Indian poker pro Ankit Ahuja has shipped the coveted European Poker Tour (EPT) Cyprus 2023 $1,100 Eureka Main Event (ME) for a payday of $362,365 (~₹3,01,45,325).
The Indian poker pro who entered Day 3 of the ME as the chip lead kept the pressure on his opponents throughout the final day and ultimately shipped the title and trophy. Ahuja beat Eduard Norel in heads-up, the runner-up took home a pay cheque of $226,550.
When it comes to the $1,100 Eureka Main Event, a total of 2,659 entries were registered. This player field happens to be the third highest number of entries registered for a Eureka Main Event in its history.
PokerNews spoke to Ahuja about his victory in the coveted tournament. The Indian pro said, “It was tough, but that’s bound to happen in any tournament. These were hands where I couldn’t have done anything, so I didn’t make any mistakes (in the hands). I was just okay with it. And still, I was glad that I had so many chips that even after I lost those hands, I still had 100 bags after that.” (sic)
A jubilant looking Ahuja posed for photographs post his win. The Indian poker pro who was working with PokerStars as Senior Product Development Manager, also added, “It used to be a dream when I was learning to play poker or coming up even when I was working with Stars. So yeah, it’s a dream come true,” when asked about his biggest poker accomplishment.
The $1,100 Eureka Main Event victory is Ahuja’s career-best score and the prize money further boosts his total live earnings which were recorded at over $1.8 Million before this astounding win.
ALSO READ: EPT Cyprus 2023 ME: Ankit Ahuja Enters Day 3 As Chip Lead
In the deciding hand of the $1,100 Eureka Main Event, Ahuja had the Big Slick. Norel played with KJo. Ahuja opened with 1,500,000 from the button position and his Romanian rival 3-bet with 4,600,000 from the big blind spot.
Ahuja opted for a four-bet of 9,000,000 and Norel reverted with a five-bet jam of around 20,000,000. The Indian pro called to put his heads-up rival at risk. The board read: 2♠6♥3♦3♣8♠. This gave Ahuja a shiny new PokerStars trophy and his best live cash.
Place | Players | Country | Prize (USD) |
1 | Ankit Ahuja | India | $362,365 |
2 | Eduard Norel | Romania | $226,550 |
3 | Andrei Teodorescu | Romania | $161,800 |
4 | Andrei Vavilonskii | Russia | $124,475 |
5 | Roman Gadzhiev | Russia | $95,750 |
6 | Mykhailo Demydenko | Ukraine | $73,650 |
7 | Delrouz Babak | Iran | $56,650 |
8 | Michel Atallah | Lebanon | $43,375 |
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Image Credit: PokerNews.com
With a Masters Degree in Journalism and Communication, Mrinal Gujare currently is cruising through an exciting genre of writing and editing at Gutshot Magazine. Apart from being an Editor, Mrinal is an avid reader and a former contemporary dancer. She is also perennially hungry for intriguing scoops from across the globe. No holds barred is the rule Mrinal follows in life.
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