The new season of the prestigious World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) is underway at King's Resort in Rozvadov, offering players a record 15 gold bracelets and a total guarantee of over €20 million. The battles will continue until October 8th, when the event culminates with the massive €10,350 Main Event.
First Bracelet Awarded
The opening event of the season was the €1,200 No-Limit Hold'em Bounty Hunter Opener, a new addition to the schedule that drew 385 entries. With a prizepool of €435,000, 59 players advanced to the second day, competing for the first-place prize of €58,850 and a coveted gold champion's bracelet.
After more than 8 hours of play in the final day, the final table was set led by massive chipleader and Slovakia’s only EPT Main Event champion, Ján Bendík. Here’s how the final table lined up:
| Seat | Name | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
| 1 | Georgios Mylonas | Greece | 715,000 | 18 |
| 2 | Pawel Wojciechowski | Poland | 2,140,000 | 54 |
| 3 | Amit Buganim | Israel | 320,000 | 8 |
| 4 | Jan Bendik | Slovakia | 4,500,000 | 113 |
| 5 | Dorian Melchers | France | 2,900,000 | 73 |
| 6 | Mateusz Sikora | Poland | 1,600,000 | 40 |
| 7 | Pablo Beltran | Austria | 850,000 | 21 |
| 8 | Franz George | Germany | 880,000 | 22 |
| 9 | Ioannis Chorianopoulos | Greece | 1,100,000 | 28 |
Poland vs. Slovakia Finale
The final table lasted just over 3 hours, during which time the chipleader Ján Bendík advanced to the heads-up, facing off against Polish player Pawel Wojciechowski. Wojciechowski entered heads-up with a 2:1 chip advantage and quickly converted it into a win.
On the river 2 c 3 h T d 9 h 8 c, Wojciechowski check-raised Bendík’s bet, putting him all-in for his tournament life. The Slovakian representative opted to call after some tanking with two pairs, 9 d 3 c, but they weren’t enough against Wojciechowski’s backdoor nuts with Q h J d. As the runner-up, Ján Bendík took home €42,150, including a ticket to the upcoming WSOPE Main Event.
Poland’s Pawel Wojciechowski emerged victorious, claiming the first WSOPE 2025 bracelet, seizing not only €58,850 (including a Main Event ticket) but also a golden bracelet.
For the 26-year-old Wojciechowski, it's a defining moment. A year and a half ago, he left a stable job to pursue poker professionally, and post-victory admitted he felt luck was on his side throughout the tournament. The former footballer added that his sports background helped him maintain composure under the spotlight and pressure, culminating in a golden finish.
Final Table Results:
| Position | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1. | Pawel Wojciechowski | Poland | €58,850* |
| 2. | Jan Bendik | Slovakia | €42,150* |
| 3. | Dorian Melchers | France | €31,750* |
| 4. | Mateusz Sikora | Poland | €25,000* |
| 5. | Ioannis Chorianopoulos | Greece | €20,700* |
| 6. | Franz George | Germany | €7,450 |
| 7. | Georgios Mylonas | Greece | €5,550 |
| 8. | Pablo Heredia | Austria | €4,200 |
| 9. | Amit Buganim | Israel | €3,300 |
Sources - Kings-resort, PokerNews, Tomas Stacha
