BARNY BOATMAN WINS EPT PARIS 2024 MAIN EVENT FOR €1,287,800, BECOMES OLDEST CHAMPION IN CIRCUIT HISTORY

• Barny Boatman wins the EPT Paris 2024 Main Event trophy and €1,287,800 
• Boatman tops 6th largest field in EPT history, prevails among 1,747 entries 
• At 68, Boatman becomes the oldest EPT Main Event champion 
• Review the final table on PokerStars TV Barny Boatman wins the EPT Paris 2024 Main Event 

Barny Boatman vence o Evento Principal do EPT Paris 2024 por 1.287.800 euros

British poker veteran Barny Boatman emerged victorious at the Evento Principal do European Poker Tour Paris 2024, of €5,300, after defeating a field of 1,747 players, the biggest turnout at the EPT outside Barcelona. Boatman claimed €1,287,800 after reaching the pinnacle as the oldest player in history at the age of 68.

The tireless Boatman overtook Uri Gilboa, who was seven years younger when he won at the EPT Sochi 2019.

Boatman was one of the few players in the EPT Paris Main Event field - if not the only one - who had experienced the early days of the EPT, having competed on the circuit since Season 1. 

Today, he celebrated the greatest achievement of his career.

"This doesn't seem real. It's by far the biggest result I've had in poker, nothing compares", he said in the post-victory interview.

The seven-figure prize has propelled Boatman to almost $5.5 million in live tournament winnings and 13th place on England's all-time winnings list.

"I'm just very happy. I've been in several finals where I never got the job done. All it took was for me to get lucky, especially playing with three players."

He is the 18th British player to reach the EPT podium and the first since Ian Hamilton, who won 14 months ago in London. The UK now has 19 titles, with Victoria Coren Mitchell holding two.

"It's a fantastic tournament. You can only play your game and hope it's your turn", said the most recent EPT champion.

EPT Paris 2024 Main Event final table results: 

• 1st - Barny Boatman, United Kingdom, €1,287,800 
• 2nd - David Kaufmann, Germany, €804,750 
• 3.º - Aleksejs Ponakovs, Letonia, €574.850 
• 4th - Owen Dodd, United Kingdom, €442,150 
• 5th - Peter Jorgne, Sweden, €340,100 
• 6th - Eric Afriat, Canada, €261,650 
• 7th - Ami Barer, Canada, €201,250 
• 8th - Lorenzo Arduini, Italy, €154,800

The EPT Paris 2024 Main Event attracted 1,224 players from 69 countries, whose 1,747 entries created the sixth largest field in EPT history. The top 255 finishers shared a huge prize pool of €8,385,600.

How the final table of the EPT Paris 2024 Main Event unfolded

Six players made it through to the final day after Lorenzo Arduini and Ami Barer were eliminated at the end of Day 5.

David Kaufmann was the clear chip leader, while Aleksejs Ponakovs and Barny Boatman had above-average stacks.

Meanwhile, Eric Afriat, Peter Jorgne and Owen Dodd were all low on chips and needed an early double-up. However, the final table was quickly reduced to three competitors.

Afriat defended his big blind with a queen-eight flush and made two pairs on a paired flop, only to find Boatman's kings.

Jorgne, who has reached the EPT Paris final table in two consecutive years, added a fifth place finish to his second place from last year. He went out after going all-in with five big blinds with ace-nine, with Ponakovs calling from the big blind with seven-eight suited, which made a straight.

Dodd also had just five big blinds when he risked his tournament life with pocket deuces against Kaufmann's ace-ten. Kaufmann hit an ace on the river to eliminate Dodd in fourth.

With three players, Boatman began to hit almost every card on the board he was playing with. A crucial moment came when he made a full house with ten-seven and won a big pot from Kaufmann to take the chip lead.

From then on, Boatman was unstoppable. He continued to connect his hands with the community cards, and although Ponakovs managed a few doubles, Boatman always ended up taking him down.

As the blinds advanced, Boatman managed to push both his remaining opponents below 20 big blinds.

Eventually, Ponakovs and Kaufmann clashed with each other.

Boatman still enjoyed a lead of just over 2 to 1 going into heads up play, and it would take just two hands to wrap things up.

The last hand saw Boatman make a three-chip bet from the big blind with jack-two. Kaufmann called and then called again on a flop with a queen. Boatman still had top pair after the turn, where he put Kaufmann at risk. Kaufmann paid with ace-nine, but his second pair fell behind after a queen hit the table to end the tournament.

"Boatman, the GOAT-man, the oldest EPT champion ever. The 68-year-old British poker legend wins the EPT Paris 2024," announced James Hartigan, host of the PokerStars TV live stream.

10 MOST ATTENDED EPT MAIN EVENTS IN HISTORY:

• 1st - EPT Barcelona 2022 - 2,294 entries, prize pool of €11,125,900
• 2nd - EPT Barcelona 2023 - 2,120 entries, prize pool of €10,282,000
• 3rd - EPT Barcelona 2019 - 1,988 entries, prize pool of €9,641,800
• 4th - EPT Barcelona 2018 - 1,931 entries, prize pool of €9,365,350
• 5th - EPT Barcelona 2016 - 1,785 entries, prize pool of €8,657,250
• 6th - EPT Paris 2024 - 1,747 entries, prize pool of €8,385,600
• 7th - EPT Barcelona 2015 - 1,694 entries, prize pool of €8,215,900
• 8th - EPT Paris 2023 - 1,606 entries, prize pool of €7,708,800
• 9th - PCA 2011 - 1,560 entries, prize pool of $15,132,000
• 10th - PCA 2010 - 1,529 entries, prize pool of $14,831,300

Visit the PokerStars LIVE website for more details on future events.

The PokerStars operates the world's most popular online poker sites, serving the global poker community. Since its launch in 2001, PokerStars has become the first choice of players around the world, with more daily tournaments than anywhere else and the best online security. Over 200 billion hands have been dealt on PokerStars, more than on any other site.

Source: Jan Kores, PokerStars Media Coordinator