Poker EM: Slovenian Jan Zupec Crowned Main Event Champion Without a Deal

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The prestigious European poker series Poker EM, held under the Casinos Austria umbrella, took place this year at Casino Velden by Lake Wörthersee. This festival stands as one of Austria's premier poker events, featuring several title events that attract hundreds of players from dozens of countries.

This year's edition, running from July 15-27, featured 31 different poker events, headlined by the traditional Main Event with a buy-in of €2,500+250. This year it made history with a record 311 entries, surpassing the previous 2023 record of 309. The prizepool reached €777,500, with €151,000 set aside for the winner.


The Grand Finale
 

After three days of play, the field narrowed to the final 9 players who took their seats at the final table yesterday. Each player was guaranteed at least €15,700, but all eyes were certainly on the €151,000 prize for the winner. Leading the way was German chipleader Samuel Kabelitz, who began with 133 big blinds. The final table was rounded out by six German players, joined by representatives from Slovenia, Croatia, and Slovakia.

Representing Slovakia was PLO specialist and WSOP bracelet holder Samuel Stranak, who made it to the final table in stiff competition. Still, the trophy and the top podium spot remained elusive as he finished 7th, earning €23,800.

Final table chipleader Samuel Kabelitz didn’t fare as expected, converting his chip advantage only to a 4th place finish worth €52,800. Pascal Hartmann then exited in 3rd place (€74,400), leading to the final heads-up showdown.

Starting as the favorite, Slovenian player Jan Zupec didn’t allow his German opponent Dennis Wilke any room for a comeback, quickly sealing his victory. With no deals made at the final table, both players received their payouts as per the original structure—runner-up Dennis Wilke took home €102,000, and the champion Jan Zupec claimed the full €151,000! Congratulations!

# Player Country Winnings
1. Jan Zupec Slovenia €151,000
2. Dennis Wilke Germany €102,000
3. Pascal Hartmann Germany €74,400
4. Samuel Kabelitz Germany €52,800
5. Alexander Steinhanses Germany €39,300
6. Moritz Dietrich Germany €30,200
7. Samuel Stranak Slovakia €23,800
8. Fabian Niederreiter Germany €19,100
9. Mario Vojvoda Croatia €15,700

 

Sources – FB/CasinosAustriaPoker