PokerStars Blog coverage from EPT Prague 2026

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KRAKOW CRACKS KURTULUS TO WIN EPT PRAGUE MAIN EVENT

Israel’s Matan Krakow is the latest champion on the European Poker Tour (EPT), taking only around three-and-a-half hours to complete victory on the last day of the Main Event in Prague.

A 44-year-old former journalist from Tel Aviv, Krakow’s closest previous brush with poker fame came when he helped co-write Eli Elezra’s autobiography Pulling the Trigger. But Krakow found all the right spots to pick his way through this tricky final table, which featured a host of unfamiliar faces but offered an entertaining denouement to this six-day event.

Krakow’s prize for beating a field of 1,224 entries is a first prize of €778,255 and a first chunk of silverware for his mantle. He was one of trio of players who negotiated an ICM deal when they were the last three left, eventually beating both Romania’s Traian Stanciu and overnight leader Bora Kurtulus, who finished third and second respectively.

Krakow becomes only the second player from Israel to win a Main Event on Europe’s leading poker tour, while Kurtulus fell narrowly short of becoming Turkey’s first winner.

READ A FULL RECAP FROM THE MAIN EVENT HERE

FINAL TABLE PLAYER PROFILES

Only seven are left heading into the final day of the EPT Prague Main Event. Read our player profiles to learn a bit more about the players still in with a chance of winning €1 million.

EPT PRAGUE 2025 FINAL TABLE PLAYER PROFILES

FEATURE COVERAGE

Nick Walsh’s Year in Review
As the loudest and most passionate Spin & Go advocate in the game, Nick Walsh had a spectacular 2025. Here he picks his highlights, and looks forward to more – including great news for Bloody Mary fans!

From Bahamas to Czechia: Panka and Shylko add more PokerStars silverware at EPT Prague
The careers of Dominik Panka and Aliaksandr Shylko were both kickstarted in the Bahamas, but this week they’ve both been winning in Prague.

Did you see the crazy hand at EPT Prague? Don’t worry, Spraggy did
The popular Team Pro Ben “Spraggy” Spragg is back with another EPT Watchalong from Prague – and the action is superb.

EPT Prague: Kenny Hallaert’s Year in Review
From making his second WSOP Main Event final to competing in the PokerStars Live League, it’s been another great year for Kenny Hallaert.

Six of the best: Picking the stars among the last 45 in the EPT Prague Main Event
From PCA champs to chess prodigies, super high rollers and WCOOP champs. Plenty of great players still in the EPT Prague Main Event.

EPT Prague: Celebrate (quietly). The EPT is 150!
The continent’s most popular tournament series hits an important milestone in Prague this week. Here’s how we determined that the EPT is 150.

EPT Prague: Soraya Estrada on Live League hopes and building a career from satellites
Soraya Estrada tells us about her incredible 2025, building a career around satellites, and her PokerStars Live League & Ambassadorship hopes.

EPT Prague: Tournament mechanics explained: When is a bubble not a bubble?
Three out at once at EPT Prague. So who bubbles? Here’s an explainer on what happens when there are multiple eliminations on the bubble.

Joe Stapleton’s Year in Review
Why does the PokerStars commentator wish he’d spent more time kissing a fellow Team Pro? Find out as Stapes looks back on 2025.

Christmas gifts for poker players: Your guide to poker presents
Need some Christmas gift ideas for the poker player in your life? Look no further. From hoodies to chip sets, here’s your guide to poker presents.

EPT Prague Main Event to pay €1m+ to its winner; 1,224 entries confirmed
Players in the 150th EPT Main Event will contest a prize pool of close to €6 million after the fourth-biggest #EPTPrague field assembles. Check out the full details.

EPT Prague: James Hartigan’s year in review
From his personal poker highlights to the ingredients that would make his perfect poker TV show, here’s James Hartigan’s 2025 in review.

EPT Prague: Tips from the top: Kenny Hallaert on how to make the most of your EPT
He’s been to two World Series finals in a 20-year poker career, so it’s worth listening to Kenny Hallaert’s top tips on surviving the EPT.

EPT Prague: Some valuable insider’s info in our Prague FAQs
We’ve been coming to EPT Prague for more than 15 years. Allow some insiders to answer some FAQs about this ever-popular destination.

EPT Prague: Big tournaments, big winners as festival in full flow
PS Open, Cup and Women’s event attract huge fields; Haraldstad wins Nordic PLO battle; all the side events news

PokerStars Live app: All you need to know in the palm of your hand
The PokerStars Live app gives players and fans access to the most important info from live events. Let’s take a closer look at how it works.

