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It’s no secret that the Eureka Poker Tour’s soaring numbers here in Vienna and at the last stop in Prague are partially down to the European Poker Tour also being in town (the latter begins with Day 1A on Sunday 23rd). With the numbers rocketing, there’s a massive increase of well-known players who are taking a shot at the smaller buy-in tour. Among these are numerous former EPT champions, those who have won the most prestigious prize in poker – a European Poker Tour title. Here are seven of the best who are playing or have played today.

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Robin Ylitalo

Robin Ylitalo, (won EPT London in Season 10 for £560,980)
Having previously made the final table of EPT Campione in Season 8, Swede Robin Ylitalo beat Georgios Karakousis heads-up. Most recently, he cashed in the Eureka Prague High-Roller coming 28th for €5,200 out of a field of 430.

Max Lykov, (won EPT Kiev in Season 6 for €330,000)
Team PokerStars Pro Max Lykov was the first Russian to ever win an EPT (he was followed by Vladimir Geshkenbein and Andrey Pateychuk) when he won the EPT’s only ever stop in Kiev. Since then Lykov has made the final of EPT San Remo in Season 7 and won his first WSOP bracelet in 2011.

David Vamplew, (won EPT London in Season 7 for £900,000)
“Vampy” to his friends, David Vamplew broke onto the scene when he beat the legendary John Juanda heads-up for the EPT title in London. His biggest result since then was a second place in a $1,500 WSOP side event in 2013. Most recently Vamplew cashed in three side events at EPT Deauville. Vamplew busted fairly on today.

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Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier

Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, (won the PokerStars Carribean Adventure in Season 4 for $2,000,000)
The unmistakable blonde hair is the first thing that draws your attention to mercurial Frenchman and Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier. After winning the PCA, “ElkY” managed to become one of only a select few player to complete the famous “Triple Crown” after winning both a WPT title and WSOP bracelet.

Zimnan Ziyard, (won EPT Loutraki in Season 8 for €347,000)
Zimnan Ziyard is the only player to have ever won an EPT in Greece after he beat Hauke Heseding heads-up. Since then, he’s been a frequent fixture on the EPT and has numerous cashes in side events. In 2013 he won the deepstack event in Deauville for €33,000 and won a £1,000 turbo event in London for £22,920.

Steve O’Dwyer, (won EPT Monte Carlo in Season 9 for €1,224,000)
It’s perhaps easier to tell you what Steve O’Dwyer hasn’t won. The Irishman beating arguably one of the toughest final tables in the history of the EPT to claim his title (Team PokerStars Pros Johnny Lodden, Daniel Negreanu, Jake Cody and Jason Mercier as well as Andrew Pantling and Noah Schwartz). Most recently he came third in the Super High-Roller in Barcelona for €355,100. He was one of the most recent exits.

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Mickey Petersen

Mickey Petersen, (won EPT Copenhagen in Season 8 for Dkr2,515,000)
PokerStars Team Online’s Mickey Petersen was already well-known as an online “grinder” but he became a live star too after he won his home EPT, beating Friend of PokerStars Pierre Neuville in an epic heads-up battle. As well as the EPT, Petersen plays regularly on Eureka’s sister tour, the UKIPT. His last cash was a third-place finish in the €2,200 High-Roller at UKIPT Dublin where he picked up €9,900.

Tournament Update:

– 610 players remain from the 975 who started
– Team PokerStars Pro Michael Keiner has been eliminated as have former EPT winners Steve O’Dwyer and Vladimir Geshkenbein.
– Full Tilt Ambassador Hana Soljan, Surinder Sunar, Antoine Saout, Stephen Chidwick, Jose Carlos Garcia and Jason Wheel are also out.
– Blinds are currently 300/600 with a 75 ante.
– Players are on a 75-minute dinner break after level 7.

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