EPT Paris 2023: PokerStars Online Qualifier Razvan Belea Champions First-Ever EPT Paris Main Event For €1,170,000

The 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Paris, held at the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile, has crowned its Main Event champion. PokerStars online qualifier Razvan Belea beat out a field of 1,606 entrants to become the first-ever EPT Main Event champion from Romania, walking away with a staggering €1,170,000 (~$1,250,307). Sweden’s Peter Jorgne placed runner-up for €780,100.

Belea returned on the final day as the chip leader and maintained his lead throughout the action-filled finale. He had held the top spot after days 4 and 5, never giving up his position.

Belea has $1.25 million in tracked tournament scores on PokerStars, and the EPT score has boosted his live tournament earnings to $1,362,893.

PokerStars congratulated Belea on his win, tweeting:

"I don't think I can fold this one."

Year of Romania! ????????

Congratulations to Razvan Belea on winning the #EPTParis Main Event and €1,170,000. ???? pic.twitter.com/Qv6QwfHfqM

— PokerStars (@PokerStars) February 26, 2023

In his post-win interview, Belea said, “That this is unreal, that it couldn’t happen like this. I mean, yeah, it’s all I ever dreamed of since I started to play poker. I was watching all the time EPTs, have played a couple, and now I am here, it is an unbelievable feeling, I don’t know what to say … I am a bit emotional, but anyways, I follow my dream from the beginning, and I studied a lot of hours behind the computers. Everything is possible!”

Belea’s journey in the poker world started with grinding freerolls. He had already participated in several EPT Main Events before winning his entry into the EPT Paris Main Event through a $530 buy-in satellite on PokerStars.

Belea’s victory in the Main Event was not without challenges, as he had to battle several more experienced opponents on the last two days. He not only waded off the stiff competition but was also responsible for sending some of them to the payout desk.

The €5,300 buy-in EPT Main Event attracted 1,606 participants, collecting a prize pool of €7,708,800 – making it the sixth-largest in EPT history. The top 239 places crossed the money line with a min-cash worth €8,400.

PokerStars streamed the action from the EPT Main Event daily. You can watch the final-day replay below.

The final day (Day 6) of the Main Event had five players returning to the main feature table. There was a significant difference between the top four players and Estonian player Henri Kasper, who held a mere 11 big blind stack.

Kasper got through with some preflop jams but eventually busted in fifth place when his failed to get past Peter Jorgne’s .

After that, Brian Delaney went out in fourth place. His was cracked by Razvan Belea’s as the board gave Balea a flopped pair of queens.

Up next was Fabrice Bigot, who went out in third place to set the heads-up match.

Razvan Belea retained a 2:1 lead over Peter Jorgne without significant drama in the heads-up play. On the final hand, Jorgne holding flopped top pair on the [3c] board, and the turn gave him a straight draw. The same card completed a gutshot straight draw for Belea, who had . Jorgne called his raise before jamming on the blank river. Belea called to emerge as the first-ever EPT Paris Main Event champion.

Final Table Results (EURO)

1. Razvan Belea – €1,170,000
2. Peter Jorgne – €780,100
3. Fabrice Bigot – €535,850
4. Brian Delaney – €412,200
5. Henri Kasper – €317,050
6. Konstantin Held – €244,000
7. Denzel Spekman – €187,650
8. Johan Schultz-Pedersen – €144,300
9. Mehdi Chaoui – €111,000

Content & Images Courtesy: PokerNews & PokerStars

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