Blaž Žerjav wins Player of the Series at EMPC 2025
What a debut this was at JP Poker! The European Mixed Poker Championship brought everyone to Dublin — from part-time...
Slovenia’s Blaž Žerjav has added another title to his incredible 2025 run, taking down the European Mixed Poker Championship Main Event (8-Game) at JP Poker in Dublin for €15,743!
Already this year, Žerjav has won two WSOP bracelets and an EPT title, and now adds the EMPC trophy to a year few players could dream of.
“It’s always great to win an event,” Žerjav said. “Mixed games are usually way more fun than Hold’em — playing both is a healthy mix that suits me really well.”
The final table featured seven nationalities, highlighting the growing global appeal of mixed games. Žerjav praised the diversity and the friendly atmosphere.
“It’s great to see players from so many countries, especially for a European championship, I hope it keeps growing.”
American Matt “Baltimore” Kelley was one of the stories of the week, flying in from the U.S. and earning his first-ever cash in Europe, nearly winning the whole thing in the process in his second one.
“I came to Ireland because I saw there was the European Mixed Poker Championship in Dublin,” Kelley wrote in his Facebook Post. “They were playing my kind of games at price points that made sense for me. It’s easy to get to from the U.S., so why not try to win some money and see Dublin?”
Kelley battled Žerjav heads-up but couldn’t stop the Slovenian on yet another heater.
“I like to take whatever I play seriously,” Žerjav added. “But yeah, I’ve been running really well lately — and getting the right cards helps.”
When asked which format he enjoys most, Žerjav laughed.
“All of them — except Limit Hold’em. We could just take that one out.”
Final Results – Main Event (8-Game)
1️⃣ 🇸🇮 Blaž Žerjav – €15,743
2️⃣ 🇺🇸 Matthew Kelley – €10,260
3️⃣ 🇩🇪 Jens Voertmann – €6,720
4️⃣ 🇮🇷 Ali Sarkeshik – €5,170
5️⃣ 🇫🇮 Kim Kallman – €4,095
6️⃣ 🇦🇹 Alexander Freud – €3,200
7️⃣ 🇨🇦 Patrick Stacey – €2,520
