€5,300 EPT Main Event
Day 6 Completed
2024 PokerStars EPT Paris
€5,300 EPT Main Event
Day: 6
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 6
2024 PokerStars EPT Paris
Buy-in
€5,300
Prize Pool
€8,385,600
Entries
1,747
Level
36
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Entries
6
Players Left
1
Level 36
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
At the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Paris, a standing ovation took place for one of poker's legends as an emotional Barny Boatman captured a long-awaited EPT Main Event title inside Les Palais des Congres.
The veteran defeated 2013 WCOOP Main Event winner David Kaufmann in a swift heads-up encounter to take home the trophy along with the €1,287,800 top prize.
Kaufmann, who recently returned to the felt after an educational hiatus, collected €804,750 for his efforts, while the final podium finisher, Aleksejs Ponakovs, was awarded €574,850.
Boatman's compatriot Owen Dodd took fourth, while last year's runner-up, Peter Jorgne bowed out in fifth. Three-time World Poker Tour champion Eric Afriat rounded out the top six finishers.
2024 EPT Paris Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barny Boatman | United Kingdom | €1,287,800 |
| 2 | David Kaufmann | Germany | €804,750 |
| 3 | Aleksejs Ponakovs | Latvia | €574,850 |
| 4 | Owen Dodd | United Kingdom | €442,150 |
| 5 | Peter Jorgne | Sweden | €340,100 |
| 6 | Eric Afriat | Canada | €261,650 |
| 7 | Ami Barer | Canada | €201,250 |
| 8 | Lorenzo Arduini | Italy | €154,800 |
Winner's Reaction
A fixture on the European Poker Tour since its inception, Boatman came close to Main Event glory once before, narrowly missing out on the victory in Sanremo in 2011. He'd long thought his chances of going the distance had passed him by, but as we know, anything can happen on the felt.
"If you don't get cards like I did today, it's very, very hard. I have won tournaments, obviously, but nothing this big and it feels unbelievable," the newly crowned champion told PokerNews.
With two World Series of Poker bracelets and now an EPT Main Event victory under his belt, Boatman is one WPT Main Event title away from joining poker's exclusive Triple Crown club and that is something he feels would be the final ribbon of his legacy.
"It'd be great to get a Triple Crown, obviously. Who wouldn't want that? I'd love to go play the one [WPT World Championship] at the Wynn, which I haven't played."
"I feel kind of like vindicated a bit that I can play, you know, and I want to prove it's not a fluke and do it again."
Final Day Action
After trading words late on in Day 4, with jabs continuing over the following sessions, Afriat and Boatman had their final encounter when play got underway. Coming into the day near the bottom of the counts, Afriat flopped top pair on queen-ten-ten and shipped in his stack, only to run into Boatman's cowboys to settle their mini-feud for once and for all.
Speaking to PokerStars in the wake of his elimination, Afriat told the camera he was rooting for Jorgne and Dodd to go on and win it, but both players quickly trailed the Canadian to the payout desk.Jorgne's back-to-back final table appearance ended after his ace-nine was straightened out by Ponakovs' suited eight-seven. A few hands later, Dodd's ducks were plucked by Kaufmann, who caught an ace from space on the river.
By the time the first break came around, Boatman had wrestled the chip lead from Kaufmann. Living up to his name, Boatman filled up and took in a sizeable pot after Kaufmann turned his hand into a bluff. More chips were added to the veteran's stack on the back of flopping a flush against Ponakovs.
When the action resumed, Boatman picked up where he left off and pulled further away from the pack. He made two more flushes on Ponakovs, who paid off on both occasions. Ponakovs reclaimed his chips after doubling through Boatman after winning a race, but saw his newfound wealth head back to Boatman, who flopped a set against his top pair the following hand. Despite another brief rally, the Latvian was ejected just after the second break to set up heads-up play.
With a commanding lead, Boatman made quick work of Kaufmann. The eventual victor took down the first hand and then finished him on the next deal after his top pair remained best against Kaufmann's second pair after the chips went in on the turn.
Over the last few months, poker's darker aspect had reared its head, with several cheating and real-time assistance scandals capturing the headlines. So, it was only fitting that the City of Light played host to show the brighter side of the game we all love to play.
That concludes PokerNews' coverage of the EPT Paris Main Event, but there's plenty of action still playing out so why not catch up with the €10,300 High Roller and €25,000 NLHE.
Level 36
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Barny Boatman outlasted a field of 1,747 entries to capture his first-ever EPT Main Event title and secured the first seven-figure score of his illustrious career, 26 years after his first recorded live tournament win.
