EPT Cyprus runs from October 9-20, 2024 at the mesmerising five-star all-inclusive Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa.

TODAY’S ACTION

$5,300 EPT Main Event – Day 1B – LIVE UPDATES
Entries: TBD I Prize Pool: TBD I First-place: TBD
The Main Event continues with hundreds more hopefuls aiming to follow in the footsteps of the first Cyprus champion, Gilles “Ghilley” Simon, who took home just over a million bucks last year when he topped the 1,320-entry event. Day 1A was huge yesterday with 716 entries and 106 survivors, including Team Pro Felix Schneiders who bagged a top-20 stack. Just how big will Day 1B be?

$2,200 Eureka High Roller – Day 2 – LIVE UPDATES
Entries: 1,374 I Prize Pool: $2,610,600 I First-place: $423,250
Whittling more than 200 runners down to a winner in one day was always a tall task, so it came as no surprise when play ended with four remaining. An unscheduled final day is now on the cards with an average stack of 20 big blinds.

VASKABOINIKAU ENDS POKERSTARS DECADE WITH SUPER HIGH ROLLER TRIUMPH

The Belarusian businessman Mikalai Vaskaboinikau is one of those people who blurs the boundary between what’s considered a recreational poker player and what’s a pro. Vaskaboinikau has been coming to the European Poker Tour for a long time and has plenty of big results to show for it. Add in some notable performances on other tours and he has amassed more than $8.5 million in documented winnings.

He must do especially well in his business dealings if poker is only a hobby.

Tonight in Cyprus, Vaskaboinikau cast further confusion on what is the most accurate way to describe his money-making. Vaskaboinikau finished first in the $50k buy-in Super High Roller event at EPT Cyprus, banking $555,092 after defeating a final table led at the start of the day by Adrian Mateos and Artur Martirosian, two established poker crushers.

Vaskaboinikau struck a three-handed deal with those two before laying waste to both of them. Admittedly, he needed a huge stroke of fortune to secure a massive double up heads-up against Martirosian, when he cracked pocket aces with A♦ 4♦ , rivering a flush. But he had once again shown his chops to get himself in that position, to outlast a 47-entry field, and to put a PokerStars trophy on on his mantlepiece.

“It’s a very special event for me because I never won,” Vaskaboinikau told Joe Stapleton in the trophy presentation. “I’ve played a lot of high rollers and super high rollers on PokerStars series but never won none of them. So for me it’s a special moment, especially so I can get the trophy. This was the main target.”

He added that he’s been playing for almost exactly a decade on PokerStars events, so this crowns the 10 years in the best possible way.

TOURNAMENT ACTION

The tournament played out over three days, the first of which was all about registration (47 made it in), with the second about getting through the bubble and setting a final six.

France’s Thomas Eychenne bust in seventh place to become the last player to leave with nothing. The six who remained looked up at Adrian Mateos, but were all guaranteed at least $159,600.

Final table line-up:

Adrian Mateos, Spain, 5,175,000
Roman Hrabec, Czechia, 2,630,000
Artur Martirosian, Russia, 2,235,000
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau, Belarus, 660,000
Alexander Zubov, Russia, 625,000
Jamil Wakil, Canada, 425,000

Jamil Wakil’s short stack was worth nine big blinds. It obviously wasn’t much, but it was still potentially enough to mount some kind of comeback if things had gone in his favour. Unfortunately for the Canadian, he wasn’t able to find enough ammunition to draw back into contention, and lost all but one 5,000 denomination chip after losing with Q♣ J♦ against Mateos’ A♦ J♠ . In that hand, Wakil raised for two thirds of his stack pre-flop, called off 95 percent of the rest of it on an eight-high board, but wasn’t asked to commit the rest.

Even after he quadrupled up on the next hand, he was still all in from the small blind on the deal after that, and in this instance his pocket deuces weren’t enough to beat Alexander Zubov’s flush. Zubov technically scored the knockout, but the damage was done earlier against Mateos and Wakil left one of his first Super High Roller events with the $159,600 min-cash. That’s the beauty of Super High Rollers, of course. The “min-cash” is in comfortable six figures.

Any thoughts Zubov now had of progressing to the very final stages were quickly snuffed out in a hasty succession of hands in which he came out on the losing side. Mikalai Vaskaboinikau had taken over short-stack duties following the elimination of Wakil, but he quickly doubled with A♥ Q♥ against Zubov’s A♦ J♥ .

That left Zubov on fumes and he survived only a few more hands until he was forced all in from the big blind. Zubov had one over-card with his J♥ 4♣ versus Mateos’ pocket fives. Mateos turned another five to complete the job on Zubov, leaving the Russian on the sidelines with $205,200 in his pocket.

