Alex Kulev Claims EPT Monte Carlo Super High Roller as King Kenney Wins Big

With Bryn Kenney cashing for almost $3m overnight, is the race to get to $100 million in tournament earnings over before it has begun? The Long Islander was in fine form last night in Monte Carlo as the European Poker Tour hosted the biggest buy-in event ever seen on the EPT in the Monaco province, with drama all the way to the finish.

The Money Bubble from Hell

There are painful ways to bust a poker tournament and there are ones that ordinary mortals might not get over. Costing $294,000 to play, the EPT Monte Carlo Super High Roller added up 38 entries (including re-entries) as it built a prize pool of $10.95 million which was only going to be paid out to six players. Whoever finished in seventh would leave with nothing, whichever player left in sixth would be paid $767,000.

The unlucky player to lose their seat when it mattered most was even at the final table, as after the exits of Stephen Chidwick in ninth and Enrico Camosci in eighth place, Biao Ding was the luckless soul who departed with nothing but expensive memories. All-in with marginally more than Alex Kulev, the Chinese player was crushed to lose with ace-king to the ace-eight of his opponent, and that left him with less than a big blind. That disappeared in the next hand and the field was reduced to half a dozen players hoping to win seven figures, while Ding departed to sympathetic applause.

The first player to make money at the final table was Artur Martirosian. The Russian, fresh off his 13^th and record-extending victory in the GGMillion$ online event for $486,000, was the chip leader with six remaining but everything unravelled. Losing a couple of pots to fall short, the Russian was all-in with the best if it, holding ace-queen to the German player Chris Nguyen’s ace-five. Domination pre-flop, but disaster post-flop came for Martirosian, as a five paired the German’s hand and reduced the table to the same number of players, Martirosian claiming the ‘min-cash’ of $767,000.

Millionaire Hard Luck Stories

With five players left, it was still anyone’s game but that was not the case for long when it came to Turkish player Orpen Kisacikoglu. The British-based professional is a regular in high stakes poker tournaments, especially on the EPT and in Monte Carlo but he missed out on the top four in fifth for $986,000 when his ace-four couldn’t overcome Kulev’s pocket fives, an entertaining board of 5-4-3-3-2 giving Kisacikoglu a straight but Kulev a full house.

The WSOP bracelet winner Aleks Ponakovs was the next to leave the action after cashing for $1,260,000 in fourth place, missing out on the podium places by one spot. The Latvian pro made his fatal move with an open-ended straight draw against the made hand of top pair for Kulev and while there was a sweat, the Bulgarian held to send play three-handed in Monaco.

Chris Nguyen was second in chips when disaster struck to leave his stack crippled. Bryn Kenney called all-in with ace-jack as Nguyen’s loose shove with ten-seven was exposed. Very soon afterwards, Nguyen was short of chips and slid out of contention for $1,699,000 in third as Kenney piled up 4,125,000 chips, marginally short of the leader Kulev with 5,350,000 as heads-up began.

Kenney Denied Famous Win as Kulev Wears the Crown

“All the best players in the world come to play the EPTs and especially in Monte Carlo.”

With just two players left and the chips close in number, both men were amenable to a deal and after looking up the numbers with award-winning tournament director Toby Stone, agreed on the altered payouts. Leaving a little over to play for, there was still the title to shoot for but it took just two hands to end the event.

In the second of those hands, a board of K-T-9-4 had fallen, with Kenney moving all-in on the turn. The New York pro had ace-nine for third pair and the nut flush draw, but Kulev made the call with ten-four of spades for turned two-pair.

“I’m fortunate to be here, whichever way [this] one goes. Do you feel like it’s coming or no?”

“I’m not sure,” Kulev said nervously.

The Bulgarian held through the river of an offsuit seven and became the latest massive EPT Monte Carlo winner, banking an incredible $3,280,000 top prize, with Kenney forced to settle for the also outstanding $2,967,000 result for being runner-up. A clearly emotional Kulev was ecstatic, and it was obvious how much his efforts and the final result meant to him, especially with his parents on the rail taking pictures of their son.

“All the best players in the world come to play the EPTs and especially at this stop [in Monte Carlo]. I’m very grateful that this tournament was organized, and I had the fortune to win.”

When asked by outgoing EPT Monte Carlo host Joe ‘Stapes’ Stapleton what he cared most about, the Bulgarian threw the focus on the work he put in behind the scenes and crediting his family for their unwavering support.

“What I care about is trying to perform from day to day, and keep on improving,” he said. “We can always make money in this word but sharing special moments with the people you love is something way more important.”

Want to watch all the action from the final table of the biggest buy-in PokerStars live event of all-time? Check it out here.

Photography by Danny Maxwell for European Poker Tour and PokerStars, the home of EPT qualifiers.