Alexandros Theologis Scores Breakthrough Win in EPT Malta €100K Super High Roller
Greek Pro Claims Major Live Title at Casino Malta
Greece’s Alexandros Theologis has captured his biggest live title to date, winning the €100,000 EPT Malta Super High Roller at Casino Malta for €776,200. The victory marks a major breakthrough for the online legend, who outlasted a stacked 16-entry field to claim one of the most coveted trophies on the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT).
It’s only the second live win of Theologis’s career, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. After finishing runner-up in the Super High Roller Warm-Up earlier in the same series, the Greek pro came back stronger to seal the deal this time around.
“I’m very fortunate, what can I say? It feels very good, especially because I haven’t actually won any high-stakes live tournaments before, especially with a trophy,” Theologis said with a smile after lifting the title.
Alexandros Theologis took down the €100K Super High Roller at #EPTMalta on Monday–a breakout win that surprised absolutely no one familiar with his online prowess as 'Pwndidi'.https://t.co/fkd9iND8sp
The €100,000 buy-in event generated a prize pool of €1,552,320, with payouts for the top three finishers. The field was small but elite, featuring several of poker’s toughest regulars, including Aleksejs Ponakovs, Enrico Camosci, and Juan Pardo.
Day 2: Quick Eliminations and a Tight Race
Originally scheduled as a three-day tournament, the event wrapped up a day early after fast-paced action reduced the field. Three players joined at the last minute, bringing the total to 16 entries and 10 hopefuls returning for Day 2.
Early on, Camosci doubled up but was the first to bust, finishing in ninth place just half an hour into the session. As the field thinned, the pace slowed dramatically once the final five were set. The bubble burst when Spain’s Juan Pardo fell to Orpen Kisacikoglu in a blind-versus-blind clash, holding king-five.
Theologis Turns It Around
Theologis began the final day near the bottom of the chip counts but quickly flipped the script. A crucial hand against Ben Heath changed everything when Theologis bluffed the river to take the chip lead.
“I think it was one hand against Ben Heath, where I bluffed him on the river and then managed to get the chip lead. So I would say that hand was the important changing point,” he recalled.
The Greek star continued his surge with a perfectly timed hero call against Heath. He later explained the thought process behind it — and why he told Heath, “I trust you.”
“The reason I told Ben I trust him is because in the previous hand, Ben against Orpen, Ben folded the river after using time bank cards. I asked him if he folded top pair, and he said no, top pair I would always snap-call. And I know Ben is friends with Orpen, so if he’s his friend, he knows how he plays… so I had to trust him, right?”
The read paid off, costing Kisacikoglu a big chunk of chips and setting up Theologis’s path to victory.
Heads-Up Duel and the Winning Moment
Once Ben Heath was eliminated in third place — his pair losing to Kisacikoglu’s two pair — the stage was set for a heads-up showdown between Kisacikoglu and Theologis. Both exchanged the chip lead in a tense back-and-forth battle until Theologis finally closed it out with a river flush, sealing his first major high roller win.
Despite the intensity, the atmosphere remained friendly throughout.
“Always playing against very tough opponents is challenging, but also rewarding because we can improve,” Theologis said. “It’s stimulating intellectually, and it’s also nice to have a friendly atmosphere and joke around a bit. It was a very pleasant experience.”
After lifting the trophy, Theologis confirmed he’ll be taking his newfound momentum straight into the EPT Main Event: “I am. Day 1b is the day.”
