2016 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo? Casino EPT Grand Final

�25,750 High Roller
Day: 2
Event Info

2016 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo? Casino EPT Grand Final

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a4
Prize
€1,197,000
Event Info
Buy-in
€25,000
Prize Pool
€5,659,500
Entries
231
Level Info
Level
32
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
25,000

Zvi Stern Leads Last 12 in �25,750 High Roller

Level 21 : 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
Ofer Zvi Stern
Ofer Zvi Stern

Day 2 of the 2016 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo? Casino EPT Grand Final �25,750 High Roller finished with 12 players left in the field and Ofer Zvi Stern in the lead.

Before play on Day 2, another 11 entries were tallied, including four hopefuls that won entry to the tournament in last night's hyper-turbo satellite. With 231 entries in total, a new record attendance for this event was set and a prize pool of over �5.65 million was created. The top 31 spots are guaranteed at least �49,800, with �1.197 million awaiting the champion.

Among those that will be returning to the tables of the Salles des Etoiles were �100,000 Super High Roller champion Ole Schemion, Bryn Kenney, Igor Kurganov, John Juanda, Tobias Reinkemeier, and PokerStars team pros Jason Mercier and Liv Boeree. But unfortunately for those players, all of them joined the rail within the first hour.

Joining the rail as an eliminated player was Mike McDonald, who failed to earn any points for towards EPT Player of the Year and close the gap he's behind Steve O'Dwyer.

After six 60-minute levels, only 36 hopefuls headed to the dinner break with 2015 World Series of Poker November Nine member Ofer Zvi Stern in the lead.

After dinner, [Removed:17] shoved into Imad Derwiche with a busted straight and flush draw and the runner-up of this event last year called with a set of jacks to leave Yan with dust. Ben Heath lost a flip with ace-king to queens, and 2014 WSOP Main Event champion Martin Jacobson could not get there with ace-nine versus Derwiche's pocket sevens.

Ami Barer was eventually crowned the "bubble boy" after taking a flip for his last 10 big blinds with the {10-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}. Julian Stuer looked him up with the {A-Diamonds}{Q-Diamonds} and hit the {A-Clubs} on the river to secure a payday for all remaining participants.

Going back to the aforementioned O'Dywer, he reached the money which meant that he added some distance between himself and McDonald as the current leader in the EPT Player of the Year race. O'Dwyer was the first one out once the money was reached, but he can't be feeling too bad with points and a cash to take away from it.

Also of note was the run of Niall Farrell, as he entered the day with the chip lead. Ultimately, Farrell busted in 20th place.

A man who is no stranger to poker success, Daniel Negreanu reached the last two tables and was eliminated in 15th place after three-way action with Alexandru Papazian and Stern. Papazian check-raised a {Q-Diamonds}{6-Hearts}{4-Diamonds} flop with the {7-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds} and Negreanu then shoved with the {A-Diamonds}{Q-Clubs}. Stern out of the way, and Papazian called before he went on to hit the {5-Diamonds} on the turn to bust "Kid Poker."

Julian Stuer and Byron Kaverman were eliminated in the last level of the night and 12 players bagged up chips. Stern was in the lead after claiming 1.638 million, and we was followed by Max Silver on 1.342 million. Alexandros "mexican222" Kolonias (1.338 million), Papazian (1.231 million), Ivan Deyra (1.16 million), and Rafael Da Silva Moraes (1.026 million) are the others with seven-figure chip counts.

Last year's runner-up Derwiche was still in contention as well, and he'll look to finish one spot better this time around. He bagged up 840,000.

Day 3 Seat Assignments

TableSeatNameCountryChips
11Anthony ZinnoUSA816,000
12--empty------
13Imad DerwicheFrance840,000
14Zvi SternIsrael1,638,000
15Ramin HajiyevAzerbaijan366,000
16--empty------
17[Removed:2]Lebanon907,000
18Alexandru PapazianRomania1,231,000
     
21Saar WilfIsrael509,000
22Thomas MillerUSA383,000
23Max SilverUK1,342,000
24Alexandros KoloniasGreece1,338,000
25Rafael Da Silva MoraesBrazil1,026,000
26Ivan DeyraFrance1,160,000
27--empty------
28--empty------

The 12 left have locked up �92,250, but all eyes are set on the first-place payout of �1.197. Action will resume at 12.30 p.m. local time on Friday, with Level 22 and blinds of 12,000/24,000/3,000. The PokerNews Live Reporting team will be on hand to provide all the action until a winner is crowned, so stay tuned for more coverage from Monaco.

Tags: Adrian MateosAlexandros KoloniasAlexandru PapazianAmi BarerAndre AkkariAnthony ZinnoBen HeathBryn KenneyByron KavermanDaniel NegreanuDzmitry UrbanovichErik SeidelIgor KurganovImad DerwicheIvan DeyraJason MercierJohn JuandaJulian StuerKeith JohnsonLiv BoereeMarko NeumannMartin JacobsonMax SilverMike McDonaldMohsin CharaniaMustapha KanitNiall FarrellOfer Zvi SternOle SchemionRafael Da Silva MoraesRafael MoraesRamin HajiyevSaar WilfStephen ChidwickSteve O'DwyerThomas MillerTobias ReinkemeierZvi Stern