Sylvain Berthelot Stops Zamani Streamroll to Win Estrellas Main Event (€499224)
For hours on end, Martin Zamani bet, raised and re-raised at every opportunity on Day 4 of the €1,100 Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event at 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona, a strategy that saw the high-stakes American pro winning nearly every pot and establishing a dominant final table chip lead. But it was France’s Sylvain Berthelot who ended up winning his first major poker title and €499,224 as Zamani lost momentum to fall in third place.
Berthelot, Zamani and runner-up Santiago Nadal reached an ICM deal after the fourth-place elimination of PokerStars Team Pro Parker Talbot, who continued his career year with his third six-figure score in the last eight months.
Berthelot, an amateur player who had just $7,443 heading into the event, started the day as a short stack but ran it all the way up to a nearly half-million score. He stepped back from poker for several years to focus on family life but got back into the game with the help of some friends.
“I can’t believe it,” Berthelot told PokerNews in a winner’s interview. “I need my friends to pinch me because it’s such a dream. I don’t have the words. I’m really happy. It’s. It’s an unbelievable sentiment. I can’t explain my feeling.”
2024 Estrellas Main Event Final Table Results
PLACE | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE (IN EURO) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Sylvain Berthelot | France | €499,224* |
2 | Santiago Nadal | Mexico | €394,526* |
3 | Martin Zamani | United States | €463,250* |
4 | Parker Talbot | Canada | €227,000 |
5 | Jean Benvenga | Switzerland | €173,000 |
6 | Francesco Macri | Italy | €136,400 |
7 | Stanislovas Vinicenka | Lithuania | €104,500 |
8 | Johannes Verhagen | Netherlands | €79,400 |
“This Was My Tournament”
The Estrellas Main Event drew 7,138 entries for a prize pool of €6,852,480. Of the 19 players who returned for Day 4, Berthelot was dead last as he looked to maximize his ten-big-blind stack.
Berthelot, who lives in Lisbon with his wife, said he was “patient’ with his short stack and “found some spots to steal the blinds.”
“I don’t have any, any, magic potion; I guess that this tournament was for me,” he said. “Inside my head, I got the feeling I don’t know why. This was my tournament. My different my, one time, the big one time.”
Another Deep Run for Tonka
Talbot, a veteran PokerStars streamer, has been on quite the run this year. It started in February when he finished runner-up in the EPT Paris FPS High Roller for € 334,180. Then, after months of torment by Ben “Spraggy” Spragg for never having won a live tournament, Talbot proved his fellow ambassador wrong in March as he banked his first live win in the Irish Poker Open Luxon Pay €5,000 High Roller for €134,279.
Two months later, Talbot booked his first SCOOP title with a $530 NLHE victory worth $70,128. And just weeks ago, Talbot finished runner-up in the PokerStars Maryland State Poker Championship for $73,719.
Spragg was among those cheering Talbot on as he made yet another deep run, along with Talbot’s mom, who engaged in friendly banter with Zamani throughout the final tables.
“You have to invite me to Thanksgiving dinner after this!” Zamani told Mrs. Talbot.
Talbot had a miraculous spin-up that saw him doubling a half-dozen times to ladder up to the final four. Those who weren’t so lucky in between that time included Alexandre Reard (12th - €42,130), Ren Lin (10th - €50,590) and Magnus Persson (9th - €61,680).
Talbot then had a final all-in confrontation with Zamani, who flopped trips to leave Talbot drawing practically dead as he fell in fourth. Talbot’s exit set up a three-handed ICM discussion that found the players reaching a deal and agreeing to play for a remaining €45,100 after Zamani squeaked out a few extra thousand with some guidance from Calvin Anderson.
Zamani went out soon after when his ace-four was pipped by Berthelot’s ace-queen, perhaps karma for his aggressive haggling with the Frenchman.
Heads-up play didn’t last long, thanks to a cooler that saw Berthelot turning the nut flush against the turned Broadway of Nadal.
That wraps up PokerNews’ coverage of the Estrellas Main Event, but be sure to check out the live updates for other events here at EPT Barcelona.
Connor Richards is an Editor & Live Reporter for PokerNews and host of the Life Outside Poker podcast. Connor has been nominated for two Global Poker Awards for his writing.
FAQ
Can you withdraw from WPT Global?
Can you withdraw from WPT Global? Before making your first withdrawal, WPT Global, as a licensed operator, requires new customers to verify their account by providing the necessary documentation. This includes: Documentation that proves your identity such as a driving licence or passport.
What is the WPT global match bonus?
What is the WPT global match bonus? Our Welcome Match Bonus is one of the biggest ever offered as an online poker deposit bonus! We’ll match your deposit of up to a huge $1,200 as a warm welcome to our tables, whether you’re a cash game player or tournament challenger. 100% deposit match bonus – min $20 up to $1,200! get it use bonus code : wpt777
Can I use a VPN for WPT global?
Can I use a VPN for WPT global? Wptglobal is one of the world’s largest online poker sites, but it is also one of the most restrictive in terms of IP address restrictions. As a general rule, traditional VPNs cannot be used to access the platform because they can either warn or block your accounts.
How many decks are used in poker?
how many decks are used in poker? In most popular poker variants, such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha, a standard deck of 52 playing cards is used. Each deck contains four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades) and consists of 13 ranks (Ace, 2 through 10, and the face cards: Jack, Queen, and King). However, it’s important to note that the number of decks used in poker can vary depending on the specific game or variation being played.
Is it safe to play on WPT Global?
Is it safe to play on WPT Global? WPT Global is licenced in Curaçao by Gaming Services Provider N.V. and its RNG (random number generator) is independently certified by Gaming Laboratories International (GLI).
Download & Play WPT Global Application In Shortly
This site only collects related articles. Viewing the original, please copy and open the following link:Sylvain Berthelot Stops Zamani Streamroll to Win Estrellas Main Event (€499224)