EPT Prague Hands of the Week: Quads for Grafton, Exposed Hand Chaos & Heart-Breaking Bubble
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The 2024 European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague ran from December 4-15, and PokerNews was there throughout capturing all the action. That included in the €5,300 EPT Main Event, which saw Portugal's Pedro Marquez top a record-breaking field of 1,458 entries to win the tournament for €963,450 after a heads-up deal with Romania's Paul Runcan.
Other side event winners from the series included Paul Tedeschi, Andras Nemeth, and Thomas Santerne, who won an incredible three titles!
Below is a look at five exciting and game-changing hands that the PokerNews Live Reporting Team caught during updates from the 2024 EPT Prague.
Check out our recap of Pedro Marques winning the EPT Prague here!
Quads for Grafton
On Day 1 of the €50,000 EPT Super High Roller, it was Level 8 (2,000/5,000/5,000) when reporter Will Shillibier saw Sam Grafton raise to 10,000 from under the gun and Artsiom Lasouski was the only caller. The pair checked the Q♣9♠7♥ flop and the turn was the 8♣.
Grafton checked and Lasouski bet 15,000. Grafton called and the Q♥ completed the board. Grafton checked and Lasouski bet 30,000.
Grafton used a time bank before check-raising to 142,000, leaving himself crumbs behind. Lasouski called and Grafton tabled Q♠Q♦ for quads. Lasouski showed 7♣7♦ and the PokerStars Ambassador secured a late boost to his stack.
Quads for Sinclair Dust Drbal
On Day 3 of the €1,100 Eureka Main Event, just 20 players remained in Level 32 (100,000/200,000/200,000) when reporter Richard Hayes watched Vaclav Drbal open to 400,000 under the gun, and was called by Jack Sinclair in the next seat and Tim van Kemenade in the big blind.
On the A♠8♠8♣ flop, Drbal continued with a bet of 400,000 and Sinclair called. Van Kemenade then produced a check-raise to 1,400,000, before Drbal three-bet jammed for 5,350,000.
Sinclair took some time to think before getting his stack of around 4,000,000 into the middle, and, unbelievably, Van Kemenade moved his stack forward, creating a three-way all-in.
Vaclav Drbal: A♣Q♥
Jack Sinclair: 8♦8♥
Tim van Kemenade: A♥K♥
Sinclair was in dreamland with flopped quads leaving both of his opponents drawing dead. The K♣Q♣ runout completed the board, sending a small side pot to Van Kemenade, and a massive triple up to Sinclair.
River Chaos as Mitrovic Accidentally Shows His Hand
On Day 1b of the €5,300 Main Event, it was early in Level 2 (100/200/200) when reporter Kai Cocklin captured a highly unusual situation unfold at Table #11 during a hand between Paawan Bansal and Hrvoje Mitrovic.
According to the action recounted to PokerNews, the player on the button opened the betting, Mitrovic called from the small blind, and Bansal three-bet from the big blind. The button folded, and Mitrovic called to see a flop.
The flop came down 2♣J♦4♣, and Mitrovic check-called a continuation bet from Bansal. When the A♦ appeared on the turn, Mitrovic again check-called, this time for 2,700.
The river brought the 10♠, and Mitrovic immediately moved all-in for roughly 23,000 — about twice the size of the pot — igniting drama at the table.
"What are you doing to me here?" Bansal asked. "Will you show if I fold?"
Mitrovic, who had been covering his cards with both hands since shoving, inadvertently revealed his holdings — K♦8♦ — as he fumbled his cards momentarily. With that information in hand, Bansal declared, "Sorry, I have to call."
"This is sick," remarked Mitrovic as he turned over his cards officially. Bansal revealed 4♠3♠ for a pair of fours, enough to scoop the pot in this extraordinary hand.
"Sorry man, you either had king-queen or nothing, I wanted to call," Bansal claimed.
Munteanu Bubbles in Heart-Breaking Fashion
On Day 2 in Level 15 (2,000/4,000/4,000), the money bubble was on when reporter Dan O'Hair caught some heartache. It began when Luke Porter opened from under the gun and was three-bet by Bogdan Munteanu in the hijack. Action folded back around to Porter, who four-bet to approximately 70,000. Munteanu responded with a shove for a 331,000 total and Porter called to put Munteanu at risk.
Bogdan Munteanu: K♠K♥
Luke Porter: A♦A♠
It was a brutal cooler for Munteanu, but the 6♥K♣10♦ flop vaulted him into the lead with a set of kings. However, in a cruel twist of fate, the A♥ was dealt on the turn, which got a collective gasp from onlookers as Porter retook the lead with a set of aces.
The J♣ river sealed Munteanu's fate and he was eliminated on the stone bubble.
Ice-Cold Runcan Pulls Off Insane Bluff on Kapeller
On Day 5 of the Main Event, it was Level 30 (60,000/120,000/120,000) when Cocklin caught a sick bluff.
Paul Runcan made it 240,000 from the button and Siegfried Kapeller called out of the big blind with 6♠3♠.
They saw a flop of 4♠9♦A♠ where Kapeller check-called a bet of 200,000 from Runcan. On the J♠ turn, again Kapeller checked, and Runcan fired 525,000. Kapeller then put in a raise to 1,400,000, and Runcan called.
When the 4♦ paired the board on the river, Kapeller burned through three time bank cards before he slid out a bet of 1,700,000. Runcan, immediately moved all in, which put Kapeller to the test for his remaining stack of almost 1,600,000.
After using another time bank, Kapeller elected to fold his flush. Runcan asked Kapeller if he wanted to see his cards, Kapeller agreed, then Runcan showed 3♥2♣ for a stone-cold bluff, a hand that helped propel him to a runner-up finish.
