€5,300 EPT Paris Main Event
Day 6 Completed
2023 PokerStars EPT Paris
€5,300 EPT Paris Main Event
Day: 6
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 6
2023 PokerStars EPT Paris
Buy-in
€5,300
Prize Pool
€7,708,800
Entries
1,606
Level
35
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
400,000
Entries
5
Players Left
1
Level 35
: Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
The sixth-largest PokerStars European Poker Tour Main Event in history has crowned a winner at the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile. Out of a field of 1,606 entries in the 2023 EPT Paris €5,300 Main Event, PokerStars online qualifier Razvan Belea claimed the biggest portion of the €7,708,800 prize pool after defeating Sweden's Peter Jorgne in heads-up play.
Coming into the final day as the chip leader, the Romanian with $1.25 million in MTT cashes on PokerStars, Belea remained ahead of his final four opponents all the way to continue a remarkable run throughout the last couple of days. He held the top spot after Day 4 and 5, never surrendering the top spot on the leaderboard during an action-filled grand finale.
It was the first EPT Main Event title for a poker player from Romania, as Belea finished one spot higher than Dany Parlafes at 2015 EPT Deauville when the popular tour visited France for the last time. His trademark victory came with a payday of €1,170,000 while Jorgne had to settle for a consolation prize of €780,100, picking up by far his biggest cash on the live poker circuit.
The final day also featured the red-hot running Fabrice Bigot, Brian Delaney and Henri Kasper. Since July 2021, Bigot notched three victories in the French capital before coming up just short of the final table in the 2022 EPT Prague Main Event, finishing in 11th place for €74,950.
Final Table Results 2023 EPT Paris €5,300 Main Event
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize (in EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Razvan Belea | Romania | €1,170,000 |
| 2 | Peter Jorgne | Sweden | €780,100 |
| 3 | Fabrice Bigot | France | €535,850 |
| 4 | Brian Delaney | United Kingdom | €412,200 |
| 5 | Henri Kasper | Estonia | €317,050 |
| 6 | Konstantin Held | Germany | €244,000 |
| 7 | Denzel Spekman | Netherlands | €187,650 |
| 8 | Johan Schultz-Pedersen | Denmark | €144,300 |
| 9 | Mehdi Chaoui | Morocco | €111,000 |
Belea started his poker journey grinding freerolls to build a bankroll and already participated in several EPT Main Events before earning his entry to this one via a $530 buy-in satellite on PokerStars.
"That this is unreal, that it couldn't happen like this. I mean, yeah, it's all I ever dreamed of since I started to play poker. I was watching all the time EPTs, have played a couple, and now I am here, it is an unbelievable feeling, I don't know what to say ... I am a bit emotional, but anyways, I follow my dream from the beginning and I studied a lot of hours behind the computers. Everything is possible!" Belea told commentator Joe Stapleton in the interview after all was done and dusted.
The Romanian wreaked havoc on the tables during the last two tournament days, sending several opponents to the payout desk and that directly correlates with one of the meanings of his last name translated into English: Trouble. He didn't really have any of that en route to victory.
Action of the Final Day
Only five players returned to their seats on the main feature table and there was a huge discrepancy between the top four on the leaderboard and Henri Kasper, as the Estonian had a mere 11 big blinds and change at his disposal. He got through with some preflop jams while chip leader Belea scooped a significant pot when flopping a full house as Bigot and Delaney clicked it back despite having missed entirely.
Kasper then eventually ran out of chips when his ace-six suited stood no chance against the ace-king of Jorgne. The Swede became the second-biggest stack by some margin only to double Delaney with tens versus kings in a preflop contest. Until the first break, Belea had increased his stack to more than half of the chips in play while Bigot was the shortest stack on a still comfortable 27 big blinds.
The Frenchman continued to get involved in the action and clashed eventually with Delaney when he flopped bottom pair and turned a flush draw. Delaney looked him up with top pair, top kicker, but another club on the river cut down his stack and shifted the momentum once again.
It was the first ever EPT Main Event cash for Delaney, which became a six-figure payday. Belea, in the meanwhile, had a near three-to-one lead over Bigot in second place while Jorgne was not far behind. The two bottom stacks got their chips in the middle soon after and Jorgne had the best of it.
Bigot was denied a victory on home soil when he ran out of chips in a duel of PokerStars online qualifiers but the third-place finish once more confirmed the hot run of the Frenchman in the past two and a half years. He qualified via PokerStars and collected €535,850 for his efforts.
That elimination set up a heads-up duel between Belea and Jorgne with a very comfortable lead for Belea. A rather timid affair unfolded in which Belea retained a two-to-one lead all the way without any major drama.
