Fabiano Kovalski won €385,430 at EPT Barcelona 2023

Fabiano Kovalski claimed victory in the €3,250 EPT Mystery Bounty tournament in Barcelona and earned €385,430, confirming his status as a top player in the series.

Fabiano Kovalski has once again confirmed his status as one of the most successful players at the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) series in Barcelona. On August 27, he claimed victory in the €3,250 EPT Mystery Bounty tournament, boosting his bankroll by an impressive €385,430, including bounty payouts for knocking out opponents. This amount is the second largest of his career, surpassed only by his fourth-place finish in the EPT Barcelona 2022 Main Event, where he earned €565,280. Fabiano Kovalski’s Success at EPT Barcelona Interestingly, five out of Kovalski’s six biggest cashes have come from EPT tournaments in Barcelona. This highlights his outstanding performance at this prestigious poker series. Below are his main achievements in live tournaments: 4th place in EPT Barcelona 2022 Main Event (€5,300) — €565,280 1st place in EPT Barcelona 2026 Mystery Bounty (€3,250) — €385,430 2nd place at WSOP 2022 $10,000 NLHE Super Turbo Bounty — $363,116 9th place in EPT Barcelona 2024 Main Event (€5,300) — €139,750 11th place in EPT Barcelona 2018 Main Event (€5,300) — €98,900 1st place in EPT Barcelona 2017 Deep Stack (€2,200) — €93,701 Thus, Barcelona is truly a lucky city for Kovalski, where he consistently delivers excellent results and ranks among the top players of the series. Mystery Bounty Tournament Format and Prize Pool The Mystery Bounty tournament is a format where part of the prize pool is distributed as random rewards (bounties) for knocking out opponents. Each time a player eliminates another participant, they get to open a special envelope with a cash prize, the amount of which is unknown in advance. This format adds an element of surprise and extra motivation for aggressive play. The €3,250 EPT Mystery Bounty tournament attracted 1,027 players, including re-entries. The total prize pool reached €2,988,570, with over €1,000,000 allocated to mystery bounty payouts. This made the tournament one of the most attractive events of the series for both professionals and amateurs. Famous Participants and Unexpected Prizes Many well-known players from the global poker scene made it into the money in this tournament. Among them were Martins Adeniya , Cherish Andrews , Dara O'Kearney , Michel Molenaar , Alexandre Reard , Endrit Geci , and Nick Palma . Each of them either cashed for making it ITM (in the money) or managed to win a significant bounty before busting out. Special mention goes to Italian player Candido Cappiello , who finished 21st but, thanks to lucky mystery bounty envelope draws, received the fifth largest payout of the tournament — €124,250. Of this, €113,000 came from bounties, showing just how important the element of chance is in these formats. Final Table Results of the €3,250 EPT Mystery Bounty Tournament The final table brought together top players from various countries. The final payout table is as follows: Place Player Country Prize (€) 1 Fabiano Kovalski Brazil 385,430 2 Brandon Harris United Kingdom 216,820 3 Ai Tsuchiya Japan 159,720 4 Edgard Moreau Chile 116,640 5 Paawan Bansal India 179,420 6 Longmao Fan China 69,230 7 Andre Moreira Portugal 127,720 8 Viacheslav Goryachev Russia 40,870 9 Philip Corion United Kingdom 46,600 Britain’s Philip Corion finished in ninth place, earning €46,600. Russian player Viacheslav Goryachev , who earlier this year won a similar tournament at EPT Monte Carlo, took eighth place and received €40,870. Portugal’s Andre Moreira finished seventh with a payout of €127,720. After Longmao Fan busted in sixth place (€69,230), the remaining players were guaranteed six-figure payouts. For India’s Paawan Bansal , fifth place and €179,420 marked his first live tournament cash, according to The Hendon Mob database. Chilean Edgard Moreau also achieved the best result of his career — previously, his biggest win was $22,398 for a victory in the Kings Series of Poker Mini High Roller in Brazil. This time, he took home €116,640 including bounties. Japan’s Ai Tsuchiya , after three cashes at WSOP 2026 including a career-best $16,000 in the $500 Colossus, earned €159,720 in Barcelona. In heads-up, Kovalski faced Britain’s Brandon Harris , who had already cashed three times at this EPT Barcelona series. Second place brought Harris €216,820, significantly surpassing his previous best result — $100,000 for sixth place in the Irish Open 2025 Main Event. Fabiano Kovalski’s Career and Achievements Fabiano Kovalski is one of the leaders of Brazilian poker, repeatedly proving his skill at the biggest international series. His victory in the Mystery Bounty was already his third live tournament title. Kovalski is known for his ability to deliver consistent results at major EPT festivals in Barcelona, where he regularly reaches the final stages and competes for the largest prizes. His successes at the WSOP and other prestigious series also demonstrate his high level of skill and ability to adapt to different tournament formats, including fast structures and bounty formats. Features of the Mystery Bounty Format: What Players Need to Know Mystery Bounty tournaments differ from classic tournaments in that part of the prize pool is distributed randomly among players who knock out opponents. The size of the bounty is only revealed after opening a special envelope, adding an element of luck and extra dynamics to the game strategy. In such tournaments, it pays to play aggressively to increase your chances of earning additional payouts for knockouts. However, it’s important not to forget the balance between chasing bounties and preserving your own stack to make it into the money. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, this news is a great example of how modern tournament formats (in particular, Mystery Bounty) can diversify the poker routine and give players a chance at big wins even if they don’t reach the final table. PPPoker clubs regularly host tournaments with bounty structures, and Kovalski’s experience shows that aggressive but thoughtful play can bring not only enjoyment but also serious prizes. Fabiano Kovalski’s success story also inspires players to develop and participate in international series. Even if you’re just starting out in online clubs, regular practice and analyzing successful strategies can help you reach a new level and perhaps one day become a prize winner in major offline tournaments. Finally, the Mystery Bounty format is a great way to add excitement and unexpected twists to familiar tournaments. We recommend trying this format in PPPoker clubs to experience its features firsthand and prepare for similar events at the world’s largest poker series.