EPT Online 10: $25,000 NLHE [8-Max, Super High Roller]
Day 2 Completed
2020 PokerStars EPT Online
EPT Online 10: $25,000 NLHE [8-Max, Super High Roller]
Day: 2
Level 28
: 80,000/160,000, 20,000 ante
Another champion has been crowned in the 2020 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Online and it was Finnish high stakes PLO cash game player Eelis "EEE27" Pärssinen that took down the EPT Online Event 10: $25,000 NLHE [8-Max, Super High Roller] after coming out on top of a field of 81 entries. Pärssinen claimed the lion's share of the $2,000,000 prize pool after defeating Christian "WATnlos" Rudolph in a short-lived heads-up duel and added $539,819 to his bankroll, whereas Rudolph had to settle for $404,324.
Pärssinen is no stranger to MTT action either and has even made rare live poker occurrences, for example during the 2018 Kings of Tallinn where he won a High Roller event and participated in live-streamed PLO cash game action. The Finn is also arguably the biggest winner in PLO cash games on PokerStars in 2018-2019 and finished 9th in the 2020 SCOOP Main Event. During the ongoing 2020 EPT Online, he finished 3rd in the EPT Online 02: $10,300 PLO [6-Max, PLO High Roller] for $105,574 and has now added a PokerStars trophy to his cabinet at home.
Runner-up Rudolph comes fresh off a third place in the EPT Online 06: $10,300 NLHE [8-Max, High Roller] and third-place finisher Benjamin "bencb789" Rolle pledged 10% of his profit in the event to the charity efforts of Lex Veldhuis after busting the Dutchman on Day 1.
David "MonkeyBausss" Laka had the chance to become the first two-time champion of the online festival but came up short in 4th place. Start-of-the-day chip leader Andrei "ragAAAila19" Boghean had to settle for fifth place and the remaining finalists included Joao "Naza114" Vieira, Juan "Malaka$tyle" Pardo, Jamie "jamienixon90" Nixon, and Artur "mararthur1" Martirosian.
Final Result EPT Online Event 10: $25,000 NLHE [8-Max, Super High Roller]
| Place | Winner | Country | Payout (in USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eelis "EEE27" Pärssinen | Finland | $539,819 |
| 2 | Christian "WATnlos" Rudolph | Austria | $404,324 |
| 3 | Benjamin "bencb789" Rolle | Austria | $302,837 |
| 4 | David "MonkeyBausss" Laka | Spain | $222,826 |
| 5 | Andrei "ragAAAila19" Boghean | Romania | $169,893 |
| 6 | Joao "Naza114" Vieira | Portugal | $127,249 |
| 7 | Juan "Malaka$tyle" Pardo | Spain | $95,310 |
| 8 | Jamie "jamienixon90" Nixon | United Kingdom | $71,387 |
| 9 | Artur "mararthur1" Martirosian | Russia | $62,353 |
The Action of the Final Day
With many similar stack sizes in the middle of the pack and at the bottom of the leaderboard, it became a tense affair. Andrei "ragAAAila19" Boghean profited the most from that as he pulled into a commanding lead and the Romanian was also responsible for the first elimination of the day. Artur "mararthur1" Martirosian committed his stack with king-ten on a ten-high flop but Boghean remained ahead with pocket jacks to reduce the field by one.
In quick succession, three of the shorter stacks doubled and instead it was the UK's Jamie "jamienixon90" Nixon who was eliminated next. Having made it through the minefields of Day 1 in his biggest ever buy-in thanks to qualifying in a winner-takes-all $75 Spin & Go, Nixon bowed out in a battle of the blinds with Joao "Naza114" Vieira when his jack-eight was only ahead on the flop versus ace-nine to take home $71,387.
Juan "Malaka$tyle" Pardo busted in a battle of the blinds against fellow countryman David "MonkeyBausss" Laka and Joao "Naza114" Vieira hero-called at the wrong time when Benjamin "bencb789" Rolle had flopped trips treys.
As decent as the start had been for Boghean, he continued to bleed chips and doubled several shorter stacks to eventually become the 5th place finisher. Shortly after it was all over for Laka and the field was reduced to the final three. Christian "WATnlos" Rudolph once again doubled through Rolle with a superior pocket pair and suddenly the trio was nearly even in chips.
There were no deal discussions, however, and another Rudolph double left Rolle very short. It was all over moments later for the online poker coach and streamer when king-seven failed to come from behind against the king-jack of Eelis "EEE27" Pärssinen. Ten percent of Rolle's profit will be donated to the charity efforts of Lex Veldhuis, which the PokerStars ambassador confirmed on Twitter:
Special shoutout to @bencb789 today. After busting me in the $25k he pledged 10% of his profit from that tournament… https://t.co/FmxOVld04Z
— Lex Veldhuis (@LexVeldhuis)
Heads-up was a brief affair and Rudolph was not able to overcome the chip advantage of Pärssinen. They eventually got it in after a ten-high flop on which Rudolph's king-ten made top pair only for Pärssinen to flip over pocket jacks. Two blanks later, the Super High Roller champion was crowned.
