High Roller. This wasn’t just a win; it was a display of dominance on his home turf that earned him a stunning €573,500 – the biggest live cash of his career. This win surpassed his previous best, a fifth-place finish in the 2022 EPT Barcelona Main Event, where he won $443,783.

This wasn’t Jaros’ first taste of victory at EPT Prague. He had already picked up his first PokerStars trophy just days earlier in the €5,250 Pot Limit Omaha. While primarily known for his PLO skills, Jaros proved he is no slouch in No-Limit Hold’em as well. He conquered a high-roller field packed with some of the world’s best players, showing he was capable of excelling in different poker formats. And if that wasn’t enough, he also went deep in the €1,100 Eureka Main Event before his two wins, finishing in 88th place for €7,220.

This latest victory pushed Jaros’s total live earnings over the $2.60 Million mark in a poker career that has spanned almost a decade. This accomplishment puts him at #8 on the Czech Republic’s all-time money list, getting him closer to overtaking Michael Sklenička at #7.

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The final showdown pitted Jaros against Lebanon’s Nichan Khorchidian in a battle that, though short, was packed with intensity. Khorchidian, who brought a festive spirit to the final table with his Santa hat, entertained everyone throughout. However, Jaros proved unstoppable, and Khorchidian had to settle for second place. Despite the heartbreak of coming up short, he still walked away with a career-best €358,400 payday.

Jaros’s path to the top included a critical clash with Sweden’s Anton Wigg. His fearless aggression gave him a commanding chip lead, which he held onto with relentless determination.

Main Event and Side Event Action

Alongside the EPT High Roller, the Main Event and other exciting side events also provided their share of thrilling action at EPT Prague.

The €5,300 Main Event broke records once again. For the third year in a row, it exceeded expectations with a record-breaking 1,458 entries, creating a prize pool of €7,071,300. Day 2 narrowed the field down to 191 hopefuls, each vying for the title of Main Event champion and a top prize of €1,146,500. The atmosphere was electric, with dreams and fortunes on the line.

Portuguese poker pro Pedro Marques was the one who came out on top, winning the EPT Prague Main Event title for a life-changing €963,450. His path to victory included a heads-up deal with the seemingly unstoppable Paul Runcan, who still pocketed an impressive €900,000 for his second-place finish.

Spin & Go Championship: The inaugural PokerStars Live Spin & Go championship saw Spain’s Carlos Gurdiel etch his name into the record books. Gurdiel outlasted an 81-strong field (comprising 71 online qualifiers and eight special guests) to claim the €25,000 top prize. Brazil’s Murilo Monteiro put up a strong fight, finishing as the runner-up and taking home €15,000. This landmark event marked a significant shift for Spin & Go tournaments, which, until now, had been exclusively an online poker format.

No Limit Hold’em: The action continued with the final high-stakes event on the schedule, the €10,200 No Limit Hold’em. Netherlands’ Teun Mulder outlasted the small field of nine contenders to capture the €56,710 top prize and the final five-figure buy-in PokerStars Silver Spadie of the series. Italy’s Heung Enrico Camosci fought hard but finished as runner-up, taking home €30,500.

Mixed Game Main Event: The first-ever €2,200 EPT Mixed Game Main Event was a hit, attracting 83 entries. France’s Paul Tedeschi took the title and a €44,884 cash prize after an intense heads-up battle with Germany’s Ali Abdulzahra, who earned €28,956 for his second-place finish.

EPT High Roller Highlights

The €10,300 High Roller was a three-day spectacle that drew a respectable field of 289 entries, creating a prize pool of €2.80 Million. With a minimum payout of €19,000 for those reaching the top 39, the competition was intense.

Day 1 began with a rush of action as 255 players entered the tournament. David Boyaciyan took an early lead, finishing the day with a dominant stack of 538,500. He increased his advantage late in the day by eliminating Diego Montone with aces, ending at the top of the leaderboard ahead of Conor Bergin (385,000) and Michael Sklenicka (348,500).

Day 2 saw another 34 players join the 93 who survived the first day. While some well-known players like PokerStars Team Pro Parker Talbot, Leo Margets, Steve O’Dwyer, and the unstoppable Thomas Santerne were eliminated early, Day 1 chip leader Boyaciyan continued to control the game. However, Artsiom Lasouski was close behind, narrowing the gap with a perfectly timed double knockout.