When the biggest pot of heads-up play suddenly emerged, Jorgne flopped top pair and turned a straight draw. The very same card completed a gutshot straight draw of Belea and Jorgne called his raise before jamming the blank river. There was no snap-call by Belea but the Romanian eventually did come along to emerge as the latest EPT Main Event champion.
This concludes the PokerNews coverage for this flagship tournament, but several other side events are still underway.
Level 35
: Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Peter Jorgne raised to 800,000 with the 
and collected the big blind and ante.
Razvan Belea raised to 800,000 with the 
and Jorgne contemplated his next move before calling with the 
. The 
flop gave Jorgne top pair while Belea held a gutshot. Jorgne checked over to his opponent, then faced a bet of 600,000 before he check-raised to 1,500,000.
Belea called and spiked the 
on the turn, improving to the seven-high straight for the nuts.
Jorgne bet 2,600,000 into 5,000,000 and Belea used two time bank extensions before he raised it up to 5,600,000. Just like his opponent, Jorgne also used one time bank extension and then called with 9,325,000 behind.
The river was the 
which paired the board and the Swede mulled it over for a while and moved all-in. Belea asked for an exact count as the rails of both players got to their feet.
"I don't think I can fold this one," Belea announced while the stack of Jorgne was counted, who stared at the middle of the table. The call followed a few seconds later and Jorgne responded "Congratulations" right away before both players embraced.
Jorgne takes home €780,100 for his efforts and Belea walks away with the gold shard trophy as well as a payday of €1,170,000.
A recap of today's action is to follow.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
48,175,000
16,825,000
|
16,825,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level: 35
Blinds: 200,000/400,000
Ante: 400,000
Level 34
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Razvan Belea limped the button with the 
and Peter Jorgne checked with the . The 
flop gave Jorgne middle pair and he bet 400,000 to win the last pot before another scheduled 20-minute break.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
31,350,000
-900,000
|
-900,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
16,825,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
Level 34
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Peter Jorgne opened to 650,000 on the button with 
and Razvan Belea called with 
out of the big blind. The flop was checked back by Jorgne with his trips and Belea then also checked the 
turn. Jorgne bet 600,000 and earned a snap-fold.
Belea made it the same 650,000 to go from his button with 
and Jorgne folded a jack-high.
The next limped pot led to the 
turn by which Belea with the had second pair, Jorgne in the big blind held for a flush draw. Jorgne check-called a bet of 600,000 and missed on the 
river.
Belea bet 2,000,000 and won the pot uncontested.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
32,250,000
1,000,000
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
15,925,000
-1,000,000
|
-1,000,000 |
Level 34
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Razvan Belea raised to 650,000 on the button with the 
and Peter Jorgne three-bet to 1,600,000 out of the big blind with 
. The initial raiser verified the bet sizing with the dealer and opted to call, leading them to a 
flop that gave Belea a gutshot wheel draw.
Jorgne continued for 1,300,000 into 3,500,000 and Belea quickly cut out calling chips before sliding them towards the middle a few seconds later. The turn triggered a second barrel worth 2,000,000 by Jorgne and Belea folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
31,250,000
-2,150,000
|
-2,150,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
16,925,000
2,150,000
|
2,150,000 |
Level 34
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
The button raise to 650,000 by Peter Jorgne with the 
was defended by Razvan Belea, who came along with the . Both players had a piece of the flop and Belea check-raised from 475,000 to 1,250,000.
The call by Jorgne created a pot of 4,100,000 and the 
followed on the turn. Belea checked again and Jorgne checked it back to the on the river. No betting action took place and the rail from Sweden clapped as Jorgne collected the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
33,400,000
-2,200,000
|
-2,200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
14,775,000
2,200,000
|
2,200,000 |
Level 34
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Razvan Belea limped the 
and Peter Jorgne checked the , which brought them to the 
flop. Jorgne checked his bottom pair and Belea bet 400,000 for his opponent to come along.
On the turn, both players checked and that led to the on the river. They checked again and Belea announced "I have a four" while Jorgne responded "I have a two" before the pot was shipped to the Romanian.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
35,600,000
1,150,000
|
1,150,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
12,575,000
-1,150,000
|
-1,150,000 |
Level 34
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Razvan Belea raised to 650,000 with and Peter Jorgne called from the big blind with 
.
The flop fell 
and Jorgne check-called a 400,000 bet from Belea.
A 
fell on the turn and both players checked. The river was .
Jorgne checked the river with a straight on the board and then folded when Belea bet 2,500,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
34,450,000
1,350,000
|
1,350,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
13,725,000
-1,350,000
|
-1,350,000 |