Slovak player turns final day chip lead into first major tournament victory
Marek Uharcek completed a perfect run at the 2026 King’s Million European Poker Championship by winning the €1,500 PLO Championship.
Starting the final day as the chip leader, the Slovak player managed to maintain his position throughout the entire session and eventually secured the title after a long heads up battle against Lucas Giebing.
The victory brought Uharcek a career best tournament result of €95,000 and his first major live tournament title.
Although Uharcek has achieved deep runs in important events before, he admitted after the win that tournament poker is not his main focus. He usually prefers cash games and only plays a limited number of tournaments each year.
Despite that, his patience and decision making helped him overcome a strong field of 286 entries. The tournament created a €500,000 prize pool, with the biggest share going to Uharcek after almost 12 hours of final day action.
At BCPoker, we continue following major live poker events and the stories of players who turn long tournament runs into memorable victories.
Final table results from the €1,500 PLO Championship
The final table featured players from several countries, including experienced tournament regulars and specialists in Pot Limit Omaha.
| Position | Player | Country | Final payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champion | Marek Uharcek | Slovakia | €95,000 |
| Runner up | Lucas Giebing | Germany | €62,600 |
| 3rd place | Anonymous player | Germany | €42,700 |
| 4th place | Jan Peter Jachtmann | Germany | €29,800 |
| 5th place | Volodymyr Kokoulin | Ukraine | €21,375 |
| 6th place | Danail Zhelev | Bulgaria | €15,700 |
| 7th place | Davit Mikhanashvili | Georgia | €11,800 |
| 8th place | Lakiseeb | Germany | €9,100 |
| 9th place | Bastian Bluem | Germany | €7,200 |
Uharcek survives a difficult final day
The last day began with 44 players returning to action, each already guaranteed at least €3,525. Uharcek entered the session at the top of the leaderboard after finishing Day 1b with the largest stack.
As the field started to shrink, the Slovak player remained among the leaders and continued applying pressure when the right situations appeared.
Uharcek explained that holding the chip lead gives confidence, but tournament success still requires good decisions and some favourable moments. Instead of focusing only on the result, he preferred to approach each hand individually.
As the tournament moved closer to the final table, Uharcek relied on his previous experience from deep runs at major events. He had already reached important final stages before, including a strong finish at King’s Resort in the past and several European tournament final tables.
For him, one of the biggest challenges in long events is controlling emotions after difficult hands. Uharcek highlighted the importance of staying calm after losing a large pot and avoiding rushed decisions.
Experienced opponents could not stop the champion
Uharcek reached the final table as the chip leader, continuing the trend he had built throughout the day. He also collected the first elimination at the final table, increasing his advantage.
The final table included several experienced players, including bracelet winner Jan Peter Jachtmann. However, Uharcek did not consider himself to have an automatic advantage and focused mainly on making the best possible decisions.
He eventually eliminated Jachtmann in fourth place after winning a key two pair situation. That hand helped him move closer to the title and gave him momentum heading into heads up play.
The final duel against Lucas Giebing became a true test of patience. Uharcek held the advantage early, but Giebing managed to change the situation after surviving a crucial all in moment.
Giebing hit a four outer on the turn to make a straight and briefly took control of the match. Uharcek admitted the hand was difficult emotionally, but he avoided letting frustration affect his decisions.
Uharcek finishes the job in heads up battle
After losing the big pot, Uharcek recovered and eventually doubled back into contention. Soon after, he had another opportunity to finish the tournament.
This time, Giebing could not complete his draw, allowing Uharcek to secure the victory and finally celebrate his first tournament title.
The champion described the final moment as a huge relief. After seeing his opponent survive a difficult situation earlier, Uharcek knew another close hand could change everything.
The win represents a major milestone for a player who has often been close to success in large tournaments. This time, starting as the leader and maintaining control until the end allowed him to capture the biggest victory of his career.
King’s Festival adds another major champion
The PLO Championship became another highlight of the King’s Million European Poker Championship schedule, producing a competitive field and a memorable final table.
Uharcek’s victory shows how important experience, patience and emotional control are in long Pot Limit Omaha tournaments. After years of strong results, the Slovak player finally secured the title that had previously escaped him.
