€5,300 EPT Prague Main Event
Dia 6 Iniciado
€5,300 EPT Prague Main Event
Dia 6 Iniciado
The last time 33-year-old Jordan Saccucci came to Prague he “got his ass kicked”, so when he returned to the Czechia capital this week, he had two objectives: have some fun and hopefully win some money back. Everything seems to be going to plan as he enters the penultimate day boasting a big chip lead.
Hailing from Mississauga, Toronto, Saccucci plays a lot of poker but doesn’t consider it his job. “I don’t rely on it, it can be rough!” he told us. You could say it’s been smooth sailing in this Main Event though, especially considering Saccucci busted another big stack with pocket aces versus pocket kings late last night. “It was a good feeling,” he says. “It got a bit shaky on the turn when the club came but it was a big pot!”
Saccucci’s chip count progression
Entering Day 2: 96,000 (158th out of 434 remaining)
Day 3: 437,000 (30/117)
Day 4: 925,000 (17/30)
Day 5: 9,560,000 (1/9)
Day 6: 12,925,000 (1/4)
One of the best-known players on the European tour, Antoine Saout is also familiar to poker supporters in the United States having made two World Series of Poker Main Event final tables. He finished third in 2009, for $3.9 million, and fifth in 2017, for another $2 million.
Those results, eight years apart, speak to Saout’s longevity and immense talents — even though his deepest previous run at an EPT Main Event ended in a seventh-place finish in Monte Carlo in 2016. Like many French players, Saout, 38, now lives in London, in the Canary Wharf district, where he continues to play online. It’s also a base for his global travels to play poker.
Saout’s chip count progression
Entering Day 2: 77,500 (212th out of 434 remaining)
Day 3: 481,000 (27/117)
Day 4: 1,570,000 (8/30)
Day 5: 2,740,000 (6/9)
Day 6: 10,400,000 (3/4)
He might be entering Day 5 as the short stack, but don’t rule out 39-year-old Istvan Pilhofer just yet. The Hungarian is on a hot streak at the moment, having recently taken down one of the biggest tournaments in Budapest, and while he’s had modest results on the EPT before, this is already his biggest career cash. Pilhofer played poker professionally for a couple of years but since 2017 he has owned and operated a hotel and restaurant in Siófok, a town on the southern bank of Lake Balaton.
“Obviously, there was a big downswing in the hospitality industry over the past few years,” he said. “It’s been hard but we’re in a good place now.” He’s done well to reach the final nine here in Prague, notably folding queens late on Day 4 when his opponents held pocket aces and pocket kings. Alas, a queen hit the flop, but he’s proud of the laydown. “It was the right decision at the wrong time,” he told us. “But as we always say, if I had called something else would have come!” Whatever happens today, he has his wife and young baby cheering him on.
Pilhofer’s chip count progression
Entering Day 2: 68,000 (245th out of 434 remaining)
Day 3: 587,000 (12/117)
Day 4: 1,050,000 (14/30)
Day 5: 1,530,000 (9/9)
Day 6: 10,600,000 (2/4)
The TV cameras and media attention of the European Poker Tour are nothing new for Jun Obara — although he’s more accustomed to being the other side of them. As well as owning a coaching business, the 34-year-old from Tokyo is a commentator on Japanese poker coverage — essentially Asia’s answer to James Hartigan.
Having taken up poker six years ago, he is already a regular player on the world scene and is making his seventh trip to the EPT. He has results from Barcelona, Las Vegas and here in Prague, where he picked up his previous biggest score — €102,040 for fifth-place in a €25K event in 2019. He has a wife and two daughters, aged 2 and 3, who are watching his progress from home. He also has a small group of friends and supporters here in Prague, who are filming what they hope is a run to a maiden EPT title for a player from Japan.
