EPT Prague 2018: Boris Mondrus Takes Down €1,100 EPT National For €382,750

Israel’s Boris Mondrus (cover image) trounced 2,486 entries at the 2018 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague €1,100 EPT National to take home a career-best €382,750 in prize money along with a Platinum Pass worth $30,000 to the PokerStars Players Championship in Bahamas.

Mondrus’s first and only recorded cash, prior to this win, came in the $10,000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event Championship at the 2016 World Series of Poker (WSOP) where he placed 522^nd for $22,648.

The Israeli player had entered the final table with the second-largest on Day 3 which was reduced to the fourth-largest stack by the end of the day. Mondrus played strategically and eliminated Walter Treccarichi along the way. By the time the heads-up play commenced, he had accrued a massive chip lead over Ondrej Lon which the latter failed to overcome.

With his friend acting as translator, Mondrus said that he predominantly plays Pot-Limit Omaha.

“I’ve played Texas Hold’em for a long time. But more PLO.”

“This is a big win. I play cash games; I don’t play tournaments. I’ve played maybe eight to ten tournaments in my life,” he continued.

Talking about winning the PSPC Platinum Pass, he said, “I didn’t know about the Platinum Pass until the floor told us today! It didn’t change how I played. It’s a nice surprise.”

“It changed nothing, but for my wife now it’s a problem! It’s a lot of money and now it’s a problem that I’m going to the Bahamas now!”

373 runners crossed the money line to take home a piece of the €2,411,420 prize pool and this included many notables like Florian Duta (10^th for €25,260), Charlie Carrel (30^th for €8,930), Jan-Eric Schwippert (85^th for €4,090), 888poker Ambassador Sofia Lovgren (115^th for €3,480) and Patrick Clarke (156^th for €2,570).

Unofficial Final Table Chip Counts

1. Walter Treccarichi – 15,700,000

2. Boris Mondrus – 11,100,000

3. Ondrej Lon – 10,800,000

4. Ali Al Saidy – 10,250,000

5. Danilo Velasevic – 9,700,000

6. Mohamad El-Rais – 7,000,000

7. Ut Tam Vo – 5,100,000

8. Vasileios Tsaknis – 3,400,000

9. Harpreet Padda – 2,200,000

Indian-origin player Harpreet Padda had ended Day 1B in the chip lead but he missed the final table by a whisker when his were cracked by Mohamad El-Rais’ as the latter flopped a pair of kings on the board . Padda finished 9^th for €30,200.

Final Table Recap

The first elimination on the final table came in the form of Vasileios Tsaknis. Walter Treccarichi opened to 550,000 from under-the-gun with and Vasileios Tsaknis moved all in for 2,025,000 from middle position with . The board ran out and Treccarichi stronger pair of kings eliminated Tsaknis in eighth place.

Mohamad El-Rais was the last elimination of Day 3. With the board open , El-Rais’ pitted his against Danilo Velasevic’s . Velasevic was in the lead with a flopped set of aces, while El-Rais had outs to a flush-draw. The on the river completed the board but was of no help to El-Rais, who busted out in seventh place.

Six-Handed Chip Counts

1. Danilo Velasevic – 20,675,000

2. Walter Treccarichi – 16,725,000

3. Ali Al Saidy – 14,850,000

4. Boris Mondrus – 9,525,000

5. Ondrej Lon – 8,975,000

6. Ut Tam Vo – 5,400,000

Final Day Recap

Short-stacked Ut Tam Vo was the first casualty on the final day. He moved all-in from under-the-gun for 2,500,000 with and Ali Al Saidy snap-called behind him holding . The community cards brought and Saidy’s pocket cowboys railed Tam Vo out in sixth place.

Play continued for another level before the fifth elimination came about. Boris Mondrus opened from the button and Walter Treccarichi 3-bet all in from the big blind for 4,650,000. Mondrus tanked before calling and tabled , while Treccarichi turned over . The flop fell and gave Mondrus the lead with a pair of queens, while Treccarichi picked up a pair of jacks. The turn was insignificant, but on the river , Mondrus bettered to three-of-a-kind queens and ousted Treccarichi in the process.

Next to depart was Danilo Velasevic when his ran into Mondrus’ . On the runout , Mondrus hit a set of aces on the turn which sent Velasevic to the rail in fourth place.

Three-handed play continued for about an hour before Ali Al Saidy‘s deep run ended in third place. Saidy jammed for 7,250,000 and Mondrus called from the big blind.

Ali Al Saidy

Boris Mondrus

The board fanned out and missed both players. Mondrus’ pocket sixes busted Saidy’s pocket treys.

Boris Mondrus (62,800,000) had accumulated a massive 5:1 chip lead over Ondrej Lon (11,750,000) by the time the heads-up play commenced. Lon tried hard to diminish the lead and even managed to double up once, but in the surrendered the title to Mondrus.

Lon opened to 1,300,000 with and Mondrus 3-bet to 4,000,000 with . Lon quickly 4-bet all-in and Mondrus snap-called. The board revealed and Mondrus rivered two pairs of aces and queens to win his first live title and career-best score of €382,750, along with the coveted PSPC Platinum Pass.

Final Table Results (EURO)

1. Boris Mondrus – €382,750

2. Ondrej Lon – €204,200

3. Ali Al Saidy – €138,400

4. Danilo Velasevic – €106,600

5. Walter Treccarichi – €89,000

6. Ut Tam Vo – €71,800

7. Mohamad El-Rais – €54,800

8. Vasileios Tsaknis – €39,700

Content & Images courtesy Pokernews.com & PokerStars Blog

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