€5,300 EPT Prague Main Event | 2022 PokerStars EPT Prague

2022-12-18 11:00 UTC+2

Seat 1: Jordan Saccucci (Canada) - 12,925,000

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The last time 33-year-old Jordan Saccucci came to Prague he “got his ass kicked”, so when he returned to the Czechia capital this week, he had two objectives: have some fun and hopefully win some money back. Everything seems to be going to plan as he enters the penultimate day boasting a big chip lead.

Hailing from Mississauga, Toronto, Saccucci plays a lot of poker but doesn’t consider it his job. “I don’t rely on it, it can be rough!” he told us. You could say it’s been smooth sailing in this Main Event though, especially considering Saccucci busted another big stack with pocket aces versus pocket kings late last night. “It was a good feeling,” he says. “It got a bit shaky on the turn when the club came but it was a big pot!”

Saccucci’s chip count progression
Entering Day 2: 96,000 (158th out of 434 remaining)
Day 3: 437,000 (30/117)
Day 4: 925,000 (17/30)
Day 5: 9,560,000 (1/9)
Day 6: 12,925,000 (1/4)

Tags: Jordan Saccucci

2022-12-18 11:01 UTC+2

Seat 2: Antoine Saout (France) - 10,400,000

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One of the best-known players on the European tour, Antoine Saout is also familiar to poker supporters in the United States having made two World Series of Poker Main Event final tables. He finished third in 2009, for $3.9 million, and fifth in 2017, for another $2 million.

Those results, eight years apart, speak to Saout’s longevity and immense talents — even though his deepest previous run at an EPT Main Event ended in a seventh-place finish in Monte Carlo in 2016. Like many French players, Saout, 38, now lives in London, in the Canary Wharf district, where he continues to play online. It’s also a base for his global travels to play poker.

Saout’s chip count progression
Entering Day 2: 77,500 (212th out of 434 remaining)
Day 3: 481,000 (27/117)
Day 4: 1,570,000 (8/30)
Day 5: 2,740,000 (6/9)
Day 6: 10,400,000 (3/4)

2022-12-18 11:02 UTC+2

Seat 3: Istvan Pilhofer (Hungary) - 10,600,000

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He might be entering Day 5 as the short stack, but don’t rule out 39-year-old Istvan Pilhofer just yet. The Hungarian is on a hot streak at the moment, having recently taken down one of the biggest tournaments in Budapest, and while he’s had modest results on the EPT before, this is already his biggest career cash. Pilhofer played poker professionally for a couple of years but since 2017 he has owned and operated a hotel and restaurant in Siófok, a town on the southern bank of Lake Balaton.

“Obviously, there was a big downswing in the hospitality industry over the past few years,” he said. “It’s been hard but we’re in a good place now.” He’s done well to reach the final nine here in Prague, notably folding queens late on Day 4 when his opponents held pocket aces and pocket kings. Alas, a queen hit the flop, but he’s proud of the laydown. “It was the right decision at the wrong time,” he told us. “But as we always say, if I had called something else would have come!” Whatever happens today, he has his wife and young baby cheering him on.

Pilhofer’s chip count progression
Entering Day 2: 68,000 (245th out of 434 remaining)
Day 3: 587,000 (12/117)
Day 4: 1,050,000 (14/30)
Day 5: 1,530,000 (9/9)
Day 6: 10,600,000 (2/4)

Tags: Istvan Pilhofer

2022-12-18 11:03 UTC+2

Seat 4: Jun Obara (Japan) - 3,875,000

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The TV cameras and media attention of the European Poker Tour are nothing new for Jun Obara — although he’s more accustomed to being the other side of them. As well as owning a coaching business, the 34-year-old from Tokyo is a commentator on Japanese poker coverage — essentially Asia’s answer to James Hartigan.

Having taken up poker six years ago, he is already a regular player on the world scene and is making his seventh trip to the EPT. He has results from Barcelona, Las Vegas and here in Prague, where he picked up his previous biggest score — €102,040 for fifth-place in a €25K event in 2019. He has a wife and two daughters, aged 2 and 3, who are watching his progress from home. He also has a small group of friends and supporters here in Prague, who are filming what they hope is a run to a maiden EPT title for a player from Japan.

Obara’s chip count progression
Entering Day 2: 214,000 (16th out of 434 remaining)
Day 3: 435,000 (31/117)
Day 4: 2,780,000 (3/30)
Day 5: 6,240,000 (2/9)
Day 6: 3,875,000 (4/4)

Tags: Jun Obara

2022-12-18 11:05 UTC+2

Jordan Saccucci Leads €5,300 EPT Main Event on World Cup Sunday

Jordan Saccucci Antoine Saout Istvan Pilhofer Jun Obara

A champion will be crowned today. Sure, later today eyes will be on the World Cup FInal as France and Argentina battle for their title. But that's thousands of miles from the trophy that will be lifted here first at the beautiful Hilton Prague. Here, four players play down to a champion of the 2022 PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague €5,300 Main Event.

Cards will fly at 10:30 a.m., so our coverage will begin at 11:00 a.m. in harmony with the livestream on the PokerStars YouTube and Twitch channels.

Just two teams left to play on the pitch later, there are still four left to battle it out here on the felt. It's Jordan Saccucci leading the pack with 12,925,000, or 86 big blinds. With a prize of €1,054,500 going to the champion, he'll look to stay in that spot at day's end.

