2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

€5,300 EPT Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info

2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
109
Prize
€749,425
Event Info
Buy-in
€5,300
Prize Pool
€5,325,300
Entries
1,098
Level Info
Level
33
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
250,000
Players Info - Day 4
Entries
38
Players Left
13

Jimmy Velasquez Eliminated in 18th Place (€34,700)

Level 23 : Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Jimmy Velasquez
Jimmy Velasquez

Maduka Meragal opened to 55,000 in the cutoff and Jimmy Velasquez defended from the big blind. The flop fell 7?6?2? and Velasquez check-called a bet of 30,000 from Meragal.

The turn was the 9? and Velasquez checked again. Meragal bet 80,000 and Velasquez check-raised all in for around 600,000. Meragal stood up from his chair as he got a rough count and then called.

Jimmy Velasquez: A?7?
Maduka Meragal: 9?9?

Meragal turned a set of nines but Velasquez had outs with a flush draw. The river was the Q? and Velasquez was unable to improve as he was eliminated in 18th place.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Maduka Meragal ca
Maduka Meragal
1,760,000
760,000
760,000
Profile photo of Jimmy Velasquez co
Jimmy Velasquez
Busted

Tags: Jimmy VelasquezMaduka Meragal

Red Aert: Meragal Doubles Up an Opponent

Level 23 : Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Pieter Aerts
Pieter Aerts

Pieter Aerts opened to 355,000 from middle position with just 5,000 behind and Pieter Aerts three-bet jammed from the small blind before Aerts called off for his tournament life.

Maduka Meragal: 9?9?
Pieter Aerts: A?K?

A king in the window was good news for Aerts as the board ran out 3?6?K?3?Q? to earn him a double.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Maduka Meragal ca
Maduka Meragal
1,000,000
-530,000
-530,000
Profile photo of Pieter Aerts be
Pieter Aerts
750,000
380,000
380,000

Tags: Maduka MeragalPieter Aerts

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

Level 23 : Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 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 63rd 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!

Markkos Ladev Eliminated in 19th Place (€34,700)

Level 23 : Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Markkos Ladev
Markkos Ladev

The action folded around to Markkos Ladev in the small blind who limped in. Nicola Grieco checked his option and the dealer fanned the flop of 9?9?4?. Ladev led out with a bet of 50,000 and Grieco just called.

The 6? landed on the turn and Ladev sized up a bet of 200,000. Grieco ripped all in and Ladev quickly called off his stack of 660,000. Grieco turned over J?9? while Ladev revealed his 9?7?. The river was the 6? and Grieco's jack-kicker played to eliminate Ladev in 19th place.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Nicola Grieco it
Nicola Grieco
1,850,000
1,350,000
1,350,000
Day 1A Chip Leader
Profile photo of Markkos Ladev ee
Markkos Ladev
Busted
Day 2 Chip Leader

Tags: Markkos LadevNicola Grieco

Pedro Neves Eliminated in 20th Place (€34,700)

Level 23 : 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Pedro Neves
Pedro Neves

Jimmy Velasquez was on the short stack at the table and moved all in for 325,000 from under the gun. Pedro Neves asked for a count from the small blind and burned through multiple time extensions before making the call.

Jimmy Velasquez: K?9?
Pedro Neves: A?J?

The flop came 9?7?3? and Velasquez picked up a pair of nines to take the lead. The 10? on the turn gave Neves a straight draw but the K? on the river improved Velasquez to two pair.

On the next hand, Neves jammed all in for 300,000 on the button and Pieter Aerts reshoved all in from the small blind. Neves turned over A?Q? and was dominating the A?10? of Aerts.

However, the runout of K?Q?6?J?5? gave Aerts a straight and Neves was eliminated in 20th place.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Pieter Aerts be
Pieter Aerts
1,100,000
-65,000
-65,000
Profile photo of Jimmy Velasquez co
Jimmy Velasquez
700,000
200,000
200,000
Profile photo of Pedro Neves pt
Pedro Neves
Busted

Tags: Jimmy VelasquezPedro NevesPieter Aerts

Hasson Doubles Through Delgado

Level 23 : 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Ori Hasson - Vicente Delgado
Ori Hasson - Vicente Delgado

Ori Hasson raised to 75,000 from the small blind and Vicente Delgado three-bet to 190,000 from the big blind before Hasson fired back with a shove for around 580,000. Delgado called quickly and the cards were turned up.

Vicente Delgado: J?J?
Ori Hasson: Q?Q?

The board ran out K?10?10?10?4? and Hasson held on with the pocket queens to pick up the double.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Vicente Delgado es
Vicente Delgado
2,100,000
-300,000
-300,000
Profile photo of Ori Hasson il
Ori Hasson
1,475,000
475,000
475,000

Tags: Ori HassonVicente Delgado

Jose Astima Eliminated in 22nd Place (€30,200)

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Jose Astima
Jose Astima

Jose Astima was the shortest stack in the tournament and moved all in for 185,000 under the gun. Jason Wheeler just called in the hijack and the rest of the table folded.

Jose Astima: A?K?
Jason Wheeler: A?A?

The flop fell 8?5?3? which gave Astima a slim hope of staying alive. The 9? on the turn sealed the deal and the J? on the river was just a formality.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jason Wheeler us
Jason Wheeler
1,570,000
170,000
170,000
Profile photo of Jose Astima fr
Jose Astima
Busted

Tags: Jason WheelerJose Astima

Elias Fisz Eliminated in 23rd Place (€30,200)

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Elias Fisz
Elias Fisz

Action was heads up with a big pot over 800,000 in the middle and a full board of 3?6?4?J?K? when Elias Fisz shoved into a quick call from Leonard Maue. Fisz turned over J?10? for a pair of jacks, but Maue had A?Q? for the nut flush.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Leonard Maue de
Leonard Maue
1,600,000
600,000
600,000
Profile photo of Elias Fisz nl
Elias Fisz
Busted

Tags: Elias FiszLeonard Maue

Milos Petakovic Eliminated in 24th Place (€26,250)

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Milos Petakovic
Milos Petakovic

Vicente Delgado opened to 45,000 from the hijack and Milos Petakovic three-bet to 180,000 from the big blind. Delgado four-bet jammed with Petakovic covered and the Serbian called off with a stack of around 825,000.

Milos Petakovic: Q?Q?
Vicente Delgado: A?K?

A king in the window was bad news for Petakovic and the full runout of K?8x7?2?J? marked his elimination in 24th place.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Vicente Delgado es
Vicente Delgado
2,400,000
850,000
850,000
Profile photo of Milos Petakovic rs
Milos Petakovic
Busted

Tags: Milos PetakovicVicente Delgado

Cooler Ousts Landron

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Alexandre Landron
Alexandre Landron

Leo Worthington-Leese opened from middle position and Alexandre Landron defended out of the big blind.

The flop of 10?9?6? checked through and Landron check-called a bet from Worthington-Leese on the J? turn. Landron checked again on the J? river and Worthington-Leese bet. Landron check-jammed and Worthington-Leese called with a bigger stack.

Landron showed A?Q? for an ace-high flush, but it was no good against the J?9? of his opponent for a full house to send Landron to the rail in devastating fashion.

"This game is beautiful sometimes — for one of the players!" laughed Ori Hasson.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Leo Worthington-Leese gb
Leo Worthington-Leese
1,800,000
815,000
815,000
Day 5 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Alexandre Landron fr
Alexandre Landron
Busted

Tags: Alexandre LandronLeo Worthington-LeeseOri Hasson