Every poker player has a different reason for why they play the game. Some do it exclusively for the money and to make a living. Others like the social aspect and how poker helps bring people together. Still others enjoy the competition and the thrill of winning.
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau has no doubt about which category he falls under. He wants to win and lift the trophy at the end. Everything else is secondary. And today at the final table of the European Poker Tour Cyprus $50,000 Super High Roller, he got to live out a dream he’s been chasing for ten years.
“Normally players play poker for money. I like to get trophies,” he said after defeating Artur Martirosian heads-up and besting a field of 47 of poker’s biggest stars to win the $601,397 top prize and Golden Shard trophy. “This is the second big one. Really amazing. This is the main target for me in poker, competition and to win trophies.”
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mikalai Vaskaboinikau | Belarus | $601,397* |
| 2 | Artur Martirosian | Russia | $495,815* |
| 3 | Adrian Mateos | Spain | $555,758* |
| 4 | Roman Hrabec | Czechia | $262,200 |
| 5 | Alexander Zubov | Russia | $205,200 |
| 6 | Jamil Wakil | Canada | $159,600 |
* - denotes three-way deal
This year was already shaping up to be fruitful for Vaskaboinikau in poker. In May, he won the Triton Series Main Event in Montenegro for more than $4.7 million. His win today pushes his live earnings past $9 million, second all-time among Belarussian players.
“That was one of the top three or five events in the year,” Vaskaboinikau said about his earlier win. “It’s a dream for a poker player to do it. It was a very big moment for me. I will never forget this moment in my life.”
But an EPT title had always eluded him. He’s been playing on the EPT since Barcelona in 2014. He finished second in a $25,000 event at the 2018 PCA and was fourth in the €100,000 Super High Roller at EPT Monte Carlo in 2022. “Ten years and never win even a small trophy. But now I have a big one, and I can relax,” he said.
Poker is just a hobby for the Belarussian businessman, even if it’s a lucrative one. He enjoys the diversion the game provides him, the chance to get away from the day-to-day problems the business world presents him and enjoy the competition.
“Poker is something to clear your mind from business and to just get out of some problems, some routine, and so on. Just enjoy the game. To feel yourself like a child and compete for something,” he said.
Vaskaboinikau dedicated his win today to his family. He and his wife have two children, with a third on the way. He desperately wanted to bring the trophy back to his kids and the pride that would bring to his family. “For every father, if he gets success in something he feels proud. His family feels proud for him,” he said.
The final six players took their seats at the final table at 12:30 p.m. local time on the main feature stage inside the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa. Spanish superstar and EPT champion Adrian Mateos had a big chip lead at the start of the final table with 5,175,000, while Vaskaboinikau was part of a group of three players at the bottom hovering around 10 big blinds who battled to survive yesterday’s lengthy money bubble.
Jamil Wakil was left with less than a big blind after checking down a pot with Mateos. He managed to quadruple up but was forced all in from the small blind the next hand and Alexander Zubov made a flush to beat Wakil’s deuces, sending the Canadian to the rail in sixth place.
Vaskaboinikau doubled up for 620,000 with ace-queen against Zubov’s ace-jack, knocking Zubov down to just 85,000. He was eliminated in fifth place shortly after he was forced all in from the big blind, and Mateos picked up fives under the gun.
Mateos crossed the 6,000,000 milestone but gave some back when Roman Hrabec successfully bluffed him off trips on the river with a shove for 1,110,000. It was one of the few pots the Czech star managed to win at the final table, as he whittled down to 940,000 when he got his last chips in with ace-ten against Vaskaboinikau’s eights. Vaskaboinikau won the flip, and Hrabec, who began the final table in second place, was forced to settle for a fourth-place finish.
Martirosian took the chip lead from Mateos before Vaskaboinikau spiked a king on the flop and moved all in on the river for 1,545,000. Martirosian called with pocket queens, and Vaskaboinikau doubled into a big chip lead. The three players immediately called over Tournament Director Toby Stone to look at the numbers and discuss a deal. Vaskaboinikau was so intent on taking home the trophy he offered to give back money if he could secure it. He ended up taking $542,120 despite his lead, while Mateos locked up $555,758 and Martirosian $495,815, leaving $59,277 to play for.
Martirosian picked up ace-king and doubled for 1,895,000 against Mateos holding ace-ten, leaving the former chip leader on a short stack. Mateos won a flip against Vaskaboinikau by flopping trip kings against pocket threes to double up, but he fell back down to less than 2,000,000 when he jammed from the small blind and Vaskaboinikau snap-called on the button. Mateos had ace-three, and Vaskaboinikau had him dominated with ace-king. The board provided no help to Mateos, and he was sent to the rail in third place.
Vaskaboinikau led Martirosian 6,420,000 to 5,330,000 at the start of heads-up, but Martirosian survived an all-in with ace-jack against jack-ten to double up to 6,500,000 and retake the lead. The young Russian phenom appeared to have a firm grip on the title when Vaskaboinikau moved all in for 5,130,000. Martirosian woke up with aces and snap-called, but Vaskaboinikau hit a running flush for a miracle double-up and left Martirosian with just eight big blinds.
A few hands later, Martiroisan shoved for 1,410,000 with ace-deuce and Vaskaboinikau called with two fours. No lucky ace arrived for Martirosian, and Vaskaboinikau finally had the title he so dearly coveted.
Vaskaboinikau made it clear: he plays for the trophies and the glory. Today he has both, taking the trophy back to his kids while earning the prestige that comes from conquering such a star-studded field. After 10 years, it was a feeling well worth the wait.
