Among the most elite poker tournaments worldwide is the European Poker Tour (EPT). It has generated great champions like Jason Mercier and Patrik Antonius during the last two decades. Another name has lately entered this privileged group. Stephen Song secured the victory and carried the sought-after 20th Anniversary Golden Shard trophy home in an exciting finish at the EPT Barcelona Main Event in 2024.
Result of the Final Table of Stephen Song
The following are the EPT Barcelona Main Event 2024 final table results: 2024
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize (EUR) |
| 1 | Stephen Song | United States | €1,290,386* |
| 2 | Andrew Hulme | United Kingdom | €1,165,614* |
| 3 | Marius-Catalin Pertea | Romania | €674,150 |
| 4 | Rania Nasreddine | United States | €518,600 |
| 5 | David Coleman | United States | €398,950 |
| 6 | Boris Kuzmanovic | Croatia | €306,900 |
| 7 | Alexandre Fournier | Canada | €236,100 |
| 8 | Jianwei Lin | China | €181,600 |
| 9 | Fabiano Kovalski | Brazil | €139,750 |
Stephen Song: A Stiff Final Day for Song
On the last day of the competition, Stephen Song encountered really difficult obstacles. Five times during the day, he found himself all-in and at peril; every time he survived. But what drove him forward? Song claims that his achievement was much influenced by his mother.
“You simply keep turning up; finally, you will win. Mathematically, Song remarked, that has to happen. “My mum said she was praying for me really hard, and I’m very thankful for that,” he said. “I have been lucky the whole week.”
Song’s Professional Achievements
Before this occurrence, Stephen Song was already a familiar name. He had taken home an EPT side event, a World Series of poker (WSOP) bracelet, and a World poker Tour (WPT) Prime Championship. He was named Player of the Year for Global poker Index (GPI) in 2022. Song believes his EPT Barcelona victory to be the height of his career, albeit these outstanding achievements.
“This is without doubt number one. My family was there, so the WPT Prime Championship was fantastic; but, this is different. There aren’t many EPT Main Events, so saying I’m a winner now is unreal,” he stated.
EPT Barcelona By Counts
Among the EPT events in history, the 2024 EPT Barcelona Main Event was among the biggest. With 1,975 overall entries, it ranks fourth in the series among events ever hosted. With 287 players getting it into the money, the overall prize pool came out to be an astounding €9,518,750.
Participating in the tournament were players from 82 different nations, therefore highlighting the worldwide reach of the EPT. France (205 players), Italy (144), Spain (124), Brazil (89), and the United Kingdom (76) comprised the top five countries with respect to players. This broad presence emphasizes the EPT’s global appeal.
Stephen Song Path to Triumph
Tension and excitement abound on the last table. Rania Nasreddine was one of the best players; she made back-to–back EPT Main Event final tables following a third-place performance in the 2024 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event. For Nasreddine, her morning began poorly. She moved aggressively with pocket nines just to run into aces on Day 7’s first hand. She recovered fast, though, by winning important pots and wiping out Boris Kuzmanovic.
Starting the day as a small stack, Andrew Hulme had an amazing run that acquired the chip lead following the first break. Song, behind, managed to double up twice, rescuing himself from elimination. David Coleman, though, was less fortunate. Hulme’s pocket queens held up, knocking him out in fifth place.
Song was in a familiar role—at danger of elimination—with four players left. To keep in the game, he smacked an ace on the river after jamming with a lesser hand against Hulme. This let him keep competing, and he soon picked back the chip lead.
Nasreddine’s departure and heads-up duel
Though she recovered first, Nasreddine became the short stack and was dropped in fourth place, guaranteeing a career-best payback of €518,600. Her hope to be the fourth female EPT Main Event champion was dashed.
Marius-Catalin Pertea left Stephen Song and Hulme to fight it out for the title after following Nasreddine out. Song took €1,233,586 and Hulme guaranteed €1,165,614, the two players swiftly agreed on a contract. Still open for grabs, though, were the championship, the trophy, and an extra €56,800.
The Ultimate Conflict of Stephen Song
The heads-up game began gingerly, with few pots traded. Stephen Song, however, bluffed Hulme off top pair in one pivotal hand, so augmenting his lead to more than two-to- one. The players came back to the table following a 45-minute meal break, and Stephen Song quickly found himself all-in once more—but this time with a far stronger hand.
Song trailed Hulme’s pocket eights with Ace-seven in the last hand. But the turn handed Song a straight, therefore securing his victory and the 2024 EPT Barcelona Main Event championship.
A Historic Success
Stephen Song had friends and relatives all around him celebrating his victory. The occasion was not only a personal victory but also a major turning point in European poker tour history. Stephen Song’s name is now carved into the EPT, which has evolved from a little series to one of the most significant poker tours worldwide during the past 20 years.
The EPT has great promise going forward; who knows? The next champion might simply be someone motivated by this amazing trip.
