Romanian Poker Player Triumphs in European Poker Tour Main Event Finale
For just $530 and some extra cash, poker player Razvan Belea turned into a millionaire and made history. He clinched the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event for €1,170,000 (about $1.23 million USD) and became the first Romanian to win an EPT main event.
Belea snagged his spot at the tournament through a PokerStars online qualifier. The venture to Paris, France for the event was definitely worth the investment. A total of 1,606 participants graced the felt for the €5,300 (around $5,593 USD) main event, and it was Belea who emerged victorious, outlasting the rest.
This represented Belea's largest cash till date. Prior to this, he had only earned around $140K in live tournaments over a decade on the circuit, as per The Hendon Mob. The win catapulted him to sixth place among Romanian players, surpassing Dany Parlafes, who clinched second place in the 2015 EPT Deauville. This was the best finish ever for a Romanian player until this event.
Belea Takes Command
Belea was unstoppable as the field dwindled. From Day 4 onwards, he led the pack, and on the final day, he didn't let up. He started the last day as the chip leader and never relinquished his position.
When the last five players sat down to determine the big winner, Belea was comfortably in the lead. One solid pot after another allowed him to maintain his dominance and eliminate several players.
With three players, including Brian Delaney from the UK and Fabrice Bigot from France out, it came down to a heads-up match between Belea and Peter Jorgne. The Swedish player was also aiming to make history, but knew he was in a tough spot.
Belea had a 2-to-1 chip advantage and never relinquished it. On the final hand, Jorgne picked up two pair on the flop. This would have been enough for any player to think their luck was about to change.
Fortune had other plans. The turn gave Belea a straight, but Jorgne remained aggressive. He had a chance at making a full house on the river, which would have doomed Belea. However, it didn't happen. Both players drew dead on the river, and the eventual winner was on top with his straight.
Thinking he had the best hand with two pair, Jorgne shoved all-in, and Belea called. Jorgne could only utter a congratulations and collect his €780,100 (about $823,317 USD) in prize money. Given he had only won about $26K over five years until then, Jorgne likely won't complain too much.
Calling the Time
This EPT was yet another example of the need for stringent adherence to "shot clocks" in poker. After PokerStars rectified some glitches at the onset of the series, players settled into a smooth rhythm. However, it was disrupted on several occasions by slow play that frustrated the field.
Poker tournament organizers introduced shot clocks – timers to force players to make a decision – a few years ago. They did so in response to the tactics of a few individuals who would sometimes take up to four or five minutes to make a move. They called it a "strategy"; although the other 99% of the poker world called it nonsense.
The EPT Main Event had to contend with its share of clock abusers as well. One was Johan Guilbert, the French player who craves attention through any means necessary to fuel his "Yoh Viral" social media presence.
Three times in one hand, Guilbert faced calls of abusing time to his advantage, with players at the table calling the clock in each case. This forced the player to act, and his actions led to discussions about the clock long after he exited in 78th place for €16,200 (about $17,097 USD).
Poker player @YoHViral recently had the clock called on him 3 times in one hand. He won the pot but also stirred up a controversy. What are your thoughts?
I know the answer but want to see the percentage
Comments welcome
— Matt Savage (@SavagePoker) February 23, 2023
Poker players, including Daniel Negreanu and Matt Berkey, have criticized Guilbert for his attempted manipulation of time. However, they should thank him. If it weren't for people like Guilbert, there would be no clock, and the game would be infinitely longer.
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