Israeli poker pro Avishai Shitrit topped a 579-entry field to win the first Eureka Bucharest Main Event title. Shitrit, 30 years old, took down the €107,350 first prize after beating his fellow countryman Moshe Eliyahu heads-up. Shitrit is the third Israeli player to snag the Eureka Main Event trophy, following Idan Greenberg (Eureka 1 Bulgaria winner) and Liran Machluf (Eureka 3 Bulgaria champion). Shitrai hails from Be’er Sheva, a city located about 100 km south of Jerusalem. He’s playing poker for six years and splits time between live and online scene. Making the final table was already the biggest achievement of this career and he’s now the newly crowned Eureka 6 Bucharest champion: “It’s a wonderful achievement. When I made the final table, I didn’t expect to win it.”
Shitrit managed to end the final day within five hours: “It was very quick from yesterday. We went down to six players in the blink of an eye and it feels incredible that I won it now!” he said. Winning his first six-figure prize gives Shitrit more options to travel around the poker circuit. “Maybe I’ll go to Vegas to play the WSOP Main Event,” he revealed.
Shitrit entered heads-up with a huge lead over his compatriot Moshe Eliyahu, who comes from Naharyia, the northernmost coastal city in Israel. He played the tournament dressed in Maccabi Haifa football shirt. Eliyahu celebrated his 28th birthday during EUREKA BUCHAREST and gave himself a present worth €66,950 for the second place.
Jozsef Liszkovics, from Romania, finished in 3th position and he took €47,910 for his efforts, beating his previous best result ($37k for the PokerStars Big $109 victory).
Yasen Dichev led the tournament for two days in a row but the final day didn’t go as smooth as the previous two for the chip leader. The Bulgarian was eliminated in fourth place, taking €37,070.
Romania’s Razvan Belea earned €29,200 and Carmen Zainescu was the first casualty of the final day, exiting in sixth place worth €22,860. Zainescu, 45, was one of only four women who entered the Main Event but thanks to her remarkable run she didn’t miss out on the final table.
Eureka 6 Bucharest final table results:
1st – Avishai Shitrit, Israel, €107,350
2nd – Moshe Eliyahu, Israel, €66,950
3rd – Jozsef Liszkovics, Romania, PokerStars player, €47,910
4th – Yasen Dichev, Bulgaria, €37,070
5th – Razvan Costinel Belea, Romania, PokerStars player, €29,200
6th – Carmen Zainescu, Romania, €22,860
There were 579 entries to the Eureka 6 Bucharest Main Event, creating a €561,630 prize pool divvied up 87 places. Amongst those who cashed were Toni Judet (12th for €6,290), Yordan Mitrentsov (15th for €5,500), Tobias Peters (17th for €4,940), Mihai Ciorteanu (18th for €4,940), Mihai Manole (24th for €3,310) and Gary Clarke (25th for €3,310).
Team PokerStars Pro and #1 in the all-time money list Daniel Negreanu joined Eureka 6 Bucharest and entered the Main Event on Day 1b but failed to make it through. Negreanu also presented the Kid Poker documentary which was screened for the first time in Romania.
MIHAI NISTE WON HIS SECOND EUREKA HIGH ROLLER TITLE
Romanian poker pro Mihai Niste won €23,960 by cuting a heads-up deal with his fellow countryman Petre Chiriac who secured a €24,000 payday.
Niste, 29, won his first title back at Eureka 4 Rozvadov when he defeated a 51-entry field to take €31,200.
Eureka 6 Bucharest €2k High Roller results:
1st – Mihai Niste, Romania, €23,960 *
2nd – Petre Chiriac, Romania, €24,000 *
3rd – Halfa Shalev, Israel, €12,510
4th – Lawrence Lazar, USA, €9,590
5th – Jason Gray, Australia, €7,510
6th – David Lappin, Ireland, €5,850
* heads-up deal
