Fabiano Kovalski made the best call of all time at an EPT Final Table at the 2022 EPT Barcelona. We provide an in-depth analysis of this spectacular play in our Poker Hand of the Week.
Poker Hand of the Week Setup
We are at the 2022 EPT Barcelona Main Event Final Table. There are only seven players left and the Grand Finale is played 6-handed the next day.
Fabiano Kovalski has Dutch player Michael Pinto clearly covered at the start of the Poker Hand of the Week.
Poker Hand of the Week Action
Preflop:
Patrik Jaros raises to 500,000 from the cut-off with 
. Kovalski just calls on the button with 
and Michael Pinto completes from the big blind holding 
. Pot Size: 1,875,000
Flop:
3-way to a flop of 
. All three players whiff, so Pocket Fours still being the best hand. It checks around. Pot Size: 1,875,000
Turn:
Turn is the 
and now Michael Pinto leads for 350,000. Jaros folds the best hand, but Kovalski decides to stick around. Pot Size: 2,525,000
River:
The river was the 
and Pinto immediately shoved for 2,400,000 into a pot of 2,225,000.
River:
The river was the and Pinto instantly overbet shoves for 2,400,000 sending Fabiano Kovalski deep into the tank.
After 90 seconds, he does indeed call and Ace-high is good! His rail and the commentators of the EPT live stream Joe Stapleton and Nick Walsh are erupting.
The Brazilian wins a huge 7,375,000 pot ending Day 5 of the 2022 EPT Barcelona Main Event in epic fashion with this amazing Hero Call
Poker Hand of the Week Analysis
Let’s analyze this hand and try to find the reason, why Fabiano Kovalski made this great call.
Preflop is pretty standard except for the Kovalski only calling the cut-off raise with AQs on the button. He could easily be raising here, but decides to just call most likely due to ICM considerations.
All three players miss the flop and it is consequently checked around.
The turn is another King and now Pinto decides to bluff at it in order to steal the pot. Problem is that he simply bets too small with only 19% pot. With such a bet you don’t get many hands to fold on a paired board and Kovalski does indeed make the call with only Ace-high.
The 8d on the turn is a blank and Michael Pinto quickly goes All-in for a little bit more than pot size. The Dutch is very polarized here as the river didn’t change anything.
Why would he have checked the flop with top pair or better though, when there is a flush draw on board? The story doesn’t make much sense and Kovalski comes to the same conclusion after thinking the hand through for more than 90 seconds.
Poker Hand of the Week Conclusion
One of the best calls in EPT history!
The reason why Fabiano Kovalski made this Hero Call is simply that Michael Pinto did a couple of mistakes.
First of all, he should have bet the flop instead of checking and would have most likely won the pot right there.
Secondly, he bet way to small on the turn with only 19% pot. With this bet sizing you don’t get any hand with showdown value to fold.
And thirdly his line: Overbet shoving after a blank on the river, when checking the flop and betting small on the turn doesn’t make much sense. And if it doesn’t make sense then it is more often than not a bluff.
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Watch the Poker Hand of the Week here:
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