The exceptional winning streak of the Spanish pro Juan Pardo continued in Cyprus this week when the 30-year-old, originally from Cortilligos, claimed victory in the $50,000 Super High Roller event at the latest stop of the European Poker Tour.

Pardo also recently hit the headlines after winning two titles in one night in the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) on PokerStars, including in the $25,000 buy-in Super High Roller of the online series. But this title in Cyprus, which Pardo secured after arranging a heads-up deal with his countryman Vicente Delgado, banked him $688,560, the third highest payout of his stellar career.

The victory elevated Pardo to fourth on Spain’s all time money list, pushing career earnings close to $9 million. Delgado took $583,400 — a career high that took his live earnings past $1 million — as Spanish players secured another one-two in the biggest tournament of an EPT stop.

Pardo also won a $50K event at EPT Barcelona in 2019, the same stop at which he picked up victory in a $25K buy-in tournament.

There was once a time when Spanish players couldn’t seem to win anything on the EPT. No they simply can’t stop it.

PARDO SURVIVES BUBBLE TO START SURGE

This tournament in Cyprus attracted 46 entries, including 16 re-entries, which built a prize pool of $2.2 million. It was originally scheduled to last three days, but after Mikalai Vaskaboinikau was knocked out in seventh place, bursting the $156,200 bubble, the six remaining players decided to play on to a winner on Day 2.

Vaskaboinikau can have legitimate reason to look at Pardo’s success with a degree of envy having lost a huge pot to the Spaniard in particularly unfortunate circumstances. When there were seven players remaining, Pardo put his entire stack at risk with A♠ 3♠ and ran into Vaskaboinikau’s pocket kings.

However, Pardo spiked an the flop and doubled up to survive, leaving Vaskaboinikau vulnerable. His final 12 big blinds went in soon after and Quan Zhou knocked him out, guaranteeing a payday for everyone except Vaskaboinikau.

PARDO CONTINUES CRUSHING

Delgado had a big chip lead at that point, with only Germany’s Leon Sturm sitting with fewer chips than Pardo. However, Sturm found a double through the PokerStars Ambassador Sam Grafton, and then Pardo defeated pocket kings again, this time turning a set of eights to beat the kings of Zhou.

Zhou became the next player to depart after Teun Mulder’s A♥ J♥ improved to a pair of jacks to beat Zhou’s A♦ Q♣ . Zhou took the min-cash of $156,200.

Chips went back and forth between the remaining five before Pardo’s resurgence took a major boost when he picked off a gutsy bluff from Delgado. Delgado had flopped a straight draw with his 8♦ 7♠ and turned it into a bluff when he missed. Pardo had two pair with A♦ 9♠ and took the chip lead after securing the pot.

Grafton and Sturm were now the small stacks and became the next two to perish, although Grafton doubled through Sturm and so the Brit pipped the German to fourth place.

Sturm ended up going broke with pocket aces, losing to Pardo’s K♠ 8♠ when Pardo turned trip eights to crack another monster. Although Grafton held on for another good while, Pardo’s A♠ Q♦ eventually beat Grafton’s K♠ 4♠ and that was the end of the Red Spade in this one.

Sturm won $200,800 and Grafton took $256,600.

DEAL OR NO DEAL?

With three players left, Pardo had his two opponents on the ropes. He had 9.6 million with Delgado sitting with 1.2 million and Mulder’s 725,000 worth 12 big blinds. Although appearing here using their real names, these three are also very well known as the online tournament crushers “Malaka$tyle”, “vicenfish” and “tinnoemulder”, and the final stages resembled what you might see in SCOOP or WCOOP.

Mulder won a decent pot from Delgado, but Delgado doubled through Pardo twice to edge into second place. Mulder then doubled back himself, but Pardo snuffed out the Dutchman’s hopes with his latest outdraw.

Mulder got his chips in with A♦ 10♦ , called by Pardo’s A♥ 9♥ . Mulder flopped top pair, but Pardo flopped a flush draw and completed it on the river. Mulder took $345,900 for third, leaving the two Spanish players to decide the title.

There was some confusion in the room about any deal between the two, with most observers thinking the tournament was playing out without any amendments to the payout schedule. But after a brief heads-up battle, Pardo converted his two-to-one chip lead into outright victory — A♥ Q♥ beating A♣ 10♠ on the final hand — and then details of the arrangement emerged.

Delgado had secured himself $583,400, but Pardo’s balance swelled by $688,560 — and the trophy was going home with him.

TOURNAMENT RESULTS

EPT Cyprus $50,000 Super High Roller
Dates: October 15-16, 2023
Entries: 46 (inc. 16 re-entries)
Prize pool: $2,231,460

MORE ABOUT THE EPT

Official EPT site
EPT Cyprus coverage hub
EPT Cyprus activities guide

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