It was Zubov’s second score of more than $200K this week having finished second to Elias Gutierrez in the Super High Roller Warm-Up event. That warm-up had properly put Zubov in the mood, and these two scores are his biggest ever at PokerStars sponsored events.

With the two overnight short stacks now consigned to the rail, the script might have called for Vaskaboinikau, the third smallest at the start of the day, to follow them. On the contrary. Vaskaboinikau’s double through Zubov ignited a surge up the counts, which received a further fillip in a pot that eliminated Roman Hrabec.

It’s easy to forget that Hrabec is still a relative newcomer to the Super High Roller scene, but with a game honed under the online moniker “gogac_sniper”, and some brilliant results in mid-stakes live tournaments, Hrabec now feels perfectly at home in these surroundings. The problem was that he was card dead on the final day, and then couldn’t win the crucial flip that might have got him back into it.

Hrabec had A♦ 10♥ and raised for a big portion of his stack. Vaskaboinikau had pocket eights and raised enough to make Hrabec play for the rest of it. The last chunk of his 940K went in and the dealer decided the flip in Vaskaboinikau’s favour.

It meant $262,200 went to Hrabec, but Vaskaboinikau stuck around with a stack to now do some damage.

Artur Martirosian had played his characteristically flawless game to this point, keeping his stack comfortably ahead of the average even as the field got smaller. He kept his opponents in order too, picking off bluffs from both Mateos and Vaskaboinikau. However, things came unstuck for Martirosian in a major pot against Vaskaboinikau, with the latter’s K♦ 7♦ flopping top pair to beat Martirosian’s pocket queens.

Both players checked the K♣ 7♦ 7♣ flop, but Vaskaboinikau got a big bet called after the 3♥ turn and then jammed the rest on the 4♠ river. Martirosian called, lost, gave his opponent the full double, and slipped to third from three in the counts.

Vaskaboinikau led narrowly as the last three agreed a deal. Mateos took the biggest payout even though he was second in chips. He secured $555,758, Vaskaboinikau agreed to take $542,120 with Martirosian guaranteeing $495,815. They left $59,277 on the table still to play for, and made it certain that whomever won would take the most.

Martirosian was the first to make huge gains three-handed. He secured a full double through Mateos when his A♣ K♦ stayed best against A♥ 10♥ after they got it all in pre-flop.

This now became representative of the remainder of Mateos’ tournament. He was all in several more times but chopped one, doubled in another, but then bust in another. He took home the $555,758 he had negotiated earlier.

The two remaining players were fairly equal in chips and traded blows until the tournament defining hand.

Martirosian looked down at black pocket aces and made a standard raise. Vaskaboinikau saw the strong A♦ 4♦ and moved in for 32 big blinds. Martirosian made an immediate call with the covering stack and it seemed fairly certain to be the end of it. The J♣ 7♠ 3♦ flop gave only a glimmer of hope to Vaskaboinikau, but the 7♦ turn, plus a whispered “one time” to the dealer boosted his chances.

Vaskaboinikau clenched his fists and shouted in celebration when the 8♦ river fell, giving him a flush and an overwhelming chip lead.

It was over in a flash after that. Vaskaboinikau pummelled Martirosian until the latter shipped with A♠ 2♦ and Vaskaboinikau called with pocket fours. There was no outdraw this time, and the game was up.

A delighted Vaskaboinikau told Joe Stapleton that his wife is expecting a third child, and that he is now targeting three trophies to give one to each of them.

“I can say that I dedicate this win to my wife and my two kids,” he said. “And one is coming, so it’s for three kids. At the moment I have two big trophies. This is the second one. So in the near future I need to get a third one so none of them gets upset.”

It was a wholesome way to end another fine day of competition on the EPT — and another fine performance from this — shall we say? — recreational pro.

RESULTS

Event #$50,000 EPT Super High Roller
Dates: October 13-15, 2024
Entries: 47 (inc. 11 re-entries)
Prize pool: $2,279,970

1 – Mikalai Vaskaboinikau, Belarus – $601,397*
2 – Artur Martirosian, Russia – $495,815*
3 – Adrian Mateos, Spain – $555,758*
4 – Roman Hrabec, Czech Republic – $262,200
5 – Alexander Zubov, Russia – $205,200
6 – Jamil Wakil, Canada – $159,600

HORSE POWER: AMBASSADORS DOMINATE MIXED GAME SIDE EVENT

Main Events used to be your best shot at playing against PokerStars Team Pros on the European Poker Tour (EPT). Not because smaller fields increased the likelihood of getting sat next to one, but because the Main Events were – and still are – unmissable, often the only tournament the Red Spades were guaranteed to play at every stop.

These days, however, it’s not just a different tournament that presents the best opportunity to battle our Ambassadors, but a different game (or rather, games) entirely. 

