Roman Stoica has simply captured the most important title of his poker profession, taking down the celebrated 2026 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo €5,300 Primary Occasion for an enormous €825,000.
Outlasting a tricky subject of 1,011 entries, Stoica navigated the ultimate desk masterfully. Ranging from the center of the pack, he picked his spots completely, utilized relentless strain when he gained the chip lead, and added an EPT Primary Occasion trophy to the EPT Thriller Bounty title he received final yr in Barcelona.
Whereas studying concerning the large payouts and glossy trophies is all the time thrilling, as poker gamers, we aren’t simply right here for the headlines. We wish to perceive the thought course of behind the performs. By trying intently on the key choices made below strain, we will choose up beneficial classes for our personal sport.
Nonetheless, the heads-up battle towards Austria’s Bernhard Binder lasted solely 5 fingers. Let’s break down the ultimate hand of the match to see how Stoica used wager sizing and board texture to extract most worth and lay the right entice to win the title.
The Heads-Up Dynamic
Going into heads-up play, the chip discrepancy was large. Blinds have been at 100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 large blind ante.
Roman Stoica:~22.8M (114 BB)
Berhard Binder:~7M (35 BB)
With a 3-to-1 chip benefit, Stoica might afford to use most strain, whereas Binder was preventing for his match life.
It’s all the time coming…Congratulations to Roman Stoica, he's the latest EPT Primary Occasion champion.
Stoica defeated Bernhard Binder heads-up to win the #EPTMonteCarlo Primary Occasion and €825,000.
pic.twitter.com/9b11qd8q5J
— PokerStars LIVE (@PokerStarsLIVE) Might 10, 2026
The Closing Hand: Setting the Lure
Preflop: The Setup
Roman Stoica (Button/SB) appears down at 7
5 and decides to limp. Binder, sitting within the Massive Blind with Okay
Q
, correctly isolates to 800,000. Stoica makes the decision.
Be aware: Stoica’s limp-call with a suited connector is a regular heads-up play, particularly when deep-stacked and holding an enormous chip lead. Binder’s isolation increase with broadway playing cards can also be the proper play to punish the limp.
Flop: The Tiny Guess (Pot: 1.8M)
The seller followers out: 4 7
7.
Stoica hits the jackpot, flopping journey sevens. Whereas Binder does not join immediately with the board, he does choose up a backdoor flush draw together with his diamonds. Binder determined to decelerate and test, however Stoica bets a tiny 350,000 (below 20% of the pot). Binder calls.
Be aware: Stoica’s tiny sizing is good. If he bets large, Binder simply folds his Okay-high. By betting 350K, Stoica retains all of Binder’s bluffs, overcards, and random floats within the hand. It appears precisely like a weak stab to steal the pot, virtually inviting Binder to name.
Flip: The Misjudgement (Pot: 2.5M)
The flip brings the 9.
Binder checks once more. Stoica will increase the strain, betting 1.1M. Binder makes the decision.
Be aware: The flip fully kills Binder’s backdoor flush draw, leaving him with simply King-high. In opposition to Stoica’s precise hand, he’s drawing nearly lifeless. Binder is a extremely expert participant, however on this high-pressure spot, he probably leveled himself. He may need perceived Stoica’s tiny flop wager as weak spot and assumed the flip wager was only a follow-through bluff. Sadly, this misjudgment trapped him towards absolutely the prime of Stoica’s vary.
The River: The proper card for Roman Stoica (Pot: 4.7M)
The river is the Q.
Binder checks. He has lastly hit prime pair, but it surely’s the worst doable card for him. Figuring out his opponent is now tied to the board, Stoica strikes all-in. Binder makes the decision for his remaining match life.
Stoica reveals his journey sevens, formally ending the match and crowning him the EPT Monte Carlo 2026 Primary Occasion champion.
EPT Monte Carlo 2026 Primary Occasion Closing Outcomes
Under are the ultimate desk outcomes for the standout occasion of the season:
Congratulations to all of the finalists of the EPT Monte Carlo 2026!
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FAQ: EPT Monte Carlo 2026 Primary Occasion
Roman Stoica received the 2026 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo Primary Occasion. He outlasted an enormous subject of 1,011 entries to safe the celebrated title.
Roman Stoica took residence the first-place prize of €825,000. The runner-up, Bernhard Binder from Austria, collected €515,000 for his spectacular efficiency.
Within the closing hand, Roman Stoica held 7 5 and flopped journey sevens on a 4 7 7 board. He used a tiny wager dimension to set a entice, finally getting Bernhard Binder (who held Okay Q) to commit his remaining stack on a Q river.
Whereas that is his first EPT Primary Occasion title, Stoica isn’t any stranger to success. He beforehand received an EPT Thriller Bounty occasion in Barcelona in 2025, proving he’s a constant power on the European poker scene.
The put up Hand Evaluation: How Roman Stoica Gained the 2026 EPT Monte Carlo Primary Occasion appeared first on My Poker Teaching.
