EPT Pragues : The finale

Parisian Arnaud Mattern, 28, has won the European Poker Tour Prague event for a first prize of €708,400. Mattern, who is also a world-class backgammon player and the current French champion, triumphed against Italian Gino “El Diablo” Alacqua.

In the final hand, Mattern called Alacqua’s all-in raise. He had AK and paired the King on the turn, beating the Italian’s Q10.

Mattern is the third Frenchman to win an EPT – Jan Boubli won Season 2 Barcelona and Pascal Perrault won Season 1 Vienna. Mattern said: “This is the best result I’ve ever had. I did win the French Backgammon Championship but that was only €5,000! It was a very tough final table and, during the heads-up, Gino picked up a lot of good cards but I just picked my spot and my good hands stood up.”

Today was Mattern’s first EPT cash and more than ten times his previous best win – the Gutshot Poker Masters in 2006 for $51,000. As well as today’s first prize, Mattern also wins a €10,000 seat to the EPT Grand Final, which takes place in Monte Carlo in April 2008.

Runner-up Alacqua, who is single and lives in Milan, says he came to Prague hoping to find love. Instead he picked up €407,300 for second place. The 46-year-old antiques dealer only took up poker 18 months ago but won the Campione d’Italia €1k Main Event this summer and was runner-up in the 2006 Italian Championship.

High-stakes online player Kristian Kjondal, 21, from Oslo, Norway, came 3rd – adding €235,300 to the €471,000 he won last April for coming 4th in the EPT Season 3 Monte Carlo Grand Final. PokerStars player Johannes Strassman was 9th, winning €39,200.