EPT Barcelona: Abhishek Rathod Breaks Decade-Long Title Drought By Taking Down ESPT Cup For €103,712 (Four-Way Deal)

One of the most prestigious live poker stops in Europe, the 2022 European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona, is back with a bang! Returning after a three-year hiatus, the action got underway at Casino Barcelona on August 8, and more than half of the 61 scheduled events are already done and dusted.

Sunday, which was also the eve of India`s 75th Independence Anniversary, was a proud one for Team India for one of the country`s foremost poker coaches, Abhishek Rathod (cover image), became the first Indian to lift the coveted PokerStars Spadie trophy at the ongoing series.

The MTT pro based in Sweden, Rathod outlasted the massive 3,310-entry field in the €550 buy-in ESPT Cup to collect a career-best €103,712 and his first live title in almost a decade, following a four-way deal.

Dario de Paz (2nd for €142,691), Andrea Cardinali (3rd for €127,197), and Konstantin Farber (4th for €70,630) were the other beneficiaries of the deal.

The former PokerBaazi Team Pro Rathod is predominantly an online grinder, as he confirmed to us later, “I don’t play much live poker. I prefer the comfort of home. So always good to win something live.”

Apart from Rathod, Mayank Saxena (197th for €1,500) was the only other Indian player to cross the money line.

The €550 buy-in event – one of ten featured events on the schedule, collected a massive €1,588,800 prize pool and paid out 501 places with a min-cash worth €850.

Spartan Poker Team Pro Nikita Luther, Sumit Asrani, Rishabh Vekaria, and Bharath Janardhan are some other Indians attending the series.

Final Table Results (EURO)

1. Abhishek Rathod – €103,712*
2. Dario de Paz – €142,691*
3. Andrea Cardinali – €127,197*
4. Konstantin Farber – €70,630*
5. Arie Kliper – €54,330
6. André Marques – €41,790
7. Luis Rodrigues – €32,150
8. Mohamed Aissaoui – €24,740
9. Rizra Comas – €19,020

*denotes a four-way deal

Content & Images Courtesy: PokerStars

Cover Image Courtesy: Tomas Sacha

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