Online qualifier Uwe Matthias seeks own Aldemir moment at EUREKA Rozvadov
Uwe Matthias was part of Koray Aldemir's WSOP celebration party. Now the 59-year-old is at EUREKA Rozvadov hoping for his own Main Event win
At the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in 2021, Germany’s Uwe Matthias was enjoying the run of his life. He was deep in the Main Event on his very first time playing it.
The excitement. The television cameras. The sound of thousands of poker players shuffling chips in unison. He remembers it all vividly.
“It was really amazing,” the 59-year-old real estate manager tells us.
Alas, his run came to an end on Day 4, when he finished 462nd out of the 6,650 entries. He cashed for $26,700 – still his largest poker win to date – but just because his tournament was over, doesn’t mean he left.
Matthias’ countryman Koray Aldemir would go on to win the WSOP that year for $8 million, and Matthias was a part of Aldemir’s celebration party when the event was over.
Now Matthias is at the King’s Resort in Rozvadov hoping for an Aldemir moment of his own.
IN FOR €60
Uwe Matthias, who lives in West Germany, qualified for the €1,100 buy-in EUREKA Rozvadov Main Event on PokerStars.
“It was my first time winning a qualifier on PokerStars,” he tells us. “I won my seat for €60! I had a great run in the satellite and played well, so it was nice.”
Had he not won his way here for cheap, however, Matthias says he would have come anyway. The proximity to his home and the size of the tournament were the deciding factors.
“The Main Event here is a great tournament with a fantastic structure,” he says. “Plus, €1 million is a very nice guarantee.”
Matthias has jumped straight into Day 1A of the Main Event, using the ticket he won online.
Not bad for someone who discovered poker later in life.
Uwe Matthias on Day 1A of the EUREKA Rozvadov Main Event
ALWAYS LEARNING
Uwe Matthias says he first discovered poker around 15 years ago when he was 44 years old.
He was on holiday with his family in Austria when he noticed that the hotel they were staying in was running a poker tournament. Despite having no experience or strategy in mind, he decided to give it a go.
It went well. Really well.
“I ended up winning it,” he says. “It was so nice.”
Matthias fell in love with the game of poker and now loves to combine his holidays with some time at the felt. “Last year I went to Dublin, and I got to visit Malta twice,” he says.
He’s also read a lot of poker books and even decided to seek poker coaching.
“I really try to improve and learn the game,” he says. “It’s very tough to make the right decisions, but it’s so important.”
From increasing his poker knowledge to winning his way to EUREKA Rozvadov, it seems like Matthias’ decisions so far have been spot on.
“I really try to improve and learn the game.” – Uwe Matthias
