EPT Monte Carlo: Tracking the biggest prizes ever awarded at PokerStars-branded events
Poker’s very best return to the tables in Monte Carlo today to play to a champion in the €250K Super High Roller — an event that has raised the bar for tournaments on the European Poker Tour (EPT).
This is only the second time a PokerStars-branded event has had a buy-in of greater than €100,000, and the first time such a tournament has been hosted under the Red Spade on European soil. Given that the only previous time was when the $250K buy-in was USD, this is officially the highest buy-in a PokerStars event has ever had.
It means that the scheduled first prize of €3,212,000 will be the second-biggest ever won by a player in a PokerStars-branded event, behind only the $5.1 million (€4.4 million approx) Ramon Colillas won when he took down the inaugural PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) in the Bahamas in 2019.
And the scheduled €2,094,600 for the runner up will be the ninth biggest, assuming the players opt not to do a deal.
TWO VENUES RICHER THAN THEM ALL
When we look at the biggest prizes in PokerStars events, the Bahamas and Monte Carlo feature very prominently indeed — moreso even than Barcelona, the event that usually dominates EPT statistics charts.
However, Monte Carlo used to host what was initially called the EPT Grand Final during the height of the boom years, where the Main Event had a €10,000 buy-in. Meanwhile the PCA was the go-to destination for US-based players during the same era, and the fields and buy-ins were massive.
Indeed, the only tournament that runs this week’s €250K close in terms of buy-in was the $250,000 Super High Roller at the PCA/PSPC festival in the Bahamas in 2023. In that tournament, Sam Greenwood defeated Jean-Noel Thorel heads up to earn a first prize of more than $3.2 million. Although USD/EUR exchange rates have fluctuated through the years, Greenwood’s prize was the equivalent of roughly €3.026 million, marginally less than today’s winner is due to receive.
Sam Greenwood won the only other event with a buy-in of more than $100K
ADDED MONEY BOOSTS PSPC TO TOP
Unless the EPT decides to enter the nosebleed buy-in arena, it’s likely that Colillas’ prize from the PSPC will never be beaten on this tour. The 2019 PSPC was a very special event, with $9 million in added value. That came in the form of 320 Platinum Passes, $25K of which went into the prize pool, and a $1 million bonus onto the winner’s prize.
There wasn’t quite so much free money going around when the PSPC returned for its second iteration in 2023, but Aliaksandr Shylko’s $3.1 million prize (€2.9 million approx) is still in the top five prizes ever awarded in PokerStars events.
The two PSPC runners up — Julien Martini in 2019 and Max Menzel in 2023 — also feature prominently on the biggest prizes list, as does Philipe Pizzari, who finished third in 2023. Shyklo, Menzel and Pizzari arranged a three-way deal at the end of the tournament, meaning the eventual champion would have won more if they’d played it out. However, the deal meant that Menzel and Pizzari are both in the top 10 PokerStars prize winners, even without a trophy.
Ramon Colillas may remain the biggest ever winner in PokerStars-branded events
BACK TO MONTE CARLO
Returning to Monte Carlo, the Principality is still the place where the biggest ever Main Event prize was handed out. Pieter de Korver’s win in 2009 earned the Dutchman €2.9 million, which, when exchange rates are taken into account, is slightly bigger than the $3 million (€2.2 million approx) Poorya Nazari won for the PCA Main Event of the same year.
But the past two years have seen a real resurgence for Monte Carlo as a destination for the high rollers. Chris Nguyen sealed the deal in a massive €100K event here last year, winning €2.022 million. That was only bettered by Albert Daher’s success in the €100K for One Drop earlier this week, for which the Lebanese player won €2.055 million.
Whoever prevails today will better both of them, with the runner-up also set to enter the chart in a higher position.
Alber Daher raised the bar for Monte Carlo, but it’s going to be lifted again
THE BIGGEST PRIZES IN POKERSTARS-BRANDED EVENTS
All wins of more than €2 million. Contemporaneous exchange rates used for USD-EUR conversions.
*runners-up
†third place
Further reading
EPT Monte Carlo information hub
Monte Carlo activities guide
Official EPT site
EPT photo gallery
Latest Articles
View Other Blogs
