Summary
- Pavel Plesuv came from behind to win the tournament for £154,426
- Plesuv continues to do well at the EPT registering the third win in his career
- Hannes Jeschka took home the coveted $30,0000 Platinum Pass
Moldova’s Pavel Plesuv may have missed the chance to win a coveted Platinum Pass that would have sent him to the prestigious PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) in the Bahamas in January 2023 but he still came out as the biggest winner in the £3,000 Platinum Pass Mystery Bounty which ran as part of the ongoing PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) London.
Third EPT Title for Plesuv
Plesuv pulled off a surprise victory after successfully turning his two remaining big blinds into a massive win against his heads-up opponent, Santhosh Suvarna from India. In doing so, the Moldovan poker pro took home £154,426 in top prize, along with 11 bounties worth £20,000 that he earned along the way.
Plesuv is no stranger to the EPT, having won three titles on the tour so far. His first EPT title came in 2016 when he took down a €2,150 No-Limit Hold’em tournament at EPT Barcelona. Following his latest victory, Plesuv’s total live earnings have now climbed to more than $5.8 million. He currently leads Moldova’s All-Time Money List.
Final Table Results
The final day of the Pokerstars tournament saw just 16 players returning to compete for the title, with Hannes Jeschka becoming the first casualty of the day. Despite his early exit, the German poker pro still had something to celebrate after pulling the Platinum Pass from the treasure chest.
The 15 remaining players became just 9 when the final table was reached, with Plesuv ahead in chips. Paul Tedeschi (9th, £16,550) and Bruno Soutavong (8th, £19,850), both from France, were the first two players to be eliminated, followed by Slovenia’s Blaz Zerjav who finished 7th for £24,200. Japanese player Yasuhiro Waki was next out, taking home £31,450 for his 6th-place finish, followed by British pro Sebastien Jung who won £40,850 for finishing 5th.
Romania’s Robert Macsim, the start-of-day chip leader, ended his bid in 4th place with £53,100 in winnings, courtesy of Suvarna who took over the lead from Plesuv upon Macsim’s exit. Italy’s Iacopo Brandi (3rd £69,100) was eliminated next and Plesuv regained the lead going into heads-up play.
Suvarna won a monster pot which left Plesuv down with just two big blinds, but luck was on the Moldovan’s side after he claimed three consecutive hands where he went all-in. Plesuv went on to win the tournament while his Indian opponent settled for second place and walked away with a six-figure payout including the runner-up prize worth £96,700 and the bounties he had accumulated.
