2024 PokerStars EPT Prague: Thomas Santerne’s Meteoric Rise Continues With Back-to-Back Wins

The winter chill has descended upon Europe, but the poker action in Prague is red-hot! The European Poker Tour Prague has always been a special stop, but this year, there’s an underlying tension in the air. Whispers suggest this could be the EPT’s last hurrah in this historic city. With Prague conspicuously absent from PokerStars’ 2025 schedule, players and fans are feeling a mix of nostalgia and determination to savour every moment of this potentially final chapter.

The festival, a 12-day poker marathon featuring 68 events, is a last-chance saloon for those seeking glory and a hefty payday before the holidays. Early in the series, Hungarian poker prodigy Andras Nemeth made a statement by winning his fifth EPT title in the €10,200 Mystery Bounty, adding €132,980 to his bankroll, including €65,000 in bounties. But the true story of the 2024 EPT Prague is the rise of Thomas Santerne (cover image).

While many poker pros are chasing sunshine and big wins at the 2024 WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas and the high-stakes tables of Las Vegas for the WPT Championship, Santerne chose the cobbled streets of Prague. And what a decision it turned out to be. He’s now etched his name into EPT history with not just one but two consecutive victories.

First, he took down the €20,000 No-Limit Hold’em, adding €175,000 to his bankroll. But he wasn’t done. Just two days later, he conquered the €50,000 Super High Roller, his second EPT Super High Roller title this year following his win in Paris.

France’s Thomas Santerne won a second Super High Roller title of the year, taking down the €50K at #EPTPrague.

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— PokerStars Blog (@PokerStarsBlog) December 9, 2024

Santerne’s ascent has been meteoric. Less than two years ago, he was an unknown player without a single recorded tournament cash. Now, he’s a trailblazer in the high-roller scene, with his winnings approaching $5 Million in an incredibly short span of time, with over $563,000 coming from this series alone.

Even with an incredible two wins, his journey in Prague hasn`t been all smooth sailing. He narrowly missed a triple-up in the €25,000 Super High Roller Warm-Up, his hopes dashed by Morten Klein‘s straight. But Santerne doesn’t give up easily. He came back with a vengeance in the €20,000 No-Limit Hold’em, facing Klein heads-up and ultimately denying him the title. Klein had to settle for second place and €90,000.

The €50,000 EPT Super High Roller pitted Santerne against online legend and 2024 WSOP Main Event podium finisher Niklas Astedt. The heads-up duel was a clash of styles, but in the end, Santerne emerged triumphant, claiming the trophy and a €385,725 prize. Astedt walked away with a respectable €355,775 after a deal was struck between the two.

“It’s so nice to battle in this kind of high-stakes tournament,” Santerne said after his Super High Roller win. “Especially finishing up against Niklas. When I first started playing online poker tournaments, I always saw him as the GOAT of poker. Now I’m winning a €50k against him—it’s insane.”

Santerne, who joined the tournament on Day 2, knew the competition would be fierce, even with some big names missing. “It was still tough, though,” he admitted. “The thing is, I won the €20k a few days ago, and the feeling is just so great.”

€20,000 No-Limit Hold’em Highlights

The €20,000 buy-in event drew a 15-entry field, generating a €285,000 prize pool. With a hefty price tag, the tournament initially saw a slow trickle of players, creating an intimate five-handed game. But as word spread, the field expanded, and the intensity ratcheted up.

The event featured a star-studded lineup, with names like Niklas Astedt and Steve O’Dwyer gracing the tables. And, of course, fresh off his Super High Roller Warm-Up victory, Espen Jorstad entered the arena, adding to the excitement.

Astedt came out firing, almost doubling his stack early on. But poker is a game of swings, and his momentum came to a screeching halt when his pocket tens were crushed by Teun Mulder’s pocket kings. The downturn continued, and he was soon sent to the rail by Enrico Camosci, the Super High Roller Warm-Up runner-up, who rivered kings full with ace-king. Undeterred, Astedt re-entered, just like Morten Klein, who also suffered early setbacks.

Astedt’s second attempt met a brutal end when his ace-king was outdrawn by Nikita Kuznetsov’s ace-ten, which made a flush. Meanwhile, Klein’s fortunes shifted as he eliminated both O’Dwyer and Teun Mulder in rapid succession.

Jorstad, carrying the confidence of his recent win, joined the battle but couldn’t find his footing. He ultimately pushed all-in with ace-six, only to be eliminated by Mulder. Unlike Astedt, Jorstad chose not to re-enter.

