"WhatIfGod" goes back to back in EPT Online Main Events

"WhatIfGod" was the only player at the EPT Online Main Event final table whose real name was not publicly known. They were also the only player left standing when the dust settled. For their first-place finish, WhatIfGod turned their $5,200 buy into a $363,641 payday.

What was especially remarkable about WhatIfGod's performance was that they were the defending champion, having won the 2020 EPT Online Main Event last year. That event had a somewhat bigger turnout with a lot more cash up top. First place was $1,019,082 that time around the block.

This year, the EPT Online Main Event attracted 402 entries, making for a prize pool of $2,010,000. This saved PokerStars from having to cough up for overlay on their $1.5 million guarantee.

The pandemic has done a great deal to boost the prestige of online events. For a while, instead of being sideshows, they were the biggest games in or out of town. As a result, it was no surprise to see big names populating the call sheet in this event.

Day 1 saw big-name players like Fedor Holz, Sam Grafton, Damien Salas, Yuri Dzivielevski, Lex Veldhuis, Michael Addamo, and Fintan Hand hit the rail. On Day 2, they were joined by players like Artur Martirosian, Patrick Leonard, Alexandros Kolonias, and Brunno Botteon. The last of these ended Day 2 as the final table bubble-boy.

One player who almost missed the event was PokerStars team pro Parker Talbot who had a hard decision to make.

"There's a 5k EPT on today," Talbot wrote. "But season 2 of The Witcher is also out I just realized. Hmmmmmmmmmmm."

In the end, he tossed a coin to the online cashier and played the event.

Final table action

With just nine players left, WhatIfGod still had to beat a table that contained Benjamin Rolle, Daniel Dvoress, Christian Rudolph, and Ramon Colillas who had held the chip lead since the end of Day 1.

The table took five and a half hours to play down to a victor. One by one, WhatIfGod's opponents went away, leaving Colillas as the last person standing between WhatIfGod and their second year of drinking Champagne out of the EPT Online cup.

By the final hand, Collilas's tournament long chip lead was an ancient memory. With about 25 million in chips to WhatIfGod's 75 million, Colillas called a raise pre-flop with A♦️8❤️.

The flop came 7❤️6♣9♦️, and Colillas check-called 2.4 million into a 3.4 million pot.

The turn was the K♦️ and both players checked.

The river was the 7♦️. Figuring WhatIfGod to be weak and lacking much in the way of showdown equity himself, Colillas bet 5.2 million into the pot. WhatIfGod raised, putting Colillas on the line for his last 11 million in chips.

The clock almost ran out before Colillas pushed the call button and WhatIfGod turned over Q♦️4♦️ for a missed gutshot and a hit flush.

Colillas won $276,741 for his second-place finish.

2021 EPT Online Main Event complete final table results

Fetaured image source: Twitter