Seat 3: Bjorn Kozenkai, 25, Hungary - 2,575,000
Formerly a football referee, Bjorn Kozenkai picked up poker in high school and played for fun. When he was 18, he started playing for real money. Now, the 25-year-old from Budapest is a coach and shareholder at BitB, one of the most renowned poker stables. Kozenkai used to compete in multi-table tournaments until two years ago when he felt he needed a change. He opted for Spin & Gos, but now he's ready to dive deep into the tournament fields again.
With just less than $70,000 in cashes, Kozenkai's live resume may seem modest. But he claimed he's only fired about 70 or 80 entries to live events so far, with an impressive one-in-four ratio for cashing. Here at EPT Cyprus, he's guaranteed his first six-figure prize.
Kozenkai says he is enjoying live poker. "These trips feel more like a recreation or holiday,” he says. “I'm a professional player, so it's, of course, serious, but it doesn't feel like work.”
And when he can, he combines work with a hobby - Kozenkai likes fishing not only at poker tables but also in lakes, rivers, and seas. "I caught a swordfish in Mexico for SCOOP," he says.