€10,200 NL Hold'em II
Day 2 Completed
2023 PokerStars EPT Prague
€10,200 NL Hold'em II
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2023 PokerStars EPT Prague
Buy-in
€10,200
Prize Pool
€446,200
Entries
46
Level
20
Blinds
20,000 / 40,000
Ante
40,000
Entries
27
Players Left
1
Level 20
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
One of the final events of the 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague has wrapped, with Pablo Silva defeating Sweden's Mounir Tajiou heads up to claim the €10,200 NL Hold'em II title. The tournament attracted a total of 46 entries, with only the top six sharing a prize pool of €446,200.
"It feels good, it was an amazing tournament - my last one in the series," Silva said following the win. The Brazilian didn't have it all his own way on Day 2 but managed to take it down for only his second tournament win of his poker career.
Final Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pablo Silva | Brazil | €153,900 |
| 2 | Mounir Tajiou | Sweden | €100,400 |
| 3 | Sirzat Hissou | Germany | €69,200 |
| 4 | Andras Nemeth | Hungary | €51,300 |
| 5 | Kazuyuki Tanemura | Japan | €40,200 |
| 6 | Thomas Eychenne | France | €31,200 |
Day 2 Action
Silva's day started promisingly, busting out Jan-Eric Schwippert early on. However, the eventual winner wasn't among the chip leaders at that point in the day. Hungary's Andras Nemeth was the one setting the pace, knocking out several opponents on Day 2 including EPT Champion Steve O'Dwyer.
Silva didn't see it all go his way, losing a three-way pot with ace-king a couple hours into the day. However, he was deeply involved in the hand that burst the money bubble, which could be seen as the turning point in his tournament's trajectory. He scooped a three-way pot with kings to not only knock out Jean-Vincent Lehut, but also take him over two million in chips - nearly half of all that were in play.
Thomas Eychenne was first to go in the money, as he busted in sixth place (€31,200). Nemeth then beat out Silva to win a large pot and eliminate Kazuyuki Tanemura (€40,200) in the same hand.
Then it was Nemeth's turn to hit the rail (€51,300) with Silva sending him there in an interesting hand. Nemeth had a royal flush draw on the turn, but he missed and saw the Brazilian river a set of fours to eliminate the Hungarian in fourth place (€51,300).
A short while later it was down to two, with Sirzat Hissou busting in third (€69,200). The German ran into Tajiou's set of aces while holding two pair.
Heads-Up Play
Unlike the previous final table action, it was a far more tense affair during the heads-up phase, with both players exchanging the chip lead before Silva eventually took it down. The Brazilian flopped trip treys and called when Tajiou got it all in with two pair. The board ran out favorably and Tajiou was eliminated in second place (€100,400).
After finishing in second place in the €25,000 High Roller at EPT Barcelona this past summer, Silva took down his first ever EPT title at the Hilton Prague for €153,900.
"It was tough because I didn't have a huge stack [at the start of the final table], but things went well for me. When I doubled up on the bubble I was confident," Silva commented when asked whether he believed he would win as he reached the final table. He went on to say his plans for 2024 were simply to "keep playing and keep up the grind."
This concludes live coverage from the PokerNews team for the €10,200 No-Limit Hold'em event. Stay tuned for similar up-to-date coverage of the remaining events of the series.
Level 20
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Pablo Silva limped in and Mounir Tajiou checked his option.
The dealer fanned a flop of K♠3♥3♠, and Tajiou check-raised a bet of 40,000 to 175,000, and Silva called.
When the 9♦ fell on the turn, Tajiou moved all-in for his remaining stack of about 275,000 and Silva instantly called.
Mounir Tajiou: K♣4♥
Pablo Silva: 7♠3♣
Tajiou had flopped kings and threes but unfortunately for him, Silva had flopped trip threes. The 4♦ completed the board, ending Tajiou's impressive run in second place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
4,600,000
450,000
|
450,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 20
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Pablo Silva had just lost a couple of pots in a row to no longer be the chip leader when Mounir Tajiou opened 125,000 on the button, and Silva called.
