Poker Player Misses Out on €100K Tournament Bonus

How would you deal with seeing €100,000 slip by means of your fingers?

That was the truth for Krzysztof Grubka on the €700 European Deepstack Championship through the Dublin Poker Competition, the place the Polish participant got here agonizingly shut to an enormous bonus that finally slipped away on the last hurdle.

The occasion drew 475 entries, comfortably beating its €200,000 assure to construct a €285,665 prize pool, with the highest 63 gamers ending within the cash. When play reached heads-up, Grubka nonetheless had a shot at probably the most profitable finishes of his profession because of a promotion from WPT World.

€100K Bonus Slips Away on the Ultimate Hurdle

Grubka had certified for the match on-line by means of WPT World, making him eligible for the positioning’s €100,000 Reside Champion Bonus, awarded to gamers who certified into the stay occasion and go on to win it. Had he gained the match, he would have collected not solely the €55,065 winner’s prize but additionally the extra €100,000 bonus.

As a substitute, he needed to accept second place.

Eire’s Gavin McGrath finally captured the title, protecting the trophy on house soil and denying Grubka the bonus within the course of.

In keeping with a supply who spoke with PokerNews, there have been discussions a couple of potential deal as soon as the match reached heads-up play. Grubka’s bonus eligibility meant there was the potential for structuring an association the place each gamers may take a slice of the €100,000 payout.

Nonetheless, nothing might be agreed and play continued with the complete prize and bonus nonetheless in play.

McGrath held a 6:1 chip lead at heads-up and moments later, the chance for Grubka was gone.

Whereas the €34,860 runner-up prize nonetheless represents a robust end result for Grubka, the close to miss will seemingly linger. The rating stands because the second-largest of his profession and his greatest since 2009, when he gained €95,000 for taking down the European Masters of Poker. The deep run additionally pushes his stay match earnings previous $200,000, in line with The Hendon Mob.

For McGrath, the win marks a breakthrough second in stay poker. The Irishman entered the occasion with simply 4 earlier recorded cashes — two in 2022 and two in 2024 — all in Eire. Previous to this victory, his lifetime match earnings totaled simply $14,201, with a earlier greatest rating of $10,992.

Now he has his first recorded title, a career-best payday, and the European Deepstack Championship trophy.

Ultimate Desk Outcomes

Calum has been part of the PokerNews group since September 2021 after working within the UK power sector. He performed his first hand of poker in 2017 and instantly fell in love with the sport.

Calum has written for varied poker retailers however discovered his house at PokerNews, the place he has contributed to varied articles and stay updates, offering insights and reporting on main poker occasions, together with the World Sequence of Poker (WSOP).