Byron Kaverman`s Trailblazing Year Continues With Another Title in EPT 12 Malta High Roller, Mukul Pahuja Finishes 2nd

2015 has been a breakout year for Byron Kaverman (cover image) and his hot run continues with another title at the 2015 European Poker Tour (EPT) Season 12 Malta €10,300 High Roller. Kaverman outlasted 210 entries in the event to take home the trophy along with €430,800 in prize money.

It`s been a very profitable series for Kaverman who finished ninth in the €10,200 Single-Day High Roller and placed fifth in the €25,750 High Roller earlier in the series. Kaverman has already notched up over $3.5 Million in live tournament cashes in 2015 and this is his fourth title and 10^th six-figure score this year.

Final Day Recap

19 players from a starting field of 210 runners returned on the final day of the event and Indian-origin player Mukul Pahuja was leading the field. However a lot changed in the first two levels of play and by the time 11 players were remaining, Kaverman was firmly in the lead and also the only player above the 2 million mark.

It took another level of play to reach the eight-handed final table and the final table bubble fell on Dominik Nitsche whose pocket queens were cracked by Mikalai Vaskaboinikau`s nut flush.

Final Table

It was a star studded final table with some of the top names in contention for the title and first to go was 2015 WSOPE Berlin Main Event champion Kevin MacPhee. MacPhee`s pocket fives were vanquished by Mukul Pahuja`s tens and he was relegated to the rails in eight place. Pahuja was now the chip leader and moved over 3 million in chips going into seven-handed play.

Bryn Kenney and Roberto Romanello exited next in seventh and sixth place respectively.

Mikalai Vaskaboinikau then sent Vladimir Dobrovolskiy packing in fifth place.

Four-handed play had two players from the United States and two from Belarus. And it was Team Belarus who lost a player first when Soika busted with a flopped two pair, only to have Pahuja turning a bigger two pair. The other Belarusian, Vaskaboinikau, was out next in third place leaving the two Americans to fight it out for the title.

Pahuja managed to take the early lead in the heads-up match but 90 mins into the match, Kaverman won a huge pot and practically sealed the title for himself. The hand in question saw Kaverman turning a straight and all the money went in on the river, with Pahuja showing pocket aces.

Just a few hands later, Pahuja was all-in for his tournament life with ace-high and Kaverman called off with a pair and held to take down the EPT Malta High Roller title.

Final Table Payouts (Euros)

1. Byron Kaverman – €430,800

2. Mukul Pahuja – €290,100

3. Mikalai Vaskaboinikau – €204,500

4. Ihar Soika – €165,800

5. Vladimir Dobrovolskiy – €131,180

6. Robert Romanello – €99,620

7. Bryn Kenney – €72,730

8. Kevin MacPhee – €53,150

Some other notables to cash in the event include Martin Finger (11th – €37,280), Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier(21st – €22,000), Sylvain Loosli (26th – €19,960), and Jason Mercier (30th – €17,930).

This closes out another successful edition of the EPT and the series will next travel to Prague for the Prague Poker Festival that takes place from Dec. 5-16 at the Hilton Prague Hotel.