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Will Fry wins EPT's Hungarian Open

BUDAPEST, Hungary -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Will Fry, of Nottingham, UK, won the first PokerStars European Poker Tour Hungarian Open. The 28-year-old PokerStars player won the $759,456 (€595,839) first prize and a seat to the €10,000 EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo after defeating 531 players in the $5,544 (€4,350) sell-out event.

Like many PokerStars players, Fry plans on making philanthropic donations with his winnings.

"I'm going to pay my mortgage, help out my family and friends, and look into some good charities to help stop third-world hunger," said Fry. "I'm going to try to do my bit to help and hopefully others will get involved."

Fry has been playing poker since he was six years old but only took up Texas Hold 'Em eight years ago. For the past five years, the former croupier and art student has made poker his full-time job, specializing in online cash games.

In one of the quickest heads-up matches in EPT history, Fry took down 35-year-old Romanian Ciprian Hrisca and the first EPT Hungarian Open championship in less than 30 minutes. The final hand began with raises and re-raises until all the chips ended up in the middle preflop. Hrisca's Ac 6d went up against Fry's pocket jacks. With queens and jacks, Fry won the hand and the championship to send Hrisca home in second place with $436,688 (€342,608).

"They were the first good cards I'd had in ages," said Fry. "Up until then I'd been re-raising with rubbish. If I get good cards, I can be pretty dangerous."

The inaugural EPT Budapest tournament included 71 Hungarian players and attracted players from all over the world. Hungarians have proven an increasingly impressive force on the international poker scene with players including Denes Kalo, twice runner on last season's EPT, and Valdemar Kwaysser, who won the Latin America Poker Tour event in Costa Rica this year. Hungarian businessman Zoltan Toth, 41, carried Hungary's hopes into the final day, ending in seventh place for $100,356 (€78,736).

A total of 157 PokerStars players played in the four-day event, including 104 who won their seats on PokerStars. Alex Kravchenko fared best out of the eight Team PokerStars Pros in the field, finishing 23rd for $13,561 (€10,640). The EPT presenter and PokerStars sponsored player Kara Scott followed her 104th place finish in the WSOP Main Event with a 52nd place showing for $9,493 (€7,448).

"The EPT has once again proved that we can move into emerging markets like Hungary and provide a sell-out tournament," said EPT founder John Duthie. "The support from the local players has been overwhelming and players have been happy to travel from all over the world to attend the inaugural event in Budapest.

The next stop on the PokerStars European Poker Tour is the Warsaw event from November 15-19 at Casinos Poland at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

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