This Week’s Big Winner: Simon Brandstrom Tops Largest-Ever European Poker Tour Main Event Field

Simon Brandstrom has won the largest field European Poker Tour main event in the tour’s 16-year history. The 37-year-old Swedish player overcame a record turnout of 1,988 total entries to win the 2019 EPT Barcelona €5,300 no-limit hold’em main event, securing the title and the top payout of €1,290,166 ($1,432,084) after striking a deal heads-up. The previous EPT main event field record was set at this same event in 2018, which drew 1,931 entries.

Brandstrom was the short stack at several points in the tournament before rebounding and jumping to the top of the leaderboard right before the final table.

“I made a comeback on day 1 and was down to 12,000 and spun it up a bit. And I was down to nine bigs with 15 players left and made a big rush from there, ended up as the chip leader.”

In addition to the title and the money, Brandstrom was also awarded a massive haul of 2,160 Card Player Player of the Year points as the champion. This was his second title of the year, having taken down a World Poker Tour event in Barcelona in March for another $305,529 and 960 POY points. As a result of these two big wins, Brandstrom jumped to 25th place in the 2019 POY race standings, which are sponsored by Global Poker.

Here are the five key hands that propelled Brandstrom to the title.

Tournament: EPT Barcelona Main Event
Buy-In: €5,300 ($5,824)
No. of Entries: 1,988
Prize Pool: €9,641,800 ($10,595,374)
1st Place Prize: €1,290,166 ($1,432,084)

The Action

With 15 players left, Shorr raised to 250,000 and Brandstrom shoved from the small blind for 945,000. Shorr made the call with pocket queens, but was behind Brandstrom’s pocket aces. The board offered no help to Shorr, and Brandstrom doubled up. Shorr was eliminated a short while later in 15th place when he ran top pair into pocket aces yet again. He earned €81,130 for his run in Spain.

The Action

After losing most of his chips to Yunye Lu, Storakers was looking for a good spot to double up. He found a great opportunity with pocket queens, shoving over the top of a Brandstrom raise to 425,000 for his last 1,300,000. Brandstrom was committed and called with A 10, and managed to get there when he flopped an ace. Storakers earned €226,490 for his final-table run.

The Action

Brandstrom raised to 525,000 on the button and Sousa called from the big blind. The flop fell 8 4 3 and Sousa checked. Brandstrom bet 500,000 and Sousa raised to 1,400,000. Brandstrom then moved all-in. Sousa had 6,625,000 behind and opted to call it off with 10 8 for top pair. Brandstrom, however, held pocket jacks. The turn and river fell 7 4 and Sousa was eliminated in third place, earning €607,400. The two remaining players then agreed on a deal before starting heads-up play.

The Action

Facing a nearly 2:1 chip deficit, Brandstrom called a raise of 900,000 from Czuczor on the button. The flop fell K 3 3 and Brandstrom checked. Czuczor bet 700,000, and Brandstrom called. The turn was the 6 and Brandstrom checked again. Czuczor bet 1,700,000 and Brandstrom called. The river was the 10 and Brandstrom checked for a final time. Czuczor bet 6,000,000, and Brandstrom moved all in. Czuczor called with 6 3 for a turned full house, but Brandstrom had flopped it with K 3 in the ultimate heads-up cooler situation. The pot gave Brandstrom a nearly 3:1 chip advantage in the heads-up match.

The Action

Czuczor raised to 900,000 and Brandstrom moved in from the big blind. Czuczor called off the last of his 8,775,000 in chips with K Q and saw that he was racing against Brandstrom’s pocket sixes. Czuczor failed to connect at the board fell ace high, and was eliminated in second place, earning €1,253,234. The score was enough to move him into the top spot on Hungary’s all-time money list with $3.8 million over Andras Koroknai who is now no. 2 with $3.6 million. Brandstrom picked up €1,290,166, the title, and the trophy.

Final Table Results

1. Simon Brandstrom — €1,290,166 ($1,432,084)*
2. Marton Czuczor — €1,253,234 ($1,391,090)*
3. Rui Sousa — €607,400 ($674,214)
4. Diego Falcone — €436,760 ($484,804)
5. Giovani Torre — €364,660 ($404,773)
6. Yunye Lu — €295,520 ($328,027)
7. Johan Storakers — €226,490 ($251,404)
8. Pasquale Braco — €159,580 ($177,134)
9. Kully Sidhu — €121,760 ($135,154)

*Based on a deal made during heads-up play.