Leonid Markin wins EPT Prague €50,000 Super High Roller

The final table of the EPT Prague €50,000 Super High Roller started with the lead of Leonid Markin, and the Russian player managed to turn his chiplead into a €771,360 score, the biggest of his career. He defeated a tough final table consisting of Stephen Chidwick, Paul Newey, Juha Helppi, Ivan Soshnikov, Brian Roberts and Vladimir Troyanovskiy.

Play started with the following seating order and chipcounts:

Seat  1. Stephen Chidwick - 660.000 (16,5 bb)
Seat  2. Paul Newey - 1.510.000 (37,8 bb)
Seat  3. Juha Helppi - 2.030.000 (50,8 bb)
Seat  4. Ivan Soshnikov - 1.925.000 (48,1 bb)
Seat  6. Brian Roberts - 275.000 (6,9 bb)
Seat  7. Leonid Markin - 3.350.000 (83,8 bb)
Seat  8. Vladimir Troyanovskiy - 3.000.000 (75bb)

The first player to bust was ''2 Months 2 Million'' star Brian Roberts, he called a raise in the big blind then shoved a very short stack on the Q-8-2 flop, only to be snapped off by Paul Newey's K-K. 

The next player out was Vladimir Troyanovskiy, who shoved all-in over Leonid Markin's minraise. Markin called with A-J, while Troyanovskiy held the A-T. Even though Troyanovskiy hit his ten on the T-4-4 flop, Markin hit his Jack on the river after turning a gutshot straight draw with a King on the turn.

Not much later Ivan Soshnikov cold 4-bet jammed with T-T afer a Chidwick raise and Newey re-raise only to run into Newey's K-K. The Q-Q-7-4-7 brought no help to the Russian player and he was eliminated in fifth place.

Fourth place finisher was Finland's Juha Helppi, he check-raised on the J-6-2 (two spades) flop with J-8 of hearts, then called all-in when Markin, the original opener shoved. Unlucky for Helppi, Markin held the Q-Q and Helppi failed to improve on turn or river.

Three handed play lasted for three hours before we saw a big hand, once again it was Paul Newey with a premium pair who played the role of the executioner. Chidwick raised all-in after a button raise from Newey, and the Brit snapped him off with A-A and a smaller stack. Chidwick held the 9-9, which failed to improve, and he got his short stack in a couple of hands later with K-9 suited only to be snapped off by Aces once again, this time held by Markin.

In the first hand of heads-up, Markin raised to 480,000 on the 80,000/160,000 blind level, Newey shoved for 4.4 million, and Markin snapcalled with A-7. Newey held 9-9 though, and managed to hold on the J-T-K-J-2 board.

After three hours of heads-up play, Markin opened on the button and Newey once again shoved for 4 million, this time it was him who held the A-7, which was dominated by Markin's A-T, which held up, rewarding Markin the title and the €771,360 first place.

Final table results:

1. Leonid Markin €771,360
2. Paul Newey €557,090
3. Stephen Chidwick €355,070
4. Juha Helppi €269,360
5. Ivan Soshnikov €208,150
6. Vladimir Troyanovskiy €159,170
7. Brian Roberts €128,565