€25,000 NL Hold'em I
Day 1 Completed
2022 PokerStars EPT Prague
€25,000 NL Hold'em I
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1
2022 PokerStars EPT Prague
Buy-in
€25,000
Prize Pool
€528,220
Entries
22
Level
21
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
50,000
Entries
22
Players Left
1
Level 21
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
The second high-stakes contest of the 2022 PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague stop at the Hilton Hotel in Prague has determined a champion. Out of a 22-entry strong field in Event #10: €25,000 NLHE High Roller, the UK's Ben Heath earned the biggest slice of the €528,220 prize pool after defeating Alex Kulev in heads-up.
It was a small but elite field consisting of 15 unique players and seven re-entries and many of those who entered are expected to return the following day for the second edition of this one-day tournament. Only the top four spots were paid with Daniel Dvoress and Pablo Brito Silva also earning a profit on their investment.
Bubble boy was fellow Brazilian poker pro Rodrigo Seiji, who had won Event #3 €10,200 Mystery Bounty just one day prior but had to leave empty-handed without anything to show for this time.
Final Result Event #10: €25,000 NLHE High Roller
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize (in EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Heath | United Kingdom | €227,130 |
| 2 | Alex Kulev | Bulgaria | €142,620 |
| 3 | Daniel Dvoress | Canada | €95,080 |
| 4 | Pablo Brito Silva | Brazil | €63,390 |
The early stages of the day were dominated by rapid changes atop the leaderboard with Sam Greenwood, Adrian Mateos, Orpen Kisacikoglu, and Steve O'Dwyer taking their turns in the spotlight. Fedor Holz also made his first appearance during the festival but quickly vanished on his first entry.
Jean-Noel Thorel bowed out two times but returned once more to quickly double-up against Kulev with the superior straight. However, his fortune didn't continue and he fell in tenth place to set up the unofficial final table. Mateos and Holz ran out of chips in quick succession thereafter with the latter running with tens into the queens of Kulev.
Dvoress then scored a double knockout by dispatching Greenwood and O'Dwyer to bring the field down to the money bubble. It seemed just a matter of time to reach the money stages but a very tense period of two hours followed.
Heath doubled into the lead when then biggest stack Kulev applied maximum pressure with pocket treys only to run into pocket kings. Seiji showcased his survival skills with a very short stack but ultimately couldn't beat the pocket jacks of Dvoress to become the bubble boy.
Brito Silva was flipped out by Heath, who held more than half of the chips in play and Kulev doubled through Dvoress in a battle of the two short stacks. There was no miracle comeback from a single chip for Dvoress and Heath entered heads-up with a lead of nearly three-to-one.
Kulev, who was the most active player for most of the day, didn't give up quietly and even pulled back into the lead. However, a bluff catcher with ace-high sent most of the chips in play to Heath, who closed out the victory soon after.
The second €25,000 High Roller is only a few hours away, scheduled to kick off at 12.30 p.m. local time on Saturday, December 10, 2022. Stay tuned back then for more live poker action from Prague as the PokerNews live reporting team will be back on the floor to cover multiple tournaments simultaneously.
Level 21
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Ben Heath limped the button and called a raise by Alex Kulev, which led them to the 
flop. Kulev jammed and Heath quickly called.
Alex Kulev: 
Ben Heath: 
The huge double draw of Heath had a ton of equity and the 
turn sealed his victory, which made the 
river a formality. Kulev had to settle for the runner-up spot and €142,620 but will certainly be back the following day for the next edition of this single-day High Roller Event.
Heath claims the PokerStars Spadie trophy and a top prize of €227,130. A full recap of today's action is to follow.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,200,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 21
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Alex Kulev lost a few precious chips and then limped the button, Ben Heath opted to once more check back out of the big blind. On the 
flop, Heath check-called a min-bet of 50,000 and the 
turn was checked. Heath also checked the 
river and Kulev then counted his stack before pushing all-in for 350,000.
Heath took around ten seconds and sigh-folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,600,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
600,000
-50,000
|
-50,000 |
Level 21
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Alex Kulev jammed on the button for 250,000 and won the big blind and big blind ante, as Ben Heath shrugged before sigh.-folding.
Heath then raised to 300,000 on the button and Kulev called all-in.
Alex Kulev: 
Ben Heath: 
The superior hand prevailed on the 
runout and Kulev stuck around once more, as the Bulgarian rail chanted "future, future," referring to his online moniker.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,550,000
-400,000
|
-400,000 |
|
|
650,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
Level: 21
Blinds: 25,000/50,000
Ante: 50,000
Level 20
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Four limped pots in a row brought the level to an end but the very last hand then took an eternity and shifted the momentum of the heads-up duel.
Ben Heath limped the button and Alex Kulev raised to 160,000 for Heath to call. On the 
flop, Kulev bet just 70,000 for Heath to call and he then checked the on the turn. Heath bet 160,000 and Kulev came along, which led them to the on the river.
Heath now moved all-in for 565,000 and Kulev instantly sighed before saying "yeah, I don't think I should fold this one." He asked for an exact count and ultimately made the call for most of his stack.
Heath revealed the 
for kings and sixes, and that was good for the big double as Kulev only had the 
for a bluff catcher.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,950,000
795,000
|
795,000 |
|
|
250,000
-795,000
|
-795,000 |
Level 20
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Ben Heath limped and then folded when Alex Kulev raised to 160,000.
Kulev limped next and Heath checked to the 
flop, Kulev checked behind. On the turn, Heath checked and subsequently check-raised from 120,000 to 285,000 as Kulev tank-called.
The shove by Heath followed on the river and his opponent instantly sighed a "count please". With a shove for 465,000, Kulev was very tempted but ultimately folded. "I really wanna see that one," he said but Heath simply stacked the chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,155,000
285,000
|
285,000 |
|
|
1,045,000
-285,000
|
-285,000 |
Level 20
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
After his double up, Alex Kulev also won the next pot and then kept applying his limping strategy on the button. Ben Heath checked in the big blind and they headed to the 
flop. Heath check-called a bet worth 40,000 and checked again the turn. Kulev bet 120,000 and that shut down Heath right there.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,330,000
240,000
|
240,000 |
|
|
870,000
-240,000
|
-240,000 |
Level 20
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Ben Heath pushed all-in from the button and Alex Kulev called for the 525,000 he had behind.
Alex Kulev: 
Ben Heath:
The mighty ducks remained in the lead on the 
flop and turn. Nothing changed with the river either and both stacks were essentially even.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,110,000
-565,000
|
-565,000 |
|
|
1,090,000
565,000
|
565,000 |