Santosh Suvarna Wins First EPT Title in €25k High Roller for $378,000

The last €25,000-entry High Roller to take place in Paris on the European Poker Tour this week was won by a first-time winner. Indian player Santosh Suvarna earned his Global Poker Award nomination as a Breakout Player of the Year in the past twelve months and in converting his overnight lead at the final table of this event, he won his first EPT title too.

Dvoress Falls Short in Treble Bid

Over the first two €25,000-entry High Rollers, which were won by Stephen Chidwick and Daniel Dvoress last week, the Canadian star Dvoress was able to cash in both of them. Hoping to repeat the trick in the third and final High Roller of the same buy-in level, Dvoress fell just short, however. Making it to the second and final day, Dvoress got his final chips into the middle with on a flop of but was unable to hold against Santosh Suvarna’s . The on the turn was a safe card for Dvoress but the river was anything but, giving the eventual champion a straight and sending the Canadian home in 11^th place.

Out next was the EPT Paris Super High Roller winner Thomas Santerne who missed out on the money places by four spots when his ran into Quan Zhou’s , the board of failing to save the Frenchman. He was followed from the felt by the Hungarian EPT Prague event winner Tamas Adamszki, whose was no good against the pocket queens of Russian professional Viacheslav Buldygin.

Out in eighth place was the Chinese player Zhou, whose earlier dominance had faded long before he got his last into the middle with . It was a quick kill from Sam Greenwood with as a board of paired both men, with Greenwood’s jacks and nines doing the fatal damage.

German player Sirhat Hissou was the unfortunate ‘Bubble Boy’ of the event, losing with the best hand to go home with nothing. His shove was called by Suvrna with and although the flop of looked almost as safe as it could, the turn set up the possibility of a runner-runner straight and the completed that unlikely run-out, ending Hissou’s hopes in the process.

Greenwood Gotten, Brewer Busted

As six remained, everyone was into the money places and the half dozen hoping to take the title opened up their ranges a little. Sam Greenwood three-bet shoved with and looked poised to double-up, only to be overtaken by Suvarna’s when a runout sent the Canadian home with $76,750 in sixth place.

Russian player Buldygin left in fifth place when he called all-in short stacked with pre-flop. Jamil Wakil’s was good enough once the board of fell, with the Russian cashing for $98,650 as he fell short of the final four.

Out in fourth was Chris Brewer. The double WSOP bracelet winner from 2023 won $126,100 when he committed most of his chips pre-flop then the last few post-flop with . Brewer only had a draw as the flop had come , and said, “I flopped almost dead.”

“You’re drawing live,” said Wakil, who called with but no three came to save Brewer as the turn and river bricked out.

Suvarna Wins First EPT Title

With three players remaining, Jamil Wakil had 1.95 million, with Suvarna (1.35m) and Samuel Ju (900,000) playing catch-up. Stacks evened up a little, and when Suvarna and Ju survived an orbit which cost Wakil chips, the writing was on the wall for the Canadian player. Wakil shoved for just over 300,000 with on a flop of but was behind his called Suvarna with and the Indian player won another big pot when the turn and river completed the board, sending Wakil home with $170,000 in third place.

Heads-up, Suvarna had 2.6 million with Ju on 1.7 million chips. A pair of red aces saw Suvarna take a million chips from Ju and establish a powerful 5:1 chip lead. When Suvarna shoved with , Ju pondered his options with .

“I think I have to call,” he elicited, pushing his last chips into the middle and watching as his doom was played out, a board of no good for the at risk German, crowned Suvarna the winner.

While Samuel Ju took home the runner-up prize of $246,775, Suvarna’s victory was worth $378,250. Rising to over $7 million in ranking tournament winnings, Suvarna is closing in on the top of the India All-Time Money Lost on The Hendon Mob.