A $550 HORSE event took place at EPT Cyprus on Monday and three of the seven players who cashed and reached the final table were Team Pros: Sebastian “peace&loove” Huber, Georgina “GJReggie” James, and Parker “Tonkaaaa” Talbot. The tournament had 35 unique entries and 19 re-entries, meaning there were only ever a handful of tables at its busiest stages – a great chance to sit amongst the streamers, then.

HORSE is one of the most famous mixed game formats, rotating through five different games: Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Seven-Card Stud, and Seven-Card Stud Eight or Better (Hi-Lo). All variants are played with fixed betting limits and in Hi-Lo games, the pots are shared between players who have the best high hand and the best low hand. If a player has both, they scoop the entire pot.

While some players choose to specialise in one specific poker variant – most commonly NLHE or pot limit omaha (PLO) – mixed games test a player’s versatility and understanding of poker’s fundamentals across all games, as different strategies are required for each variant. Not only are these games fun to play, but with significantly smaller fields compared with no limit hold’em events, they also offer a great shot at winning titles. This goes for online mixed game events too.

If you weren’t following our coverage from the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) throughout September and early October, you might not realise just how popular these games have become, not to mention how competent PokerStars Team Pros have become in them.

HUBER’S A HORSE CHAMP

Take Sebastian Huber, for example. The Austrian pro has been a no limit hold’em specialist for his entire career up to this point, only occasionally dabbling in games with more than two hole cards. But learning all the games is essential these days if you hope to win WCOOP and SCOOP titles, not to mention collect Leader Board points. 

For Huber – a captain in the inaugural WCOOP League – those points were pivotal for his team’s success. His draft picks were selected for their all-around mixed-game prowess, with top pick “FAL1st” grabbing an incredible five titles in the series. But mixed games led to some personal success too, as Huber took down an $11 buy-in HORSE event and beat 1,386 entries to win $2,098 and his second WCOOP title. Huber’s team already had a huge lead in team points but it was bolstered further with this victory and there was no catching them from then on.

Despite getting off to a fantastic start in Monday’s EPT Cyprus HORSE event (by the second break he had double the chips of his nearest opponent), Huber’s tournament came to an end in seventh, just after the bubble had burst for a $1,350 min-cash.

TALBOT: ONE OF THE BEST ALL-ROUNDERS

Parker Talbot managed to secure a podium finish, placing third for $3,720 after an unprecedented WCOOP series. Talbot has always been considered a top no limit hold’em player (just have a look through his most recent live cashes) but his incredible five-title performance in WCOOP cemented the Canadian as one of the best all-around players in the game today.

Five titles, five different variants, and two World Championships. Here’s a look at his 2024 title haul:

• World Championship of HORSE: $1,050 – $21,904
• WCOOP 32-H: $1,050 NLHE [Progressive KO, Saturday KO] – $72,803
• WCOOP 61-H: $10,300 8-Game [High Roller] – $101,966
• WCOOP 85-M: $215 FL 2-7 Triple Draw – $6,392
• World Championship of Badugi: $1,050 – $18,804

Don’t be surprised to see Talbot begin collecting World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets at a similar rate next summer.

JAMES FINISHES RUNNER-UP

Going one spot better than Talbot in the Cyprus HORSE event was Georgina James. GJReggie primarily plays mixed games on her Twitch streams so she’s got plenty of experience in the rotations – both online and live. In November she took down a 9-Game title at the Brazil Series of Poker (BSOP) for almost $12K, and earlier this year she won a mixed limit title in Bratislava for just shy of $7K.

This time James had to settle for second, banking $6,500 following a heads-up deal with Italy’s Sergio Benso, who collected $8,340 and the coveted spadie for a day’s work.

$550 HORSE
Dates: October 14, 2024
Entries: 54 (including 19 re-entries)
Prize pool: $25,650

1. Sergio Benso (Italy) – $8,340*
2. Georgina James (UK) – $6,500* (PokerStars Ambassador)
3. Parker Talbot (Canada) – $3,720 (PokerStars Ambassador)
4. Gerard Carbo (Spain) – $2,820
5. Antoine Hasbani (Lebanon) – $2,180
6. Reza Mohammadi Jouzdani (Iran) – $1,730
7. Sebastian Huber (Austria) – $1,350 (PokerStars Ambassador)

CEBRAT SETTLES IN NICELY AT FIRST EPT

When we meet Gold Pass winners on the European Poker Tour, the vast majority of them are dipping their toes in EPT Main Event waters for the very first time. That’s because Power Path is designed to help as many recreational players as possible experience the world’s best poker tour.

But when you don’t have much live poker experience, it can take a few levels at the tables before they feel comfortable and settled into live play. “It’s challenging, to be honest, because it’s so different,” says Przemyslaw Cebrat, one of the three Gold Pass winners to enter Day 1A of EPT Cyprus.

