Twenty years ago, Alexander Stevic etched his name in poker history by winning the inaugural European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event. The 2004 series featured just five events, a humble beginning compared to today’s expansive, star-studded EPT circuit. That modest start became a springboard for aspiring poker players, transforming young upstarts into legends of the game.
Household poker names like Jason Mercier, Victoria Coren-Mitchell, and Hall of Famer Patrik Antonius launched their careers and began their rise up the ranks after finding success on the EPT's iconic blue felt. Now, another emerging superstar has left their mark on one of poker's most prestigious tours.
Despite the black clouds and torrential downpour outside Casino Barcelona, which contrasted with the sunny scenes of previous PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona Main Events, Stephen Song provided the warmth needed in the room as he proudly hoisted the 20th Anniversary Golden Shard trophy.
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Song | United States | €1,290,386* |
| 2 | Andrew Hulme | United Kingdom | €1,165,614* |
| 3 | Marius-Catalin Pertea | Romania | €674,150 |
| 4 | Rania Nasreddine | United States | €518,600 |
| 5 | David Coleman | United States | €398,950 |
| 6 | Boris Kuzmanovic | Croatia | €306,900 |
| 7 | Alexandre Fournier | Canada | €236,100 |
| 8 | Jianwei Lin | China | €181,600 |
| 9 | Fabiano Kovalski | Brazil | €139,750 |
*denotes heads-up deal
On the final day of the Main Event, Song found himself all-in and at risk on five separate occasions. Lady luck smiled down upon him each time as he scratched and clawed his way to the win. But what was the secret to running so pure?
"You just keep showing up and eventually you're just going to win, right? Just mathematically, it has to happen," Song told PokerNews.
"I will say that my mom said she was praying for me very hard during this tournament. I've been sun-running the whole seven days, so I'm definitely thankful for that."
Song was already an accomplished professional before today. He is well respected by his peers and has the results to back it up, with a WSOP bracelet, a WPT Prime Championship, and an EPT side event win on his resume. He was named the GPI Player of the Year in 2022 but points to this triumph as the most notable of his career.
"This, for sure, is number one. WPT Prime [Championship] was awesome, too. My family was there, and my mom was there, so that was incredible. But this is [EPT Main Events]; there's just not that many of them. And to now be able to say I'm an EPT winner is just unreal."
First EPT Champion Alexander Stevic is Back in Barcelona Where He Won it All in 2004
The EPT Barcelona Main Event was one of the biggest in EPT history, ranking as the fourth-largest event with 1,975 total entries. The prize pool reached an impressive €9,578,750, with payouts for 287 players and an initial top prize of €1,512,000. The min-cash was €8,700.
The EPT’s growth is evident not only in its impressive numbers but also in its global reach. This Main Event attracted players from 82 different countries. From Albania to Vietnam and the United States to South Africa, it seems no corners of the world are untouched or unaffected by the EPT's influence. The top five nations were France (205 players), Italy (144), Spain (124), Brazil (89), and the United Kingdom (76).
European Poker Tour (EPT)'s 20th Anniversary: Looking Back at the Past Ten Years
With history being the dominating theme over the past two weeks, it was fitting that Rania Nasreddine made a bit of her own by becoming the ninth player to make back-to-back EPT Main Event final tables. However, her start to the finale was nothing short of a disaster. The 2024 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event third-place finisher ran into aces on the opening hand of Day 7 after a mistimed back-jam with pocket nines. However, some aggressive moves and a rivered full house followed shortly after, and the lawyer managed to successfully appeal her way back into contention. Nasreddine further solidified her position at the final table after busting Boris Kuzmanovic with Big Slick.
By the first break, Andrew Hulme went from short stack to chip leader. Former frontrunner Song had tumbled down the counts and was only propped up by David Coleman. Song doubled twice to get himself out of the danger zone, but Coleman could not replicate his compatriot and bowed out to Hulme's queens in fifth place.
Song, known for excelling in all-in situations, continued living up to his reputation. He jammed into top pair but spiked an ace on the river against Hulme to keep the Main Event a four-handed affair. Despite the hit, Hulme still led, with Song and Nasreddine floating above Marius-Catalin Pertea going into the second break.
Hulme, Song and Pertea traded pots, each jumping into top spot throughout Level 36. Song reestablished himself as the chip leader, cracking Pertea's aces after the river bailed him out again. Nasreddine tread water but became the short stack after another Pertea double. The Tulsa, Oklahoma, native couldn't recover and was denied becoming the fourth female EPT Main Event winner. The €518,600 fourth-place payout was a new high score for Nasreddine, despite falling in one place earlier than she did on the French Riviera.
Pertea exited a few hands later, setting up the heads-up duel between Song and Hulme. The duo quickly agreed a deal. Song held a narrow lead and secured €1,233,586, while Hulme banked €1,165,614. With both players claiming their payouts, all that remained on the line was the title, the trophy, and an additional €56,800.
Heads-up began with small pots being traded, but Song forced Hulme to fold top pair after he bluff-shoved the river on a four-to-a-straight board. His lead extended by more than two-to-one ahead of the 45-minute dinner break.
Song sealed the victory on the first all-in and call showdown. Like many times throughout the EPT Main Event, Song found himself as the underdog when the cards flipped over. When the turn hit the table, his ace-seven made a straight, besting Hulme's pocket eights.
Song celebrated his win, marking two decades of EPT history, surrounded by friends and family. But the future of the EPT is yet to be written—and who knows? The next chapter could be yours.
