When Vadzim Kursevich made it to the final table in Deauville during the most recent stop of the European Poker Tour, he had already made poker history. He was the only Belorussian player to make the final table at more than one EPT event, and he did it in back-to-back seasons. Kursevich sat at a table of Frenchmen and Italy’s Luca Pagano, who has long been a regular at the EPT tables (and has been in the top three on the EPT All-time Leaderboard pretty much from the very beginning of the tournament series), so while his presence didn’t go unnoticed, no one really expected him to win. Even though he entered the final table second in chips and there was no clear “strongest player” at the table before the game started, when poker commentators were making their guesses about the outcome of EPT Deauville, Kursevich’s name rarely came up.
The first player out was Irishman Mick Graydon, who went all in on Ac9h and lost it all on what would become a battle of the high cards (Guichard held AdKc). It took two hours for first blood, and the game would prove to be a long one before the night was done.
EPT favorite Luca Pagano performed in this final table as he has in most other final tables. This is the seventh time that the Italian has made it to a final table at the EPT, and he closed out the day in seventh place. While his performance at the final table was unimpressive, he made it over the two million dollar mark for live tournament earnings and boosting his rank on the all-time Italian Money List.
Three and a half hours into the game, Olivier Rogez was sent home with sixth place and €155,000 (another out by Guichard), and two hours later, Than Trong sent someone else home: Bruno Jais was out in fifth. The players took a much needed hour break, and when they returned, the tone of the game shifted, and the players took off the gloves (perhaps they were simply tired from playing for six hours already).
Kursevich made his first elimination of the evening by taking out Yorane Kerignard when his KJ came out higher than the Frenchman’s Q9 (the board showed trip 5s and nothing else of use to either player. Not content with one notch in his belt, Kursevich gunned for Than Trong, taking him out in third place, Ace high to King high.
Finally, the game was down to only two– Kursevich and Frenchman Paul Guichard. On the final hand, Guichard held pocket 5s and Kursevich held 3h6h for a flush/straight draw. The board read Js-7h-5d-9h, and the 8c on the river busted Kursevich’s flush draw, but gave him the straight that he needed to win the hand and the game, sending Guichard home with only (only!) €557,000 for second place.
The final places and amounts won are:
- Vadzim Kursevich – €875,000
- Paul Guichard – €557,000
- Vuong Than Trong – €328,000
- Yorane Kerignard – €260,000
- Bruno Jais – €200,000
- Olivier Rogez – €155,000
- Luca Pagano – €110,000
- Mick Graydon – €67,200
The European Poker Tour has announced that this season’s Grand Final will once again take place in Monte Carlo, Monaco, after last year’s segue to Madrid. Kursevich has scored himself a seat at that event with this win, and one thing is for certain: should he make it to the final table in another EPT event, he won’t be overlooked again.