Adrian Mateos wins EPT Monte Carlo SHR for €1,385,430

Adrian Mateos has taken down the EPT Monte Carlo €100k Super High Roller for a monster €1,385,430 payday, the Spanish pro dominating the final table with a pillar-to-post performance...

With 42 entries to the biggest buy-in event of the festival, the prizepool of over €4million would be shared between just six players, a min. cash of more than €¼million the first port of call for the highstakes hopefuls.

With no Ali Imsirovic and no Jake Schindler (and no explanation of their absence) the field was nevertheless jam-packed with huge names, Timothy Adams, Sam Greenwood and Stephen Chidwick joined by the larger-than-life Kings Casino mogul, Leon “Loose Leon” Tsoukernik.

Also in the field were Sergei Reixach and Chris brewer, both men in the news this week as part of the recent cheating allegations levelled at many of the game’s biggest names, Imsirovic, Schindler and Bryn Kenney chief among them.

None of those named would make it through a harsh day two and into the money, however, and it was Turkish pro Orpen Kisacikoglu who fell on the bubble at the hands of the eventual winner.

Day 3 dawned with Mateos holding a massive chip lead, twice that of his nearest rival, Austria’s Marius Gierse.

It was Gierse who drew first blood at the final table, sending Norway’s Kent Staahle to the rail in 6th spot after they got it all-in on the flop...

Gierse: A♠ A♥
Staahle: 9♠ 9♣

Flop: 7♥ 6♦ 2♦
Turn: 8♣
River: A♦

Staahle was followed to the paydesk by Laszlo Bujtas, the short-stacked Hungarian picking up €366,740 for 5th, and his conqueror, Belarus’ Mikalai Vaskaboinikau departing in 4th spot for €468,610 after a 2-hour, 4-handed battle.

That left just three players, and it was another Belarus pro, Mikita Badziakouski, who found himself short, all-in and at risk ...

Mateos: A♣ 10♦
Badziakouski: A♦ 2♦

Flop: K♠ K♥ 10♣
Turn: 7♣
River: 7♥

That left Mateos heads-up against Gierse, who faced a huge chip deficit. He doubled up once, but that was all he could manage as Mateos closed out the win...

Mateos: K♠ 3♣
Gierse: J♣ 4♠

Flop: A♦ Q♥ 6♣
Turn: 9♥
River: 9♦

Final results

After his monster win, Mateos told PokerNews reporters: “It feels amazing to win the Super High Roller seven years after winning the Main Event.”

Revealing that he had put in a lot of work during the pandemic, Mateos added: “I'm a really competitive person, I really like the competition. Especially in the highest stakes with the best opponents. I'm ready to keep playing and to try and keep winning."