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The record-breaking EPT12 Barcelona €10k High Roller is down to 30 players after Day 2.
Relatively unknown Aliaksei Boika from Belarus is leading a star-studded field to the Final Day. The 27-year-old has 1,985,000 chips and will look to better his career's best live result to date, which came last year in May at the Merit Mediterranean Poker Cup in Cyprus. Boika was a runner-up back then and earned $44,950. He's played a lot of EPTs but without any particular success. He gained the biggest attention when he bubbled the EPT9 Barcelona Main Event. However, Boika's been doing well online under name "ale6ka" on PokerStars. He won a SCOOP title earlier this year, boosting his bankroll with $151k.
EPT11 Grand Final champion Adrian Mateos is in third place with 1,500,000. The youngster celebrated only his 21st birthday in July, but he's already #2 in Spanish all-time money list with over $3.5m in live tournament winnings. Playing on the home soil, he's certainly aiming to add another prestigious title to his name as he's already become both EPT and WSOPE Main Event champion. However, Mateos hadn't scooped any EPT €10k High Roller yet. So far, his best appearance came in Deauville back in Season 10. Mateos was first to leave the final table there, taking €37,000 for eighth place.
Several Team PokerStars Pros were among those who cashed - Team Online's Isaac Haxton (36th), Leo Fernandez (39th), Johnny Lodden (50th) and Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier (55th).
EPT12 Barcelona €10k High Roller top five chip counts: 1st - Aliaksei Boika, Belarus, 1,985,000 2nd - Matias Jansson, Sweden, 1,637,000 3rd - Adrian Mateos, Spain, 1,500,000 4th - Kuljinder Sidhu, UK, 1,342,000 5th - Nick Petrangelo, USA, 1,200,000
Since the €10k High Roller first appeared on the EPT Barcelona schedule in Season 7, its popularity has been growing every single year. Inevitably, the record books had to be re-written yet again this season with a 506-entry field. This comprised 401 unique players and 105 re-entries (setting a new record for both). Such a large field obviously brings with it a massive prize pool and 71 players will share the €4,908,200 in payouts. The champion will eventually bank €947,300 along with the coveted title.
Last season, Ihar Soika from Belarus beat a record-breaking 393-entry field for €747,200 with Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier runner-up for €476,400.
Season 11: 393 entries (295 unique + 98 re-entries), €3,851,400 prize pool, Ihar Soika beat Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier heads-up to win €747,200 Season 10: 180 entries (138 + 42), €1,764,000 prize pool, Thomas Muehloecker beat Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu heads-up to win €390,700 Season 9: 111 entries (101 + 10), €1,087,800 prize pool, Laurent Polito beat Alex Bilokur heads-up to win €270,229 Season 8: 67 entries (58 + 9), €670,000 prize pool, Philipp Gruissem beat Jean-Baptiste Tomi heads-up to win €234,500 Season 7: 38 entries (36 + 2), €380,000 prize pool, Fernando Brito beat Juha Helppi heads-up to win €127,500
