The mystery as to who would win the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona €3,000 Mystery Bounty has been solved. Murilo Milhomem has won his maiden EPT title for €321,658. He bested 1,113 players over three days to secure the win and a coveted PokerStars Spadie.
Milhomem defeated Jacob Stone heads-up for a career-best score, overcoming a chip deficit just shy of three-to-one. In finishing second, Stone also claimed a career best score of €200,700, a welcome addition to Stone's sole cash of €6,680 during this EPT stop in the €1,100 Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event.
Fintan Hand claimed third place and made it a hat trick of career-best live scores. The PokerStars Team Pro and popular streamer claimed €143,350 for his efforts, eclipsing his largest live cash of £44,200 when he won the 2023 UKIPT Edinburgh.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Murilo Milhomem | Brazil | € 321,658 |
| 2 | Jacob Stone | United Kingdom | € 200,700 |
| 3 | Fintan Hand | Ireland | € 143,350 |
| 4 | Fabrice Maltez | France | € 110,300 |
| 5 | Maria Konnikova | United States | € 84,800 |
| 6 | Julien Sitbon | France | € 65,250 |
| 7 | Kelvin Kerber | Brazil | € 50,200 |
| 8 | Arni Gunnarsson | Iceland | € 38,600 |
"It's amazing, indescribable," Milhomem told PokerNewsafter his victory. "I'm here [in Barcelona] on a honeymoon. We were thinking of where to go, then I won a satellite then we decided to come here.
"I'm always prepared, especially for live tournaments. I've been studying a lot and talking to live coaches."
Milhomem's attention will now turn to enjoying the rest of his honeymoon, with the Mystery Bounty supposed to be his last tournament at EPT Barcelona.
"We are going to enjoy Barcelona, drink some mojitos and some aperols," he said, before adding "Maybe I will play one more though."
This tournament saw some big numbers pulled from the mystery chest. Henrik Juncker and Arni Gunnarsson took home the €100,000 bounties. Gunnarsson attributed the pulls to "Scandinavian luck" when they were both pulled on Day 2.
Runner up Stone and ninth placed Alexander Ivarsson claimed two of the €50,000 bounties. Artus Gimenez and Tudor Zapsa claimed the two remaining envelopes.
Niklas Astedt confirmed Scandinavian luck maybe real when he pulled a €25,000 bounty. Maria Konnikova asked Astedt to pull two bounties for her. He agreed and pulled a €10,000 and a €25,000, the same scores he pulled himself before busting on Day 2.
Day 3 ran for around eight and a half hours, with the final table being reached roughly halfway into today's play.
Arni Gunnarsson, the second recipient of a €100,000 bounty hit the rail first with Hand sending Brazilian Kelvin Kerber to the rail after Kerber ran his sixes into the cowboys of Hand to finish in seventh place.
Julien Sitbon chipped up nicely throughout the back end of Day 2 and the early exchanges of Day 3. He was left short by Fabrice Maltez before being sent to the rail in sixth place.
Maria Konnikova's time came into the day as one of the chip leaders, but was eliminated in fifth place, just before Maltez in fourth. Konnikova was one of two PokerStars Team Pros at the final table, along with Hand, but his run ended in third place.
He was left short by Stone and fell victim to an incorrect hero call before being eliminated. He found hope in a double up before busting in third place.
Stone's heads-up chip lead was a commanding one, but Milhomen kept chipping away, eventually pulling back the deficit before becoming a clear chip leader in the tournament.
The heads-up duel lasted around an hour and it was Milhomen's snowmen in the Spanish heat that saw him claim the victory over Stone.
Even though EPT Barcelona is drawing to its conclusion, there is still plenty of poker action to come over the following few days. Stay tuned to PokerNews for continued coverage of this EPT stop from Casino Barcelona.