Final Day Seating Assignments and Chip Counts

Seat	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Jordan Saccucci	Canada	12,925,000	86
2	Antoine Saout	France	10,400,000	69
3	Istvan Pilhofer	Hungary	10,600,000	71
4	Jun Obara	Japan	3,875,000	26

However, three other players look to overtake him for the largest share of the €6,144,950 prize pool. Two other threatening stacks sit just behind the chip leader, Istvan Pilhofer (10,600,000) and Antoine Saout (10,400,000). Rounding out the final four is Jun Obara with 3,875,000.

Main Event Final Table Results and Remaining Payouts

Place	Winner	Country	Prize (in EUR)
1			€1,054,500
2			€658,750
3			€470,500
4			€361,950
5	Parker Talbot	Canada	€278,450
6	Luigi D'Alterio	Italy	€214,150
7	Petar Kalev	Bulgaria	€164,750
8	Javier Gomez Zapatero	Spain	€126,700
9	Paul-Adrian Covaciu	Romania	€97,450

The action starts with 69 minutes left on the clock in Level 31 with blinds of 100,000/150,000 and a big blind ante of 150,000. Players have already locked up fourth-place money of €361,950.

Before we find out who lifts the trophy in Qatar, start the day with us here at PokerNews , and find out who lifts the trophy in the Czech capital and becomes the next acclaimed EPT Main Event champion.

Tags: Antoine Saout Istvan Pilhofer Javier Gomez Zapatero Jordan Saccucci Jun Obara Luigi D'Alterio Parker Talbot Paul-Adrian Covaciu Petar Kalev

2022-12-18 12:14 UTC+2

Jun Obara Eliminated in 4th Place (€361,950)

Nível 31 : Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

On the first hand of the day, Jun Obara opened the cutoff to 300,000. Jordan Saccucci three-bet to 900,000 on the button. Obara decided to make the call.

The flop came . Obara checked, and Saccucci bet 1,000,000. With top pair and backdoor clubs, Obara moved all in. Saccucci called immediately and put Obara at risk.

Jun Obara:
Jordan Saccucci:

Obara was in rough shape, in big trouble to bust as soon as the day had got started. The turn came and river the to ship his chips over to Saccucci and he was eliminated in fourth place.

We start off with a bang! #
— PokerNews (@PokerNews)

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Jordan Saccucci	17,100,000	4,175,000
Jun Obara	Eliminado

Tags: Jordan Saccucci Jun Obara

2022-12-18 13:13 UTC+2

PokerNews to Report More Events Than Ever at 2023 PCA

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Nível 31 : Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

The 2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is just over a month away, and PokerNews will be sending a team of reporters and staff members to the event, reporting on 13 events over the course of the two weeks including both the PCA Main Event and PSPC.

The live reporting schedule features numerous High Roller tournaments, including the $250,000 PSPC Super High Roller and two $100,000 tournaments. Also, in a PCA first, PokerNews will be live reporting the $25,000 PCA PLO High Roller, offering fans of the four-card format a chance to follow along to what should hopefully be a star-studded field.

Check out the full PCA Live Reporting schedule here!

2022-12-18 13:38 UTC+2

Pilhofer Finds a Needed Double

Nível 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

After dwindling down to 18 big blinds, Pilhofer found a spot to get it in. In the small blind, Antoine Saout moved all in for 3,675,000 effective. Istvan Pilhofer made the call in the big blind to put himself at risk

Istvan Pilhofer:
Antoine Saout:

Looking for paint, Saout found the , pulling way ahead. The turn came the , locking up the hand for the Hungarian before the river came out.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Antoine Saout	15,100,000	-3,475,000
Istvan Pilhofer	7,550,000	3,275,000

Tags: Antoine Saout Istvan Pilhofer

2022-12-18 14:28 UTC+2

Istvan Pilhofer Eliminated in 3rd Place (€470,5000)

Nível 33 : Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante

Antoine Saout moved all in from the small blind for 5,050,000 effective in Istvan Pilhofer's stack. Pilhofer called quickly, and the two were heading to a race with Pilhofer at risk.

Istvan Pilhofer:
Antoine Saout:

Cheers roared from the rails for each player. "Ace! ace!" met with "Deuce! Deuce!

The flop came , Saout drilling a set, leaving PIlhofer drawing very slim. The turn sealed it with the full house, and the river made it official. Pilhofer was eliminated in third place and left the other two to play heads up.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Antoine Saout	18,350,000	5,850,000
Istvan Pilhofer	Eliminado

Tags: Antoine Saout Istvan Pilhofer

2022-12-18 15:02 UTC+2

Antoine Saout Eliminated in 2nd Place (€800,000)

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Nível 33 : Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante

In hand number 77 on the final day, Jordan Saccucci raised to 600,000 on the button. Antoine Saout three-bet to 2,000,000 with 9,650,000 behind and Saccucci then moved all-in.

It was somewhat uncharacteristic for the Canadian to do so and Saout mulled it over for a few seconds before he called it off to create a pot of more than 23 million.

Antoine Saout:
Jordan Saccucci:

Antoine Labat called for a six from the rail but moments later, the flop fell to give Saccucci trips and leave Saout with two outs for a full house or running cards to a straight.

Nothing changed with the turn and the river ended the run of Saout in second place. According to the deal struck by both players, he walks away with a consolation prize of €800,000. Saccucci topped a record-breaking EPT Main Event here in Prague for a top prize of €913,250.

A recap of today's action is to follow.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Jordan Saccucci	38,000,000	12,450,000
Antoine Saout	Eliminado

Tags: Antoine Labat Antoine Saout Jordan Saccucci