National Hero-Josef Gulas Defeats Johan Guilbert to Win ‘WSOP’ Europe Main Event

The King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech-Republic, was a thoughtful host for the 2021 World Series of Poker-Europe, so it was only natural that one of their “native children” would take home the biggest prize. Czech native Josef Gulas could last longer than the seven-man last table and, in particular, France’s Johan Guilbert to record the champion of the EUR10,000 Centerpiece. With the prize of being acknowledged as the crème of the European poker-world, Gulas also took the lion’s ‘share’ of the prize pool, a EUR1,276,712 Christmas present.

There Can Be Only One

On Wednesday afternoon, seven men came to the table, wanting to finish off the WSOP Europe. Gulas was the chip leader to begin the day with his 20.2 million chips. However, many gamers were close enough to him to be hazards. Alexander Tkatschew of Germany held the second-place slot (17.375 million) at the action, while Guilbert’s 13.025 million stacks benefited 3rd place. The other four men– Greece’s -Athanasios Kidas (6.025 million), the Netherlands’ Thomas Denie (5.5 million), Stanislav Koleno of -Slovakia (3.4 million), and Macedonia’s -Aleksandar Trajkovski (3.25 million)– were going to need an incredible quantity of help if they were going anywhere.

Both Koleno and Denie shoved on the very first two hands, wanting to double up, but it was a second push from Denie that ended his day exceptionally early. Looking down at pocket Queens, he would raise the betting and get much action. Tkatschew-called, Guilbert raised the betting, and Kidas moved all in over -Guilbert’s bet, bringing the action back to a ‘more’ than willing Denie for a choice.

With his women, Denie undoubtedly called off the bet from Guilbert, with the hope that he did not have what someone would usually have to move all-in over a huge three-bet. After Tkatschew and Guilbert both got out-of the way, the cards went on their backs, and Denie saw the sad news:

Denie: pocket Queens

Kidas: pocket Kings

It was precisely what Denie did not wish to see, and it spelled his doom. A ten-high board went out, bringing no assistance for Denie (Tkatschew held one of the two Queens that Denie had been searching for). As Kidas stacked the 14.45 million-pot, Denie went to the rail in seventh place.

The other short stacks also met immediate departures. Trajkovski tumbled a leading set of Kings on a two-spade board, but it was unsatisfactory to beat Guilbert’s 10 ♠ 7 ♠ after the 9 ♠ began the river. After Trajkovski got his distinctions for his sixth-place surface, Gulas would Koleno away with a dominant set of Kings in his pocket versus Koleno’s tumbled pair of Jacks that received no further assistance.

Rather rapidly, four gamers were left.

The Gulas and Guilbert Program

After a quick break, the last four went back to the tables, and “The Gulas and Guilbert Show” hit the airwaves.

Guilbert got a huge double up on the first restore from the break versus Gulas as Guilbert found an extraordinary moment to get pocket Aces. That hand thrust Guilbert into the -lead and sent Gulas to the basement, but Gulas revealed some temerity in climbing up back into the mix. Guilbert, however, would lose the chip ‘lead’ in a battle of the blinds with Tkatschew after Tkatschew flopped-top pair/Ace kicker against Guilbert’s ‘inferior’ pair and doubled up.

Guilbert wasted little time taking the lead back from Tkatschew and, after Gulas took down Kidas in the fourth location, it was a three-horse race. It did -not look like much of a race after Guilbert knocked Tkatschew out in the third location to go to heads up play versus Gulas with a 50.3 million/18.5 million lead.

Only moments into the heads-up battle had Gulas turned the count. Gulas would get all his ‘chips’ to the center with Big Slick, while Guilbert attempted to take him -out with a K-Q. No Queen would come for -Guilbert, and the two males switched stacks, Gulas, now with ‘41.6 million’, and Guilbert with 27.2 million. While it would take almost 3 hours to complete it, Gulas would eventually emerge victoriously.

On the last hand, Guilbert pushed off the start, and Gulas made the call. Guilbert had minor edges with his pocket deuces, while Gulas had live -cards in his A-8. The J-K-3-7 flop and turn -kept Guilbert in the lead. However, the eight on the river brought the competition close as Gulas caught to win the 2021 WSOP Europe ‘Main Event’.

1. Josef Gulas (Czech Republic), EUR1,276,712.

2. Johan Guilbert (France), EUR789,031.

3. Alexander Tkatschew (Germany), EUR558,505.

4. Athansios Kidas (Greece), EUR401,344.

5. Stanislav Koleno (Slovakia), EUR292,862.

6. Aleksandar Trajkovski (Macedonia), EUR217,854.

7. Thomas Denie (Netherlands), EUR163,434.

8. Illja Savevski (Macedonia), EUR125,052.