EPT Malta 2025: Tomasz Berzezinski Battles to the Top to Win €5,300 Main Event for €631,632

How It Started

Eventual runner-up Ostash came into the day with a solid lead over his opponents, and he had the only stack exceeding 100 big blinds. Aliaksei Boika was looking to make history by becoming the first player to defend his title at the same live stop successfully, and he came into the day’s play in second. Day 3 and 4 chip-leader Tom-Aksell Bedell was on short-stack duties, and Adria Calonge and Brzezinski occupied fourth and third, respectively.

The Ostash Offensive

Ostash was piling on pressure off the bat as the chip-leader, and it wasn’t long into the day’s play until he claimed his first scalp of the day. He busted Bedell with pocket threes in a button versus blind all-in situation. Bedell had deuces, and to add insult to injury, Ostash flopped a set, which, near enough, sealed Bedell’s fate. No miracle runouts for the Norwegian this time around, and he wished the table well before departing.

Ostash then clashed with Boika in a monster pot that saw both players slow-play big holdings. Unfortunately for Boika, Ostash’s holding was bigger, as he flopped a set of fives on 9 8 5 to crack the pocket kings of Boika. Ostash played it trappy, as the flop checked through, before Ostash led the 4 turn for 500,000, with the blinds at 50,00/100,000, 100,000 big blind ante. Boika called before calling an overbet all-in on the 2 . Boika’s K K made the call, and his second-place stack was being shipped to Ostash.

Brzezinski Running Hot

Berzezinski was catching some cards. He managed to get paid with quads, making a non-believer out of Ostash who called a river check-raise on 10 10 4 4 J with K J . Berzezinski check-called the flop before the turn checked through. Brzezinski then went runner-runner boat to crack the flopped second nut-flush of Ostash, who had opened K 6 from the button, and Brzezinski defended the big blind, before check-calling a bet of 250,000 on J 7 3 . He then check-called 750,000 on the J turn before the 7 river was checked down. This put Brzezinski into an ever-so-slight lead, and Ostash’s massive advantage had been reduced to parity with the Polish national.

Calonge Crashes Out

Calonge was a victim due to subpar distribution at the final table, and the Spaniard couldn’t really get anything going at this most crucial stage. He jammed his short-stack with K 5 over a 250,000 button open from Brzezinski, who called with 10 10 . There was no king on the A 8 2 4 8 runout, and Calonge claimed the third spot and a new personal best score of €339,000.

Deal? Or No Deal?

Before heads-up play began, both competitors discussed plans for a potential deal scenario. After around a five-minute conversation with the floor, nothing was agreed, and the players took their seats for what was effectively a near €300,000 heads-up match. The chip stacks were even, with both players having around 100 big blinds each.

However, at the first break of heads-up play, the players re-entered negotiations that would see both players guarantee a score of €603,098, leaving them playing for €28,534 and the EPT trophy. Despite the deal being made, the heads-up battle would prove to be one for the ages. Brzezinski started strong and got paid with a full house, by this point, he had a 3:1 advantage over Ostash. He found his way back in contention by finding a hero call with A 5 on the 9 10 9 K 4 runout. Ostash then found a way back in, winning the first all in and call situation. He made trips with K J to crack Brzezinski’s 10 10 across the A 9 K K 4 . Half an hour later, Ostash was at risk again, with Q 10 versus A 8 . It was no sweat once again as the Q J 5 Q 6 gave the Ukrainian trips once again.

A Back-and-Forth Heads-Up

Brzezsinki was running pure in the postflop streets, but seemingly couldn’t win his all ins against Ostash. Ostash was left with crumbs once more after his A 8 fell victim to a counterfeit across the 9 2 9 8 A runout to fall short against the A K of Brzezinski. Ostash was then at risk with 4 4 against the two overs of Brzezsinki in the form of 10 9 . Ostash faded the back-door flush draw on the turn and the over cards across Q 3 2 7 K to ensure his survival. Ostash did retake the lead at one point, catching Brzezsinki bluffing with 7 6 on 10 8 4 8 A . Ostash had 10 4 , meaning his flopped two pair was counterfeit, but he flicked in the call to move into the lead.

Ostash Loses The Lead, Still Hanging in There

Ostash’s chip count slipped again, but it wasn’t long till he was back up to 12,000,000 playing 14,850,00 when he turned a flush with 5 2 in a limped pot on 9 6 2 K . Brzezsinki had 8 7 for a no-good gutshot, and all of his equity lay in the 8 . He missed his draw on the A and the tournament continued once more. Ostash then made an incorrect hero-call with king-high, check-calling three streets across 5 3 10 3 4 . Brzezsinki had the goods with 6 3 for trips.

Brzezinski Can’t Win His All Ins

Brzezinski had a chance to end the tournament in a massive pot that left Ostash with 1,500,000 once again. He made a ten-high straight with 9 8 on 7 6 5 Q 10 . Both flopped monsters, with Ostash having 7 6 for flopped top two. Brzezinski was faced with a bet of 3,100,000 and opted just to call, leaving Ostash with another chance at a comeback. Moments later, Ostash doubled again with 10 8 against K J . The 6 5 4 7 9 runout gave Ostash yet another double, taking his tally to seven all-ins and wins in heads-up play alone. He then made the Maltese cat population wonder if any of their nine lives were missing, as Ostash then doubled again ten minutes later with 7 7 against a Brzezsinki with 9 7 , and was then even once again having called an all in shove on the flop with a pair of sevens against Brzezsinki with queen-high. After that hand, Brzezinski then claimed that he was “done with poker for the next half a year.”

Ostash Down Again, But Not Out

Ostash then lost a monster flip with A J against the 8 8 of Brzezsinki, leaving him with less than ten big blinds once again. However he was then back in it once again, winning with K Q against 10 10 . He made two pair across the 8 Q J K 2 runout. He then, remarkably, found himself at the top of the counts once again, as he made trips with K Q to best Brzezsinki’s A 8 across the K 5 K 9 8 runout.

They Think It’s All Over…. It Is Now

The tables turned on Brzezinski, and he found himself all in and at risk for the first time in heads-up play. He was holding A J against Ostash with A 10 . Neither paired and Brzezinski’s kicker played across the 6 4 4 3 7 runout. The very next hand, it was over. Ostash was forced to commit his last chips with 5 4 against Brzezinski’s 10 4 . The Q 10 J 4 6 runout gave Brzezinski the victory, and one that will live long in his memory, and Ostash, the rail, and those who watched at home. After the victory, Brzezinski said, “I ran lucky the whole tournament, the same at EPT Barcelona.” He was also asked about the possibility of defending his title in Prague, to which he responded, “Of course, of course.”

€5,300 Main Event Final Table Payouts

Place	Player	Country	Payout (EUR)
1	Tomasz Brzezinski	Poland	€631,632*
2	Mykhailo Ostash	Ukraine	€603,058*
3	Adria Calonge	Spain	€339,000
4	Aliaksei Boika	Belarus	€260,750
5	Tom-Aksel Bedell	Norway	€200,550
6	Toni Kaukua	Finland	€154,250
7	Ben Heath	United Kingdom	€118,650
8	Juan Pardo	Spain	€91,250
9	Joao Tomas	Portugal	€70,250
			*Denotes Deal

What’s Next?

There is plenty more to come from the poker world this year, with PokerStars events taking place across the world as the year draws to a close. The next EPT stop will be gracing the halls of the Hilton Prague in December, and PokerStars Cup events will be taking place in Manchester, Cannes and Maryland in the US.

That’s all for now, folks. Until next time.