Roman Stoica has simply captured the most important title of his poker profession, taking down the celebrated 2026 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo €5,300 Essential Occasion for an enormous €825,000.
Outlasting a tricky subject of 1,011 entries, Stoica navigated the ultimate desk masterfully. Ranging from the center of the pack, he picked his spots completely, utilized relentless stress when he gained the chip lead, and added an EPT Essential Occasion trophy to the EPT Thriller Bounty title he received final yr in Barcelona.
Whereas studying in regards to the large payouts and glossy trophies is all the time thrilling, as poker gamers, we aren’t simply right here for the headlines. We wish to perceive the thought course of behind the performs. By trying intently on the key selections made beneath stress, we will decide up worthwhile classes for our personal sport.
Nonetheless, the heads-up battle in opposition to Austria’s Bernhard Binder lasted solely 5 palms. Let’s break down the ultimate hand of the match to see how Stoica used guess sizing and board texture to extract most worth and lay the right entice to win the title.
The Heads-Up Dynamic
Going into heads-up play, the chip discrepancy was large. Blinds had been at 100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 massive blind ante.
Roman Stoica:~22.8M (114 BB)
Berhard Binder:~7M (35 BB)
With a 3-to-1 chip benefit, Stoica might afford to use most stress, whereas Binder was combating for his match life.
It’s all the time coming…Congratulations to Roman Stoica, he's the most recent EPT Essential Occasion champion.
Stoica defeated Bernhard Binder heads-up to win the #EPTMonteCarlo Essential Occasion and €825,000.
pic.twitter.com/9b11qd8q5J
— PokerStars LIVE (@PokerStarsLIVE) Could 10, 2026
The Last Hand: Setting the Entice
Preflop: The Setup
Roman Stoica (Button/SB) appears to be like down at 7
5 and decides to limp. Binder, sitting within the Large Blind with Ok
Q
, correctly isolates to 800,000. Stoica makes the decision.
Be aware: Stoica’s limp-call with a suited connector is a regular heads-up play, particularly when deep-stacked and holding an enormous chip lead. Binder’s isolation increase with broadway playing cards can also be the right play to punish the limp.
Flop: The Tiny Wager (Pot: 1.8M)
The supplier followers out: 4 7
7.
Stoica hits the jackpot, flopping journey sevens. Whereas Binder would not join instantly with the board, he does decide up a backdoor flush draw along with his diamonds. Binder determined to decelerate and examine, however Stoica bets a tiny 350,000 (beneath 20% of the pot). Binder calls.
Be aware: Stoica’s tiny sizing is sensible. If he bets massive, Binder simply folds his Ok-high. By betting 350K, Stoica retains all of Binder’s bluffs, overcards, and random floats within the hand. It appears to be like precisely like a weak stab to steal the pot, virtually inviting Binder to name.
Flip: The Misjudgement (Pot: 2.5M)
The flip brings the 9.
Binder checks once more. Stoica will increase the stress, betting 1.1M. Binder makes the decision.
Be aware: The flip utterly kills Binder’s backdoor flush draw, leaving him with simply King-high. In opposition to Stoica’s precise hand, he’s drawing just about lifeless. Binder is a extremely expert participant, however on this high-pressure spot, he possible leveled himself. He may need perceived Stoica’s tiny flop guess as weak point and assumed the flip guess was only a follow-through bluff. Sadly, this misjudgment trapped him in opposition to absolutely the prime of Stoica’s vary.
The River: The right card for Roman Stoica (Pot: 4.7M)
The river is the Q.
Binder checks. He has lastly hit prime pair, however it’s the worst attainable card for him. Figuring out his opponent is now tied to the board, Stoica strikes all-in. Binder makes the decision for his remaining match life.
Stoica reveals his journey sevens, formally ending the match and crowning him the EPT Monte Carlo 2026 Essential Occasion champion.
EPT Monte Carlo 2026 Essential Occasion Last Outcomes
Beneath are the ultimate desk outcomes for the standout occasion of the season:
Congratulations to all of the finalists of the EPT Monte Carlo 2026!
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FAQ: EPT Monte Carlo 2026 Essential Occasion
Roman Stoica received the 2026 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo Essential Occasion. He outlasted an enormous subject of 1,011 entries to safe the celebrated title.
Roman Stoica took residence the first-place prize of €825,000. The runner-up, Bernhard Binder from Austria, collected €515,000 for his spectacular efficiency.
Within the last hand, Roman Stoica held 7 5 and flopped journey sevens on a 4 7 7 board. He used a tiny guess measurement to set a entice, in the end getting Bernhard Binder (who held Ok Q) to commit his remaining stack on a Q river.
Whereas that is his first EPT Essential Occasion title, Stoica isn’t any stranger to success. He beforehand received an EPT Thriller Bounty occasion in Barcelona in 2025, proving he’s a constant power on the European poker scene.
The submit Hand Evaluation: How Roman Stoica Gained the 2026 EPT Monte Carlo Essential Occasion appeared first on My Poker Teaching.
