Third of 11 days complete in the 2020 EPT Online Series
The third day of the 2020 EPT Online series at PokerStars played out Tuesday, with one new champion crowned and two other tournaments reaching the final table. With three days down in the 11-day, 20-event series, a total of five new European Poker Tour champions have been determined.
Hosted by PokerStars, the 2020 EPT Online represents the first-ever all-online festival in the history of the EPT. Here's a look at some of the action that went down on Day 3 of the 2020 EPT Online.
Daniel "SmilleThHero" Smiljkovic takes down $2,100 8-Max PKO event for $113,490
Event #7: $2,100 NLHE 8-Max PKO was the only EPT Online event to play through to the finish Tuesday. Daniel "SmilleThHero" Smiljkovic topped a field of 334 total entries to emerge with the win and a $113,490 payday.
Smiljkovic's cash total included the first-place prize of $54,451 and $59,039 in progressive bounties. Smiljkovic overcame a nearly two-to-one chip deficit in the heads-up battle against 'luelue399' (2nd - $91,364), who took the runner-up prize of $54,450 plus $36,914 in bounties.
'luelue399' went into three-handed play with a massive chip lead, with more than 24.1 million chips against the much shorter stacks of Andrey 'drupa-lucker' Chernokoz (5.1 million chips) and Smiljkovic (4.14 million chips).
Smiljkovic's run from the shortest stack to tournament champion started with a double-up through 'luelue399' and continued with the elimination of Chernokoz (3rd - $41,329). By the time heads up play began, Smiljkovic (11.86 million chips) had nearly tripled the stack in which he began three-handed play.
From there, however, 'luelue399' began to pull away, at one point getting Smiljkovic down to his last six big blinds. Smiljkovic began his comeback from there, however, doubling up three times and pulling into a slim lead.
The final hand came down to a battle between Smiljkovic's 4♠4❤️ and the A♣T♣ of 'luelue399'. The final runout of 2❤️5♠9♣2♣8♠ hit the board and the pocket fours held up for Smiljkovic, earning him the win.
Other top finishers in Event #7: $2,100 NLHE 8-Max PKO included Aleksejs 'APonakov' Ponakovs (4th - $52,700) and "lesha-bablo" (5th - $23,952).
'Kihlström' leads the final table in Arena Championship
Event #1: $1,050 NLHE Arena Championship played down to a final table Tuesday. Sweden's 'Kihlström' leads the final nine with 170 big blinds, and the final table resumes Thursday with the $256,769 first-place prize on the line.
Other final table contenders include Norway's 'DON JOHAN' (87 big blinds), Panama's Jeiko "JEIK0" Palma (74 big blinds), Brazil's 'MachadinhaRS' (71 big blinds), and Polish player 'ImTheNuts1' (59 big blinds).
Also playing to a final table Tuesday was Event #6: $10,300 NLHE 8-Max High Roller. High-stakes fixture Mikita Badziakouski took down that event Wednesday for $222,453. Poker.org will have complete coverage of Badzikouski's win, as well as all Day 4 action, in Thursday's EPT roundup.
Featured image source: Twitter
