'WhatIfGod' Wins European Poker Tour Online Main Event For $1,019,082The Swedish Player Outlasted A Field of 1,304 Total Entries To Capture The First EPT Main Event Title Awarded On The Internet |
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The first-ever European Poker Tour Online $5,200 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event attracted a field of 1,304 total entries, blowing away the $5 million guarantee to create a final prize pool of $6,520,000. In the end, the largest share of that money was awarded to Swedish player ‘WhatIfGod’, who earned $1,019,082 after outlasting the massive field.
The event ran over the course of four days, starting on November 15, 2020. A final table of nine players was set for Wednesday, Nov. 18, with Finnish player ‘tikidiii’ in the lead and ‘WhatIfGod’ hot on their heels. Accomplished online tournament pro Jon ‘apestyles’ Van Fleet scored the first knockout of the day, picking up pocket aces and holding against K-J suited to send ‘vip25459’ packing in ninth place ($78,797).
Despite winning that hand, Van Fleet was the next player to hit the virtual rail. All of the chips went in preflop with Van Fleet holding AK up against the JJ of Viacheslav ‘VbV1990’ Buldygin. The pocket pair held up and Van Fleet was eliminated as the eighth-place finisher ($97,344).
Andreas ‘daskalos20’ Christoforou was the next to fall. The Cypriot got his last chips in with the best possible hand, pocket aces, but was unable to hold up against the A-K suited of David ‘MissOracle’ Yan, who turned the nut flush to leave Christoforou drawing dead. He took home $136,147 for his seventh-place showing. Enio ‘Bozzano JNR’ Bozzano’s tournament also ended with a monster holding being outdrawn by Yan. The Brazilian was all-in with pocket kings up against Yan’s pocket queens. Yan flopped a set and held from there to knock Bozzano out in sixth place ($190,419).
‘WhatIfGod’ scored their first elimination of the day with pocket eights beating out the A-J offsuit of Viacheslav ‘VbV1990’ Buldygin, a Russian pro who finished as runner-up in the €100,000 super high roller at the PokerStars Championship Monte Carlo in 2017. Neither player improved by the river and Buldygin settled for $266,323.
‘tikidiii’ began the final table in the chip lead, but the Finnish player had fallen to the bottom of the leaderboard by the time the field had been narrowed to four. Their last chips went in from the small blind with J10. World Series of Poker bracelet winner Timothy ‘TimOthee’ Adams called with 88 from the big blind. The board ran out Q84109 and Adams ended up with a flush to win the pot and eliminate ‘tikidiii’ in fourth place ($372,485).
It was a battle of the blinds that resulted in the next elimination, as well. David ‘MissOracle’ Yan limped from the small blind with pocket tens. Adams shoved from the big blind with A-4 offsuit and Yan called. His tens remained in the lead through the turn, but an ace on the river sent Yan home in third place ($520,966).
With that Adams took 174,969,382 in chips into heads-up play with ‘WhatIfGod’, who sat with 151,030,618. ‘WhatIfGod’ was able to overtake the lead early in the battle, and just moments later convert that lead into a victory. In the final hand Adams raised to 4,400,000 from the button with A9 and ‘WhatIfGod’ three-bet to 16,000,000 with A10. Adams called and the flop came down A64. ‘WhatIfGod’ bet 8,000,000 and Adams called. The 8 turn prompted ‘WhatIfGod’ to check. Adams bet 15,940,000 and ‘WhatIfGod’ called. The A on the river gave both players trip aces, with ‘WhatIfGod’ having the superior kicker. ‘WhatIfGod’ checked and Adams moved all-in. ‘WhatIfGod’ called to secure the pot and the title. Adams earned $728,633 as the runner-up finisher.
Here is a look at the payouts awarded at the final table:
Place | Name | Earnings |
1 | ‘WhatIfGod’ | $1,019,082 |
2 | Timothy ‘Tim0thee’ Adams | $728,633 |
3 | David ‘MissOracle’ Yan | $520,966 |
4 | ‘tikidiii’ | $372,485 |
5 | Viacheslav ‘VbV1990’ Buldygin | $266,323 |
6 | Enio ‘Bozzano JNR’ Bozzano | $190,419 |
7 | Andreas ‘daskalos20’ Christoforou | $136,147 |
8 | Jon ‘apestyles’ Van Fleet | $97,344 |
9 | ‘vip25459’ | $78,797 |