2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

�25,000 EPT High Roller
Day: 1
Event Info

2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
32
Prize
€938,042
Event Info
Buy-in
€25,000
Prize Pool
€5,066,110
Entries
211
Level Info
Level
33
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
250,000
Players Info - Day 1
Entries
183
Players Left
95

Kisacikoglu Makes Quads To Send Luhut To The Rail

Level 5 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante
Orpen Kisacikoglu
Orpen Kisacikoglu

Jean-Vincent Lehut opened to 900 from middle position and it folded to Orpen Kisacikoglu in the small blind who three-bet to 4,100. Lehut elected on a four-bet to 9,500 and Kisacikoglu made the call.

The flop came J?9?2? and Kisacikoglu checked to Lehut who continued for 10,000. Kisacikoglu pondered for a moment before putting in a check-raise to 25,000. Lehut quickly moved all in for close to 55,000 and Kisacikoglu snap-called with a slightly bigger stack.

Jean-Vincent Lehut: A?K?
Orpen Kisacikoglu: 9?9?

Lehut flopped the nut-flush draw while Kisacikoglu flopped a set. The turn fell the 9? to seal the deal for Kisacikoglu who made quads and the inconsequential 3? completed the runout, sending Lehut to the exit.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Orpen Kisacikoglu tr
Orpen Kisacikoglu
148,000
104,000
104,000
Profile photo of Jean-Vincent Lehut fr
Jean-Vincent Lehut
Busted

Tags: Jean-Vincent LehutOrpen Kisacikoglu

High Stakes Legend Patrik Antonius Says Live Streams Should "Focus on the Poker"

Level 5 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante
Patrik Antonius
Patrik Antonius

While many of the biggest stars from poker's golden era of the mid-2000s are only mentioned in "Where Are They Now?" pieces, Patrik Antonius is not one of them. In fact, the Finland all-time money leader is as relevant as ever.

Not only is Antonius still regularly competing in the televised cash games that boosted his career early on, he is also a force to be reckoned with in on the current high roller tournament scene and even won his first Triton title last year. Additionally, Antonius recently signed on as an ambassador for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Thrill Team, something he said he got involved in "accidentally" before adding that he was "happy to get invited to join the Thrill Team."

"It's nice," Antonius said. "WSOP is a big brand and they have a lot of influence in the industry. And it's nice that they have this app so a lot of new players can have an experience playing poker on an app like this for free. And if they like it they can start playing for real money and so on. So it's nice, it's nice that they have an app like this."

Antonius appeared as a guest on the most recent episode of the PokerNews Podcast and spoke about winning his first Triton title, how High Stakes Poker impacted his career and representing the WSOP Thrill Team in the upcoming Main Event. The full conversation with the Finnish poker legend can be heard here.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON PATRIK ANTONIUS!

Shimizu Calls the Cards

Level 5 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante
Nozomu Shimizu
Nozomu Shimizu

''Two-two'', Nozomu Shimizu said from under the gun, as he raised to 2,200. Emil Bise flatted the raise from the cutoff before Hirokazu Kobayashi three-bet from the big blind. Shimizu then four-bet jammed his starting stack in the middle, still exclaiming ''two-two''. Bise got out of the way, but Kobayashi, who was sitting on only 15,000 chips, made the call.

Hirokazu Kobayashi: Q?Q?
Nozomu Shimizu: K?K?

Shimizu would be the victor in the Japanese showdown, as he almost immediately locked up the board when the flop came K?2?8?. The 2? threw out the possibility of runner-runner quads, and the 3? river was dealt as a formality.

Kobayashi kept laughing throughout the ordeal, while Felipe Ketzer pointed at the pair of ducks on the board and said: ''You called the cards! That's how you win tournaments.''

