Kai Lehto Tops Massive Field to Win €162,000 at EPT Prague Open Cup

The 2025 European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague festival continues to draw massive crowds to the Czech capital. One of the standout events on the schedule was the €825 PokerStars Open Cup which saw Finland’s Kai Lehto outlast a field of thousands to secure a major victory. Lehto locked up €162,000 following a four-way ICM deal at the final table to mark the second-largest score of his live career.

Huge Turnout Generates €1.5 Million Prize Pool

The €825 buy-in event proved to be a massive draw and attracted 2,140 entries including re-entries. This heavy attendance generated a prize pool of €1,540,800. The top 321 finishers secured a return on their investment with notables such as Vincent Meli, Simon Higgins, and Pavels Spirins making the money stages.

By the time the field was whittled down to the final nine competitors, each player had locked up a minimum payout of €21,200.

Final Table Action

The final table featured a mix of established pros and recreational players chasing career-best scores. Ireland’s Dan Wilson, known for his 2016 Irish Open victory, was the first casualty of the official final table. He exited in ninth place for €21,200.

Austria’s Gerald Karlic followed him to the payout desk in eighth place. The €27,600 prize pushed Karlic’s lifetime earnings closer to the $4.1 million milestone.

The middle stages of the final table saw a strong showing from Cypriot players. Georgios Tsouloftas, the runner-up at the 2024 EPT Cyprus, finished seventh for €35,870. His compatriot Georgios Skarparis lasted one spot longer and took sixth place for €46,620.

Finland’s Onni Huttunen bowed out in fifth place just before the deal discussions began. It was a successful run for Huttunen who collected €60,620. This result significantly surpassed his previous best live cash of €11,717 from September 2023.

Deal Secures Six-Figure Payouts for Final Four

With four players remaining, the tournament clock was paused to discuss a deal. The negotiations were successful and ensured that all remaining contenders would walk away with over €100,000 each.

Jean-Baptiste Pano benefited the most from the timing of the arrangement. The French player busted in fourth place shortly after play resumed but took home €112,500. Under the original payout structure, fourth place would have paid €79,000. This result was more than ten times larger than his previous biggest score.

Switzerland’s Salvatore Falco finished third for €136,000. This was a life-changing result for the Swiss grinder whose previous largest recorded cash was just $1,347.

Paul Grummitt from the United Kingdom eventually fell in second place but the deal softened the blow significantly. He banked €145,000 which was a massive increase over his previous career-best of $10,500.

Lehto Returns to the Winner’s Circle

Kai Lehto claimed the title and the top prize of €162,000. While the deal adjusted the top payouts, this victory still stands as a major achievement on his resume. It is the second-largest cash of his career and sits just behind the €204,500 he won for finishing second in a €10,300 High Roller at EPT Barcelona in 2018.

€825 PokerStars Open Cup Final Table Results

*Denotes a four-way deal

High Roller Action and Side Events

While the Open Cup drew the largest crowds, the high-stakes action also crowned several winners. Joachim Haraldstad won the €10,200 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Max event. He defeated a field of 49 entries to claim the trophy and €154,400.

In the Mystery Bounty format, Bulgaria’s Yulian Bogdanov topped the €10,200 No-Limit Hold’em event for €147,000. Meanwhile, Italian player Alain Stia navigated a field of 115 players in the €5,200 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament to win €123,860.

Bogdanov continued his strong run by building a big stack in the €1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event. He sits third in chips with 12 players left and has already locked up €34,520 with a shot at the €583,000 top prize.

Other 2025 EPT Prague Side Events Results

*payout after a deal