The Estonian chess grandmaster and poker professional Ottomar Ladva has won the latest high roller in Barcelona as he turned Barcelona into a city of fond memrories overnight. Ladva, who has earned over a million dollars playing his ‘second’ game, can now look back on winning his career-high score in the Catalan city famous for Antoni Gaudí, Pablo Picasso and more recently Lionel Messi.

More Full Table in High Roller

With 60 entries in total, the 27-year-old Ladva’s triumph came at the end of a marathon 13-hour day where some of the best poker players in Europe and the Americas put up the €25,000 ($27,800) buy-in and battled to take home the ‘Spadie’ EPT side event trophy. With a prizepool of over $1.5 million, players such as Poker Hall of Famer Patrik Antonius, €50,000 EPT event crusher Nick Petrangelo, Mike ‘Sir Watts’ Watson, and his fellow Canadian poker legend Sam Greenwood all took part in the tournament.

The bubble coincided with the final table as only eight people would make the last table of the tournament and receive money in the process. It was the Finnish poker champion Patrik Antonius who was the unfortunate ‘Bubble Boy’ as he lost out in ninth place. Calling a five-bet shove pre-flop with was behind to the only hand that could be ahead of him as Jim Collopy had pocket aces. The board of did nothing to help the 2024 Poker Hall of Fame inductee and the Finn was finished, exiting for no return on his investment.

First in the money was the 2020 WSOP Online Main Event winner, Stoyan Madanzhiev. The Bulgarian, who would have held the title of ‘world champion’ had the WSOP not held a Hybrid event at the end of that fateful year for humanity at least made the money here in Barcelona.

All-in pre-flop when short with , two players battled it out across the board, which came and was won by Artem Lasouski’s , leaving Biao Ding short after his failed to hit a king. The downcast Madanzhiev left for a score of $64,055.

Greenwood is Gotten

Michael Molenaar lasted only a little longer. Only marginally better stacked than Ding, the Dutchman took a shot with and lost to Lasouski’s when the board of came to sink the at-risk Molenaar for a result worth $80,065 to him. Soon, six was five, as Ding did exit. All-in with ace-jack, he was ahead of Lasuski’s ace-deuce before the flop, but the board had other ideas and allowed Lasouski to overtake his rival and score a knockout, Ding heading to the rail for $104,085.

Out in fifth place was the Canadian player Sam Greenwood. Despite doubling up once Greenwood was still short when he moved in over Mat Frankland’s opening bet with . Frankland called with the superior and a board of came to eliminate the Canadian for $136,225.

Ladva Left Smiling as Lasouski Loses

Four-handed, the pressure was on as the pay-jumps became eye-watering to poker players of most levels. At one stage, barely a million chips were between the four men, but eventually, it was the British player Frankland who departed in fourth for $176,250. All-in with , Jim Collopy called with [Ah[ and held after a dry board of sent Frankland looking for refreshment.

Despite winning that hand, Collopy was the next player to leave the party, exiting in third place for $232,300. All-in with , Collopy was well ahead of Ladva’s 5d] pre-flop but his short stack priced the Estonian in for the call and a runout of gave the eventual winner a winning flush at a vital time.

That hand was pivotal in two ways. Not only did it take out a dangerous player in Collopy but it gave Ladva a lead of almost 3:1 going into the heads-up battle that would decide the event 13 hours after its beginning. While Lasouski doubled once, he couldn’t repeat the trick when his shove with was snap-called by Ladva’s . Winning the classic flip when an ace landed on the flop and no help came for Lasouski, Ladva had done it, the four-time Estonian chess champion proving that when it comes to poker, he’s just as capable of providing the checkmate moment.