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Emil Bise ch
Emil Bise
42,000
-8,000
-8,000
Profile photo of Hirokazu Kobayashi jp
Hirokazu Kobayashi
33,000
-17,000
-17,000
Profile photo of Nozomu Shimizu jp
Nozomu Shimizu
26,000
26,000
26,000

Tags: Emil BiseFelipe KetzerHirokazu KobayashiNozomu Shimizu

No Longer World Chess Champion, Magnus Carlsen Sets Sights On Poker

Level 5 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante
Magnus Carlsen
Magnus Carlsen

Five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen shocked the public in July 2022 when he announced that he wouldn't be defending the title he had held for a decade. And while Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren were at St. Regis Hotel in Kazakhstan last month battling to take his place as supreme leader of the chess world, Carlsen was getting ready for a trip to the sunny Mediterranean coast.

Carlsen made a deep run extending into Day 3 in the EPT Monte Carlo �5,300 Main Event as part of 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) presented by Monte-Carlo Casino? before falling in 63th place �15,000.

In his first interview since giving up his World Chess Champion Title, Carlsen sat down with PokerNews and PokerStars for an exclusive look at what the future holds for the 32-year-old Norwegian chess prodigy.

READ ABOUT CARLSEN'S DEEP RUN AT EPT MONTE CARLO!

Kudzmanas Scoops Huge in Double Bust-Out Bonanza

Level 4 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante
Marius Kudzmanas
Marius Kudzmanas

In a three-way clash between Marius Kudzmanas, Gianluca Speranza, and Yaman Nakdali, the pot had grown to a humongous 37,000 before a turn was dealt.

After that did happen, the board read K?3?Q?8? and Kudzmanas bet another 14,000 from under the gun into the ever-growing pot. Both his opponents matched the bet, inflating the pot to well over 250 big blinds.

The action did not stop at that point, however, as when the 8? river completed the board, Speranza, who was in the hijack, announced his all-in. Button Nakdali asked for a count and made the call for 26,300 after he received a confirmation.

Kudzmanas then rejammed his own stack in the middle, totaling 52,300. This covered Nakdali by a fair margin, but he felt he was committed as he put in the rest of his stack with a big sigh.

Kudzmanas then tabled K?K? for the best full house possible, and the second nuts. Neither player had the one combination of quads that could beat him, as Speranza showed J?10? for a missed combo draw and Nakdali could not make anything higher than trips with his J?8?.

A huge pot for Kudzmanas, who is now sitting on a gigantic stack of over 500 big blinds.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Marius Kudzmanas lt
Marius Kudzmanas
155,600
105,600
105,600
Day 1 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Gianluca Speranza it
Gianluca Speranza
Busted
Profile photo of Yaman Nakdali es
Yaman Nakdali
Busted

Tags: Gianluca SperanzaMarius KudzmanasYaman Nakdali

Beresford Bluffs Big in Three-Way Spot

Level 4 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante
Conor Beresford
Conor Beresford

Conor Beresford, Cristoph Vogelsang and Fabiano Kovalski had arrived on the river in a modest pot of 6,300. The board read 10?10?Q?6?2? and Beresford checked from middle position before Vogelsang made a bet of 3,500. Kovalski made the call before Beresford baffled his opponents by jamming all of his 53,300 chips in the middle.

Vogelsang played 38,700 total and was deep in the tank. He used four time bank extensions before slamming a stack of chips in the middle to signify a call. Kovalski then quickly got out of the way so that the other two could have a showdown.

Beresford tabled Q?6? for two pair that were turned into a bluff. Vogelsang triumphantly showed his K?10? for flopped trips, while Kovalski claimed he folded the best hand with a queen-high flush.

Vogelsang secured a big double-up while Beresford was left with just under 50 big blinds.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Christoph Vogelsang de
Christoph Vogelsang
83,700
31,300
31,300
Profile photo of Fabiano Kovalski br
Fabiano Kovalski
52,400
6,400
6,400
Profile photo of Conor Beresford gb
Conor Beresford
14,600
-35,400
-35,400

Tags: Conor BeresfordCristoph VogelsangFabiano Kovalski

Ho Jumps In, Takes from Grafton

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante
Maria Ho
Maria Ho

Maria Ho has also entered the �25,000 EPT High Roller and was involved in a pot with Sam Grafton.

