$3,000 Mystery Bounty
Day 3 Completed
2024 PokerStars EPT Cyprus
$3,000 Mystery Bounty
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2024 PokerStars EPT Cyprus
Buy-in
$3,000
Prize Pool
$1,509,072
Entries
894
Level
36
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
400,000
Entries
15
Players Left
1
Level 36
: Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Whittled down from an initial field of 894 entries, Guo Liang Wei was the last man standing in the 40th event of the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Cyprus; the $3,000 Mystery Bounty. Among his rail in the auditorium of the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa, Wei lifted his first PokerStars silver Spadie, as well as claiming the first place prize of $265,972.
Just a week prior, Wei narrowly missed out on his first major title on the EPT circuit, finishing sixth in the $1,100 Eureka Main Event for $78,770. Consequently, Wei came into Day 3 with a vengeance, ultimately surpassing his own record set here in Northern Cyprus.
$3,000 EPT Mystery Bounty Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize | Bounties Won | Total Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guo Liang Wei | China | $265,972 | $10,000 | $275,972 |
| 2 | Boris Kolev | Bulgaria | $166,330 | $4,000 | $170,330 |
| 3 | Matthias Lipp | Austria | $118,810 | $161,000 | $279,810 |
| 4 | Valeriu Rosca | Romania | $91,390 | $4,000 | $95,390 |
| 5 | Nicolae Paunescu | Romania | $70,310 | $7,000 | $77,310 |
| 6 | Karen Nazarian | Russia | $54,090 | $8,000 | $62,090 |
| 7 | Marius Kudzmanas | Lithuania | $41,590 | $4,000 | $45,590 |
| 8 | Uladzimir Zhyharau | Belarus | $31,990 | $49,000 | $80,990 |
| 9 | Ryhor Karapanau | Latvia | $24,610 | $13,000 | $37,610 |
Bounty Action:
Day 2 saw the action heat up quickly with the introduction of the mystery bounty tokens. Each elimination a player scored yielded a bounty with a minimum value of $1,000. However, the remaining field aspired to be one of the three lucky receipts of the elusive top bounties worth $75,000 each.
The first player to win one of the $75,000 prizes was Alik Zazian, who utilized the slow pace of play during the bubble to claim his significant score. Zazian eventually finished in 116th place for a payout of $3,400, but he'll be more than happy with the result.
Although a third-place finish would eventually await Matthias Lipp, he was already having one of the most surreal Mystery Bounty runs ever seen. Lipp captured not one, but two of the remaining $75,000 bounties, ensuring he would finish with more than second-place money from bounties alone.
Zazian and Lipp weren’t the only ones to pull a significant payday; the second largest prizes of $40,000 were claimed by Stefan Uebber and Alessandro Pichierri.
Alexey Losev, Hamza Nasir, Hadi Khordbin, Azamat Tulepbergenov, Omar Del Pino, Bernat Capdevilla Montes and Patrick Leonard were among those to claim one of the $25,000 envelopes.
Day Three Action
With all the largest bounties having already been claimed, the dynamic of play quickly shifted to that of a regular tournament; all eyes focused firmly on the final table, trophy and title.
The exits of Hadi Khordbin and Maroun Jazzar kick-started proceedings; Khordbin's short-stack jam had the misfortune of running into the pocket aces of Valeriu Rosca, ending his tournament run.
One of the most decorated High Stakes regulars, Morten Klein, crashed out in 13th place. Klein is no stranger to the pressure that comes with the potential of a six-figure payday, but fell short on his quest to add a maiden EPT win to his poker resume.
Klein was followed to the payout desk by Aziz Efe, Anze Smajd and Stoyan Obreshkov, setting the scene for the final nine as they congregated on one table for the first time.
Final Table Action
Nicolae Paunescu drew first blood at this final table; his queens held against the ace-queen of Ryhor Karapanau ending his tournament journey in ninth place.
Closely following Karapanau’s exit was Uladzimir Zhyharau’s departure in eighth place. Zhyharau was accompanied throughout both Day 2 and Day 3 by his girlfriend, who didn’t miss a single piece of the action. She also aided in Zhyharau’s bounty pulls, helping him become one of the recipients of the $25,000 prizes; his spoils of eliminations added up to an impressive $49,000.
