In two hours from now at 12.30 p.m. local time, the Hilton Hotel Prague is calling all high stakes regulars and poker enthusiasts alike for the very last edition of the PokerStars EPT Single-Day High Roller.
The event, born from an idea of Bryn Kenney a few seasons ago, comes with a price tag of €25,500 and many of the EPT13 Prague €50,000 Super High Roller participants jumped into Day 1a of the Main Event yesterday in order to free up time for today. It is the penultimate chance to lift an EPT High Roller trophy before the rebranding of the series in 2017, adding further prestige to the showdown.
Defending champion of the tournament is Germany's Rainer Kempe, who emerged victorious in an 80-entry strong field in 2015 after defeating Jean-Noel Thorel in heads up for a massive payday of €539,000. Thorel has already been in action here in Prague in the Super High Roller and busted on Day 1a of the Main Event. Super High Roller runner-up Charlie Carrel, Ramin Hajiyev, Thomas Muehloecker and Anthony Zinno were among those to get through to Day 2 and will also be likely candidates to join the action today.
All participants will receive 100,000 in chips and the levels last 30 minutes each. A single re-entry is allowed during the first eight levels, registration will close as soon as the cards get back underway for level nine. Expect a long day of poker, because the tournament is known to create a fierce battle into the morning hours before the winner lifts the trophy.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be on hand to cover all the action until a winner is crowned, and you can also follow the updates of the Main Event Day 1b as well.
From early position, [Removed:17] opened for 2,500 and Ali Reza Fatehi called from the cutoff. Over on the button, Adrian Mateos squeezed to 7,000. Big blind Simon Mattsson cold four-bet to 28,000 and Yan and Fatehi instantly folded. Mateos counted out his stack and pushed all in for 98,000. Mattsson called instantly.
Adrian Mateos:
Simon Mattsson:
Mateos flopped top set but wasn't home safe just yet on . The on the turn was a blank and the on the river didn't change anything for Mattsson either. Double up for Mateos, Mattsson short.
Some minutes ago, Koray Aldemir four-bet in a pot to Juha Helppi, but folded to the shove that followed. Just now, in the last hand before the level went up, the two clashed again.
Action folded to Sergio Aido in the cutoff and he raised to 2,500 at 500/1,000 blinds. Helppi, on the button, three-bet to 6,300 and the small blind folded. Aldemir cold four-bet from the big blind to 18,200 and Aido gave up. Helppi five-bet and called the shove by Aldemir that followed for just a tiny bit more.
Juha Helppi:
Koray Aldemir:
The board ran out and Aldemir said his goodbyes. Helppi, who finished third in last night's €50,000 Super High Roller for €341,150 ($360,186), up to two times the starting stack.
Just one hand ago, Ali Reza Fatehi three-bet shoved into a raise by Juha Helppi and got through with it. That would not be the case when he did so again from the cutoff for around 80,000 right after, as initial raiser and big stack Sergio Aido snap-called.
Ali Reza Fatehi:
Sergio Aido:
The flop of left Fatehi in desperate shape, and it was all over after the turn as Aido had an unbeatable full house. A meaningless on the river completed the board and Aido became the first player above half a million in chips.
The board was still showing and a massive pot was shipped to Koray Aldemir while Ivan Gabrieli jumped out of his seat and Igor Kurganov had to leave his seat after being eliminated.
According to Aldemir, he raised to 9,000 and both Gabrieli and Kurganov called. The trio checked the flop and Kurganov also checked the turn.
Aldemir bet 18,500 and both opponents called before the river was then checked to Gabrieli. The Italian bet 42,000, Kurganov shoved for around 90,000 and Aldemir called, Gabrieli folded.
Kurganov flashed and Aldemir had the for the flopped nut full house.
Ivan Gabrieli was all in for his last 10,000 and Justin Bonomo raised to 15,000 from one seat over. Timothy Adams in the small blind asked for a floor and it was deemed that the minimum raise had to be 16,000. Adams then moved all in and Bonomo asked for a count, folded when it was determined to be for 71,000 total.
Ivan Gabrieli:
Timothy Adams:
The board ran out and Gabrieli headed to the rail.
One table over, Juha Helppi busted. Zorlu Er had raised to 13,000, Davidi Kitai called from two seats over and Helppi defended the big blind. On the flop, Helppi checked and Er bet 22,000. Kitai folded, Helppi check-raised all in for 72,000 and Er eventually called.
Juha Helppi:
Zorlu Er:
The on the turn improved Er to a pair of aces and he then even completed the nut flush thanks to the river to bust Helppi.
The defending EPT Prague Single-Day High Roller champion has been eliminated in a three-way all in that also saw Mikhail Rudoy depart as well. Adrian Mateos opened from the hijack, Rainer Kempe three-bet shoved a short stack on the button and Mikhail Rudoy called all in for his last 12,000 in the big blind. Mateos quickly called as well to put two opponents at risk.
Mikhail Rudoy:
Rainer Kempe:
Adrian Mateos:
The board came and the kicker played a crucial role to bust Kempe. Rudoy's hopes of a comeback vanished as well.
Charlie Carrel raised to 25,000 from early position and Sam Greenwood moved all in from the button. Koray Aldemir was in the big blind and Greenwood's all in amount was requested, which was 234,000 in total. Aldemir then moved all in over the top and Carrel released his cards.
Sam Greenwood:
Koray Aldemir:
The board ran out and the aces of Aldemir sent Greenwood to the rail.
From first position and down to 95,000, Alexandros Kolonias pushed all in. Two seats down, Davidi Kitai reshoved for 165,000 and big blind Pablo Fernandez snap called to put both of them at risk.
Alexandros Kolonias:
Pablo Fernandez:
Davidi Kitai:
The board ran out and Kolonias hit the rail in 24th place. Kitai almost tripled with his turned straight, Fernandez down to the average stack of 360,000.
"Yeah, that was a big unlucky for him," [Removed:17] replied after having knocked out Sergio Aido. And he then proceeded to eliminate another opponent in Konstantin Uspenskiy to boost his stack to well above one million.
Uspenskiy had shoved for 128,000 in middle position and the action folded to Yan on the button, who moved all in to isolate successfully.
Konstantin Uspenskiy:
[Removed:17]:
The board of let the kicker play and Uspenskiy was gone.
![[user38873]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. The 
on the turn was a blank and the 
on the river didn't change anything for Mattsson either. Double up for Mateos, Mattsson short.
left Fatehi in desperate shape, and it was all over after the 
and a massive pot was shipped to Koray Aldemir while Ivan Gabrieli jumped out of his seat and Igor Kurganov had to leave his seat after being eliminated.
and Aldemir had the 
on the turn improved Er to a pair of aces and he then even completed the nut flush thanks to the 
river to bust Helppi.