She raised to 700 from under the gun and Grafton responded with a three-bet to 2,500. The action folded back to Ho who made the call. The flop of 9?4?8? showed itself and both players checked.

The J? turn saw Ho retake the aggressive route as she put a bet of 3,600 out. Grafton made the call before the pair reverted to checking again on the 10? river.

Ho showed down K?J? for a turned top pair and it beat Grafton's cards, which quickly hit the muck.

Shortly thereafter, Andre Leathern showed up at the table to take his seat.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Maria Ho us
Maria Ho
60,000
10,000
10,000
Profile photo of Sam Grafton gb
Sam Grafton
59,500
9,500
9,500
Profile photo of Andrew Leathem gb
Andrew Leathem
50,000
50,000
50,000

Tags: Maria HoSam Grafton

Heath Raises a Flush, Miskolaitis Folds One

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante
Ben Heath
Ben Heath

There was a 9,000 pot brewing between Ben Heat and Dominykas Mikolaitis. A completed board of 2?6?7?9?A? was in the middle and Heath checked from the big blind to Mikolaitis on the button.

He put out a bet of 3,000 and Heath responded with a raise to 18,000. Mikolaitis utilized one of his time bank chips before eventually finding the fold, putting Heath back above starting stack.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Dominykas Mikolaitis lt
Dominykas Mikolaitis
60,000
2,700
2,700
Day 2 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Ben Heath gb
Ben Heath
54,000
11,000
11,000

Tags: Ben HeatDominykas Mikolaitis

Thorel First to Exit

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante
Jean Noel Thorel
Jean Noel Thorel

In a blind-on-blind battle, Nacho Barbero and Jean-Noel Thorel had already put in nearly 60 big blinds preflop. The pot was 11,800 as the 10?8?3? was dealt and Barbero checked his option. Thorel then fired for 10,000 before Barbero requested to take a look at his opponent's remaining chips.

Thorel had 20,400 behind, and Barbero, who was already playing a rather large stack, put him to the test by putting a stack of T-5,000 chips in the middle, enough to put Thorel all in. Thorel sighed while he quickly made the call.

Jean-Noel Thorel: 8?6?
Nacho Barbero: K?K?

Thorel had flopped middle pair, but was outclassed by the kings of Barbero. The turn 3? left Thorel with just the two remaining eights as outs, but a king came instead on the K? river.

Thorel was the first of the field to exit, but he wasted no time and immediately made use of his option for a single reentry and rejoined the fray.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Nacho Barbero ar
Nacho Barbero
140,000
74,000
74,000
Profile photo of Jean-Noel Thorel fr
Jean-Noel Thorel
50,000
50,000
50,000

Tags: Jean-Noel ThorelNacho Barbero

Vieira Victorious in Four-Way Pot

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante
Joao Vieira
Joao Vieira

Joao Vieira raised to 600 preflop from under the gun, and received calls from Julien Sitbon in the hijack, Cesar Garcia on the button, and Mikhail Rudoy in the small blind.

The quartet saw a flop of 8?10?K? and the action checked to Sitbon, who put out a bet worth 800 chips. Garcia made the call and so did Vieira, while Rudoy was the only one to fold his hand.

All three players checked the A? turn before Vieira retook the initiative on the 5? river by betting 3,100. Sitbon quickly folded but Garcia thought for a while and ended up making the call.

Vieira showed down Q?J? for Broadway, and that was enough to win the pot, as Garcia slid his cards towards the muck.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Joao Vieira pt
Joao Vieira
56,500
6,500
6,500
Profile photo of Mikhail Rudoy ru
Mikhail Rudoy
48,800
-1,200
-1,200
Profile photo of Julien Sitbon fr
Julien Sitbon
36,800
-9,600
-9,600
Profile photo of Cesar Garcia
Cesar Garcia
32,500
-17,500
-17,500

Tags: Cesar GarciaJoao VieiraJulien SitbonMikhail Rudoy