A dramatic three-way all in was the demise of Marius Kudzmanas. This big showdown saw the worst preflop holding surpass both rivals, ensuring the departure of Kudzmanas and a monster pot for Wei, kickstarting his final table campaign.
Although Karen Nazarian’s tournament journey saw him eliminate a staggering total of eight players, all eight envelopes earned him the minimum prize of $1,000. However, Nazarian’s sixth-place finish came with a score of $54,090, which will certainly be an apt consolation for his deep tournament run.
The eliminations of Paunescu and Rosca made way for the departure of Lipp, who was our first podium-place finisher. Lipp’s result of $118,810 was somewhat eclipsed by his bounty haul of $161,000; the combination of these two figures meant he walked away from this tournament with more money than any other player.
Wei started heads-up play with a huge chip advantage, but Boris Kolev was one of the most formidable players on the final table and quickly proved he wasn’t going to be light work. Kolev secured an early double and ignited this heads-up battle.
After about an hour of play, it wasn’t to be for the Bulgarian as he got his final chips in the middle dominated; his king-four failed to improve against his opponent’s king-queen. The trophy, title and the final mystery bounty token of the tournament were sent the way of Wei.
That wraps up the PokerNews coverage of the $3,000 Mystery Bounty. Stay tuned as live reporters follow the Main Event and others as the series concludes this weekend.
Level 36
: Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
After beating Boris Kolev heads up, Guo Liang Wei has won the $3,000 Mystery Bounty tournament for $265,972. Stand by for the recap on PokerNews.
Level 36
: Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Boris Kolev shoved all in from the button for 4,900,000, around 12 big blinds. He was called by Guo Liang Wei in the big blind, who had the covering stack as the cards were turned.
Boris Kolev: K♦4♥ 
Guo Liang Wei: K♥Q♥
The board ran out K♣J♦J♥7♠5♥ and both players paired their king on the flop, making two pair with the jacks on board. Kolev shouted for a chop but Wei's queen kicker played and he won the pot.
Kolev was eliminated from the tournament in second place for $166,330.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
26,800,000
4,875,000
|
4,875,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 36
Blinds: 200,000/400,000
Ante: 400,000
Level 35
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
The two players have been sent on a 15-minute break.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
21,925,000
125,000
|
125,000 |
|
|
4,900,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
Level 35
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Guo Liang Wei raised to 750,000 from the button and Boris Kolev called in the big blind.
The 6♦8♦10♥ flop saw Kolev check-call a bet of 700,000 from Wei.
The 8♣ turn prompted Kolev to play out of flow, leading for 800,000. Wei called.
The 4♥ river slowed down Kolev with a check. Wei spent some time loading up a bet of 3,500,000, earning a snap-fold from Kolev. As Wei raked in the pot, he showed Q♦9♣ to the table for queen-high.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
21,800,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
|
|
5,000,000
-920,000
|
-920,000 |
Level 35
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Guo Liang Wei completed the button for 300,000 and Boris Kolev checked.
The flop came 10♥3♦9♣ and Kolev checked. Wei bet 350,000 and Kolev check-raised to 950,000, which Wei called. The turn came the 6♠ and Kolev moved all in for around 3,000,000. Wei folded and Kolev scooped the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
20,900,000
4,200,000
|
4,200,000 |
|
|
5,920,000
-4,180,000
|
-4,180,000 |
Level 35
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Boris Kolev raised from the button and Guo Liang Wei defended in the big blind.
The 9♥A♣3♥ flop saw Wei check-call a bet of 400,000 from Kolev.
The 2♥ turn checked through to the 3♠ river. Wei took the lead for 700,000 and Kolev was forced to fold.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
16,700,000
-1,120,000
|
-1,120,000 |
|
|
10,100,000
1,100,000
|
1,100,000 |
Level 35
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
In the 861st episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by the free-to-play WSOP App, Chad Holloway Kyna England, and Mike Holtz are at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas to draw a winner for a $10,000 Gold Pass to the upcoming NAPT Las Vegas at Resorts World! Watch to see who won!
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