The World Collection of Poker Europe first got here to Rozvadov in 2017, bringing the poker world collectively on this small city alongside the Czech-German border as King’s Resort grew to become one of many premier locations in Europe. The final eight years have introduced many memorable champions and moments, so it was solely becoming, within the final WSOP Europe to be performed right here, that Daniel Pidun turned off the lights in type: with two aces.
Pidun was on the appropriate aspect of an enormous preflop cooler, his aces taking out Gerald Karlic’s jacks, because the German emerged victorious over the 659-entry discipline to win the 2025 WSOP Europe Predominant Occasion, his first WSOP gold bracelet, and €1,140,000 high prize.
“Nice. After all, it makes me really feel nice. Superb feeling,” Pidun mentioned. “I had a sense I used to be going to win it. I simply had a sense. I don’t know why.”
2025 WSOP Europe Predominant Occasion Remaining Desk outcomes
The best way Pidun received was exceptional, however the truth that he was the one to prevail in one of the vital prestigious tournaments on the poker calendar was much more so. Pidun received the EPT Berlin Predominant Occasion in 2013, incomes on the time a career-best rating of €880,000. Within the 12 years since, although, he’s barely performed poker in any respect. He has simply 5 recorded cashes, the final a remaining desk look within the €50,000 Diamond Excessive Curler on the 2022 WSOP Europe. He additionally made the ultimate desk of the €100,000 Diamond Excessive Curler in 2019. Pidun as a substitute concentrates on the cellular phone elements firm he runs together with his brother, Thomer.
“Truly, I play yearly. I don’t have time. Appears to be I’m doing one thing proper,” Pidun mentioned.
Whereas Pidun had been with out a main title in additional than a decade, the identical wasn’t true of his brother. Thomer received the €2,000 Eight-Sport Combine in 2022, bringing house the primary bracelet within the household. Daniel’s win at the moment makes them the seventh siblings to every win a WSOP bracelet, becoming a member of the likes of the Mizrachis, Hinkles, Zamanis, and Les. “That’s nice that we have now two within the household,” Pidun mentioned, his brother on the rail supporting him on his journey at the moment.
Remaining Desk Motion
The ultimate eight gamers returned to King’s at the moment at 4 p.m. native time for the ultimate desk, every having secured €110,000 out of the €6,138,585 prize pool for making it this far. Pidun started fourth in chips with 9,850,000, behind chip chief Murilo Garcia (13,400,000). The headliner, although, was Max Neugebauer, the 2023 champion who sat in second place with 11,025,000 as he sought to turn into the primary participant to win a number of WSOP Europe Predominant Occasion titles.
Quick stack Matthias Gude started the day with simply six huge blinds and shortly discovered a double up when his ace-seven outdrew Garcia’s ace-eight. His reprieve proved short-lived, nonetheless, as he quickly after moved all in for two,875,000 with ace-queen however bumped into Garcia’s kings, hitting the rail in eighth place.
Catalin Pop then moved all in for two,400,000 with ace-king and was racing towards Teemu Jaatinen’s tens. The board gave Pop a straight draw alongside together with his overcards going to the river, however the Romanian couldn’t join and fell in seventh place.
Claudio Di Giacomo misplaced an enormous chunk of his stack when he known as down Karlic with two jacks, however Karlic confirmed high two pair to win the pot. Left as an excessive brief stack, Di Giacomo was all in for 1,325,000 with ace-three and up towards Karlic’s ace-eight. Karlic’s eight-kicker continued to play till the river, which gave Di Giacomo a flush and the lucky double up.
Neugebauer had his dream of a second title finish when he was all in for 4,500,000 with ace-three and Karlic known as with two nines. The board supplied no assist, and Neugebauer was despatched to the rail in sixth place as Karlic started to open an enormous chip lead. A relentless show of aggression allowed Karlic to construct his stack up previous 30,000,000 till he jammed the button and Di Giacomo known as for 4,325,000 with ace-jack. Karlic had king-five and flopped a flush draw, and the river gave him his flush to bust the Italian veteran in fifth place.
