EPT Paris Mystery Bounty Event Won by Duco ten Haven in French Capital

The setting of Paris, the City of Light, saw Duco ten Haven win $263,000 as he conquered the opening event of the 2024 European Poker Tour in the French capital. With a final table  featuring Thomas Boivin, Adrian Mateos and Mike ‘Sir Watts’ Watson, several players cashed for six figure sums as the top bounties of €50,000 were won too. In the end, a Dutch destroyer took the title in the shadow of the Champs-Élysées.

Early Levels Change Everything

With players able to buy in directly on Day 2 for two last levels of registration, there were still several seats that were filled by new players when play resumed on the second anf final day. As stars such as Team PokerStars Pros Alejandro Lococo and Sam Grafton both busted, other luminaries of recent poker history, EPT winner Steve O’Dwyer, American double WSOP bracelet winner Chris Brewer, and the Day 1 chip leader – also a Dutchman – Joris Ruijs all busted early.

Once the money places of the top 13 came into view, British poker legend Stephen Chidwick busted in 15^th place, his ace-queen unable to hold against the jack-eight of Elias Gutierrez as a jack on the flop did the fatal damage to the man who sits comfortably inside the top five best tournament players of all-time according to The Hendon Mob.

Russian player Artur Martirosian was the unfortunate ‘Bubble Boy’, losing out in 14^th place for nothing. All-in with pocket sevens, he started the hand ahead of Quan Zhou with ace-three of clubs but didn’t finish in the same manner, a board of Q-9-9-8-J bringing wit it three clubs to flush away Martirosian’s hopes.

Watson and Mateos Miss Out

With 13 left, Joakim Anderson busted with pocket aces, when Mike Watson’s king-jack of diamonds hit a straight on the turn to eliminate the powerful Swede, who was followed from the felt by Atanas Malinov in 12^th. Three-time WSOP bracelet winner Adrian Mateos rode a rollercoaster as he spiked up and dropped down in chips, negotiating the variance of tournament poker to rise again and take out French hope Jean-Noel Thorel in 11^th place.

Out in tenth place was Jakob Miegel was was extremely unlucky to bust, his tens over queens full house losing to Thomas Boivin, whose queens over tens had the edge. It was a big pot for Boivin, who grabbed the chip lead as the final table approached. Mike Watson was low of the nine who made that final table and busted when he lost to Sirzat Hissou’s turned flush and suddenly only eight players were left.

Aurelien Russo left in eighth place before Elias Gutierrez saw his pocket deuces unable to hold when Sergi Reixach’s king-eight rivered a runner-runner flush. Six remained and they lost one of their best when Mateos couldn’t come back from a dominated position with all his chips in the middle. King-six against Quan Zhou’s ace-six didn’t work out and he left with a total prize of around $39,000.

Ten Haven on Top for Biggest-Ever Prize

“When the mystery bounty is first [in] play, you should gamble way more at that point.”

With five remaining, Sergi Reixach bought a ticket to the rail when his pocket threes lost to Zhou’s jack-eight, a flop of A-T-9 eventually leading to a straight for the Chinese player. Zhou was on a roll but keeping pace was ten Haven, who took out Hissou in fourth place with ace-high good enough once it hit on the flop, sending play three-handed.

Belgian player Thomas Boivin was the man who left next, his pocket eights no match for ten Haven’s pocket nines with all the chips committed pre-flop. That pot was huge, giving ten Haven another bounty but even more crucially the chips lead with 8.6 million to Zhou’s 1.33 million chips.

Heads-up, the biggest bounty of €50,000 was still in play, meaning an even more bumper payday for the winner. Zhou got a little back but all-in with jack-four, fell to ten Haven’s king-three and the Dutchman was confirmed as the Event #1 winner in Paris.

“It’s great – I didn’t even want to play this tournament!” ten Haven told reporters following the final hand. “It’s amazing. My first EPT. My best live score. Can’t get any better. It’s fun. A mixture of the different types of tournaments is the best thing to have.”

Ten Haven had some crucial advice for anyone else hoping to take on Mystery Bounty events in the future.

“When the mystery bounty is first getting into play there were a lot, you should gamble way more at that point, especially if there are short stacks that you cover. But as the tournament goes towards the end they are worth less and less, so it plays out more or less like a normal format.”

It couldn’t have played out any better for ten Haven, who is freerolling everything else he plays in this 2024 EPT Paris festival. Bon chance!

Headline photograph courtesy of Eloy Cabascas, for PokerNews.