Mikita Badziakouski wins EPT Monte Carlo 25k High Roller for €938,042

Belarus highstakes crusher Mikita Badziakouski closed out the EPT stop in Monte Carlo with a €938,042 scoop of the €25k High Roller, a heads-up deal with England’s Ben Heath making it the second monster payday of the week for both men.

The duo were among 211 entries, the prizepool of €5,066,110 shared among 31 players, with Ike Haxton the last player to miss out when his top pair couldn’t hold up against Badziakouski’s gutshot straight.

Some big names had to settle for a payday without troubling the final table, among them Patrik Antonius (23rd for €57,600), Adrian Mateos (12th for €100,800) and Nacho Barbero (11th for €115,950).

Barbero exited courtesy of Heath, the Argentinian pro all in and at risk but fancying his chances, for a moment at least...

Barbero: A♣ A♥
Heath: J♦ 9♦

Flop: 10♠ 8♦ 6♦
Turn: 10♦
River: 5♣

Canada’s Daniel Dvoress was looking for his first title of 2023 and will have to keep looking, falling in 6th spot for €220,800, while Steve O’Dwyer is in a similar position, 4th for €367,500 a great result but no trophy after Badziakouski’s aces held up against his pocket 10s.

The relatively unheralded Italian, Enrico Camosci, fell in 3rd, the last of his chips going in on the flop only to receive the bad news…

Camosci: 9♥ 9♦
Badziakouski: J♦ J♠

Flop: 3♠ J♥ 7♥
Turn: 8♦
River: 3♣

That left the Belarus number one heads-up against Heath, the pair having finished 2nd and 3rd respectively in the €100k SHR. It took a while before they settled on an ICM chop of the money, going all-in blind for the trophy and title...

Heath: 5♥ 4♥
Mikita Badziakouski: 3♣ 2♠

Flop: 3♦ K♣ K♠
Turn: 8♥
River: 6♦

Final results

*after heads-up chop deal

Badziakouski’s earnings of just over $2million this week take him over the $40million lifetime barrier and place him 9th in the all-time moneywinners list, ahead of Fedor Holz and Phil Ivey in 10th and 11th respectively, and a mere SHR min. cash behind Dan Smith in 7th spot.