Aliaksei Chernak Wins King’s Million EPC Deepstack

Aliaksei Chernak captures the EPC Deepstack title

Belarusian player Aliaksei Chernak added a major live score to his résumé by winning the €400 EPC Deepstack at the King’s Million European Poker Championship in King’s Resort Rozvadov. The event wrapped up on September 24 with 1,054 entries, and Chernak walked away with €54,800 after outlasting a deep, international field.

For live poker fans, this is exactly the kind of result that explains why Rozvadov remains such a strong stop on the European calendar. A modest buy-in, a big structure, and a packed field can turn one tournament into a serious payday — and, just as importantly, into a real test of tournament skill.

The numbers: guarantee smashed and prize pool pushed to €358,360

The EPC Deepstack came with a €300,000 guarantee, but the turnout made sure that number was comfortably eclipsed. The final prize pool reached €358,360, creating a healthy cushion above the guarantee and confirming once again that King’s Resort can deliver strong numbers even in lower buy-in events.

• 60,000 starting stack
• 40-minute blind levels
• three starting flights
• 106 players advanced to Day 2 already in the money

That combination is ideal for players who prefer deeper play over turbo chaos. It gives room for postflop edges, patient stack management, and more meaningful decisions than you usually get in faster structures. For many players, that’s the kind of live experience they also look for in poker rooms and poker clubs, where structure and field quality matter just as much as the buy-in.

How Chernak fought back from a shorter stack

Chernak began the final day in the middle of the pack, but by the time the final table was set he was one of the shorter stacks. That makes the win more impressive, because it shows he had to navigate real pressure rather than cruise on chip lead leverage.

He survived several all-in clashes on the way to the endgame and then eliminated Poland’s Karol Radomski in 3rd place. That sent Chernak into heads-up play against Boundless from Cuba, who had started Day 1 as the chip leader.

• Boundless limp-called into the pot
• Chernak held TT
• Boundless moved all in with J9
• the board ran 8-K-4-6-5
• the pocket tens held up, and the title was sealed

This is the kind of finish that rewards composure. In live poker, especially at deepstack events, players who stay patient and avoid unnecessary ego battles often put themselves in position to capitalize when the cards finally line up.

Final table results from the €400 EPC Deepstack

Here’s how the final table payouts were distributed:

• 1st — Aliaksei Chernak (Belarus) — €54,800
• 2nd — Boundless (Cuba) — €34,300
• 3rd — Karol Radomski (Poland) — €25,300
• 4th — Maciej Swicarz (Poland) — €19,000
• 5th — Rafael Griman Pabon (Venezuela) — €14,600
• 6th — Dan Galinschi (Romania) — €11,200
• 7th — Andro Scarpa (Croatia) — €8,700
• 8th — Alpine Nemesis (Czech Republic) — €6,625
• 9th — ZAK TYGA (Belgium) — €5,115

Rozvadov’s fields are always international, and this final table was no exception. That mix is one reason the venue keeps drawing regulars and traveling players alike, especially those who keep an eye on promotions & bonuses before booking a live series trip.

Expert analysis: what this result tells us about live tournament poker

Chernak’s win is a good case study in how live poker tournaments are won today. The headline story is the prize money, but the deeper lesson is about structure, patience, and stack adaptation.

With 60,000 starting chips and 40-minute levels, the tournament gave players enough room to make real decisions. That benefits technically sound players because it reduces the impact of pure variance and increases the value of table awareness, bet sizing, and endgame discipline.

A few strategic takeaways stand out:

• Short stacks can still win if they survive the right spots. Chernak did not need to dominate the chip counts early.
• Deep structures reward technical consistency. The better player often gains equity over time rather than in one dramatic hand.
• Final-table pressure changes everything. Once ICM kicks in, many chip decisions become value-preserving rather than purely chip-EV based.
• Field size matters. A 1,054-entry tournament is large enough to create a meaningful title, but still approachable for players with disciplined bankroll management.

For players looking to improve their live game, studying these spots at a poker school can be just as valuable as simply logging more volume. And for those trying to turn poker into a broader career path, a structured approach — even through a poker agent — can help with scheduling, live-series selection, and long-term planning.

King’s Million EPC rolls on in Rozvadov

The EPC Deepstack is only one of ten events in the King’s Million EPC festival at King’s Resort, the Rozvadov venue founded and run by poker entrepreneur Leon Tsoukernik. The series still has plenty left to play for, and the coming days should produce more large fields and more notable winners.

Still to come are the €1,000 Mystery Bounty and the €1,150 EPC Super Main Event, which begins on September 30 and runs through October 6. Also on the schedule are the ongoing €700 + €300 EPC Mystery Bounty and the €1,500 EPC PLO Championship.

That lineup gives players multiple ways to attack the festival, whether they prefer bounty-heavy formats, big-field no-limit hold’em, or mixed-game-style Omaha action. If Rozvadov keeps producing numbers like these, King’s Resort will remain one of the clearest examples of how accessible buy-ins and strong structures can create major live poker stories.

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