Andrea Dato and Halil Tasyurek are poised on the brink of poker history as the fifth day of the EPT Cyprus Main starts at midday local time. Both players want to be only the third and fourth persons in the EPT’s 20-year history to reach the final table back-to-back in the same event, therefore securing their positions in the annals of the heritage of the tournament.
EPT Cyprus Main: The Historic Assignment
Although hundreds of players have adorned the final tables over the remarkable two-decade history of the EPT, few have been able to make successive visits. It is especially difficult for Dato and Tasyurek as notable players like Vladislav Naumov and Peter Jorgne have lately managed to reach this goal. Having finished second in the first EPT Cyprus Main Event, Dato arrives Day 5 with a competitive chip stack of 2,575,000, ranking sixth among the other players. Tasyurek, who came in fourth last year, finds himself further down the ladder with a more unstable 1,230,000 stack.
EPT Cyprus Main: Current Standings
Day 5 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
| 1 | Georgios Tsouloftas | Cyprus | 7,970,000 | 159 |
| 2 | Oliver Weis | Germany | 4,540,000 | 91 |
| 3 | Andriy Lyubovetskiy | Ukraine | 3,970,000 | 79 |
| 4 | Damir Zhugralin | Kazakhstan | 3,160,000 | 63 |
| 5 | Mikhail Shalamov | Russia | 2,600,000 | 52 |
| 6 | Andrea Dato | Italy | 2,575,000 | 52 |
| 7 | Eleftherios Sinnos | Cyprus | 2,295,000 | 46 |
| 8 | Marta Miquel Munoz | Spain | 2,235,000 | 45 |
| 9 | Philip Joyce | United Kingdom | 1,650,000 | 33 |
| 10 | Anton Wigg | Sweden | 1,550,000 | 31 |
| 11 | Anton Kraous | Bulgaria | 1,320,000 | 26 |
| 12 | Halil Tasyurek | Turkey | 1,230,000 | 25 |
| 13 | Bobby James | United Kingdom | 1,215,000 | 24 |
| 14 | Arian Kashani | United Kingdom | 1,185,000 | 24 |
| 15 | Timo Kamphues | Germany | 805,000 | 16 |
| 16 | Boris Tabiyev | Kazakhstan | 250,000 | 5 |
Thanks to a great performance in the late phases of play on Day 4, Georgios Tsouloftas leads impressingly with 7,970,000 chips as the action moves on Day 5. Oliver Weis, who lately won the EPT High Roller championship in Paris and brought home nearly €970,000, is following him. With 4,540,000 chips, Weis begins Day 5 closely followed by Andriy Lyubovetskiy with 3,970,000, Damir Zhugralin with 3,160,000, and Mikhail Shalamov with 2,600,000.
EPT Cyprus Main: Important Opponents
- The Historical Pursuit Of Anton Wigg
Entering Day 5 with 1,550,000 chips, Anton Wigg is another player striving for excellence. Wigg, the 2010 EPT Copenhagen champion, is trying to rank just fourth among all the players in EPT history to win several championships. As he faces other elite players, this ambition gives the proceedings even more thrills.
- Women’s Participation In Played Poker
Marta Miquel Munoz, with a 2,235,000 stack, is also under focus. Hoping to be the first woman to win since Victoria Coren Mitchell triumphant in San Remo in 2014, she seeks to break a ten-year skid for female champions in the EPT. Munoz has positioned herself nicely to have a big influence on the tournament with a good chip count.
- The British Contingent
As the competition runs on, the British players on the field—Philip Joyce (1,650,000), Bobby James (1,215,000), and Arian Kashani (1,185,000)—are seeking to establish themselves as fierce rivals. Starting the day with 805,000 chips, Timo Kamphues will have to create a recovery if he is to be in contention.
Tournament Characteristics And Organisation
With 52 minutes left in Level 26, where the blinds are at 25,000–50,000 with a 50,000 big blind ante, the action on Day 5 is scheduled to resume. Although all 16 surviving players have already guaranteed a payout of $42,280, the stakes rise greatly as they strive for a sought-after seat at the final table, valued at $123,400. Along with the esteemed golden EPT Cyprus Main trophy, the final champion will bring home a stunning $1,030,000.
The day’s schedule is for lowering the field from sixteen players down to the final six; the entire event will be live on PokerStars’ YouTube and Twitch feeds. Updates from the last two tables will be shown on a 30-minute delay to coincide with the live broadcast, therefore preserving an interesting viewing experience.
EPT Cyprus Main: Conclusion
With 1,284 players overall descending upon this gorgeous island in pursuit of their poker ambitions, the competition has dropped to only 16. The stakes are bigger than they have ever been as the participants fight for their spots in history.
Stay in as Pokerbol captures every step of this exciting event and offers continuous coverage of the dramatic trip leading to the final table today.
