Prague, Czechia – The 2025 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague Main Event has concluded with a storybook ending for a long-time industry figure. Matan Krakow, a 44-year-old Israeli poker manager and former journalist, navigated a massive field of 1,224 entries to claim the championship trophy and a top prize of €778,255.
Krakow secured the title after a three-way deal and a heads-up victory against Turkey’s Bora Kurtulus. This win represents a significant milestone for the Tel Aviv native at a venue that holds personal history for him.
A Career-Defining Moment in Prague
For Krakow, the victory at the Hilton Hotel Prague is the culmination of a poker journey spanning over a decade. Prague was the site of his first EPT cash in 2011. While his resume includes a 109th place finish at EPT Malta in 2015 and a 114th place run in the 2016 Prague Main Event, this victory stands as his crowning achievement.
Though he previously played professionally, Krakow has shifted his focus in recent years to the business side of the industry. He currently serves as a poker manager for an online card room and previously co-authored the 2017 autobiography of Eli Elezra, “Pulling the Trigger”. Krakow described poker as a beloved hobby that fits around his life as a husband and father.
His triumph makes him only the second Israeli player to win an EPT Main Event title, joining 2019 EPT Sochi champion Uri Gilboa. Krakow expressed pride in bringing the trophy home and hoped the win would provide a moment of joy for his country during challenging times.
The “Chip and a Chair” Miracle
While Krakow took the title, the final table was also defined by the incredible resilience of India’s Paawan Bansal. During the early action, Bansal found himself on the wrong side of a massive cooler when his pocket Kings ran into the pocket Aces of Traian Stanciu. The hand left Bansal with a mere 50,000 chips, which was less than a single big blind at the time.
Despite being on the verge of elimination, Bansal managed an improbable comeback. He found multiple double-ups and watched as other competitors were knocked out. Bansal successfully climbed the pay ladder to finish in fifth place for €269,000.
Other notable eliminations included Vitezslav Cech in seventh place and Irish Twitch streamer Conor O’Driscoll in sixth place. O’Driscoll was eliminated when his flush draw failed to improve against the trip Aces held by Kurtulus.
Three-Way Deal and Final Duel
The tournament reached a critical juncture with three players remaining. To reduce the variance of the massive prize pool, the final three agreed to an ICM deal. Bora Kurtulus, holding the chip lead at the time, secured €757,400. Krakow locked in €703,600, and Greece’s Dimitrios Gkatzas guaranteed himself €574,600. The players left €74,655 and the Golden Shard trophy to play for.
Following the deal, Gkatzas was eliminated in third place when his King-Two failed to overcome the Ace-Eight of Kurtulus. This set the stage for the heads-up battle between Krakow and Kurtulus.
The final duel featured high tension and a bizarre procedural error. In one significant pot, Kurtulus checked the river and accidentally exposed his pair of Sixes, mistakenly believing the hand was over. Capitalizing on the extra information, Krakow made a bold bet of 1,500,000 with only Ace-high to bluff. However, Kurtulus made the call with his Sixes to win the pot and retake the chip lead.
Despite that setback, Krakow regained control. On the final hand, Kurtulus three-bet preflop and continued on a King-high flop. When Krakow shoved all-in, Kurtulus called off his remaining 11.1 million chips with pocket Eights. Krakow held a straight draw and picked up a flush draw on the turn. The river card completed the flush for Krakow, sealing his victory and ending the tournament.
2025 EPT Prague Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matan Krakow | Israel | €778,255* |
| 2 | Bora Kurtulus | Turkey | €757,400* |
| 3 | Dimitrios Gkatzas | Greece | €574,600* |
| 4 | Traian Stanciu | Romania | €349,650 |
| 5 | Paawan Bansal | India | €269,000 |
| 6 | Conor O’Driscoll | Ireland | €206,900 |
| 7 | Vitezslav Cech | Czechia | €159,150 |
| 8 | Ding Fan | China | €122,400 |
*Denotes a three-way deal payout adjustment. The winner received the extra €74,655 allocated for first place.