This is Cebrat’s maiden EPT, and he won entry after buying into an $11 Power Path Step 3 satellite, then finishing in the top spots in a $109 Step 4. “I was very lucky,” he admits. “It only took me a few attempts, less than ten.”

But don’t let his modesty fool you. Cebrat might not have much experience in brick-and-mortar cardrooms, but the Polish player says he’s been playing online poker “forever” behind the screen name “escapemissio”. He’s now an online tournament pro with dozens of big scores, most notably a $680,231 windfall in a $530 Blowout Series event back in January 2021.

“I mostly play mid-stakes, anything up to $530 for direct buy-ins,” he says on a Main Event break. “I’m trying to move up [in stakes] but at the moment I’ve reduced my hours, so I play three days a week and study a lot.”

His time away from the computer is spent with his family, who he brought to Cyprus. They were off soaking up some sun while Cebrat grinded. “They’re really enjoying it,” he says. “I love it here, it’s amazing. The organisation is very good and it’s really nice to play live poker for a change.”

A good day at the office (Cebrat is through to Day 2 with a stack of 55,000) means he can spend today with his family beside the pool, while hundreds of Day 1B hopefuls battle to make it through. You can follow the action with live updates on PokerNews.

GOLD PASS WINNERS AIM HIGH IN CYPRUS

Nine players are here at EPT Cyprus having won a Gold Pass in the PokerStars Power Path. As you no doubt know, the Power Path is the most meritocratic way for low-stakes poker players to find their way to the top table. Qualifiers start at 50 cents, and the highest direct buy-in on the Power Path is $11, meaning the tournaments are very rarely full of sharks.

It also follows that Gold Pass winners are in the field of a $5,300 buy-in event for an outlay of no more than about $20. Even that assumes they needed to buy-in twice, and many players somehow seem to breeze through at the first attempt.

Just sitting down in one of these tournaments qualifies as a clear victory already (especially if you remember that expenses form part of the prize), but a handful of Gold Pass winners have also won at the tables.

There’s some serious profit on offer if things go your way. Just ask the likes of Kevinas Korsakas or Marcelo Sgari, who both made the last 100 at EPT Monte Carlo, or Cameron Sinclair who cashed at EPT Barcelona.

(There have been even greater successes for Power Path winners in online events, including WCOOP, where results have run into the tens of thousands of dollars.)

We’ll keep an eye on the progress of the nine Gold Pass winners. Get used to hearing some more about the following people:

Playing Day 1B

Lunes Berkane (Germany) 
Mariusz Mikoda (Poland) 
Ivan Zhechev (Bulgaria)
Martin Mulsow (Austria) 
Diego Ibanez (Spain)

Into Day 2

Guillermo Gordo (Poland) — Into Day 2 with 70,500
Przemyslaw Cebrat (Poland) — Into Day 2 with 55,000

Eliminated

Sebastian Miedza (Poland)  — ELIMINATED DAY 1A
Miguel Franco (Spain) — ELIMINATED DAY 1A 

GOLD PASS WINNERS EPT HALL OF FAME

Kevinas Korsakas — 58th at EPT Monte Carlo – €15,200
Marcelo Sgari — 96th at EPT Monte Carlo – €11,500
Cameron Sinclair — 220th at EPT Barcelona – €10,050

Read more about the Power Path

WORTHINGTON-LEESE BREAKS THROUGH WITH EUREKA VICTORY

The last time we spoke to Leo Worthington-Leese, the British poker pro was living a nomadic lifestyle, travelling the poker circuit with his girlfriend in a converted van he was doing up himself. The following day, he finished third in the 2023 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event for €397,450 – a career-best score. Needless to say, some of that prize was invested in sprucing up the van.

Recently, however, Worthington-Leese found himself living in Dublin. His girlfriend took a job in Ireland’s capital and their former home sat idle in a driveway. 

Perhaps not for much longer, though. “I might need to upgrade the van,” he tells us, having just taken down the enormous $1,100 Eureka Main Event for $314,030 and his first major title in a PokerStars event.

“Monte Carlo is my biggest result, but we all want to win,” he says. “It turns out that third place isn’t quite as overwhelming as first place is. It feels like a breakout result, for sure.”

Over four days of play, Worthington-Leese navigated his way through a colossal 2,803-entry field to claim the trophy. He made a three-handed ICM chop with Frederick Anastasiades and Samuel Fournier, before defeating Anastasiades heads-up.

It’s the latest in a string of great results for the 32-year-old, originally from Brighton, who has been grinding hard after taking a few months to muck around following his Monaco success. “After Monte Carlo, I was full of confidence,” he says. “I won a GUKPT high roller in January, then finished 17th in Paris, and had a few other deep runs this summer. But to get this win and the trophy is a dream come true.”

