The primary bracelet of the 2025 World Sequence of Poker Europe has been awarded, and it’s Pawel Wojciechowski who captured the title in Occasion #1: €1,200 NLH Bounty Hunter Opener at King’s Resort Rozvadov. The Polish participant outlasted a area of 385 entries to safe the €58,850 prime prize, together with a coveted WSOP gold bracelet and a €10,350 ticket to the Principal Occasion.
The event marked its debut on the WSOPE schedule and generated a prize pool of €435,000, drawing gamers from throughout Europe and past trying to kick off the competition in fashion. Throughout two opening flights, 59 contenders superior to Day 2, the place the fast-paced bounty format ensured no scarcity of motion and drama on the street to the ultimate desk.
Wojciechowski started the final day because the chip chief and carried that momentum during, overcoming a tricky remaining desk that included EPT champion Jan Bendik, who completed runner-up for €42,150, and France’s Dorian Melchers, who rounded out the rostrum in third for €31,750.
Occasion #1: €1,200 NLH Bounty Hunter Opener Last Desk Outcomes
*- features a €10,350 Principal Occasion ticket
Wojciechowski’s Phrases
For Wojciechowski, the victory marks a life-changing second only a 12 months and a half after he left his full-time job to pursue poker professionally. “It means a lot to me,” he mentioned, visibly emotional after the win. “I’m simply grateful for at the present time. I ran so sizzling, it couldn’t be every other final result than profitable this bracelet.”
He credited a lot of his run to a string of pivotal setups, significantly pocket aces that appeared a number of occasions on the remaining desk. “It actually felt like future. From the start of the event, the whole lot went my manner. I even had the set over set spot, and whereas that was robust, I took a deep breath, moved on, after which doubled proper after the break. That introduced me again into it.”
A former footballer, Wojciechowski mentioned his sports activities background helped him preserve composure below strain. “Unhealthy beats don’t have an effect on me the identical manner. I understand how to recuperate shortly and give attention to the subsequent hand. That mindset made the distinction at this time.”
Whereas he admits he nonetheless has work to do, particularly in heads-up play and ICM, at this time was all about celebrating the breakthrough. “I by no means thought I used to be going to win it, as a result of the opponents had been very robust, a lot better than me. I simply tried to play each hand in addition to I might. At the moment was the day, and it’s a tremendous feeling.”
Navigating Ups and Downs
It was under no circumstances easy crusing for Wojciechowski, who navigated loads of ups and downs on his technique to victory. Beginning the day as chip chief definitely helped, and that momentum stayed with him as he dispatched each Modestas Plauska and Luigi Pignataro early on, the latter with pocket aces towards ace-king.
Wojciechowski additionally eradicated Czechia’s number-one ranked event participant, in accordance with TheHendonMob, when his ace-queen was too robust for the ace-jack of Martin Kabrhel.
By the point the ultimate desk got here round, Wojciechowski sat third within the counts, whereas runner-up Bendik was chip chief with nearly a 3rd of the chips in play. Nevertheless, issues did not begin too nicely for the Polish participant as he discovered himself in a difficult state of affairs towards Pablo Heredia.
Holding pocket fives, Wojciechowski flopped a set and received the chips in on the flip towards Heredia, who held pocket queens for the next set. No miracle one-outer arrived on the river, and Wojciechowski’s remaining desk was off to a horrible begin.
The luck wasn’t towards Wojciechowski for lengthy, although, as he clashed in a pot with Bendik which resulted in them each getting their stacks in preflop. Wojciechowski held aces and was up towards the large slick of Bendik, and a clear runout later, the eventual champion was again on observe.
It is at all times nice to choose up aces, nevertheless it’s even higher if you get dealt them twice on the identical remaining desk, particularly if you receives a commission. That was the state of affairs for Wojciechowski as he received his stack in as soon as once more with the bullets towards the ace-queen of Heredia. The board modified nothing, and Heredia exited in eighth whereas Wojciechowski climbed to the highest of the leaderboard.
Wojciechowski went on to ship Georgios Mylonas, Ioannis Chorianopoulos, Mateusz Sikora, and Melchers to the payout desk, which left him with only one participant standing between him and the title.
It was throughout earlier than it actually started, as simply three fingers into the duel Wojciechowski had his fingers on the elusive bracelet. After checking his choice preflop, he check-called two streets earlier than check-shoving the river after backdooring the nuts, a queen-high straight, with queen-jack. Bendik had turned two pair and could not let it go, which meant he needed to accept second.
