Roman Stoica won the 2026 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event and earned €825,000.
Roman Stoica dominates the EPT Monte Carlo Main Event
The 2026 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo Main Event has officially concluded, with Romanian Stoica writing the most important chapter of his career. In a massive field of 1,011 entries, Stoica fought his way through the competition, ultimately clearing the final table in just four hours to claim the EPT Monte Carlo €5,300 Main Event title, taking home €825,000 in prize money and the prestigious EPT trophy.
This is not only the highest prize money of Stoica's career to date, but it also officially places him among the top EPT champions.
Roman Stoica's breakthrough came after a year of continuous deep running.
In fact, Roman Stoica has gradually become one of the most watched emerging players on the EPT Tour over the past year.
Back in 2025 at the EPT Barcelona, he won a mystery prize event, earning over €300,000. He then went on to perform well in the deep rounds of the EPT Malta and EPT Prague Main Events, finishing 16th and 27th respectively.
However, this victory in the EPT Monte Carlo Main Event has firmly placed his name at the center of the European poker stage.
After the match, Stoica said, "This is every poker player's dream."
He also admitted that continuous practice and long-term commitment are the key reasons why he has been able to consistently achieve high scores in deep rounds.
The final table was incredibly fast-paced, with Stoica completely dominating the game.
On the final day, Stoica was not actually the scoreboard leader, but rather in the middle.
In the early stages of the match, he chose to observe discreetly, letting other players engage in combat first. With Oshri Lahmani and Raul Mestre being eliminated first, Stoica gradually began to take control of the situation.
The most crucial hand came from his duel with Chinese player Longmao Fan. A major flip-flop ensued, with Stoica winning and his chip count skyrocketing, while Fan finished in sixth place a few hands later, earning €167,850.
This hand became a major turning point in the entire final table.
After the river card reversal, he officially took control of the game.
Stoica then won another crucial flip.
Stoica held AQ to counter Jose Malpelli's pocket nines, and only managed to hit an A on the river to complete the comeback and eliminate his opponent.
After this hand, Stoica became the center of the game for the first time and began to completely dominate the other players.
Although Bernhard Binder successfully eliminated Samuel Ju to take fourth place, Stoica steadily accumulated pots and continued to widen his lead.
Ultimately, Stoica defeated David Djian's two pairs with a flush, successfully completing the final elimination of the three-handed game and entering heads-up play with a huge 3-to-1 chip lead.
The head-to-head match ended in just a few moves, and the EPT champion was officially crowned.
The one-on-one phase was almost without suspense.
Stoica applied sustained pressure across three streets with a set on the flop in a crucial hand, ultimately forcing Bernhard Binder into an all-in situation on the river.
Despite holding two pairs, Binder ultimately had no choice but to call, only to run into Stoica's overwhelmingly strong hand, thus sealing the championship.
From the start of the final day to the crowning of the champion, the entire final table lasted only 4 hours, with Stoica demonstrating an extremely aggressive pace control and exceptional efficiency.
The first thing I did after winning the championship: Go to sleep.
Despite winning the EPT Main Event, Stoica appeared quite exhausted after the tournament.
He admitted that the intense competition over the past six days had taken a huge toll on his physical and mental health, and that what he wanted to do most right now was not to celebrate, but to go back to his room and get a good night's sleep.
"I'll really start celebrating once I get home."
This newly crowned EPT champion has officially become one of the most watched figures in the European poker scene in 2026.
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