Leon Sturm Wins Record Score in EPT Barcelona Super High Roller

Six players returned to play out the final table of the €100,000-entry EPT Barcelona Super High Roller event at Casino Barcelona this week. When they did, one of the biggest stories of the post-summer season emerged, with Germany’s Leon Sturm and American David Coleman winning over $3 million between them after a deal heads-up.

Exclusive High Roller Club Hits Casino Barcelona

Sun, sea, sand and super high rollers. Barcelona is a poker player’s paradise and this week, 47 players put up the equivalent of $116,700 to battle for a top score of $1.69 million in the EPT Barcelona Super High Roller. When the dust settled, it was the German professional Leon Sturm who won the top prize and ‘Spadie’ trophy, after a heads-up deal with American David Coleman ended the event.

Heading into the latter stages of the tournament, the players knew that only the top six players would cash, with the money bubble bursting at the end of Day 2. The Austrian player Samuel Mullur was the unfortunate ‘bubble boy’, missing out when he called off around 18 big blinds pre-flop with ace-queen only to be shown ace-king by the aggressor in the hand, David Coleman. A flop of Q-J-4 threatened to upset the odds and prolong the bubble period, but a ten on the turn locked up the hand for Coleman before an inconsequential queen hit the river.

On the third and final day of the event, the Norwegian former world champion Espen Jørstad led the remaining half-dozen players as they played down to a winner. It was David Coleman who took out the next player, however, as Punnat Punsri lost out unluckily in sixth place for $372,535. The Thai player correctly called off his stack with pocket kings after Coleman had shoved with ace-five offsuit, but a board of A-T-5-6-4 ended the Thailand player’s chances and catapulted Coleman into a fortunate lead.

Lonis Close Again as American Misses Out

With five players remaining, the only player among the number to beat Phil Ivey heads-up for a WSOP bracelet exited. Latvian player Aleks Ponakovs committed his stack with king-jack of spades but was way behind Jørstad’s ace-king and stayed there through the board, which paired both the ace and the jack as it sent the Latvian player home with $478,975.

While he won that hand, it was soon all over for Jørstad, as the former world champion busted in fourth place for $612,025. All-in with king-six of hearts, the Norwegian didn’t have even have a flush chance when Jesse Lonis turned over ace-six of the same suit. A flop of A-7-2 left Jørstad needing a miracle and a jack on the turn ended those hopes, sending play three-handed.

It wasn’t long before play moved heads-up. Despite edging ahead of Coleman with that pot, Lonis drifted to short stack as he lost to Coleman’s trips. The same two players saw the chips committed, with Lonis holding just under eight big blinds and being at-risk with ace-nine. Coleman once again got lucky, his dominated nine-eight flopping the business on a board of 8-5-3-3-J to send Lonis home with $824,900 and play heads-up.

Deal Decides Before Champion Speaks

“I had a substantial lead, and I could just do anything.”

With Sturm leading the way, a deal was struck between the two remaining players, leading to a brief heads-up battle. Leaving just $220,000 to play for, it wasn’t long before Coleman called off his stack with ace-five but was well behind the German’s ace-nine. Coleman couldn’t get lucky this time, a board of J-J-4-6-2 sending the American home with $1.34 million, as Sturm celebrated a score of $1.69m instead.

“New high score unlocked,” Sturm smiled after the event. “That’s very nice, always very cool to win a trophy. I think that’s more important than the score in the end. I just kind of feel lucky to have gotten lucky right now.”

When he made it to the final two, Sturm was determined to get the job done, even after enjoying the better end of the pair’s deal.

“I felt like I had a substantial lead, and I could just do anything. All the spots worked out incredibly well,” he told reporters. “Obviously, I was fortunate that my opponents didn’t pick up cards, but momentum definitely shifted in that moment, and I kind of just overtook. This one’s super, super brutal for David, of course.”

Sturm said that he enjoyed playing against so many friends in the high roller, more than he does against ‘unknowns’.

“All professionals definitely [made] a good atmosphere. We were also just rocking the shades, literally everyone, five people staring into each other’s sunglasses, so there’s room for growth in terms of table talk!”

With the biggest win of his poker career so far, Leon Sturm is unlikely to be going anywhere in super high roller events for a long time. Here’s what happened in Barcelona at the final table in Leon’s words after the event.