Event #5: No Limit Hold'em Colossus

Another World Series of Poker Europe gold bracelet has been awarded as Edmond Jahjaga has captured his first-ever title in Event #5: €550 No-Limit Hold'em COLOSSUS. Jahjaga steam-rolled his way to a victory and €147,775 after defeating 2,478 players including a very brief heads-up match with Riadh Farhat.

The 43-year-old from Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, is a business owner and started playing poker roughly five years ago, and is now a new WSOP Europe champion. He considers himself a recreational player and headed to King's Resort for the second time after a brief spell here back in 2020. Jahjaga can often be found playing live cash games and only takes part in tournaments a handful of times throughout the year.

"It means a lot to me. I don't know how to describe it because it comes so unexpected. The whole experience feels like a movie and it just happened." You could tell just how much winning a tournament like this meant to Jahjaga, even for someone who just plays the game as a hobby.

He also mentioned that he got very lucky on Day 1 when he found himself all in with an overpair against his opponent's set. Jahjaga managed to hit a bigger full house on the river which kept his tournament life alive. "I also got lucky on Day 2 but that's part of the game. You have to get lucky at times to win tournaments and fortune was on my side."

Final Table Payouts

Final Day Action

There were 10 players who returned to their seats for 10 a.m. at King's Resort and it only took a mere 14 minutes until Merijn can Rooij was sent to the rail in 10th place thanks to the pocket nines of Jahjaga. After that, the remaining nine players took a 90-minute break, awaiting the live stream to begin at 12 p.m. Once the action got underway, there were a few short stacks that needed to navigate their way through the pay jumps.

Unfortunately for Gabriele Re, he was the first casualty on just the second hand at the feature table. He was quickly followed by Fotios Ntamaris and Aurelio Reggi who also entered the day as short stacks. With six players left, Jahjaga took a stranglehold on the chip lead when Zlatin Penev shipped into his pocket kings, leaving just five players remaining.

Roman Krahula was the next shortest stack and his patience finally came to an end. He picked up an ace in the big blind but Andrea Ricci was waiting with his pocket nines to snap him off. Krahula was unable to improve and he headed for the payout desk in fifth place.

The final four players all made it to the first break at the final table but when they returned it became a blood bath. Matteo Calzoni started with a double up through Ricci, which left Ricci on the short stack. Just a couple of hands later, Ricci fell to a two-outer from Farhat and was ousted in fourth place.

Once three-handed play began, Calzoni attempted to take a couple of shots at Jahjaga's chip lead but failed time and time again when Jahjaga always had the best hand. His last straw came when he shoved all in with jack-ten suited but Jahjaga once again woke up with ace-king. Calzoni couldn't connect with the board and bowed out in third place, leaving Jahjaga with a big chip lead versus Farhat.

The heads-up battle didn't last long as Farhat raised it up on the button with king-queen in the very first hand. Jahjaga shoved all in from the big blind with ace-nine and Farhat called off his stack. The board ran out clean for Jahjaga and he quickly ended the match on the very first hand. Farhat was forced to settle for a runner-up finish but still claimed his largest ever tournament score.

That wraps up the coverage for this event, but the PokerNews live reporting team will be here to bring you the live updates throughout the rest of the WSOP Europe from King's Resort.

Matteo Calzoni was the shortest stack at the table with around 15 big blinds and pushed all in for 9,900,000 on the button. Edmond Jahjaga called from the small blind and the cards were on their backs.

Matteo Calzoni:   
Edmond Jahjaga:   

The flop came     to give Calzoni a straight draw to go with his two live cards. The   on the turn paired the board and the   on the river also paired the board. Calzoni was unable to connect and was eliminated in third place.

The stage is now being set for the heads-up match and they will take a quick 5-minute break.

Edmond Jahjaga	48,800,000	16,100,000
Riadh Farhat	13,100,000	-1,200,000
Matteo Calzoni	0	-13,400,000

Andrea Ricci pushed all in for 8,300,000 on the button and Riadh Farhat asked for a count from the small blind. Farhat thought for a moment and then also shoved all in.

Andrea Ricci:   
Riadh Farhat:   

The flop of     gave both players a pair but Ricci held the better one with the kings. However, the   on the turn gave Farhat trip sixes and Ricci was left drawing to two outs. The   on the river was not one of them and Ricci was sent packing in fourth place.

Riadh Farhat	17,800,000	6,150,000
Andrea Ricci	0	-10,500,000

Andrea Ricci made it 1,250,000 in the cutoff with    and Edmond Jahjaga defended from the big blind with   . The flop came     and Jahjaga check-called a bet from Ricci.

The turn was the   and Jahjaga checked again. Ricci made another small bet of 1,400,000 and Jahjaga stuck around to see the   on the river.

Jahjaga checked for the third time and Ricci went with another bet of 1,400,000. Jahjaga quickly called and Ricci collected the pot with a pair of kings and the better kicker.

Edmond Jahjaga	24,300,000	-3,500,000
Andrea Ricci	18,400,000	3,775,000

Andrea Ricci opened to 1,000,000 in the hijack with    and was called by Riadh Farhat in the cutoff with   . They went heads-up to a flop of     and Ricci continued with a bet of 1,000,000. Farhat quickly folded and Ricci collected the pot.

On the next hand, Edmond Jahjaga limped in from the small blind and Ricci checked his option. The flop came     and they both checked to the   on the turn.

Jahjaga led out with a bet of 1,000,000 and Ricci called to see the   on the river. Jahjaga checked this time and Ricci fired out a bet of 1,400,000. Jahjaga looked him up and Ricci showed    for a missed flush draw while Jahjaga held    for two pair.

Edmond Jahjaga	27,800,000	2,425,000
Andrea Ricci	10,200,000	3,400,000
Riadh Farhat	9,100,000	-3,850,000

Fotios Ntamaris raised to 1,050,000 in early position, with just 1,500,000 behind. Edmond Jahjaga re-raised to 3,000,000 on the button which got the blinds to fold and Ntamaris called off his stack of 2,525,000.

Fotios Ntamaris:   
Edmond Jahjaga:   

The flop fell     to give both players a pair but Jahjaga's was the larger of the two. The turn brought the   which narrowed Ntamaris' outs and the   on the river sent him home in eighth place.

Edmond Jahjaga	13,800,000	2,500,000
Fotios Ntamaris	0	-4,375,000

Roman Krahula raised to 600,000 in middle position with    and was called by Edmond Jahjaga in the cutoff with    and Riadh Farhat in the big blind with   .

The flop fell     and the action checked to Jahjaga who just ripped all in with the royal flush draw. Farhat gave it some thought with a pair of jacks but decided to ditch his cards as did Krahula with his pocket tens.

Edmond Jahjaga

11,300,000

2,525,000

Andrea Ricci raised to 600,000 in the hijack and Gabriele Re three-bet to 1,350,000 on the button, leaving himself with just 550,000 behind. Ricci eyed up his stack and then shoved all in, which Re quickly called off.

Gabriele Re:   
Andrea Ricci:   

The flop fell     and Ricci found a pair of jacks on the flop to take the lead. The   on the turn paired the board, leaving Re with just six outs. The river was the   and Re was unable to come from behind, being eliminated in ninth place.

Andrea Ricci	11,000,000	2,675,000
Gabriele Re	0	-2,650,000