After five days of poker, 36-year-old Lubos Laska topped a field of 2,982 entries to win Event #5: €550 No-Limit Hold'em Colossus for €170,568 and his first ever gold World Series of Poker Europe bracelet at King's Resort in Rozvadov, Czech Republic.
Slovakia's Laska also won a seat into the €10,350 WSOP Europe Main Event, as well as a seat into the 2023 Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas next year after the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas.
"I was really lucky today," laughed Laska. "I am really happy. Probably some professionals would be so much more happy because they would feel like they accomplished something, but I play just for fun."
The newly-crowned champion was born in Slovakia and lived there for 18 years before moving to go to college in the Czech Republic. "I tried poker a few times in a bar in college with friends," explained Laska. He didn't play after that until a year and a half ago when he discovered poker on Twitch.
"It looked fun, so I started to play in my local casino," smiled Laska. This is by far his biggest buy-in and he was hoping to just min-cash it so he could maybe try a bigger buy-in later in the year. "My goal was to min-cash here and then go to EPT Prague," laughed Laska. "Now I can play the Main Event here, and maybe if I min-cash the Main I will play the Main Event in Prague."
Laska is a programmer and just plays poker for fun. He has no plans to play poker professionally, and just wants to continue enjoying the game. "I am grateful. I am happy I won!"
Laska battled with some tough players deep in this event, including the likes of WSOP Circuit champion Patrik Zidek (6th place), WSOP bracelet winner Jason Wheeler (9th place), WSOP bracelet and Event #1 winner Fabio Peluso (16th place).
Final Table Results:
| Place |
Winner |
Country |
Prize (EUR) |
| 1 |
Lubos Laska |
Slovakia |
€170,568 |
| 2 |
Nino Junior Pansier |
Netherlands |
€105,241 |
| 3 |
De Han Kim |
South Korea |
€79,495 |
| 4 |
Demetrio Caminita |
Italy |
€60,442 |
| 5 |
Florin Bilan |
Romania |
€46,262 |
| 6 |
Patrik Zidek |
Czech Republic |
€35,644 |
| 7 |
Andras Balogh |
Hungary |
€27,647 |
| 8 |
Ismet Oral |
Turkey |
€21,590 |
| 9 |
Jason Wheeler |
United States |
€16,975 |
Day 3 Action
The day began with 15 players and it took a few hours to get to the final table of nine. A big bubble loomed with the top 12 players getting a seat into the €10,350 WSOP Europe Main Event so play was quite slow.
Yann Lormel was out first when he ran ace-king to Patrik Zidek’s aces, and then Laska started spreading chips around after doubling multiple people in what was clearly an effort to apply pressure with a big bubble in sight. Ihor Kaliahin was eventually the WSOP Europe Main Event Seat bubble boy after he called a jam in the big blind with ace-ten and lost to Pansier’s jack-ten suited.
Once the seat bubble was burst, eliminations started to rack up and eventually Samir Boudeliou would bubble the final table when his ace-six was unable to hold against Balogh’s king queen and the final table of nine was set.
The Colossus final table at WSOP Europe
Final Table Action
Jason Wheeler was looking to win his second WSOP gold bracelet but was unfortunately the first casualty on the final table. He took some hits early on in the day but managed to claw his way to the final table. Wheeler got in king jack but ran into Pansier’s kings and that was all she wrote for the America pro.
Ismet Oral was next to go in 8th place after his ace-eight was unable to make anything happened against Caminita’s king queen after he flopped not one but two queens. Oral was left drawing dead on the turn and was bumped from the tournament.
Play continued for 90 minutes, plus a 30-minute break, and nobody was eliminated in that time. Pansier kept accumulating chips, jamming over opens and finding ways to steal the pot many times before it was clear he was separating himself from the pack. Eventually Andras Balogh put it in with ace-nine suited but ran into a better suited ace against Caminita’s ace-jack of clubs. He flopped a nine but Caminita flopped a jack and they were quickly down to six.
Just 30 minutes later they were down to five after Zidek busted in a standard spot, followed by the demise of Florin Bilan. Four-handed poker didn’t last too long before Demetrio Caminita couldn’t beat Laska’s jacks, and De’s ace high was demolished by Laska’s king high, sending them both home in fourth and third place, respectively.
The champion and runner-up
Heads-Up Play
After a short break, heads-up play began with Laska holding a healthy lead over Pansier, which didn’t last too long. Laska bluff check-raised with eight high on a nine high board, but Pansier held top pair and wasn’t ready to give it up, giving him the chip lead.
After some back and forth, Laska doubled with ace-ten suited against Pansier’s king high, but Pansier got some back after he doubled with two sixes just five minutes later. The back-and-forth finally ended when Laska flopped a pair of queens and Pansier check-jammed with second pair and a straight draw. The Slovakian held and the Colossus champion was crowned.
Event #5: Colossus Results
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