German Online Poker Pro Michael Eiler Wins PokerStars EPT Vienna

Last weekend’s €5,300 buy-in European Poker Tour Vienna main event at at Kursalon casino proved to be an explosive match. The final table winner was 20 year old Michael Eiler, a player well known in German poker rooms. Eiler is the first German player to win an EPT event since Team PokerStars pro Sandra Naujoks won EPT Dortmund back in season 5.

When Eiler joined the table, the chip leader was Canadan Team PokerStars Pro player Daniel Negreanu, with over 5 million to Eiler’s 2. The table swung early though, with Negreanu leaving early, only taking 4th place.

“I had a few ups and downs but the turning point was when Negreanu busted,” said Eiler, who was playing in his first ever EPT event. "He was probably the strongest player at the table and he had a lot of chips."

The final heads up was between Michael Eiler and Czech player Martin Hruby. Hruby was in a good position early on, so Eiler’s victory came as a surprise to many. Eiler took home €700,000, leaving Hruby with a still impressive €470,000.

Eiler is predominantly an internet player, spending his time at various online poker sites in Germany. Using his online handle MAE9690, Eiler won his spot in the EPT Vienna at Poker Stars.

“It was my first EPT but I’m definitely going to play more now,” says Eiler. “This is really a happy moment for me. The money is great obviously but the title is worth so much to me; an EPT title is a dream for a poker player.”

The next stop for the PokerStars European Poker Tour is the Casino de Barcelona in Spain, happening November 22-27.