The remaining 4 gamers went on a brief break with Karlic main 34,250,000, whereas Garcia (18,450,000) and Pidun (9,025,000) adopted far behind and Jaatinen introduced up the rear with 4,200,000. Jaatinen then obtained in his final chips with ace-eight, however Pidun had him dominated with ace-jack and Jaatinen, who certified by means of a €20 satellite tv for pc, turned that funding right into a €370,000 payout for his fourth-place end.
Garcia, who solely got here all the best way to Rozvadov from his native Brazil after having a dream of him sitting at a significant remaining desk, inched nearer to Karlic till he three-bet to three,000,000 within the small blind over a preflop increase from Pidun. Karlic four-bet to six,600,000 within the huge blind and Pidun obtained out of the best way, however Garcia moved all in for 22,450,000 and Karlic snap-called with two tens. Garcia had been caught making a transfer with ace-three, and his dream was snuffed out when no miracle ace arrived on the board, sending him to the rail in third place.
Karlic led 49,850,000 to Pidun’s 16,075,000 at the beginning of heads-up, however his huge lead lasted only one hand. On the primary hand of their duel, Pidun turned a flush and moved all in for 14,275,000 on the river. Karlic tanked for a couple of minutes till he known as with a set of fours as Pidun doubled up right into a digital tie atop the leaderboard.
The 2 gamers exchanged the chip lead over the subsequent hour earlier than Karlic turned a full home and raised to 16,000,000 on the river to take the pot and transfer again in entrance. Pidun opened an enormous lead when his turned pair of aces beat Karlic’s pair of jacks. Karlic then picked up two jacks and had his guess of 4,500,000 known as by Pidun on the river to place him again within the lead.
Karlic turned two pair towards Pidun’s pair and flush draw, jamming the flip over a guess of three,500,000 whereas Pidun folded and fell down under 20,000,000. Karlic then picked up ace-king and raised to 1,100,000 on the button. Pidun known as with queen-four and hit high pair with a flush draw on the flop. He check-raised to 2,050,000, and Karlic known as. Pidun guess 4,000,000 on the flip and Karlic once more known as. The river improved Pidun to 2 pair and he shoved for 13,000,000. Karlic tanked earlier than calling as soon as once more with simply ace-high, handing over one more double up.
Pidun led 47,200,000 to 18,700,000 as the 2 gamers left for what turned out to be the final break of the evening. Quickly after returning, Karlic moved all in for 15,500,000 with ace-five and held towards Pidun’s queen-ten to double up, pulling almost even as soon as once more. However on the subsequent hand, Karlic three-bet to 4,200,000 and Pidun four-bet to 10,500,000. Karlic shoved for 31,000,000 and Pidun shap-called. Karlic discovered the dangerous information: his jacks had been up towards Pidun’s aces. Karlic had straight and flush attracts going to the river, however Pidun held on to safe the title.
“It was robust. It was actually robust. However I used to be hitting actually good,” Pidun mentioned about his three-hour-long match with Karlic. “I had good emotions, and I had good arms.”
Evaluating his win at the moment to his victory in Berlin 12 years in the past, Pidun felt extra ready this time round. “I might say this time I used to be extra assured. I simply performed my sport. I wasn’t nervous in any respect,” he mentioned.
Pidun’s Predominant Occasion triumph wasn’t the one information made at the moment. The WSOP introduced that, after eight years at King’s, the collection is transferring to the Hilton Prague within the Czech capital subsequent yr from March 31-April 12. Pidun promised he’ll be there to defend his title, even when he’ll miss coming right here to Rozvadov.
“I’ve been right here many instances. I’ve performed WSOP occasions. I’ve performed Diamond Excessive Rollers, every little thing already. Yeah, I like it. Excellent spot. Actually great spot.”
The 2025 WSOP Europe wasn’t simply delivered to an in depth with Pidun’s rockets, however so was a chapter within the occasion’s historical past. A brand new one will start subsequent spring, and Pidun secured a spot in WSOP historical past because the one who wrote the ultimate web page.
That concludes PokerNews’ protection of the 2025 WSOP Europe. The collection will probably be again in its new house subsequent March, however you should definitely catch different thrilling motion from across the poker world.
