Best Hands of EPT Barcelona: Key Moments of the €5,300 Main Event

An overview of the most exciting hands and strategic decisions at the main event of EPT Barcelona 2023 with a €5,300 buy-in. Analysis of the tournament’s key moments.

At the end of August, Barcelona hosted a leg of the prestigious European Poker Tour (EPT) , drawing hundreds of professionals and amateurs from around the globe. One of the marquee events was the Main Event with a €5,300 buy-in , which attracted 1,823 entrants and generated a prize pool of €8,841,550 . The PokerNews team provided live coverage from the venue, capturing a number of pivotal hands that shaped the tournament’s course. In this article, we’ll break down the most notable moments and discuss the key takeaways for PPPoker club players. Key Hands from EPT Barcelona 2023: In-Depth Analysis Mykhailo Gutyi eliminates Piet Brandt with the nuts on the flop On Day 1a, at the 600/1,200/1,200 blind level, a hand unfolded that quickly became one of the most talked-about in the early stages. With about 15,000 chips already in the pot, four players saw a flop of 5♠ Q♠ 2♠ . Action checked to Nazar Buhaiov in the cutoff, who bet 3,500 . Jamie O'Connor called from the small blind, then Mykhailo Gutyi check-raised from the big blind to 14,000 . Piet Brandt, on the hijack, moved all-in for 49,500 . After a long tank, Buhaiov folded—later revealing he had a flush. O'Connor also got out of the way. Gutyi quickly called Brandt’s shove, and the cards were tabled: Piet Brandt: K♦ K♠ Mykhailo Gutyi: A♠ 4♠ Gutyi had already flopped the nut flush (the best possible hand on this board), while Brandt could only survive by hitting a full house. The turn Q♦ gave Brandt a glimmer of hope, but the river 8♥ changed nothing. Brandt was eliminated, and Gutyi’s stack soared to nearly 200,000 chips. This hand highlighted the dangers of overplaying a strong but non-nut hand in a multiway pot early in a tournament. Ignat Liviu makes quads against Daniel Jackson At the same blind level, another dramatic hand played out. On a board of 2♠ 6♦ Q♥ Q♦ , Ignat Liviu, first to act (under the gun), checked the turn. Daniel Jackson, next to act, bet about 11,500 . Liviu responded with a check-raise all-in to 21,000 , and Jackson quickly called. Ignat Liviu: 6♣ 6♠ Daniel Jackson: A♦ Q♣ Liviu had a full house (sixes full of queens), while Jackson held trips (three queens). The river brought the 6♥ , giving Liviu quads and doubling him up at Jackson’s expense. Michael Dwyer cracks Jakob Karlsson’s kings in a massive pot At the next blind level, another huge hand developed. On a flop of 6♦ 10♥ 3♣ , the pot had already swelled to over 50,000 chips. Jakob Karlsson, on the hijack, checked, and Michael Dwyer, on the cutoff, shoved all-in. Karlsson, with about 80,000 behind, called instantly. Jakob Karlsson: K♥ K♦ Michael Dwyer: J♣ 10♣ Karlsson had an overpair (kings), while Dwyer had top pair with a ten. The turn 5♦ changed nothing, but the river J♥ gave Dwyer two pair, sending Karlsson to the rail and scooping the huge pot. Meanwhile, at another table, Mark Teltscher , the 2005 EPT London champion, was spotted with a stack worth about ten starting stacks, a testament to his strong start in the tournament. Alexander Ivarsson hits a straight flush and punishes a hero call On Day 3, at the 5,000/10,000/10,000 blind level, Alexander Ivarsson pulled off a memorable bluff-catch. Joao Webber opened to 20,000 from early position, Ivarsson called from the cutoff, and Ivo Colaco on the button 3-bet to 45,000 . Webber folded, and Ivarsson called again. The flop came J♠ 2♣ 4♣ . Ivarsson checked, and Colaco continued for 45,000 , leaving himself about 200,000 behind. Ivarsson didn’t hesitate, moving all-in to put Colaco at risk. After some thought, Colaco called: Ivo Colaco: A♥ K♣ Alexander Ivarsson: 6♣ 5♣ Colaco made a hero call (a gutsy call with a marginal hand), hoping his ace-king was ahead. The turn 5♦ paired Ivarsson, and the river 3♣ completed his straight flush (five consecutive cards of the same suit). Ivarsson knocked out Colaco in spectacular fashion. Alexander Ivarsson busts from the Main Event after a