This year, Belarus’s best poker player won seven-figure prize money in a tournament for the first time. This time around, Bodiakovski won $1,112,687 heads-up at the EPT Super High Roller in Monte Carlo. See our article for more information.
From EPT to EPT.
Nikita has cashed in eight live tournaments since winning the European Poker Tour High Stakes event last August, and his biggest cash to date was a $416,000 Triton Poker Main event in Vietnam .
But returning to the Principality of Monaco after eight months is much more successful for our players.
On May 1, 2023, Nikita Bodiakovsky won his first seven-figure annual cash prize of $1,112,687 and Runner-up in the EPT Monte Carlo Super High Roller.
All in all, the €100,000 buy-in tournament had 37 entrants, most of which, of course, were made by big names in the poker world.
Interestingly, Bulgarian Alex Kulev, who finished first in the High Roller event, only got 30,000 more because the player struck a deal at ICM.
The result puts Bodiakowski among the top 10 players in the world in terms of live tournament money, with his $40 million live cash limit of $39,970,708.
Final Table
The final day of action began with the top 7 stage, with batsman Nikita now holding a second pile of 32BB. After an hour of play, Santos Suvarna was crowned the “Bubble Boy” of the tournament, but he was beaten by another “little guy” Adrian Ma in a 99-AJ showdown. Adrian Mateos eliminated. The Spaniard had an ace and a jack on the flop.
He had to wait a few more blind levels to see the next out. Bodjakovski knocks out Turkey’s best player, Alban Kisachkoglu: AK-AQ. By the end of that hand, the Belarusian had amassed more than half of the entire tournament chip stack.
After that, luck turned to Ben Heath, who managed to take all of Mateos’ chips (A9-K3). ) and Artur Martirosyans (K3-A8). Both times the Englishman attacked his opponent from the small blind.
But in the top three, Heath lost a lot of pot chips without a showdown, eventually losing to Kulev’s Q9-K5.
Notes
The stage began with two poker players roughly equal in stacks and a one-on-one deal before play began. Their entire ensuing tournament revolved around the title of High Roller winner and the €43,000 total.
Initially, Nikita won a few banks without a showdown, but “dragged” after Alex Kulev won a hand. The flush was tied, but the Bulgarian shriveled up on the river for an ace against a pair of kings.
After a 20-minute break, the pivotal trade was made and Bodiakovsky’s opponent was once again very lucky:
In response to Kulev’s small raise on AT, the Belarusian moved all-in with AJ and A call was quickly received. On the river, the dealer settles with 10. This gave Alex Kuleev the ultimate victory.
Congratulations to Nikita Bodiakovsky on another big win and we wish him many more rivers in future expensive finals!
*Final table recording.
