Impressive Victory Claimed by Andrey Patyechuk
In a thrilling turn of events at the World Poker Tour Prague, Andrey Pateychuk clinched the victory, defeating Adrià Balaguer in a nail-biting heads-up match.
The tournament, filled with high-stakes action, saw Pateychuk gain a significant lead against Balaguer. This was primarily due to a series of strategic plays that left Balaguer struggling to catch up.
One of the pivotal moments in the match came when Pateychuk won a crucial pot with A♠K♣ against Balaguer's A♣Q♣, a move that solidified his lead. Another key moment was when Pateychuk doubled up with K♠ J♣ against Balaguer's 10♦ 9♠.
Despite Balaguer's approximately 14,500,000 chip advantage, it seemed that Pateychuk was on the verge of victory. Balaguer, who had also eliminated Stanislav Krets and caused Benjamin Pollak to lose a significant amount of chips, appeared to be on the brink of victory.
However, Pateychuk refused to give up. He pushed his opponent out of every pot, making it difficult for Balaguer to regain the lead. In the final hand, Pateychuk raised with A♥5♠, and Balaguer shoved with Q♣Q♦. The board ran 4♠7♠9♠, 3♥, and a gutshot on the river 2♣, securing Pateychuk's victory.
Pateychuk's win at the World Poker Tour Prague earned him $630,263, adding to his total winnings of $320,381 from earlier in the tournament. It's worth noting that Pateychuk had previously finished third in the WPT Prague and achieved a 7th place finish in a high-stakes tournament at the WSOP in 2025, where he earned $172,285.
Despite the setbacks, Balaguer walked away from the tournament with a substantial sum of $320,381, demonstrating the high-stakes nature of the event.
[1] Source: World Series of Poker official website.