LIVE LEAGUE LATEST

With just PokerStars Open Cannes left on the live calendar, things are really heating up in the inaugural PokerStars Live League.

Here’s a look at how things stand after EPT Prague:

HIGH

Last updated: Monday, December 15 (09:30)

1. Enrico Camosci (Italy) 4,025 pts
2. Klemens Roiter (Austria) 3,778
3. Aleks Ponakovs (Latvia) 2,040
4. Jesse Lonis (USA) 1,755
5. Christopher Nguyen (Austria) 1,628

MEDIUM

Last updated: Monday, December 15 (09:30)

1. Gerard Rubiralta (Spain) 3,464 pts
2. Kenny Hallaert (Belgium) 2,793
3. Petre Ionescu (Romania) 2,783
4. Jon Kyte (Norway) 2,468
5. Robert Bull (Scotland) 2,276

LOW

Last updated: Monday, December 15 (09:30)

1. Steinn Du Karlsson (Iceland) 997 pts
2. David Docherty (UK) 938
3. Andreas Froehli (Switzerland) 929
4. Soraya Estrada (Spain) 903
5. Thomas Clack (UK) 593

RESULTS

Catch up on all the winners and results from EPT Prague.

BOGDANOV PULLS OFF PRAGUE DOUBLE WITH OPEN MAIN EVENT VICTORY

From festive cheer to poker brilliance, EPT Prague brings out the best in everyone. But this past week, Bulgaria’s Yulian Bogdanov has pushed beyond mere brilliance. He’s now behind a red velvet rope in a space reserved for legends.

Over four days of play, the 38-year-old worked his way through the massive 3,024-entrant €1,650 PokerStars Open Prague 2025 Main Event, banking €398,135 after a three-way deal with Adrian Ziemichod and Ivan Poroliev.

Impressive enough, but even more so when you factor in that earlier this festival, Bogdanov had already taken down the €10,200 Mystery Bounty for €147,000.

READ: Brilliant Bogdanov does EPT Prague double with Open Main Event victory

PLAYER PARTY GALLERY

The Cloud 9 Skybar at the Hilton Hotel is one of the city’s most appealing locations, peering out across the Prague skyline from 40 metres in the sky. It was there, on Tuesday, December 9, that players and guests found the EPT Prague Player’s Party, as well as our exclusive Christmas market for players and guests.

Drinks were free until midnight, and the DJ played on far later. There was a free buffet on offer all night too.

Take a look through some photos below.

ABOUT EPT PRAGUE 2025

The charming European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague is back for another edition of brilliant action in Bohemia’s enchanting capital city.

Live EPT poker has been coming to the City of a Hundred Spires for almost two decades, and it’s not hard to see why when you land in this magical destination. It’s a winter wonderland that never fails to impress against the backdrop of the historic Gothic architecture, cobbled streets and vibrant arts scene. Don’t forget the local Czech cuisine, too.

The magic is in more than the surroundings of the Bohemian region, though. Prague has been well established on the poker map for years, making it the favourite winter stop for the top players from around the world. The prestige of EPT Prague attracts only the best and it shows on the tables because the action is always unmissable.

PRAGUE STARS STORE DISCOUNT

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE POKERSTARS STORE – USE PROMO CODE EPTCZ25 FROM DEC 3-14

KEY DATES AND FULL SCHEDULE

Festival Dates: December 3-14, 2025

PokerStars Open

PokerStars Open Main Event: December 3-8 – €1,650

PokerStars Cup: December 6-7 – €825

PokerStars High Roller: December 7-8 – €2,700

EPT

EPT Super High Roller: December 7-9 – €50,000

EPT Main Event: December 8-14 – €5,300

EPT Mystery Bounty: December 10-12 – €3,250

EPT High Roller: December 12-14 – €10,300

You can look through the full EPT Prague 2025 schedule here.

EPT PRAGUE STREAM SCHEDULE

You can follow the action live with English-language cards-up coverage on the central/global channels, hosted by James Hartigan, Joe Stapleton, Nick Walsh, Griffin Benger, and Maria Ho.

There will also be streams on our French, Spanish and Brazilian channels alongside broadcasts in Italian and German (on Felix Schneiders’ channels).

PokerStars YouTube
PokerStars Twitch

Wednesday December 10
12:30 CET
EPT PRAGUE: €5K MAIN EVENT – DAY 2

Thursday December 11
12:30 CET
EPT PRAGUE: €5K MAIN EVENT – DAY 3
 
Friday December 12
12:30 CET
EPT PRAGUE: €5K MAIN EVENT – DAY 4

Saturday December 13
12:30 CET
EPT PRAGUE: €5K MAIN EVENT – DAY 5

Sunday December 14
13:00 CET
EPT PRAGUE: €5K MAIN EVENT – FINAL TABLE
 

CITY TRAVEL GUIDE

Prague is a popular stop on the EPT circuit, with hectic tournament action and a wide variety of cash games, complemented by a beautiful city packed with bars and restaurants that never break the bank.

