Although one American, Scott Bush, managed to make his way through to the final table, the event was won by Alexander Stevic of Sweden, who took home 80,000 Euros for his efforts.

The Growth of the European Poker Tour

As the popularity of poker around the world grew in 2004, particularly on the heels of ESPN's broadcast of Chris Moneymaker's historic WSOP win, so grew the popularity of the EPT. By March of 2005, The European Poker Tour was ready to feature a grand final. The Grand Final was a momentous affair held in Monte Carlo, the most famous gambling mecca in the world. As befitting a grand championship, the entry fee for this event was 10,000 Euros.

The European Poker Tour Season One Monte Carlo Grand Final

Although the grand final featured slightly fewer players than the first event, with 211, the prize pool was naturally much larger. The event drew poker professionals from all over the world. This did not stop newly minted EPT veteran Alexander Stevic from making his return, battling his way to another EPT final table, although falling a little short of a second title. Stevic finished third, netting a hefty 178,000 Euro for his efforts.

European Poker Tour Season One Champion

Although a number of pros took a shot at the title, including Gus Hansen, Isabelle Mercier and Daniel Negreanu, the eventual winner was Rob Hollink of the Netherlands. Hollink took down 635,000 Euros for his win and no doubt inspired Dutchmen everywhere to take up the game of poker.