The Final Table was broadcasted on the PokerStars YouTube and Twitch channel with cards-up coverage and commentary on a security delay of half an hour. The PokerNews team is providing updates from all trophy events of the 2020 PokerStars EPT Online and you can check out all results and the progress of ongoing tournaments right here.
Winner picture courtesy of Rene Velli / Kings of Tallinn
Level 28
: 80,000/160,000, 20,000 ante
There were fireworks in the second hand back from the break in which Christian "WATnlos" Rudolph raised to 400,000 and called a three-bet to 1,440,000 by Eelis "EEE27" Pärssinen. The Finn made it 1,120,000 to go on the 
flop and he jammed over the top of a raise to 2,880,000 by Rudolph.
The German called for 6,330,104 in total and the cards were flipped over.
Christian "WATnlos" Rudolph: 
Eelis "EEE27" Pärssinen: 
The scenario seemed very familiar to previous all-in showdowns deep in the tournament and jacks reigned supreme once again, as two blanks followed on the 
turn and 
river. Rudolph had to settle for the runner-up spot and $404,324 and Pärssinen takes home the trophy and top prize of $539,819.
That wraps up the live coverage for this event and a recap of today's action is to follow.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,250,000
7,450,104
|
7,450,104 |
|
Busted |
Level 27
: 70,000/140,000, 17,500 ante
Both players won two pots each in the last four hands prior to a scheduled five-minute break and their updated counts are as follows.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
12,799,896
-1,316,000
|
-1,316,000 |
|
|
7,450,104
1,316,000
|
1,316,000 |
Level 27
: 70,000/140,000, 17,500 ante
Christian "WATnlos" Rudolph gained momentum by winning one larger pot without showdown but Eelis "EEE27" Pärssinen struck back in a limped pot to the 
flop, which was checked. Pärssinen bet the 
turn for 640,000 and the 
river for 1,230,000.
Rudolph called both bets and mucked when Pärssinen rolled over 
for a queen-high flush.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
14,115,896
1,522,001
|
1,522,001 |
|
|
6,134,104
-1,522,000
|
-1,522,000 |
Level 28
: 80,000/160,000, 20,000 ante
Two hands after losing a big chunk of his stack, Benjamin "bencb789" Rolle got it in for just over 1.2 million in the small blind and he was quickly called by Eelis "EEE27" Pärssinen in the big blind.
Benjamin "bencb789" Rolle: 
Eelis "EEE27" Pärssinen:
On a board of 
, there was no help for the former chip leader and Rolle departed in 3rd place for $302,837.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
12,593,895
1,229,067
|
1,229,067 |
|
|
7,656,104
180,000
|
180,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 28
: 80,000/160,000, 20,000 ante
Benjamin "bencb789" Rolle min-raised the button and he then called the three-bet shove of Christian "WATnlos" Rudolph for more than 3.66 million in chips.
Christian "WATnlos" Rudolph: 
Benjamin "bencb789" Rolle: 
Once more Rudolph had the superior pocket pair and remained ahead throughout the 
board.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,364,828
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
7,476,104
3,768,052
|
3,768,052 |
|
|
1,409,068
-3,788,052
|
-3,788,052 |
|
|
||
Level 28
: 80,000/160,000, 20,000 ante
Christian "WATnlos" Rudolph jammed and three-bet jammed his stack and subsequently called a min-raise by Eelis "EEE27" Pärssinen in the small blind. Pärssinen opted to check-call the 
flop for 224,000 and they checked the 
on the turn.
Pärssinen made it 921,000 to go on the 
river and Rudolph paid him off once more, mucking his cards against the of the Finn.
The Finn continued his heater and raised the button to 352,000, which Benjamin "bencb789" Rolle defended out of the big blind. The 
flop brought a check-call by Rolle for 272,000 and the German then checked the turn. Pärssinen bet 1,072,000 and that forced a fold.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,344,828
1,955,820
|
1,955,820 |
|
|
5,197,120
-2,254,820
|
-2,254,820 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,708,052
299,000
|
299,000 |
Level: 28
Blinds: 80,000/160,000
Ante: 20,000
Level 27
: 70,000/140,000, 17,500 ante
Christian "WATnlos" Rudolph inquired whether or not the other players wanted to see ICM numbers but received no reply. Preflop battles switched with bigger pots and Benjamin "bencb789" Rolle gained some ground without showdown.
Eelis "EEE27" Pärssinen then raised to 448,000 in the small blind and Rudolph called from the big blind. The Finn bet the flop for 378,000 to pick up a call and the turn was checked by both. Another Pärssinen bet worth 1,820,000 on the 
river sent Rudolph in the think tank and he eventually called.
Pärssinen tabled 
for queens and eights to win the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,389,008
2,460,500
|
2,460,500 |
|
|
7,451,940
308,000
|
308,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,409,052
-2,768,500
|
-2,768,500 |