EPT PARIS MAIN EVENT REDUCED TO 57 PLAYERS, FORMER CHAMPION TOM MIDDLETON IN 3RD PLACE

• The EPT Paris Main Event field, with 1,747 participants, is down to 57 players
• Panagiotis Mavritsakis leads into Day 4
• Former EPT champion Tom Middleton is currently in 3rd place
• The winner will take home €1,287,800 from a prize pool of €8,385,600
• The PokerStars TV live stream continues on Friday from 12:30 CET

Panagiotis Mavritsakis leads the EPT Paris Main Event with 57 players remaining

The sixth largest EPT Main Event field has been whittled down to the last 57 competitors. They will return to Le Palais des Congrès in Paris on Friday at noon to continue their pursuit of the €1,287,800 main prize. Panagiotis Mavritsakis leads the pack.

Mavritsakis took the chip lead in the penultimate level on Thursday night when he bet all in on Francisco Perez, who folded on the river. That hand propelled Mavritsakis to 2 million chips, and he would continue to climb until he accumulated 2,930,000.

Panagiotis Mavritsakis leads the EPT Paris Main Event with 57 players remaining.

Last year, the Greek chip leader impressed with a 3rd place finish in the Irish Open Main Event sponsored by PokerStars, winning €161,500. This week, Mavritsakis will receive an EPT Main Event prize for the first time in his career, and a place in the top seven would better his best result.

In second place is veteran player Eric Afriat from Canada, who has 2,300,000. Afriat has already won a seven-figure prize pool in his career. A three-time WPT champion, Afriat competes mainly in live tournaments in North America, and his only previous appearance in an EPT Main Event was at the PCA.

The remaining field includes three former champions, including 2013 EPT Barcelona winner Tom Middleton, who jumped to third place in the standings after Day 3. Middleton has 2,190,000 chips.

Anton Wigg (1,250,000) and Dimitar Danchev (285,000) are also hoping to repeat their Main Event titles here in Paris. While Wigg is well above the tournament average, Danchev is near the bottom of the standings with 14 big blinds.

Day 4 begins on Friday, February 23, at noon CET, with action at 10,000/20,000. An average stack is worth 46 big blinds. All remaining players are guaranteed €19,850.

The live broadcast on PokerStars TV starts at 12:30, while live updates will be available on PokerNews.

10 BIGGEST EPT MAIN EVENTS IN TERMS OF PARTICIPATION 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

POKERSTARS TV LIVE STREAMING SCHEDULE FROM EPT PARIS

• February 23, 12:30 CET: EPT Main Event - Day 4
• February 24, 12:30 CET: EPT Main Event - Day 5
• February 25, 13:00 CET: EPT Main Event - Final Table

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

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Source: Jan Kores, PokerStars Media Coordinator