The inexorable rise of Alex Kulev through poker’s ranks hit a new high point today in Monte Carlo where the Dublin-based Bulgarian claimed the first seven-figure prize of his career.
Kulev is the latest Super High Roller champion on the European Poker Tour (EPT), taking down the €100K buy-in event at EPT Monte Carlo for €1,036,287. It came after Kulev defeated the two-time Super High Roller champion Mikita Badziakouski heads-up, and after the pair agreed an ICM deal when they were the last of 29 players standing.
“I’m extremely grateful,” Kulev said in his post-game interview, shortly before hoisting the trophy. “I’ve been looking forward to doing something like this. I’ve had a few opportunities before but I couldn’t take it down. But doing this, doing it here, I’m very grateful and delighted with the result.
We first encountered Kulev under his online moniker — “FutureofMe” on PokerStars — then met him as he was emerging onto the live circuit. As recently as October, at EPT London, Kulev said, “I accept that [Super High Roller] players are far more accomplished than me. I just want to be able to compete with them.”
But tonight he’s beaten them, doubling his live career earnings in one fell swoop and surely confirming what everyone had been predicting for a long while. He is poker’s next superstar. He admitted that he now feels that he belongs.
“It was filled with players which I respect a lot, but I felt comfortable,” Kulev said of the final table today. “I am playing against players who I learn from, who I respect, but I feel they are my peers and that I can compete with them.”
Kulev had led the pack into today’s final day, but was powerless as Badziakouski went on a charge and kept the chip lead for most of the five hours’ play. However, Kulev managed to reel in Badziakouski when the pair got heads up, and it was one-way traffic in Kulev’s direction.
The future truly is now for FutureisMe. He has a bankroll to match his immense talents, and he will surely now be a fixture in these kinds of events.
SEVEN LEFT, STONE BUBBLE
There were 37 total entries to the event, but seven players remained when the tournament reached its final day. In most circumstances, you’d have locked up a profit when you come back for the last day, but it’s often different on the Super High Roller circuit.
The players lined up as follows, but there were only six places in the money. It meant that they reconvened on the stone bubble.
€100K final day line-up (seat order):
1: Ben Heath, United Kingdom – 755,000
2: Santhosh Suvarna, India – 645,000
3: Orpen Kisacikoglu, Turkey – 1,435,000
4: Adrian Mateos, Spain – 625,000
5: Artur Martirosian, Russia – 1,810,000
6: Alex Kulev, Bulgaria – 2,085,000
7: Mikita Badziakouski, Ukraine – 1,895,000
The man most under threat, at least in terms of chips, was Adrian Mateos. But Mateos is nothing if not tenacious. And he was also the defending champion, having triumphed in this event last year. He duly navigated his way into the money.
Relative newcomer Santhosh Suvarna was not lucky. Suvarna is a businessman from India, who has recently appeared playing in this highest stakes tournaments and cash games across the globe. This was his first visit to EPT Monte Carlo, and he had done well to get so close to a maiden cash.
But Suvarna hadn’t accounted for Mateos, who found A♥ J♥ after Suvarna had open shoved for 525,000 with pocket nines. Mateos hit an ace and a jack on the flop and that left Suvarna as the last person to leave with nothing.
He still gave everyone a fist bump and wandered away with a smile on his face.
BADZIAKOUSKI CHARGES AS OTHER STARS FADE
Everyone was shallow at this stage, but Badziakouski now went on a tear. He won decent pots against everyone else at the table to assume the chip lead, giving him enough to tangle with Orpen Kisacikoglu and not fear the consequences.
Kisacikoglu is in a rich vein of form, and won the first €25K Single Day High Roller played here this week. But he couldn’t get A♦ Q♥ to do any damage to Badziakouski’s A♠ K♠ when they got it all in pre-flop. That sent Kisacikoglu out in sixth place, for €251,300. Badziakouski’s lead increased.
Mateos had now laddered up and seen other opponents, including Ben Heath and Alex Kulev, take significant hits to their stacks. But Heath managed to double a couple of times back into contention and Mateos remained short once again.
He was forced to get his last chips in with K♦ 3♣ and Heath’s A♥ 9♣ stayed good to claim the second victim from the final. Mateos’ title defence ended with a fifth-place finish, which was worth €323,100.
Heath’s surge was not over. “A lot of the decisions are automatic,” Sam Grafton, in the commentary booth, said, referencing a lot of shallow stacks at the table and four players who know all the situations.
Heath found K♣ 3♥ in the small blind and shoved. Artur Martirosian found A♣ 8♠ in the big blind and called off his last 10 big blinds in an instant. Heath was behind this time but flopped a king. After he turned another, Martirosian’s day was done.
Martirosian won €412,800 for fourth.
HEATH’S DEMISE LEAVES TWO FOR THE TITLE
With three players left, Badziakouski had a decent chip lead still — and it got even bigger after a major pot that severely dented Heath’s hopes. Badziakouski had pocket nines in the small blind but Heath, with 10♥ 5♥ in the big blind, called a raise.
Badziakouski continued on a flop of 3♠ Q♣ 8♥ as well as on the Q♥ turn. Heath now had a flush draw with which to call again. The river was a brick 6♦ and Heath now wriggled away after a third bet from Badziakouski. But he now had only 10 big blinds again.
Kulev took them with K♠ 5♠ after Heath shoved his small blind with Q♠ 9♣ . The board was completely dry and Heath was out in third for €556,400.
HEADS-UP DEAL
The heads-up stacks were close. “He covers,” Kulev said to his supporter, Nacho Barbero, on the rail, continuing that it was around 4.5 million to 5 million. The pair decided to look at the numbers and quickly agreed a deal.
They were also both hoping to play the €50K event running elsewhere, on which registration was soon closing. They asked for the levels to be reduced to 15 minutes.
Badziakouski locked up €1,009,853 as the chip leader. Kulev secured a career-best €993,213 and they left €43,074 to play for.
Although there was every chance the tournament might end in a hasty bang, the two of them settled back and played some proper poker. Badziakouski soon surrendered his narrow chip lead, however, in a hand where Kulev’s A♦ J♦ rivered an ace on a board of 8♦ K♥ 8♥ 2♣ A♣ . Badziakouski got unlucky here, having flopped best with K♣ 9♥ . He called off to send a near 2 million pot to Kulev.
It gave Kulev a lead of 28 big blinds to Badziakouski’s 17 as they went to a break.
When they came back, it really didn’t last long. One hand, to be precise. Badziakouski found A♥ J♣ and Kulev had A♦ 10♦ . No one could be blamed for getting it all in.
It was looking good for the double up for Badziakouski, but the benign board of 5♠ 3♣ A♠ 3♠ suddenly turned ugly with the 10♠ on the river. That was gin for Kulev. “Good game,” whispered Badziakouski as Kulev prepared for his coronation.
Asked what FutureofMe now sees for his own future, Kulev stayed focused: “In the short term, just playing the game I love, travel, seeing new places. Play with people I find challenging. That’s what I see.”
We’ll see him there.
Event 16 – €100,000 Super High Roller
Dates: April 29-May 1, 2023
Entries: 37 (inc. 8 re-entries)
Prize pool: €3,589,740
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