Stay tuned for a full recap of the final day.
Level 36
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
The first hand of the heads up, Barny Boatman raised his button to 1,250,000 with 7?3? and David Kaufmann called in the big blind with 8?3?. Boatman continued for 1,150,000 on the J?A?4? flop and a quick check-fold followed from his opponent.
On the next hand, Kaufmann raised to 1,850,000 on the button and Barny Boatman three-bet to 2,850,000 in the big blind. Kaufmann made the call and the 9?J?6? flop appeared on the table.
Boatman bet 2,000,000 and Kaufmann made the call. Boatman then shoved all in on the 5? turn, covering Kaufmann's stack of 11,175,000.
Kaufmann spent some time pondering his decision but eventually made the call and the cards were flipped over.
David Kaufmann: A?9?
Barny Boatman: J?2?
Boatman's top pair was in great shape to knock out Kaufmann and secure his first EPT Main Event victory. The Q? river could not upgrade Kaufmann's second pair and he had to console himself with ending as runner-up at the 2024 EPT Paris Main Event.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
52,400,000
16,775,000
|
16,775,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 36
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
David Kaufmann put Aleksejs Ponakovs all-in for 3,650,000 from the small blind. Ponakovs made the call in the big blind and the cards went on their backs.
Aleksejs Ponakovs: A?8?
David Kaufmann: 3?3?
Ponakovs could not hit the board on 7?10?Q?5?10? and said his goodbyes before leaving Kaufmann and Barny Boatman to battle it out heads up for the glorious EPT Main Event trophy.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
35,625,000
-5,000
|
-5,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
16,775,000
4,145,000
|
4,145,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 36
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Barny Boatman raised his K?K? to 1,000,000 on the button and Aleksejs Ponakovs called in the big blind with K?2?. Boatman then put Ponakovs all-in on the 4?5?J?, to which the Latvian quickly folded.
One hand later, Ponakovs jammed Q?10? from the small blind for 3,150,000 chips and Boatman folded his 10?3? in the big blind. Ponakovs then went all in the next hand again, this time with 5?5? on the button, and again received folds.
David Kaufmann then put Ponakovs all in with K?5? from the small blind and Ponakovs folded 9?5? in the big blind. The next hand, Barny Boatman raised to 1,500,000 from the small blind with A?2? and David Kaufmann jammed all in for 11,130,000 with 9?9?, to which another fold followed.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
35,630,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
12,630,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
4,150,000
-500,000
|
-500,000 |
Level 36
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Aleksejs Ponakovs jammed his 2,075,000 stack in from the small blind and Barny Boatman made the call in the big blind.
Aleksejs Ponakovs: Q?3?
Barny Boatman: 2?2?
Ponakovs paired up on the A?9?Q?K?A? board to secure another double-up, ending up with a stack of almost ten big blinds.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
35,380,000
-2,570,000
|
-2,570,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
4,650,000
2,570,000
|
2,570,000 |
Level 36
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Aleksejs Ponakovs was almost all in in the big blind, leading Barny Boatman to limp in from the button and David Kaufmann to complete his big blind.
The players then checked through the Q?6?7?5?Q? board until Ponakovs finally put in his final 25,000 on the river. Both Boatman and Kaufmann called, after which Ponakovs showed Q?10?.
Neither the J?9? of Boatman nor the 10?4? of Kaufmann could match the trips and Ponakovs tripled up to stay in contention.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
37,950,000
-780,000
|
-780,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
12,380,000
-520,000
|
-520,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,080,000
1,050,000
|
1,050,000 |
Level 36
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Aleksejs Ponakovs open-jammed on the button and David Kaufmann called all in for 5,580,000, less than Ponakovs, in the big blind.
David Kaufmann: A?8?
Aleksejs Ponakovs: K?J?
Kaufmann made two pair on Q?5?A?2?2? and secured his double-up, leaving Ponakovs with just two big blinds.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
12,900,000
6,325,000
|
6,325,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,030,000
-6,070,000
|
-6,070,000 |
Level 36
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Barny Boatman raised to 1,000,000 on the button with K?9?. Aleksejs Ponakvos called with Q?10? in the big blind and the two players went to a flop of 2?8?6?. Boatman continued for 900,000 and Ponakovs quickly folded.
The next hand, Ponakovs limped in from the small blind with 10?8? and Boatman shoved all in with A?10?. Another swift fold followed from the Latvian as Boatman kept stacking up chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
38,730,000
2,255,000
|
2,255,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
7,100,000
-2,000,000
|
-2,000,000 |
|
|
6,575,000
-250,000
|
-250,000 |
|
|
||