At the 2025 PokerStars EPT Malta Main Event, the British high-stakes pro looked destined for a deep run — until one of the most brutal hands of the tournament struck him down in spectacular fashion.
After doubling up with pocket queens against Tom-Aksel Bedell’s ace-king, Heath seemed to be back in contention. Moments later, he looked down at pocket kings and found himself all in once again — this time against Tomasz Brzezinski’s pocket aces.
The flop? Quad aces for Brzezinski.
The crowd gasped as the board rolled out, leaving Heath crippled and soon eliminated in seventh place for €118,650.
EPT Malta Main Event Final Table Drama
The hand instantly went viral among poker fans following the European Poker Tour Malta, with Brzezinski earning headlines for one of the most memorable coolers in recent history.
Meanwhile, Mykhailo Ostash from Ukraine leads the final five with 9,870,000 chips (123 big blinds). Hot on his heels is 2016 champion Aliaksei Boika, who could make history by becoming the first player ever to win the same EPT Main Event twice in the same city — nearly a decade apart.
Other finalists include Spain’s Adria Calonge, Norway’s Tom-Aksel Bedell, and Poland’s Tomasz Brzezinski, all guaranteed at least €200,550 but with a massive €760,000 awaiting the eventual champion.
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End of Day 5 Chip Counts
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mykhailo Ostash | Ukraine | 9,870,000 | 123 |
| 2 | Aliaksei Boika | Belarus | 7,035,000 | 88 |
| 3 | Adria Calonge | Spain | 3,525,000 | 44 |
| 4 | Tom-Aksel Bedell | Norway | 1,140,000 | 14 |
| 5 | Tomasz Brzezinski | Poland | 5,380,000 | 67 |
Day 5 Highlights and Eliminations
The day began with 15 hopefuls but quickly turned chaotic as short stacks like David Tous, Alessandro Barone, and Longmao Fan fell in early confrontations.
2015 EPT Monte Carlo champion Adrian Mateos ran into the unstoppable Brzezinski, busting in 11th after a failed squeeze. Soon after, Luis Faria bubbled the final table in a bizarre hand where he accidentally exposed his cards preflop.
At the final table, chips flew for hours. Boika sent Joao Tomas home first, while Ostash regained control by busting Juan Pardo in eighth. Then came the hand of the day — Brzezinski’s quad aces vs Ben Heath’s kings — which flipped the entire leaderboard on its head.
Heath’s exit in seventh and Toni Kaukua’s sixth-place finish (€154,250) set the stage for the final showdown. The remaining five players will return Sunday at 12:30 p.m. to crown the 2025 EPT Malta Main Event champion.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TBD | €760,000 | |
| 2 | TBD | €474,650 | |
| 3 | TBD | €339,000 | |
| 4 | TBD | €260,750 | |
| 5 | TBD | €200,550 | |
| 6 | Toni Kaukua | Finland | €154,250 |
| 7 | Ben Heath | United Kingdom | €118,650 |
| 8 | Juan Pardo | Spain | €91,250 |
| 9 | Joao Tomas | Portugal | €70,250 |