Worthington-Leese has built up a strong following on his Instagram account and isn’t shy about sharing the ups and downs of life as a poker pro. It’s something he thinks is important in the often unrealistic world of social media. 

“It’s what I bond with people the most over,” he says. “They appreciate seeing not just wins, but when it’s hard, when I’m losing, how much I’m losing – all that stuff. It’s nice to be transparent as there’s no straightforward path, especially in something like poker. You will be tested. I like to share that. A lot of aspiring pros follow me and I try to show people how I’m doing it.”

One recent story showed Worthington-Leese unhappy with his play in a particular hand. Instead of cursing his opponent or moaning about a bad beat, he simply said he had to work to do and would study the spot when he got to a computer. 

“You have to be very honest with yourself if you’re going to pursue poker seriously,” he continues. “I like to lay it out there.”

You can expect a positive-only feed from Worthington-Leese after today’s result. He’s off to play the EPT Main Event, and then when he returns from Cyprus, a cross-Europe road trip might be in order.

First thing first: find a spot for the trophy in the van.

$1,100 Eureka Cyprus Main Event
Dates: October 9-14, 2024
Entries: 2,803
Prize pool: $2,662,850

1. Leo Worthington-Leese (United Kingdom) – $314,030*
2. Frederick Anastasiades (Cyprus) – $248,479*
3. Samuel Fournier (France) – $237,051*
4. Aleksandr Razinkov (Russia) – $132,120
5. Yuan Xu (China) – $101,390
6. Guoliang Wei (China) – $78,770
7. Recep Aydemir (Turkey) – $60,850
8. Alexey Badulin (Russia) – $46,600

*denotes ICM deal

PULL OFF A PIGGY BANK JOB FOR SILVER PASS

The EPT Cyprus Player Party takes place tonight at the Versace Garden, at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel. It’s going to be sensational, as always, with the headline DJ Juicy M ready to pack the dance floor.

There will, of course, be plenty to eat and drink as well, but there’s an added bonus at this party: the chance to win a PokerStars Silver Pass, worth $2,500.

It really couldn’t be simpler either. All players are invited to play test a new slots game on offer at PokerStars Casino: the Piggy Bank Job — Gold Blitz, to be precise, provided by Games Global.

This is totally free to play, but players will automatically join a leader board based on the credits they manage to accumulate during their free spins. The top three eligible players will then be invited on to stage to play the game some more, with the winner being awarded the Silver Pass.

There’s nothing to hide here: this is a promotion for the new slots game, which features now at PokerStars Casino. But that Silver Pass is totally real, and $2,500 of credit for PokerStars events can go a very long way.

The buy-in for a regional tour, such as the Eureka Poker Tour Main Event here in Cyprus, is $1,100 (or a euro equivalent). Many of PokerStars flagship online tournaments have buy-ins that are also comfortably covered here. There’s already a glittering list of players who have ridden their Power Path passes to major paydays.

So if you’re in Cyprus tonight and heading to the party, take a shot at the Piggy Bank Job. It could be the best FREE investment you ever make.

KEN AND GLENN: A QUALIFIER’S STORY

Ken knows nothing about poker. Ken has never played a hand in his life. But as I type, Ken is sitting by a glistening pool with a cocktail in hand at a luxurious five-star all-inclusive resort, all thanks to PokerStars, a poker site he’s probably never heard of.

“He’s drinking for the two of us at the moment,” says Glenn Miller, the reason Ken is enjoying this lavish holiday.

Miller, a semi-retired aircraft engineer from Malahide, Dublin, brought his former colleague Ken along for the ride after winning a $10K package to the European Poker Tour (EPT) Cyprus stop on PokerStars, where he plays as “kidmiller2”. The prize included his entry into the $5,300 Main Event, plus hotel for eight nights and travel expenses. 

All of that came from a single €27 investment. That’s how much Miller paid to enter a satellite into a €530 qualifier, which he won. He then finished in the top spots to win the package, all on his very first attempt. 

But Miller is used to travelling the world and playing cards thanks to satellites. This is his fourth live package win of the year (his first on PokerStars) and five years ago, the Irishman enjoyed a trip to remember.

In 2019 Miller turned a humble 55 cents into a package to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), which meant he could take his wife and two daughters to the Bahamas. “We stayed at the Atlantis and had a fabulous holiday,” he says. The icing on the cake came when he cashed the $10K Main Event for $33K, his largest poker win to date. “We had a ball,” he adds. “What a time.”

Fortunately for Ken, Miller’s wife couldn’t make it to Cyprus and the mesmerising five-star all-inclusive Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa. “It’s unreal,” says Miller. “The hotel, the facilities, the people working here, it’s amazing. The food is fabulous. I’ve stayed at all-inclusives with the family, but this is ultra-all-inclusive. There’s no comparison to your normal all-inclusive. This is seven-star all-inclusive.”