six-bet pot Late on Day 3, at the 6,000/12,000/12,000 blind level, another dramatic hand unfolded involving Alexander Ivarsson. He opened to 24,000 from under the gun, and Sebastian Malec in the small blind 3-bet to 36,000 . Ivarsson responded with a 4-bet to 90,000 . Malec, after using his time bank, announced “raise” and tried to put in more chips, but by the rules, his bet was counted as the minimum legal raise— 149,000 . Ivarsson thought it over, then shoved for about 700,000 chips. Malec snap-called: Alexander Ivarsson: 8♦ 8♣ Sebastian Malec: K♦ K♥ Ivarsson was in rough shape, holding a medium pocket pair against Malec’s pocket kings. The board ran out 10♣ 9♦ Q♦ on the flop, 2♠ on the turn, and 5♣ on the river—no help for Ivarsson. All his chips went to Malec, and Ivarsson’s Main Event run ended just before Day 4. Tournament Standings and Payouts The original article does not include the final tournament standings or the payout breakdown for the Main Event. What is known is that 1,823 players took part, with a total prize pool of €8,841,550 . Key Players and Their Achievements at EPT Barcelona Mykhailo Gutyi — made a strong early showing, flopping the nut flush and knocking out an opponent with a big hand. Piet Brandt — busted after running into the nuts on the flop, following aggressive play with pocket kings. Ignat Liviu — doubled up with quads, check-raising all-in against trips. Daniel Jackson — lost a big pot, unable to improve against quads. Jakob Karlsson — lost his stack after his pocket kings were cracked by two pair on the river. Michael Dwyer — won a huge pot, improving to two pair on the river. Alexander Ivarsson — featured in two highlight hands: first knocking out an opponent with a straight flush, then busting himself after a series of raises against pocket kings. Sebastian Malec — built a big stack after winning a six-bet pot against Ivarsson. Ivo Colaco — made a bold hero call but was eliminated by a straight flush. Mark Teltscher — the 2005 EPT London champion, who held a massive stack in the early stages. Poker Terms and Formats Explained Buy-in — the amount a player pays to enter a tournament. For the EPT Barcelona Main Event, it was €5,300. Flop, turn, river — the three stages of revealing community cards in poker. The flop is the first three cards, the turn is the fourth, and the river is the fifth. Nuts — the best possible hand on the current board. Check-raise — a move where a player checks, then raises after an opponent bets. All-in — betting all of your remaining chips. Trips — three of a kind (for example, three queens). Full house — a hand made up of three of a kind and a pair. Quads — four of a kind. Straight flush — five consecutive cards of the same suit. Hero call — a courageous call with a hand that is often weaker than the opponent’s likely range. Four-bet, six-bet — successive raises in a single betting round. The higher the number, the more aggressive the action. Starting stack — the number of chips each player receives at the start of a tournament. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players Breaking down the key hands from EPT Barcelona offers PPPoker club players valuable practical insights. First, tournaments with deep stacks and big prize pools demand not just theoretical knowledge, but also the ability to adapt to opponents’ aggression. Mykhailo Gutyi’s example shows that even with a very strong hand (like a flush or set), it’s crucial to consider the possible strength of your opponents’ holdings, especially in multiway pots. Second, the hands involving hero calls and six-bet pots highlight the importance of pot control and timing your aggression. A gutsy call or a big raise isn’t always justified—sometimes it’s better to wait for a more favorable spot to avoid busting late in the tournament. Finally, these tournaments are a reminder that discipline and mental resilience are key to success. Even experienced players like Ivarsson can find themselves out of the tournament by overvaluing their hand. In PPPoker clubs, you can hone these skills in regular tournaments and cash games, preparing yourself for any scenario at the table.