Mystery solved as Hannes Jeschka pulls Platinum Pass at EPT London
“When I entered this tournament I didn't know there was a Platinum Pass!”
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While the PokerStars Live stream is focused on bringing you all the excitement from Day 4 of the European Poker Tour (EPT) London Main Event, we’re here to tell you there’s–to quote Fintan “easywithaces” Hand–a bit of buzz over on the other side of the tournament room, too.
The £3,000 buy-in Mystery Bounty event returned for its third and final day today, with just 16 of the 461 entries remaining. Of those 16, only one player had an unused bounty ticket in front of them: Germany’s Hannes Jeschka.
Jeschka, a semi-pro from Germany who balances poker and his studies, has had an incredible 2022 so far. He took down a $5,300 event in Cyprus in August, winning his first major live title and a whopping $542,000.
The elimination
Alas, around 40 minutes into Day 3 action, Jeschka became the first player to bust.
As reported by PokerNews, he shoved for his last seven big blinds with J♦ 9♦ and two other players got involved after him. He was dominated by Gerbo Szabo’s A♥ J♣ , but ended up busting to Robert Macsim’s A♠ 2♦ when the board ran out 6♥ 2♣ 6♣ 10♣ 8♥ .
He was guaranteed £8,300 for 16th place, but he also had that bounty to collect.
“There were hardly any good ones left,” Jeschka told us. “Mostly £1Ks.”
But today, he had the magic touch.
Pulling a Platinum Pass
Jeschka reached in and pulled the Platinum Pass envelope–the only one in the entire tournament–and won a full package to play in the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) 2023, worth $30,000.
The prize not only includes entry into the $25,000 PSPC, but also six nights in a five-star hotel for two, plus $1,900 in expenses, airport transfers, and special experiences for Platinum Pass winners.
“I was disappointed to bust the tournament and I have mixed feelings right now, but this is…overwhelming,” he said, envelope in hand.
Jeschka has played some other Mystery Bounty events in the past, both in Las Vegas and earlier this festival in the £440 UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) bounty event. But this was his first bounty envelope to write home about.
“I got three bounties pretty early on Day 2,” he said. “I made Day 2 with around 60K, 40 big blinds, not too great but not too bad.”
But the first couple of hours yesterday went very well for Jeschka. He collected three bounties and chipped up nicely. For the rest of the day, he maintained a decent stack and found the opportunity to pick up one more bounty before taking a hit as the bags were brought out.
“I made Day 3 with a short stack so I didn’t have high expectations,” he says. “I decided I wouldn’t pull the bounty until I busted. I think I was the only one with a ticket still to pull. It’s crazy.”
Check out: When should you pull your bounties in a Mystery Bounty?
Looking ahead to the Bahamas
Prior to winning the Platinum Pass, Jeschka hadn’t decided whether he was going to attend the PSPC yet (“It’s too far in the future!”), nor had he tried to win one through other avenues.
“I didn’t think about it at all,” he says. “When I entered this tournament I didn’t know there was a Platinum Pass!”
But now he’ll be heading to the Bahamas no matter what. With just three months to prepare, you can expect to see Jeschka battling at both the live and online tables.
“This is great, I’m super happy!”
Spare a thought…
While Jeschka is now surely celebrating, spare a thought for Andy “bowieeffect” Wilson.
The highly-respected UK pro was the first player to pull the Platinum Pass envelope, but he had to put it back. The reason? He’d already won one.
Wilson clinched a Platinum Pass earlier at EPT London after taking down a live Mega Path satellite. As he’d already won his trip to the Bahamas, it meant he had to pick another envelope instead, as per the Platinum Pass Terms and Conditions.
Here’s a look at those Ts & Cs:
3.1 An individual shall not be entitled to receive more than one Platinum Pass under any circumstances and the following rules shall apply.
3.1.1 If a player wins a second Platinum Pass, it will be forfeited immediately upon discovery, and the player will not receive any compensation. An additional Platinum Pass awarded to a player already in receipt of one will be allocated to another player at our sole determination.
While understandably frustrating for Wilson, here’s hoping the Platinum Pass and a nice £11,500 cash in the Mystery Bounty tournament will suffice.
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