The final day began with 14 players, and the action was relentless. Maksim Vaskresenski experienced a series of setbacks before exiting in 13th place when his pocket eights were beaten by Mariusz Golinski’s overpair. Arsenii Karmatckii followed soon after, his eights no match for Artsiom Lasouski’s pocket jacks. The 2022 WSOP Main Event champion Espen Jorstad was the next to exit in 11th place, losing a flip to Vojtech Ruzicka’s ace-king. The final table was set when Bruno Bernardino, short-stacked throughout the day, ran into Renji Mao’s overpair.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Artsiom Lasouski – 2,755,000
2. Anton Wigg – 2,335,000
3. Patrik Jaros – 1,800,000
4. Vojtech Ruzicka – 1,770,000
5. Renji Mao – 1,350,000
6. Laszlo Molnar – 1,325,000
7. Christian Pedersen – 1,310,000
8. Mariusz Golinski – 1,245,000
9. Nichan Khorchidian – 575,000

Final Table Recap

The final table was set, and the tension was palpable. Artsiom Lasouski held the chip lead with 92 big blinds, followed closely by Anton Wigg and Patrik Jaros. Nichan Khorchidian, despite having the shortest stack of only 19 big blinds, was still a contender.

The final table began with a cautious atmosphere as players carefully considered the significant pay jumps. The first major clash occurred when Renji Mao moved all-in with only to run straight into Patrik Jaros’ . The board brought no miracle for Mao, sending him to the rail in ninth place.

Luck then swung in favour of Nichan Khorchidian, who doubled up against Vojtech Ruzicka despite his ace being dominated. However, the day’s chip leader, Mariusz Golinski, suffered a major setback, losing a crucial coin flip with pocket fives against Laszlo Molnar’s Ace-Queen and finding himself on the ropes.

The final table lost another player just before the second break when Christian Pedersen found himself on the wrong end of a cooler. His were no match for Jaros’ , sending him out in eighth place.

The real fireworks began after the break with a game-changing hand. Jaros, in a daring move, five-bet shoved all-in against fellow big stack Anton Wigg with a questionable . Wigg called with , but a brutal board of gave Jaros a straight, crushing Wigg’s tournament hopes. Wigg, visibly stunned, exited in seventh place while Jaros stormed into a commanding chip lead.

The chaos continued. On the very next hand, Mariusz Golinski ran his into Khorchidian’s , falling in sixth place.

Jaros continued his aggressive play, eliminating Laszlo Molnar in fifth place after another incredible comeback.

Meanwhile, Artsiom Lasouski eliminated Vojtech Ruzicka in fourth place. In a surprising turn of events, Lasouski’s held up against Ruzicka’s despite being dominated preflop.

The three-handed play saw Jaros hold a 25-big-blind lead over Artsiom Lasouski, with Khorchidian trailing. Jaros, demonstrating his experience and composure, expertly utilized his chip advantage to keep both opponents under pressure.

However, the momentum shifted temporarily when Lasouski made a straight on the river in a crucial hand against Jaros, doubling up and nearly evening the stacks. Khorchidian, still in third, then found a perfect opportunity to triple up.

Lasouski flat-called Khorchidian’s all-in bet, only to fold what he claimed would have been the winning hand after Jaros re-raised all-in from the big blind. Khorchidian’s Ace-high held up, putting him back in the game.

Despite this temporary setback, Jaros quickly regained control. He won a crucial coin flip against Artsiom Lasouski`s pocket sevens with Ace-Queen to eliminate the Belarusian in third place, setting up the final heads-up battle against Khorchidian.

Heads-up play began with Jaros holding a 3:1 chip advantage, and he wasted no time in pressing his advantage. On the deciding hand, Nichan Khorchidian moved all-in with against Jaros’ . The board ran out , giving Jaros a straight on the river. Khorchidian called off his remaining chips, and just like that, Jaros’s victory was sealed.

As the final pot was pushed to Jaros, his supporters erupted in celebration. He shared a warm embrace with Khorchidian, a fitting end to the thrilling €10,300 EPT High Roller and the 2024 EPT Prague.

Final Table Results (EURO)

1. Patrik Jaros – €573,500
2. Nichan Khorchidian – €358,400
3. Artsiom Lasouski – €256,000
4. Vojtech Ruzicka – €196,900
5. Laszlo Molnar – €151,500
6. Mariusz Golinski – €116,500
7. Anton Wigg – €96,200
8. Christian Pedersen – €80,200
9. Renji Mao – €66,800

Content & Images Courtesy: PokerNews and PokerStars