The flop came A♥10♥6♠, and Silva check-raised a bet of 135,000 to 500,000. Tajiou announced all-in, and Silva snap-called his stack of 1,900,000.
Pablo Silva: 10♦6♥
Mounir Tajiou: 9♥4♥
Silva flopped two pair, while Tajiou had a flush draw. The 7♠ turn gave Tajiou a straight draw as well, but the 10♣ river filled Silva to leave Tajiou with just over ten big blinds.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,150,000
1,585,000
|
1,585,000 |
|
|
450,000
-1,585,000
|
-1,585,000 |
Level 20
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
The action was opened by Pablo Silva to 100,000 and he got a call from Mounir Tajiou.
The Swede checked the 3♦5♠J♦ flop. Silva bet out for 80,000 and was called.
Tajiou then checked again as the Q♥ hit the turn. Silva made it 320,000 this time and got called.
Both players shutdown on the 10♥ river and Silva tabled A♥J♥. It was enough for the Brazilian to scoop the pot, with Tajiou showing the K♠ and mucking.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,565,000
-35,000
|
-35,000 |
|
|
2,035,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
Level 20
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Mounir Tajiou opened 125,000 and Pablo Silva called.
The 8♦8♠4♠ flop was checked through to the 5♣ turn. Silva led for 80,000, and Tajiou called.
When the 5♦ paired the board once more, Silva checked and Tajiou fired 275,000. After a few seconds, Silva let it go.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,600,000 | |
|
|
2,000,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
Level: 20
Blinds: 20,000/40,000
Ante: 40,000
Level 19
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Sirzat Hissou opened the button to 75,000 and was called by Mounir Tajiou in the big blind.
Tajiou checked and called a bet of 60,000 on the 8♣A♠Q♦ flop.
He checked once more as the 6♦ came on the turn. Hissou bet to 210,000 before Tajiou raised all in with the German covered. Hissou made the call, but saw the bad news as his two pair was way behind Tajiou's set of aces.
Sirzat Hissou: 8♥6♠
Mounir Tajiou: A♥A♦
A 3♦ came on the river, sending Hissou to the rail while giving Tajiou the ascendancy going into heads up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,950,000
690,000
|
690,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 19
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Mounir Tajiou opened 75,000 on the button and both Pablo Silva and Sirzat Hissou called in the blinds.
The dealer fanned a flop of A♥K♦J♣, and all three players checked to the 3♣ turn. Silva led for 150,000, forcing Hissou out and Tajiou raised to 400,000. Silva called.
The 5♥ landed on the river, and both players checked. Silva tossed his A♦9♦ face up, and Tajiou mucked.
The following hand:
Silva opened 75,000 and only Tajiou called from the big blind.
When the J♣8♣5♥ flop hit the felt, Tajiou checked and Silva fired 200,000. Tajiou called.
The 2♦ hit the turn, and Tajiou checked once more before Silva pushed a stack across the line for a bet of 500,000. Tajiou let out a large breath of air and mucked his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,600,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
|
|
1,260,000
-1,055,000
|
-1,055,000 |
|
|
730,000
-220,000
|
-220,000 |
Level 19
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Pablo Silva opened from the button to 50,000 and was called by Mounir Tajiou in the big blind.
Both checked as the flop came 9♠4♦10♥.
Tajiou led out for 75,000 on the 7♠ turn, before being raised by the Brazilian chip leader to 225,000. Tajiou called and it went to a river.
It landed the 3♣ and this time Tajiou slowed down by checking. Silva blasted off a bet of 600,000 and Tajiou made a relatively quick call. He tabled J♦10♦, which was enough to beat Silva's K♣8♠ and hand the chip lead over to the Swede.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,315,000
1,215,000
|
1,215,000 |
|
|
1,700,000
-870,000
|
-870,000 |