Seven gamers managed to outlive Day 5 of the PokerStars EPT Paris Primary Occasion, however solely one among them has nearly one hand across the Golden Shard trophy already.
Jorge Abreu dominated the day, build up an enormous stack of twenty-two,425,000 that makes him the overwhelming chip chief going to tomorrow’s last desk. The Portuguese on-line grinder scored the one two knockouts of the ultimate desk to date, first turning a straight to crack Joris Ruijs’ set, then waking up with kings to take out Sami Bechahed in eighth. Abreu is greater than 16,000,000 forward of his closest challenger as he chases the title and €1,148,600 prime prize.
EPT Paris Primary Occasion Last Desk Chip Counts
1Jorge AbreuPortugal22,425,000150
2Casimir SeireFinland6,400,00043
3Nazar BuhaiovUkraine5,025,00034
4Tomas JozonisLithuania3,200,00021
5Thierry GogniatFrance2,950,00020
6Enrico CoppolaItaly2,250,00015
7Felix SchneidersGermany1,950,00013
The 35-year-old has 4 earlier EPT Primary Occasion cashes, all from Barcelona, however most of his success has gone on-line, the place he’s been an expert since he was 18. Taking part in underneath the title “Jorginho88,” Abreu gained two SCOOP Heat-Up titles proper earlier than coming to Paris and is a part of the Polarize Poker workforce that often heads to the Austrian mountains to grind SCOOP and WCOOP.
Casimir Seire ended up with 6,400,000, far behind Abreu however nonetheless adequate for second place for the Finnish excessive curler. Seire is not any stranger to a few of the greatest tournaments on-line, and he’s additionally managed to rack up 5 EPT Primary Occasion cashes in a short while, together with a Nineteenth-place end at EPT Cyprus in 2023.

Begin-of-day chip chief Nazar Buhaiov completed with 5,025,000 and in third place, whereas Tomas Jozonis (3,200,000) and Enrico Coppola (2,250,000) additionally managed to safe a spot at their second EPT last tables. Jozonis completed third at EPT Monte Carlo in 2018, whereas Coppola is making his second look in lower than a yr after he made a run to fourth place in Monte Carlo final Could.
However the unlikeliest participant on the last desk is Thierry Gogniat. The native restaurateur was down to only 4 large blinds when there have been 12 gamers remaining, his dream of becoming a member of his spouse Isabel Baltazar as an EPT finalist seemingly vanquished. However he managed to just about quadruple up and saved making the pay jumps till he bagged up 2,950,000, good for fifth place going to the ultimate desk.
Schneiders Residing His Dream
Every of these six gamers had their respective supporters on the rail right this moment, however the one who had a complete group behind him was Felix Schneiders. The favored streamer and GRND on Tour professional had his greatest displaying in an EPT occasion when he completed forty eighth at EPT Malta final yr, however, after years of making an attempt, he’s lastly achieved his dream of creating it to the ultimate desk, even when he’s the quick stack with simply 1,950,000.

