Matan Krakow Wins 2025 EPT Prague Main Event

The 2025 PokerStars EPT Prague €5,300 Main Event delivered a milestone moment for Israeli veteran Matan Krakow. 

He travelled to Prague as he does every winter. He arrived with memories of his first EPT cash nearly fifteen years ago. He left with the biggest win of his career.

Krakow completed his run with a river flush that stopped Turkey’s Bora Kurtulus in the heads up phase. The result handed him the PokerStars Golden Shard trophy and €778,255. The field drew 1,224 entries. The final table kept the pressure high until the last card hit the felt.

“It’s more exciting than I can put into words. It’s a dream come true. It really is,” Krakow said. Confetti surrounded the new champion as he held the gold-plated trophy.

The victory pushed Krakow past his previous career earnings in emphatic fashion. He first cashed in an EPT event in Prague back in 2011. He later placed 114th in the 2016 Main Event. His earlier best EPT finish came in Malta in 2015, where he took 109th place.

Krakow had stepped away from the grind in recent years. He worked as a poker manager for an online card room. He also worked as a journalist and co-authored Eli Elezra’s 2017 autobiography “Pulling the Trigger.” Friends back home followed the run closely. Krakow laughed afterward that they kept texting him about taking too much time off while chasing the title.

Family life shaped his outlook. “In recent years, since I got married and had kids, I’ve had less time. So it’s become more of a hobby, a hobby that I love,” he said.