Not that Miller has had a chance to indulge. He’s leaving that to Ken, as he’s got an EPT Main Event to play. “I’m not going to touch a drink until I finish the EPT, hopefully with a trophy, then I’ll celebrate.”

HOW TO PLAN YOUR DAY AT EPT CYPRUS

The field is gradually amassing for Day 1A of the European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event, where players will be preparing for 10 one-hour levels of play.

That is the established pattern for Day 1s on the EPT, which maps on to the real-time clock to mean a conclusion at around 00:15 — or, to put it another way, 15 minutes past midnight. That means it’s a 12-hour day, although players get several breathers. There’s a 20-minute break after every other level, plus a 75-minute dinner break after Level 6.

At the sumptuous Merit resort, you’re never more than about 10 metres from a lavish buffet, so it’s pretty easy to make sure you have the energy to get through the day. But it will hopefully be useful for players to see the tournament structure beside the actual, real-world clock, especially if they want to meet friends and family during the breaks.

Here’s what Day 1 looks like (with blinds and antes for that particular level):

DAY 1 SCHEDULE

12:00-13:00 — LEVEL 1 (100-100 100 ante)
13:00-14:00 — LEVEL 2 (100-200 200 ante)

14:00-14:20 — BREAK

14:20-15:20 — LEVEL 3 (100-300 300 ante)
15:20-16:20 — LEVEL 4 (200-400 400 ante)

16:20-16:40 — BREAK

16:40-17:40 — LEVEL 5 (200-500 500 ante)
17:40-18:40 — LEVEL 6 (300-600 600 ante)

18:40-19:55 — DINNER BREAK

19:55-20:55 — LEVEL 7 (400-800 800 ante)
20:55-21:55 — LEVEL 8 (500-1,000 1,000 ante)

21:55-22:15 — BREAK

22:15-23:15 — LEVEL 9 (600-1,200 1,200 ante)
23:15-00:15 — LEVEL 10 (600-1,200 1,200 ante)

MERIT PROPERTY BUFFET TIMES

Here’s a reminder as well of the buffet times at this Merit property. These refer to the formal buffets in the dining rooms in all hotels (Crystal Cove, Royal Diamond, Royal Premium and Park), though there’s always also a buffet available for players on Level B2 of the tournament area. This is stocked throughout the day.

You’ll notice that the dinner break begins 20 minutes before the dinner buffet opens, so it may be worth remembering this option if you really want to maximise your break time.

BREAKFAST: 07:00-11:30 (Mon-Fri) | 07:00-12:00 (Sat-Sun)

LATE BREAKFAST: 11:30-13:00 (Mon-Fri) | 12:00-13:00 (Sat-Sun)

LUNCH: 13:00 – 15:00

DINNER: 19:00-22:00

Cash game players will be aware that there’s also a buffet beside the cash game area over in the Crystal Cove.

DAY 2 SCHEDULE

Registration (either entry or re-entry) is still open to players right up until the start of Day 2, which starts at noon on Wednesday. The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that the blinds for Levels 9 and 10 (i.e., the final two levels of Day 1) are repeated, which is a deliberate design to ensure players entering on Day 2 still get a decent number of big blinds.

The starting stack is 30,000 in chips, and blinds for Level 11 are 1,000-1,500 (1,500 ante). That means you’ll have 20 big blinds and a dream sitting down with a fresh stack on Day 2.

Levels are now 90 minutes long, and there’s a tournament break at the end of every level (with the exception of the break after Level 14, which is 30 minutes). Typically, Day 2 lasts for five levels, as below, although the bubble can sometimes complicate things.

12:00-13:30 — LEVEL 11 (1,000-1,500 1,500 ante)
13:30-13:50 — BREAK
13:50-15:10 — LEVEL 12 (1,000-2,000 2,000 ante)
15:10-15:30 — BREAK
15:30-17:00 — LEVEL 13 (1,000-2,500 2,500 ante)
17:00-17:20 — BREAK
17:20-18:50 — LEVEL 14 (1,500-3,000 3,000 ante)
18:50-19:20 — BREAK
19:20-20:50 — LEVEL 15 (2,000-4,000 4,000 ante)

Ordinarily, the bubble will burst somewhere close to Levels 15 or 16 and the PokerStars Live stream is very keen to be able to cover it when the most viewers are tuning in. For that reason, Day 2 is sometimes truncated to four levels, with Level 15 beginning Day 3. However, that’s the exception rather than the rule.

A protracted bubble may often mean that the level in which it occurs takes significantly longer than the intended 90 minutes. That’s just down to the vagaries of tournament poker.

You’ll notice that play is due to conclude at the very civilised hour of 20:50. Buffet are open until 10pm, so it should be possible to bag and then eat. Dinners always taste better when you’ve found a bag.

