Leonid Markin defeats the British businessman, Paul Newey, in heads-up action to take the first prize of €771,360 in the €50,000 European Poker Tour Super High Roller event in the Czech capital of Prague.
The Russian Leonid Markin has kicked off Prague’s European Poker Tour (EPT) Season 11 extravaganza, in style, after topping a field of 51 entries in the €50,000 EPT Prague Super High Roller (SHR).
Markin was one of three Russian’s to make the final table. Russian Global Poker Index (GPI) number 4 and number 5 ranked players, Vladimir Troyanovskiy and Ivan Soshnikov, also taking a seat where all the money was dished out.
The Brits were the next country to boast the most final table players with the GPI UK No. #1, Stephen Chidwick, and Ocean Finance founder Paul Newey taking a seat. Finland’s experienced Juha Helppi, and the American Brian Roberts taking that total to seven.
There was a time in the not too distant past when a six figure score was a rarity. These days they are handed out like copies of The Metro. Even Newey, the only non-professional at the table, had a seven figure score on record with $1,418,667 for his seventh place finish at the One Drop this year. Newey had competed in the $1m buy-in both times it has been held.
In fact, it was the Brummie Newey who came closest to topping Markin after the Russian eliminated Chidwick, in third, to set up an heads up encounter with a 2:1 chip lead.
Newey would turn the tables in the very first hand after his pocket nines managed to sneak past the [Ah] [7c] of the Russian in an all-in pre flop encounter. That led to three hours of back and fore action before the final showdown of the day saw Markin’s [As] [Th] dominate Newey’s [Ad] [7d] to hand the trophy to the Russian.
The EPT Prague Main Event is currently underway.
EPT Super High Roller Results
1st. Leonid Markin – €771,360
2nd. Paul Newey – €557,090
3rd. Stephen Chidwick – €355,070
4th. Juha Helppi – €269,360
5th. Ivan Soshnikov – €208,150
6th. Vladimir Troyanovskiy – €159,170
7th. Brian Roberts – €128,565
