Lubos Laska Wins 2022 World Series of Poker Europe Colossus Event

The 2022 World Series of Poker Europe €550 buy-in no-limit hold’em ‘Colossus’ event featured a €1,000,000 guarantee. With 2,982 entries made by the time registration closed, the final prize pool swelled to €1,416,450. After six starting flights and two more days of action, 36-year-old Slovakian Lubos Laska was the last player standing. The computer programmer earned $170,568 and his first WSOP gold bracelet for the win, which was his first recorded tournament victory ever.

“I was really lucky today,” Laska told WSOP reporters after securing the victory. “I am really happy. Probably some professionals would be so much more happy because they would feel like they accomplished something, but I play just for fun.”

Laska was also awarded 600 Card Player Player of the Year points for the win. This was his first POY-qualified score ever.

The huge turnout for this event resulted in the top 360 finishers making the money. Big names that ran deep included five-time bracelet winner Shaun Deeb (102nd), four-time bracelet winner Max Pescatori (47th), and bracelet winner Jason Wheeler (9th).

The final day began with 15 players remaining and Laska in the lead. He remained at the top of the chip counts by the time the field combined onto a single table. Wheeler soon got his last eight big blinds in with K-J, only to run into the pocket kings of Nino Pansier. Wheeler flopped a pair of jacks but didn’t improve any further and was sent to the rail with $16,975.

Demetrio Caminita scored the next two knockouts, eliminating Ismet Oral (8th – $21,590) and Andras Balogh (7th – $27,647) to surge up the standings. Pansier scored his second elimination at the final table when his A-9 from the big blind held up facing the K-8 suited of Patrik Zidek, who shoved from the button. Pansier ended up with a winning pair of nines to drag the pot and send Zidek home with $35,644.

Laska went on a tear down the stretch, busting Florin Bilan (5th – $46,262), Demetrio Caminita (4th – $60,442), and De Han Kim (3rd – $79,495) to take 48,875,000 into heads-up play with Pansier, who held 28,525,000.

Pansier was able to battle his way into the lead, but Laska doubled through to regain the advantage by the time the final hand arose. Laska raised from the button with Q7 and Pansier called with 108. The flop came down Q109 and Pansier checked. Laska made a continuation bet with top pair, only to have Pansier check-raise all-in with his middle pair and a gutshot. Laska called and the turn brought the K. The 3 on the river locked up the pot and the title for Laska. Pansier earned $105,241 as the runner-up finisher.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:

Photo provided by WSOP.

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