SCHEDULE FOR DAY 3 AND BEYOND

The aim for Days 3 and 4 on the EPT is to play five 90-minute levels, with a 20-minute break after every level. This usually happens quite smoothly, although Day 3 will sometimes begin mid-level depending on how that bubble played out the day before.

Similarly, Day 4 may not quite make it all the way through the allocated levels. It could be that the field is reduced to 16 players (or even fewer) and tournament officials decide to end the day to allow for a full day’s play on Day 5.

The aim on Day 5 is simple: we want to get down to the last six players. That means playing up to five levels, but if, for instance, seven players are still involved at that stage, organisers will usually say that’s enough and bring seven back for the last day.

The final day in Monte Carlo began in Level 30. In Paris, it was Level 32. Here in Cyprus last year, it was Level 31. We can therefore expect to play something like 30 levels before hitting our final six players. With 10 levels on Day 1, there are four days to play the other 20 levels, which is five each. It all makes very good sense.

THREE DAYS IN, EPT CYPRUS SHAPING UP TO BE A CLASSIC

The European Poker Tour’s second visit to Cyprus seems set to be even better than the first, at least if the first three days are anything to go by.

Players have been flooding to the tables for the early action, while the off-the-felt activities are flourishing once more.

Let’s take a look at what’s been happening in the early stages.

AT THE TABLES

Event 1 on the EPT Cyprus schedule is the €1,100 Eureka Main Event, a tournament that last year attracted 2,659 entries. Sounds difficult to beat, right? Well, there were more than 2,500 entries into this year’s event BEFORE the final flight even began.

That makes it all but certain to go way bigger, which will mean more than last year’s $2,552,640 prize pool and more than last year’s $362,365 first prize. Last year, it was India’s Ankit Ahuja who took it down, and Ahuja is still alive as he attempts to go back-to-bak. Ahuja made it through his opening day, which sets him well for a run into the money.

As ever, Poker News has live updates as the tournament plays all the way through the weekend.

Although the main focus so far has been on that enormous ongoing Eureka event, six tournaments are already in the books. There’s been a third place finish for Team PokerStars Ambassador Sebastian Huber, who picked up $5,200 in the first $550 Hyper Turbo of the series (won by Lebanon’s Bakhos Joumaa).

Meanwhile, the biggest winner of the week so far has been Armenia’s Aren Bezhanyan, who took down the $12,300 NLH Cuatro Knockout for an exceptional $247,840, including bounties.

On the subject of bounties, Marcelo Bonanata won the $10K Mystery Bounty event, landing $156,800. High-rolling Yulian Bogdanov finished sixth in the event, but picked up $75K in bounties, which gave him third most overall. Runner up Aleks Ponakovs, another high roller, banked $141,500 total, including $77,500 in bounties.

Alisa Sibgatova won the $1,100 NLHE Freezeout for $35,830, beating her countrywoman Ekaterina Fediaeva heads up. It’s pretty unusual for two women to finish heads-up in an open event, so congratulations to both of them.

OFF THE FELT

There’s an exceptional number of off-the-felt activities planned for all players and guests during EPT Cyprus, with the first night of entertainment courtesy of a karaoke night.

In a bid to preserve the singers’ dignity, we won’t be sharing video. But suffice to say, with the all-inclusive hospitality stretching to the Player Lounge, vocal cords were well lubricated ahead of a raucous singalong.

Meanwhile, the All In Shootouts have started and Silver Passes are raining from on high to the winners. Harald Sammer and Adi Rajkovic are just two of the players to strike it lucky so far.

Remember, all it takes is for you to link your PokerStars Live account with your PokerStars account and then sign up and you can join one of the All In Shootouts, which run daily. The prizes are superb.

PokerStars Blog arrives to Cyprus on Sunday, at which point our coverage will ramp up. In the meantime, Poker News has blow-by-blow action from the tournament floor.

RESULTS SO FAR

There are 67 tournaments on the EPT Cyprus schedule and many of them are already complete.

Take a look through all the latest winners and full results so far right here.

ABOUT EPT CYPRUS 2024

After an incredible debut last year, the European Poker Tour (EPT) returns to Cyprus for a second visit in October 2024. It’s only one year in and this stop is already one of the most popular on the tour among players due to the beautiful location, huge poker room and all-inclusive resort. Don’t miss this year’s edition.

We’re returning to the five-star all-inclusive Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa from October 9-20 and PokerStars invites you to experience the thrill of live poker on the shores of the Mediterranean.

KEY FESTIVAL DATES

Eureka:

Main Event: October 9-14 – $1,100
Cup: October 12-13 – $550
High Roller: October 13-14 – $2,200

EPT:

Super High Roller: October 13-15 – $50,000
Main Event: October 14-20 – $5,300
Mystery Bounty: October 16-18 – $3,000
High Roller:  October 18-20 – $10,300

LIVE STREAMING SCHEDULE

Watch the active live on PokerStars Twitch and YouTube.

