In the fourth and final instalment regarding the past winners of the EPT Grand Final, we take on the last two years of the EPT Grand Final: 2015 and 2016, as well as last year's PokerStars Championship. Three parts are already down — you'll find them here, here and here.

As we come to the end of this storied event's history, we'll come across possibly the biggest shake-up the stop has ever seen. In 2016, the buy-in was reduced to €5K after being a €10K event since the start. Besides the two remaining EPT events, we'll also take a bonus peek at Raffaele Sorrentino's victory last year, which was achieved under the PokerStars Championship banner.

2015 - Winner: Adrian Mateos (€1,082,000)

Much like 2013, the year Steve O'Dwyer launched himself into the absolute upper echelon of tournament poker, the 2015 EPT Grand Final Main Event saw one of poker's biggest current stars Adrian Mateos firmly establishing his name by winning it all at just 19 years of age, ending Spain's 11-year EPT title drought in the process.

A massive setup on Day 5 proved pivotal on Mateos' road towards the championship. Holding pocket queens, Mateos was facing all ins from both Juan Martin Pastor and Christopher Frank, who held aces and kings, respectively. Indeed, you won't believe what happened next!

Despite winning big in the massive setup, Mateos still entered the final table as one of the shorter stacks. The Spaniard also faced tough opposition in the likes of Ole Schemion and Johnny Lodden. Mateos dispatched a short-stacked Schemion first, before successfully pulling off a gigantic bluff against Lodden to take on the other big name.

Soul crushed, Lodden busted not long after in fourth. After Hady El Asmer bowed out in third, Mateos was left with a 2-1 chip disadvantage against Muyedine Fares from Senegal. After a flopped two pair held up against top pair for piles, it was easy cruising after and Mateos secured the victory shortly after. It was the Spaniard's second seven-figure cash at just 19 years of age, after winning the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event earlier in 2013.

Still only 23, Mateos already holds three WSOP bracelets and the EPT Main Event title and boasts over $13 million in lifetime winnings, undoubtedly making him one of poker's biggest tournament stars of today.

2016 - Winner: Jan Bendik (€961,800)

For the first time in EPT Grand Final history, the buy-in got slashed; the €10K was shed and reduced to €5,300, in line with all other EPT events. As a result, the field saw a massive increase in contestants to 1,098, almost double compared to the previous year's 564.

Jan Bendik of Slovakia conquered the biggest ever field in Monaco and took home €961,800 in the process. Bendik's victory was a fitting conclusion to the season of the "reg," with all the titles going to already well-established and experienced players. A former EPT Player of the Year, the Slovakian got another crowning moment as he made his way to the biggest cash of his career.

The final table was dominated by the French, who held no less than four trump cards with Adrien Allain, Jimmy Guerrero, Pierre Calamusa and Antoine Saout. Bendik navigated the French minefield, eventually dispatching Allain heads-up after a closely fought contest. The final hand was one of the biggest coolers in EPT history: after Allain flopped a set of eights, Bendik turned a higher set of tens to dust off the Frenchman in cruel fashion.

PokerNews' Sarah Herring interviewed Bendik after his victory:

2017* - Winner: Raffaele Sorrentino (€466,714)

After PokerStars had opted to shelve the EPT for a year, it was Raffaele Sorrentino that showed his prowess on the new PokerStars Championship tour. While essentially the same event under a different banner, audiences disagreed and turnout dropped to 717 players. Sorrentino defeated an ultra-hot Andreas Klatt heads-up, who just got off a PokerStars National victory worth €151,445 days before.

It was one of the fastest heads-up in Monaco history due to a big cooler: Klatt got dealt pocket queens and ran those in Sorrentino's pocket aces to bust in second. Sorrentino nearly pulled off an incredible second win in Barcelona later that year, eventually finishing third to add another €850,110 to his lifetime winnings.

In the video below, Sorrentino speaks with PokerNews about his victory:

Who will join this exclusive club in 2018? Follow all the excitement on PokerNews as we bring complete coverage from the 2018 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo©Casino EPT Main Event starting April 28, all the way down to the final table on Friday, May 4.