Andrea Dato and Halil Tasyurek: Aiming for Back-to-Back Glory in the EPT Cyprus Main Event
As the sun rises on Day 5 of the European Poker Tour (EPT) Cyprus Main Event, the stakes couldn’t be higher for two familiar faces in the realm of professional poker: Andrea Dato and Halil Tasyurek. Both players are not only eyeing the coveted title but are also on the brink of entering the history books. Achieving back-to-back final table appearances in the same event is an extraordinary feat that only a select few have achieved within the 20-year legacy of the EPT.
A Historic Opportunity
In the last decade, just two players—Vladislav Naumov at EPT Sochi in 2020-21 and Peter Jorgne at EPT Paris in 2023-24—have pulled off this remarkable back-to-back finish. Dato and Tasyurek’s quest for greatness can be traced back to last year’s inaugural EPT Cyprus Main Event, where Dato finished as the runner-up and Tasyurek secured a respectable fourth place. Today, they step into the spotlight with a chance to add their names to poker folklore.
Current Standings
Day 5 kicks off at noon local time with 16 players remaining from an initial field of 1,284 hopefuls. Andrea Dato is currently in a solid sixth place with a chip stack of 2,575,000, while Tasyurek finds himself among the short stacks at 1,230,000. The competition will be fierce, especially as they face off against formidable players like Georgios Tsouloftas, who leads with a commanding 7,970,000, followed by Oliver Weis and Andriy Lyubovetskiy.
Day 5 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgios Tsouloftas | Cyprus | 7,970,000 | 159 |
| 2 | Oliver Weis | Germany | 4,540,000 | 91 |
| 3 | Andriy Lyubovetskiy | Ukraine | 3,970,000 | 79 |
| 4 | Damir Zhugralin | Kazakhstan | 3,160,000 | 63 |
| 5 | Mikhail Shalamov | Russia | 2,600,000 | 52 |
| 6 | Andrea Dato | Italy | 2,575,000 | 52 |
| 7 | Eleftherios Sinnos | Cyprus | 2,295,000 | 46 |
| 8 | Marta Miquel Munoz | Spain | 2,235,000 | 45 |
| 9 | Philip Joyce | UK | 1,650,000 | 33 |
| 10 | Anton Wigg | Sweden | 1,550,000 | 31 |
| 11 | Anton Kraous | Bulgaria | 1,320,000 | 26 |
| 12 | Halil Tasyurek | Turkey | 1,230,000 | 25 |
| 13 | Bobby James | UK | 1,215,000 | 24 |
| 14 | Arian Kashani | UK | 1,185,000 | 24 |
| 15 | Timo Kamphues | Germany | 805,000 | 16 |
| 16 | Boris Tabiyev | Kazakhstan | 250,000 | 5 |
The Path Ahead
The remaining players are already assured a minimum payout of $42,280, with the anticipation building as the first-place prize rises to a staggering $1,030,000, alongside the iconic golden EPT trophy. The day’s format will include playing down to the final six players, and all the action will be live-streamed on PokerStars’ YouTube and Twitch channels with a 30-minute delay.
Additional Historic Contenders
Among the thrilling lineup are players with their own historic goals. Anton Wigg, the 2010 EPT Copenhagen champion, is in pursuit of becoming the fourth player to win multiple EPT titles, starting with 1,550,000 chips. Meanwhile, Marta Miquel Munoz is making waves, hoping to break a decade-plus drought for female champions in the EPT, aiming to follow in the footsteps of Victoria Coren Mitchell, who last took the title in 2014.
Conclusion
As the clock ticks down toward the start of the tournament, anticipation soars not just for a winner, but for the potential rewriting of poker records. Andrea Dato and Halil Tasyurek stand on the precipice of history, and while they face a challenging table, their talents and previous track records serve as reminders of what’s possible in the thrilling world of high-stakes poker. PokerNews will be providing continuous updates, capturing the drama and excitement as yet another chapter in EPT history unfolds. Stay tuned!
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