EPT Grand Final | Final Table Preview

This is it, the final Main Event Final Table on the European Poker Tour calendar has arrived as one of eight remaining players will leave Monte Carlo as the EPT Grand Final Main Event Champion!

A QUALIFYING SUCCESS!

You won’t find a list of the who’s who in poker when taking a look at the final table lineup for the EPT Grand Final. Incredibly, seven of the eight remaining runners qualified their way into the Main Event, only one player – Italian veteran Antonio Buonanno (GPI#1459) – bought-in directly into the event.

German student Sebastian Bredthauer (GPI#-) is about to hit the mother load! Playing in his very first live event, Bredthauer didn’t put up a single penny in order to play the EPT Grand Final. He was able to take 100 FPPs on PokerStars and transformed those points into a EPT Grand Final package. Bredthauer will turn 100 points into – at the very minimum – € 128,800 and could be standing in front of € 1,240,000 if everything goes his way on Friday.

INTRIGUING FINAL TABLE

An intriguing final table has assembled for the final EPT of the year. Kenneth Hicks (GPI#1371) has cashed in events the world over. The American has collected six cashes in EPT Main Events, including a 13th place finish at EPT Dublin way back in 2007.

Hicks spent part of the 2013 season travelling the US circuit cashing in the WSOP Main Event and earning a Top 25 finish at WSOP Circuit Southern Indiana last October.

Jack Salter (GPI#108) came into today’s play today with only 10 big blinds. He caught a heater to say the least! Salter enters final table play as the chip leader.

Meanwhile, Colombian star Mayu Roca (GPI#341) will also be a player to keep an eye on when final table play kicks off on Friday. Roca, who comes in second in chips, has loads of experience on the live tournament and will be looking to finally breakthrough on a major circuit.

While final table play is set to being at 1pm CET on Friday, the broadcast – with hole cards -will kickoff one hour later over at EPTLive.com – enjoy the show!

Cover photo courtesy of Neil Stoddart/PokerStars/European Poker Tour (EPT)

Let’s take a closer look at our Main Event final table participants:

[table id=1114 /]

›› SEAT 1  |  KENNETH HICKS  

• 23rd at WSOP Circuit Southern Indiana last October ($3,942)
• 412th in Main Event last summer at the 44th WSOP ($28,063)
• 5th in 1K side event at the EPT Grand Final in 2013 (€ 10,400)
• 6th at Heartland Poker Tour Belterra Casino in 2012 ($20,588)
• 30th at EPT Berlin in 2012 (€ 17,500)
• 36th at WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown in 2011 ($27,019)
• 13th at EPT Dublin in 2007 (€ 20,420)
• EPT Career: 6 cashes, $123,152
• GPI Ranking: Current: #1371  |  Career Best: #163 (April 2012)

›› SEAT 2  |  JACK SALTER  

• 14th in FPS Monaco Main Event earlier at EPT GF (€ 8,500)
• Won 5K Six Max at the Aussie Millions to start 2014 season ($114,000 AUD)
• 43rd at EPT Vienna in March (€ 14,600)
• 2nd in Turbo event at 2013 Asia Championship of Poker ($157,100 HKD)
• Won 1K NLH event at Palm Beach Big Game in 2011 (£30,000)
• EPT Career: 3 cashes, $25,909
• GPI Ranking: Current: #108  |  Career Best: #103 (April 2014)

›› SEAT 3  |  SEBASTIAN BREDTHAUER  

• Earning his first cash on the live tournament circuit
• EPT Career: First EPT Cash

›› SEAT 4  |  MAYU ROCA  

• 3rd in 5K NLH event at 2014 PCA ($117,830)
• 7th at LAPT Colombia National Championship in 2013 ($30,530,000 Col)
• Runner-up in LAPT Brazil High Roller event in 2013 ($100,300 R)
• 11th in LAPT Grand Final in 2012 ($19,100 R)
• 9th at LAPT Peru in 2011 ($10,840)
• Runner-up at WPT Bratislava in 2011 (€ 75,220)
• Ranked #1 on the GPI National Columbia leaderboard
• EPT Career: 1 cash, $14,232
• GPI Ranking: Current: #341  |  Career Best: #257 (April 2012)

›› SEAT 5  |  MAGNUS KARLSSON  

• 29th at UKIPT Dublin in March (€ 2,200)
• Runner-up at APPT Cebu in 2013 (2,538,000 PHP)
• 30th in the Main Event at the 2008 PCA ($40,000)
• EPT Career: 1 cash, $40,000
• GPI Ranking: Current: #5099  |  Career Best: #4453 (June 2013)

›› SEAT 6  |  MALTE MOENNIG  

• 15th at UKIPT Bristol in 2012 (£3,155)
• 65th at the EPT Grand Final in 2012 (€ 20,000)
• EPT Career: 1 cash, $26,405
• GPI Ranking: Current: #22874  |  Career Best: #3091 (Jan 2013)

›› SEAT 7  |  ANTONIO BUONANNO  

• 102nd at EPT Vienna last March (€ 9,550)
• 121st at EPT Barcelona in September (€ 10,000)
• 4th in 5K NLH Event #57 at the 44th WSOP ($231,147)
• 17th at EPT Vienna in 2010 (€ 16,000)
• EPT Career: 8 cashes, $122,225
• GPI Ranking: Current: #1459  |  Career Best: #964 (Sep 2013)

›› SEAT 8  |  SEBASTIAN VON TOPERCZER  

• 11th in 1K NLH side event at EPT Sanremo last month (€ 2,400)
• 6th in 5K NLH side event at EPT Vienna in March (€ 12,600)
• 75th at EPT Barcelona earlier this season (€ 12,700)
• 53rd at EPT Sanremo in 2012 (€ 14,000)
• EPT Career: 2 cashes, $35,065
• GPI Ranking: Current: #1187  |  Career Best: #1150 (Jan 2014)