Here is the complete guide to the event including a look back at some landmark moments, and everything you need to know at or away from the tables.

EPT Prague: Landmarks from 17 years in the Czech Republic, plus city travel guide

ACTIVITIES GUIDE

Time to sit on a suitcase full of woolly sweaters and zip up your kit for a chilly one. In other words, the European Poker Tour (EPT) heads to Prague in December for its annual shiver through Czechia.

That means it’s also time to take a closer look at some of the off-the-felt EPT Prague activities on offer to players and their guests in the scintillating Czech capital.

Prague is a delight and you should definitely take advantage of the winter sights the city has to offer. But here too is a full slate of EPT Prague activities laid on by PokerStars, all of which are free to attend.

READ: EPT Prague 2025 Activities Guide

WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR?

In 2024, Portugal’s Pedro Marques put on one of the European Poker Tour’s most perfectly judged final-table performances. The 31-year-old from Corroios was no stranger to the deep stages of PokerStars-sponsored tournaments, but drew on a deep well of experience to prevail from a table featuring an overwhelming chip leader and a two-time EPT Main Event champion.

It had seemed for two-and-a-half days as if this title was heading into the hands of Paul Runcan, a UK-based Romanian player, who had not been out of the chip lead since 27 players remained. Failing that, headline writers were waiting to name Anton Bergstrom as the first-ever three-time EPT champion, with the man behind the “WhatIfGod” moniker preparing to add a first live title to his two EPT Online successes.

But Marques had other ideas. Despite suffering what at one point seemed to be an unbeatable succession of coolers, any of which might have cost him his tournament life, Marques stood firm. He made the folds he needed to fold, and he then found his spots to build back into contention.

Runcan still had a near five-to-one chip lead when he and Marques were the last two of this 1,458-entry field remaining, but the Portuguese talent crept up and up to level the stacks. At that point, the pair agreed to chop the prize money, securing €900,000 apiece. And Marques continued his momentum in the short phase of play that followed the deal, snagging the €63K they had left on the side, plus the EPT title and trophy.

We also saw Bulgaria’s Martin Tsvetanov take down the final Eureka Poker Tour Main Event before the tour became part of the PokerStars Open, banking €449,034 – the biggest score of his career – after beating a 4,732-entry field.

Thomas Santerne of France took down the Super High Roller for €385,725, defeating Niklas “Lena900” Astedt heads up, and Carlos Gurdiel won the maiden Spin & Go Championship Live.

PREVIOUS WINNERS AND RESULTS

2007 – Arnaud Mattern (France) – €708,400
2008 – Salvatore Bonavena (Italy) – €774,000
2009 – Jan Skampa (Czech Republic) – €682,000 (recap)
2010 – Roberto Romanello (UK) – €640,000 (recap)
2011 – Martin Finger (Germany) – €720,000 (recap)
2012 – Ramzi Jelassi (Sweden) – €835,000 (recap)
2013 – Julian Track (Germany) – €725,700 (recap)
2014 – Stephen Graner (USA) – €969,000 (recap)
2015 – Hossein Ensan (Germany) – €754,510 (recap)
2016 – Jasper Meijer van Putten (Netherlands) – €699,300 (recap)
2017 – Kalidou Sow (France) – €675,000 (recap)
2018 – Paul Michaelis (Germany) – €840,000 (recap)
2019 – Mikalai Pobal (Belarus) – €1,005,600 (recap) – Pobal’s second EPT title
2022 – Grzegorz Główny (Poland) – €692,252 (recap)
2022 – Jordan Sacucchi (Canada) – €913,250 (recap)
2023 – Padraig O’Neill (Ireland) – €1,030,000 (recap)
2024 – Pedro Marques (Portugal) – €963,000 (recap)

EVERYTHING ELSE

POKER NEWS LIVE UPDATES
Our live reporting partner is offering hand-by-hand updates from a number of tournaments across the series. 

EPT PRAGUE OFFICIAL SITE
The PokerStars Live official page, with everything you need to know about the tournament series in Prague.

FULL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
The full EPT Prague schedule can be viewed here.

DOWNLOAD THE POKERSTARS LIVE APP
All the info you need on your mobile device from the Apple iStore or Google Play for Android.

POKERSTARS BLOG ON TWITTER
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