Steve O’Dwyer, a legend in the poker world, doubled up early when his pocket aces held against Camosci’s pocket tens. However, the spotlight was stolen by Klein’s relentless re-entries. First, his ace-nine lost to pocket nines; then he got coolered in a pocket kings vs. pocket aces faceoff. Klein fired a total of four bullets, just squeezing in his final entry before late registration closed.

The tension was thick as the bubble approached. Enrico Camosci shoved with jack-ten, running straight into Santerne’s pocket aces. The board offered no help, bursting the bubble and guaranteeing a payday for the remaining players.

With three players left vying for two paid spots, Klein doubled through Santerne, finding pocket kings at the perfect time. A deal was struck, ensuring €20,000 for whoever finished third, softening the blow for the next player eliminated.

That unfortunate fate befell Nikita Kuznetsov. He shoved with , but Klein woke up with . The board ran out , sending Kuznetsov home in third place and setting up the final heads-up showdown between Morten Klein and Santerne.

The heads-up match ignited with a pivotal hand. Santerne moved all-in with , and Klein snap-called with The flop came giving Santerne a pair of threes. Klein paired his ace on the turn , seemingly taking control. But then, the river delivered , giving Santerne a two pair, a lifeline, and a near-even stack with Klein.

The final hand unfolded with dramatic tension. Klein flopped top two pair with and shoved on the turn. Santerne called with , having flopped an open-ended straight draw. The delivered, ending Klein’s run as the runner-up. Santerne, cool and collected, had achieved his second EPT title and the coveted first-place prize.

Complete Payouts (EURO)

1. Thomas Santerne – €175,000
2. Morten Klein – €90,000
3. Nikita Kuznetsov – €20,000

€50,000 Super High Roller Highlights

The €50,000 buy-in EPT Super High Roller was the festival’s biggest, drawing a 25-entry field and creating a prize pool of €1,187,500. The final day started with a surprising twist that had everyone laughing. It all began with a friendly bet between Niklas Astedt and Nikita Kuznetsov on Day 1 about how many players would ultimately participate. As the clock ticked down, it looked like Astedt had won with 24 players registered. But just as registration was closing, Enrico Camosci rushed in, bringing the total to 25 and snatching the win from Astedt!

Camosci’s dramatic entrance didn’t lead to a long run in the tournament. He was the fourth player eliminated, following Igor Yaroshevskyy, Kazuhiko Yotsushika, and Paulius Plausinaitis.

Meanwhile, Fabrice Santerne was making a name for himself, quickly gathering chips and becoming one of the first to pass the one-million chip mark. One of his key moves was a clash with Czech pro Martin Kabrhel, who tried a risky king-high bluff that failed.

When the final table of nine was set, Kuznetsov had joined Santerne in the exclusive seven-figure chip club. The pressure was intense as well-known players like Markkos Ladev and Viacheslav Buldygin were knocked out before the money bubble. PokerStars Ambassador Sam Grafton was the next to go, and then Kuznetsov delivered the final blow to burst the bubble. His unbeatable straight on the turn crushed Teun Mulder’s two pair, ensuring the remaining players at least €113,000.

Sergey Lebedev and Espen Jorstad, the Super High Roller Warm-Up champion, were short-stacked and battled to stay in the game. Espen Jorstad‘s tournament ended against the seemingly unstoppable Kuznetsov. Lebedev managed a crucial double-up but was eventually eliminated in third place, setting up a thrilling heads-up match between Santerne and Niklas Astedt.

Santerne began heads-up play with a small chip advantage, but Astedt quickly doubled up to even the score. The two players, feeling the pressure, agreed to a deal, leaving €25,000 and the title to fight for. The blinds increased, raising the stakes, and both players became aggressive, pushing all their chips in to try and win.

The final hand was a tense one. Astedt`s flopped straight and flush draws against Santerne’s . All the chips went in, and the tension was almost unbearable. But the board brought no help for Astedt, and Santerne, holding a pair of kings, emerged victorious, etching his name into EPT history once again.

Complete Payouts (EURO)

1. Thomas Santerne – €385,725*
2. Niklas Astedt – €355,775*
3. Sergey Lebedev – €193,000
4. Nikita Kuznetsov – €140,000
5. Espen Jorstad – €113,000

*denotes a heads-up deal

Content & Images Courtesy: PokerNews and PokerStars

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