“It means the world. It’s the largest rating of my profession already. It’s all we’ve been working for the previous three years. EPT is the dream that we’ve began to lengthy for,” he mentioned on the finish of play right this moment.
“It means the world. It’s the largest rating of my profession already. It’s all we’ve been working for the previous three years”
“Had my first money in Monte Carlo, then my first deeper run in Cyprus, then my deepest run in Malta, and now this one. It’s simply insane. I’ve began to construct my very own little masterclass, so to say, round my approach in the direction of EPT glory. And that is simply the affirmation that that is the suitable path. I’ve received the crew with me and so they’re all supporting me. My coach is right here, my household, my mates, my girlfriend, they’re all supporting me. They’re so going loopy again residence. It’s a loopy experience.”
Schneiders is often on the opposite facet at EPT last tables, serving as a commentator in the course of the stay stream. To truly make it this far himself is one thing he may solely think about in his wildest desires.
“I can’t imagine that I truly made the ultimate day of an EPT, which I beforehand solely did commentary on, and I used to be dreaming of in the future sitting there on the last desk. And now the day has come, and it’s come prior to I ever thought,” he mentioned.
Schneiders’ journey was chronicled all the approach by his GRND on Tour crew, who had been there to seize each hand, each determination, and each essential second during the last 5 days. Schneiders’ has constructed up an internet following that features greater than 32,000 subscribers on YouTube, and one other 75,000 on Twitch. The truth that the sport permits him to attach with so many individuals and create a group is what makes poker particular for him.
“That is what it’s all about. I’ve constructed my complete enterprise and profession and initiatives that I’ve completed, principally simply by sharing my ardour and sharing what I like doing, and simply getting others to affix and connecting with others. All of the individuals which might be right here grew to become mates by means of the group. All of the individuals which might be watching are a part of the group, and it’s only a nice experience,” he mentioned.
“It simply exhibits how nice this recreation is, the way it connects, and the way that is all in regards to the individuals. The sport is good, however it’s extra in regards to the connections we kind and the help we give one another.”
Schneiders can have his work lower out for him tomorrow when he returns with simply 13 large blinds, and he acknowledges that the tip result’s out of his arms. He’s put in all of the work, completed all the maths, and studied all of the spots. It’s as much as the playing cards now if he desires to mount a miraculous comeback.
“I’ve no plan. Simply make good choices, and all the pieces is as much as the playing cards. I’ve completed all the pieces I may. I’ve completed technique, we’ve completed a lot of talks with my coach, and a few random math and stuff, and went by means of spots. So all I can do proper now could be simply deal with the choices, and let the playing cards roll.”
Day 5 Motion
Day 5 started with 16 gamers returning to Le Palais des Congres out of a beginning discipline of 1,474. Pawel Wojciechowski earned an early double up when he rivered two pair towards Coppola, however his success proved short-lived. After laying down journey aces to Jozonis’ full home, Wojciechowski then moved all in for two,145,000 with ace-queen, however Jozonis awoke with kings to bust Wojciechowski in sixteenth place.
Chady Ojeil (fifteenth) and Raphael Bilger (14th) had been subsequent to fall. Coppola, in the meantime, earned his personal lucky double up when he spiked a flush on the river towards Buhaiov.
Jessica Teusl, the final lady remaining within the discipline, was left quick after shoving from the small blind however working into Seire’s pocket jacks. Her run ended when she received in her final 810,000 with two tens, however Abreu known as with two jacks to ship Teusl out in thirteenth place.

When the ultimate 12 gamers went off on break, three had lower than 10 large blinds with the ultimate desk quick approaching. Gogniat was left with simply 4 after working ace-king into Bechahed’s aces, however it was Mihai Tabac who was the primary to bust after calling for 600,000 on the flop with a pair of sixes. Buhaiov confirmed prime pair of aces, and Tabac couldn’t enhance as he was despatched to the rail in twelfth.
Julien Mariani was then all in for 900,000 with ace-seven towards Schneiders’ tens, and as their respective rails shouted out for playing cards, it was the German supporters who erupted in celebration as Schneiders held on to bust Mariani in eleventh. On the similar time on the function desk, Mitch Garshofsky had misplaced a lot of his stack when Jozonis rivered a straight towards his flopped set. Garshofsky then received in his final 870,000 on the button, however Bechahed picked up queens within the small blind, and Garshofsky adopted Mariani to the payout desk in tenth place.
The ultimate desk of 9 was set, and Abreu sat atop the leaderboard with 9,270,000. He wasted little time additional separating from the remainder of the sector. Bechahed had opened to 230,000 within the cutoff and Abreu known as on the button. Ruijs additionally known as within the small blind, and so they went three-handed to the flop. Abreu guess 250,000 with straight and flush attracts, and Ruijs known as with a flopped set. Bechahed then raised to 725,000 and Abreu known as, however Ruijs shoved for two,520,000. Bechahed let go of two jacks, and Abreu known as together with his attracts to create an almost 7,000,000 chip pot. He spiked a straight on the flip, and Ruijs was left needing the board to pair on the river. He received no assist, and the Dutch professional was the primary casualty of the ultimate desk.

Gogniat, down to only two large blinds at one level, almost quadrupled again up previous 1,000,000. Abreu, in the meantime, had an almost 3-to-1 chip lead because the remaining eight gamers went off on a 45-minute dinner break. Once they returned, Bechahed raised to 300,000 in center place and Abreu three-bet to 800,000 within the hijack. Bechahed then shoved for 4,325,000, however Abreu had the products with two kings and snap-called. Bechahed may solely get lost from the desk after discovering his two nines crushed, and the NAPT champion was eradicated in eighth as Abreu moved up previous 21,000,000.
Last Desk Payouts
1 €1,148,600
2 €717,350
3 €512,400
4 €394,150
5 €303,150
6 €233,200
7 €179,350
8Sami BechahedFrance€137,950
The motion on the last desk picks up tomorrow with 14 arms remaining in Degree 31 with blinds of 100,000/150,000 and a 150,000 large blind ante. The gamers have all locked up €179,350 for making it this far, however the seven-figure payday and Golden Shard trophy await one among them.