Obara’s chip count progression
Entering Day 2: 214,000 (16th out of 434 remaining)
Day 3: 435,000 (31/117)
Day 4: 2,780,000 (3/30)
Day 5: 6,240,000 (2/9)
Day 6: 3,875,000 (4/4)
A champion will be crowned today. Sure, later today eyes will be on the World Cup FInal as France and Argentina battle for their title. But that's thousands of miles from the trophy that will be lifted here first at the beautiful Hilton Prague. Here, four players play down to a champion of the 2022 PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague €5,300 Main Event.
Cards will fly at 10:30 a.m., so our coverage will begin at 11:00 a.m. in harmony with the livestream on the PokerStars YouTube and Twitch channels.
Just two teams left to play on the pitch later, there are still four left to battle it out here on the felt. It's Jordan Saccucci leading the pack with 12,925,000, or 86 big blinds. With a prize of €1,054,500 going to the champion, he'll look to stay in that spot at day's end.
Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jordan Saccucci | Canada | 12,925,000 | 86 |
2 | Antoine Saout | France | 10,400,000 | 69 |
3 | Istvan Pilhofer | Hungary | 10,600,000 | 71 |
4 | Jun Obara | Japan | 3,875,000 | 26 |
However, three other players look to overtake him for the largest share of the €6,144,950 prize pool. Two other threatening stacks sit just behind the chip leader, Istvan Pilhofer (10,600,000) and Antoine Saout (10,400,000). Rounding out the final four is Jun Obara with 3,875,000.
Place | Winner | Country | Prize (in EUR) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | €1,054,500 | ||
2 | €658,750 | ||
3 | €470,500 | ||
4 | €361,950 | ||
5 | Parker Talbot | Canada | €278,450 |
6 | Luigi D'Alterio | Italy | €214,150 |
7 | Petar Kalev | Bulgaria | €164,750 |
8 | Javier Gomez Zapatero | Spain | €126,700 |
9 | Paul-Adrian Covaciu | Romania | €97,450 |
The action starts with 69 minutes left on the clock in Level 31 with blinds of 100,000/150,000 and a big blind ante of 150,000. Players have already locked up fourth-place money of €361,950.
Before we find out who lifts the trophy in Qatar, start the day with us here at PokerNews , and find out who lifts the trophy in the Czech capital and becomes the next acclaimed EPT Main Event champion.
Nível: 31
Blinds: 100,000/150,000
Ante: 150,000
On the first hand of the day, Jun Obara opened the cutoff to 300,000. Jordan Saccucci three-bet to 900,000 on the button. Obara decided to make the call.
The flop came . Obara checked, and Saccucci bet 1,000,000. With top pair and backdoor clubs, Obara moved all in. Saccucci called immediately and put Obara at risk.
Jun Obara:
Jordan Saccucci:
Obara was in rough shape, in big trouble to bust as soon as the day had got started. The turn came and river the to ship his chips over to Saccucci and he was eliminated in fourth place.
Jogador | Fichas | Oscilação |
---|---|---|
Jordan Saccucci
|
17,100,000 | 4,175,000 |
Jun Obara | Eliminado |
Antoine Saout limped the small blind with the and Istvan Pilhofer checked his option with the . The flop gave Saout a flush draw and he bet 150,000 for Pilhofer to call.
On the turn, Saout bet another 625,000 and Pilhofer folded.
Jogador | Fichas | Oscilação |
---|---|---|
Antoine Saout | 10,550,000 | 150,000 |
Istvan Pilhofer | 10,150,000 | -450,000 |
Istvan Pilhofer raised with the and Jordan Saccucci called in the big blind with the . The flop brought a bet worth 225,000 by Pilhofer and Saccucci called with the bottom pair. After the turn, Pilhofer upped his bet sizing to 650,000 and Saccucci folded.
On the next hand, Pilhofer opened to 350,000 from the button with . Saout called in the big blind with . Pilhofer flopped best on the flop and took down the pot with a continuation-bet of 250,000.
Jogador | Fichas | Oscilação |
---|---|---|
Jordan Saccucci
|
15,430,000 | -1,670,000 |
Istvan Pilhofer | 12,330,000 | 2,180,000 |
Antoine Saout | 10,050,000 | -500,000 |