Duco ten Haven Wins EPT Paris Mystery Bounty Event in Paris for $263,000

Two days of poker action, a €10,200 buy-in and a Mystery Bounty champion in Duco ten Haven – the EPT Paris festival is off to a flying start. After a thrilling conclusion, Dutch pro Duco ten Haven won the biggest prize of his live poker career when he beat a final table full of stars like Spanish legend Adrian Mateos, Canadian superstar Mike ‘Sir Watts’ Watson and Quan Zhou, who lost heads-up to the eventual winner.

Bumper Buy-ins on Day 2

Late registration lasted through the first two levels of play on the second and final day of the event, but not all the luminaries who late-regged survived. Team PokerStars Pro Sam Grafton re-entered but busted along with his colleague Alejandro Lococo early, while former EPT event winner Steve O’Dwyer and two-time WSOP bracelet winner Chris Brewer all left the action in the French capital before the money places.

There was a Dutch chip leader at the end of both days at the felt but the Day 1 chip leader Joris Ruijs lasted no time at all. His elimination was followed by that of British poker legend Stephen Chidwick, who lost his stack two from the money to Elias Gutierrez.

It was the Russian player and GGPoker GGMILLION$ crusher Artur Martirosian who busted in 14^th and qualified as the event’s ‘Bubble Boy’. All-in with , he lost Quan Zhou’s when a flop of gave the Chinese player the nut flush.

The Matador Goes Close

Once inside the money places, play sped up and a slew of slayings left some big names on the rail. Swedish player Joakim Anderson cashed for €9,500 when he committed his chips on the turn of a board showing with , only to lose to Mike Watson’s  , which had turned the straight.

Atanas Malinov left in 12^th place before French hope Jean-Noel Thorel busted in 11^th place. Thorel shoved for just eight bigs with and was called by Adrian Mateos with . The board of was a cruel one, giving Mateos the straight on the river and sending the Frenchman home for €11,700.

After Jakob Miegel lost his stack with full house under full house in 10^th place – Belgian player Thomas Boivin the benefactor – the final table was formed. Boivin was in charge, chips-wise, and one player who wasn’t exited quickly after the final table was formed. Mike ‘Sir Watts’ Watson left in ninth place for €14,700 when his hand lost to Sirzat Hissou’s flush on the turn.

Aurelien Russo left in eighth place before Elias Gutierrez departed in seventh, losing a flip to Spanish player Sergi Reixach. Adrian Mateos couldn’t emulate his fellow Spaniard, his losing to Quan Zhou’s , a board of sending Mateos to the rail with €36,200.

Ten Haven Takes it Down

Sergi Reixach followed his fellow Spanish player to the rail in fifth place for €98,300, before Hissou headed home with €93,200 by virtue of winning smaller bounties. In third place, Thomas Boivin’s committed stack with lost to ten Haven’s and that meant the Belgian exited for a score of €83,200.

Heads-up,  ten Haven’s 8.6 million played Zhou’s 1.3 million chips and soon, it was all over, the Dutch player holding with when Zhou shoved with . that won ten Haven the top prize and biggest bounty, with the final €€50,000 the final bounty to be claimed.

“It’s great – I didn’t even want to play this tournament!” ten Haven said after the event. “It’s amazing. My first EPT. My best live score. Can’t get any better. It’s fun. A mixture of the different types of tournaments is the best thing to have.”

EPT Paris photo courtesy of Eloy Cabascas / PokerNews.