Tuesday October 15

13:00 EEST
EPT CYPRUS: $50K SUPER HIGH ROLLER – FINAL TABLE

Wednesday October 16

12:30 EEST
EPT CYPRUS: $5K MAIN EVENT – DAY 2

Thursday October 17

12:30 EEST
EPT CYPRUS: $5K MAIN EVENT – DAY 3

Friday October 18

12:30 EEST
EPT CYPRUS: $5K MAIN EVENT – DAY 4

Saturday October 19

12:30 EEST
EPT CYPRUS: $5K MAIN EVENT – DAY 5

Sunday October 20

13:00 EEST
EPT CYPRUS: $5K MAIN EVENT – FINAL TABLE

English-language coverage on the central/global channels will be hosted by James Hartigan, Joe Stapleton, Griffin Benger, Nick Walsh and Maria Ho.

There will also be streams on our French, Spanish and Brazilian channels.

ALL-IN SHOOTOUTS: DAILY SILVER PASSES TO BE WON

All-in shootouts are always exciting

Silver Power Path bundles and hundreds of Bronze bundles will be awarded to players via exclusive All-In Shootouts, taking place during the Eureka Main Event in Cyprus.

Look out for the All-In Shootouts after the second break of each opening flight during the Eureka Main Event. They are free to enter – players simply need to link their PS Live Card to their online PokerStars account either in the PokerStars Live App or at the Sign Up desk. The winner of each All-In Shootout will receive an envelope containing a mystery Power Path prize, with two Silver Passes guaranteed during each flight.

• $2,500 Silver Pass
• $109 Bronze Pass

George Rotariu won a Silver Pass worth $2,500 at EPT Monte Carlo

All players in Cyprus who have linked their PS Live Card to their online PokerStars account will also be invited to participate in exclusive All-In Shootouts taking place online after the event, where a further four Silver Power Passes will be awarded.

EPT Cyprus: Navigating the Merit Kyrenia resort

The European Poker Tour (EPT) makes a welcome return to Cyprus this month, specifically the sprawling and beautiful Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa. Having become the EPT’s 26th destination this time last year, Cyprus was an immediate and clear favourite. That’s why the tour is heading back.

The location is an incredible 5-star resort on the northern coast of Cyprus, near to the town of Kyrenia.

The resort is essentially its own small village, with many visitors probably never even leaving the complex for the duration of their stay. That’s mainly because the resort is all inclusive, meaning food, drink and many activities are included in the price of your hotel room.

For all that, it can be a bit bewildering when you first arrive, until you get acquainted to the place.

Here’s a guide to help you navigate the resort and make the most of your stay.

EXCITING PLAYER ACTIVITIES

The European Poker Tour (EPT) returns to Northern Cyprus this month for a second iteration of the hugely popular EPT Cyprus festival. As before, we’ll be in the tremendous all-inclusive Merit Resort, Kyrenia, where there will be a full slate of tournaments and cash games to sate even the most ardent poker fan.

But, as always, that’s not all. Here’s a look at some of the off-the-felt EPT Cyprus activities you can join. It’s going to be a very busy week and a bit.

EPT Cyprus activities: Stay entertained away from the tables

WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR?

At first, he could only Dare to Stream. But at EPT Cyprus 2023, Gilles Simon — a streamer and poker pro known to his online fans as “Ghilley” — fulfilled one of his wildest dreams. The 24-year-old from Valkenburg, in the Netherlands, became a Main Event champion on the European Poker Tour (EPT).

Simon banked $1,042,000, the biggest slice of a $6,402,000 prize pool. It was a popular and brilliant victory, requiring him to regroup after surrendering a chip lead, then to grind down six spirited opponents on the last day.

We also saw Juan Pardo take down the $50,000 Super High Roller for $688,560 and Ankit Ahuja — a former PokerStars employee — win the 2,659-entry Eureka Main for $362,365, the largest score of his career so far.

Plus we wrote stories about wine and cheese, jeep safaris and turtles.

Find out everything that happened at EPT Cyprus 2023 in our coverage hub.

EVERYTHING ELSE

POKERNEWS LIVE UPDATES
Our live reporting partner offer hand-by-hand updates from a number of tournaments across the series. 

EPT CYPRUS OFFICIAL SITE
The PokerStars Live official page, with everything you need to know about the tournament series in Cyprus.

FULL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
The full EPT Cyprus schedule is available here.

DOWNLOAD THE POKERSTARS LIVE APP
All the info you need on your mobile device from the Apple iStore or Google Play for Android.

POKERSTARS BLOG ON TWITTER
Follow us on Twitter.

Back to Top