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Matan Krakow Claims Breakthrough Victory at EPT Prague Main Event 2025
- Matan Krakow won the 2025 EPT Prague Main Event, earning €778,255.
- The victory more than doubled his lifetime poker earnings.
- Krakow's win marked a full-circle moment in his poker career despite a professional hiatus.
Image Credit: Manuel Kovsca/Rational Holdings Ltd.
Matan Krakow scored a landmark win in the 2025 EPT Prague Main Event with a river flush against Bora Kurtulus.
The 2025 PokerStars EPT Prague €5,300 Main Event produced a champion with deep ties to the festival. Israeli player Matan Krakow has made the winter trip to Prague for many years. The venue hosted his first EPT cash almost fifteen years ago. It also hosted the biggest win of his life.
Krakow secured the title after a dramatic river card. He made a flush to beat Turkey’s Bora Kurtulus. The heads up match ended with Krakow lifting the PokerStars Golden Shard trophy and taking €778,255. The event drew 1,224 entries and delivered a tense final day.
“It’s more exciting than I can put into words. It’s a dream come true. It really is,” Krakow said. He stood with the trophy beside him as confetti fell across the stage.
Final Table Results
- Matan Krakow, Israel, €778,255*
- Bora Kurtulus, Turkey, €757,400*
- Dimitrios Gkatzas, Greece, €574,600*
- Traian Stanciu, Romania, €349,650
- Paawan Bansal, India, €269,000
- Conor O'Driscoll, Ireland, €206,900
- Vitezslav Cech, Czechia, €159,150
- Ding Fan, China, €122,400
* indicates a three-way deal
A Veteran Returns to Centre Stage
Krakow more than doubled his lifetime earnings with this win. His poker record dates back to 2011. He placed 114th in the 2016 Main Event in Prague. His best EPT finish before this week came at EPT Malta in 2015, where he ended in 109th place.
He stepped back from professional play in recent years. He worked as a poker manager for an online card room. He also co-authored Eli Elezra’s 2017 autobiography “Pulling the Trigger.” His friends watched his deep run and joked that he was taking long breaks during play.
Life away from poker shaped his schedule. “In recent years, since I got married and had kids, I’ve had less time. So it’s become more of a hobby, a hobby that I love,” Krakow said.
Krakow’s win at EPT Prague Main Event
Krakow’s win at EPT Prague marked a rare full-circle story in the poker world. It closed a long chapter of near misses and revived his connection to the tour. The result stands as the most significant highlight of a career built across both sides of the industry.
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