The $10,200 Mystery Bounty event at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa has now reached a conclusion and a champion has been crowned at the PokerStars European Poker Tour Cyprus.
A total of 102 entries were made to the event, which generated a prize pool of $989,400, breaking down as $479,400 in the regular prize pool and $510,000 in bounty prizes. Of those who entered, 13 players made the money and took the min-cash of at least $9,600.
After a tough and lengthy Day 2, Oleg Semionov of Lithuania emerged as the outright winner. He walked away with the top prize of $127,900 ($192,900 including bounties), as well as the PokerStars Spade trophy and the prestige of winning his first major live tournament.
“Sometimes we play poker home games, and sometimes I come here to Merit to play – but mostly cash games not really tournaments”, said Semionov. “We used to have offices in Larnaca, so that’s why (I have played here before).”
This was Semionov’s first PokerStars series, and he’s enjoyed it, particularly commenting on the good dealers and pointing to the investments Merit has made in the hotels, casinos, and resorts. Aside from being a positive experience, it’s also been a lucrative outcome.
“It’s nice to win. To win a tournament is probably the best feeling in poker. And it’s a good prize, so even better.”
EPT Cyprus $10,200 Mystery Bounty Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oleg Semionov | Lithuania | $127,900 |
| 2 | Aliaksandr Hirs | Belarus | $82,500 |
| 3 | Antoine Labat | France | $58,900 |
| 4 | Julien Sitbon | France | $45,350 |
| 5 | Elias Gutierrez | Spain | $36,250 |
| 6 | Maher Nouira | Tunisia | $29,000 |
| 7 | Eros Calderone | Italy | $23,200 |
| 8 | Dylan DeStefano | United States | $18,550 |
| 9 | Bart Lybaert | Belgium | $14,850 |
Final Table Action
Semionov was locked in a lengthy three-player battle on the final table before going heads-up against the more experienced tournament player, Aliaksandr Hirs of Belarus. According to Hendon Mob, Hirs has $715,370 in live tournament earnings, including a third-place finish in the ESPT Barcelona in 2022.
After players got their chips in the middle for a coin flip, Hirs had to settle for second place and $82,500. Hirs won’t be too disappointed, especially considering that moments before the event finished, he pulled the $50,000 bounty envelope to add to his prize money. Including bounties, Hirs took $195,000 from the tournament.
The other player involved in that three-way battle was Antoine Labat, a French pro with $3,126,567 in recorded live tournament winnings. Labat put up a good fight before making a shove and running into pocket kings. He exited in third place and claimed $58,900 in prize money.
Although he didn’t make the final table, Jinho Hong also made a tidy sum from the tournament. He was eliminated in 11th place for $11,850, but on making his exit, he became the first to pull one of the $50,000 bounty prizes.
