Cashing a European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event is a milestone Jessica Teusl has been building toward for years. âIâve learned a lot and worked on my game,â she told PokerStars Blog in 2023. âI havenât managed to cash in an EPT Main Event yet, so thatâs one of my goals.â
It might have taken longer than expected, but here in Paris, not only has she achieved her maiden EPT Main in-the-money finish, she boasts a top-five stack heading into Day 4. Her 1,875,000 in chips puts her in fourth place with 49 players remaining.
Teusl, who qualified for this event on PokerStars in a âŹ109 satellite, is also the last female player remaining in the field, and would become only the fourth female EPT champion (and first since Victoria Coren Mitchell won her second in 2014) if she can go the distance.
ABSOLUTE DOMINANCE
Youâd be forgiven for assuming Teuslâs impeccable resume of $1.4 million in live cashes already includes EPT success.Â
She broke through in a big way at the end of the previous decade, winning the Ladies European Poker Championship three consecutive times from 2017-2019–a ridiculous accomplishment. She then announced herself on the global stage in 2022, final tabling the $1,500 Monster Stack for $120,455 at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), before taking down the Ladies No-Limit Holdâem Championship for $166,975 and her first gold bracelet.
“It was unbelievable,” she said. “To win the Euro Championship three years running, then the World Championship, people were like: âWhatâs wrong with her?â
Teusl qualified for EPT Paris via a âŹ109 online satellite
âI think it was always my dream to win a bracelet,â she continued. âOf course, my dream is to win the WSOP Main because no woman has ever won it. But if you have a bracelet, youâve reached the first goal. When I first started playing, I wasnât very good and only played for fun. Then you start working on your game, you improve, and in my case, the hard work paid off.â
Teusl now dabbles in the super high rollers, cashing in $10K, $50K, and $100K events last summer alone. But she errs on the side of caution when it comes to bankroll management and game selection.
âI think I have very tight bankroll management. I sell, I swap a lot, whatever. I think thatâs important because if you play too high, your bankroll can go very quickly.
âI also make sure I donât invest too much at one stop. I always choose to be on the tighter side because even though your bankroll doesnât grow as fast, you donât blow through your bankroll.â
SATELLITES KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE
Having qualified for EPT Paris for just âŹ109, Teusl believes satellites are very important to keeping the poker-playing dream alive.
âFor me, it was such a big thing,â she said. âYears ago, I used to watch and see Maria Ho on the feature table of a âŹ10K. That was my dream, just to get there one time, but it seemed unreachable for me.
Now it’s Teusl battling on the big stages
âIâve played every satellite buy-in level, starting with âŹ10, then âŹ20, then âŹ100, whatever, and that was my way into the bigger events. I love that people who donât play a âŹ1K or âŹ5K buy-in normally will get a chance to play them.
â[Sometimes] you also get a very nice package with a hotel included. If you win a seat-only qualifier, you have to pay for your own hotel, food etc. But if you win the full package (seat, hotel, expenses), then you have everything there.â
And sometimes players can parlay those satellite wins into massive scoresâsomething sheâs on the verge of doing this week.
Stay tuned as Day 4 kicks off and Jessica Teuslâs deep run in the City of Light continues.