After eight levels on Day 1 of the Monte-Carlo® Casino EPT Grand Final €100,000 Super High Roller, 44 unique players and 12 reentries had created a field of 56 entries and 38 participants bagged up chips for Day 2. Action recommences in two hours from now at 12.30 p.m. local time at the Monte Carlo Bay Resort with level nine and blinds of 3,000-6,000 and a running ante of 1,000.
The field size is not set in stone yet, as registration remains open until 15 minutes prior to the start of Day 2 and a few players who ran deep in the €10,000 High Roller last night such as Fedor Holz are expected to jump into the Super High Roller as well.
Leading the field thus far is 24-year-old Mikita Badziakouski from Belarus with 921,000 followed by Max Silver (785,000) and Igor Kurganov (755,000), the latter was leading after Day 1 of the very same event one year ago.
EPT12 Barcelona Main Event champion John Juanda (744,000) and Argentinian sensation Ivan "Negriin" Luca (660,000) bagged up big stacks and the ever so dangerous PokerStars Team Pro Jason Mercier (629,000), Mustapha Kanit (589,000) and Byron Kaverman (534,000) are also way above average.
Further notables who have made it through in a field full of big names on the international poker circuit include Ole Schemion (488,000), Bryn Kenney (395,000), defending champion Erik Seidel (230,000) and the short stacks Mike McDonald (143,000) and PokerStars Team Pro Daniel Negreanu (52,000).
The seat draw and prize pool information will be published once the registration is officially closed and a total of 10 levels of 60 minutes each or until the final table of the last eight is reached are scheduled for today. Stay tuned and check back regularly into the PokerNews live reporting to find out who makes the cut.
From the hijack, John Juanda made it 16,000 to go. Right next to him Max Silver three bet to 45,000 from the cutoff. On the button, Dario Sammartino bumped it to 106,000 and both blinds quickly released. Juanda followed suit and mucked just about instantly.
Max Silver wasn't so eager to say goodbye to his cards. He eyed Sammartino's stack, counted out his own little fortune a bit, and then made it 195,000. Sammartino didn't think too long before shoving all in for 696,000 effectively. Silver wasn't fist pumping, but he sure wasn't folding either.
Dario Sammartino:
Max Silver:
Sammartino put his head down in disgust for a bit, but got back up when the flop came . Countryman Mustapha Kanit was holding his breath while the hit the turn.
More outs for Sammartino, but he missed all of them with the on the river.
Silver up to almost 1.5 million, Sammartino down to just under 10% of that.
Picking up the action on the turn, Christoph Vogelsang checked in the big blind and Dan Smith fired a bet worth 115,000. Vogelsang made the call and then checked again the on the river. Smith bet 307,000 for almost all of his remaining chips and that sent the German in the think tank.
A few minutes passed and Smith asked for time, but Vogelsang then called quickly after to see Smith grin and say "okay, no time," before sheepishly turning over his . Vogelsang claimed the big pot with and nodded when Smith asked him if he had been close to folding.
The very next hand, Smith shoved for his last 58,000 and John Juanda min-raised from two seats over to get everyone else out of the way.
Smith:
Juanda:
The flop gave Smith some hope with the flush draw and the turn brought a gutshot on top. Smith tossed his eight to the dealer for even more karma, but the blank river sent him to the rail instead.
Mike McDonald raised to 45,000 from the button and the action folded to Sergey Lebedev in the big blind. He squeezed to 145,000 and Timex asked "can I see your stack" before pushing all in. Lebedev had around 430,000 chips and called to enter a coin flip for his tournament life.
Lebedev:
McDonald:
The flop was as blank as it could be, but the turn improved Timex to aces and fives. A blank river sent the Russian to the rail and he just gasped out a "Mike, Mike" with a dry smile on the face.
Salman Behbehani had patiently waited for his chance, barely played any hand, and then open-shoved from middle position. One seat over, Ali Reza Fatehi asked "how much?" and the dealer counted out 289,000. The Iranian called and everyone else got out of the way.
Behbehani:
Fatehi:
The flop was no threat yet for Behbehani, but the turn was as scary as it could get. Ultimately, it was the river that completed the bad beat story and Behbehani left the tournament area. After some initial joy, Fatehi apologized for the beat and jumped into the lead.
From first position, Ali Reza Fatehi opened and was met by a three bet to 152,000 from small blind Christoph Vogelsang. Fatehi made the call.
The flop came and Vogelsang checked. "Check is good" Fatehi said while leaning back in his chair.
The hit the turn and Vogelsang lead out for 85,000. Fatehi wasted no time counting out some chips, and eventually raised to 265,000. Vogelsang made the call.
The completed the board and Vogelsang checked. Fatehi shoved all in and Vogelsang was put to the test for his last 440,000 or so.
"I can't believe you!" Vogelsang said, "You must have hit the turn" he continued before asking if Fatehi would show if he folded.
"If I show you, I can not play with the professionals" Fatehi said, now standing on the side of the table with a stack of chips and the all in triangle still in the middle.
"That's true, we are playing a serious game" Vogelsang eventually said.
After minute or so more, Vogelsang had made up his mind and slid his entire stack forward. Fatehi was quick to show his for the flush. Vogelsang open mucked his .
"Sorry" Fatehi said.
"No problem, it's a game" Vogelsang replied before heading to the exit.
Ivan Luca shoved the button into shorter stacks Erik Seidel and John Juanda's blinds.
Seidel folded, but Juanda made the call for his tournament life with the .
He had the lead over Luca's , but the flop turned things around. Juanda bricked the turn and river as well, and his exit means just ten players remain.
![[user38873]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop, and Negreanu continued for 25,000. Only Chidwick called, and he quickly checked the 
turn.
.
. The river bricked for Negreanu and as he hit the rail, Chidwick climbed up the counts.
. Countryman Mustapha Kanit was holding his breath while the 
hit the turn. 
on the river.
turn, Christoph Vogelsang checked in the big blind and Dan Smith fired a bet worth 115,000. Vogelsang made the call and then checked again the 
. Vogelsang claimed the big pot with 
and nodded when Smith asked him if he had been close to folding.
flop gave Smith some hope with the flush draw and the 
turn brought a gutshot on top. Smith tossed his eight to the dealer for even more karma, but the blank 
river sent him to the rail instead.
with his 
board to double big and leave Carrel short.
and would triumph over Carrel's 
turn was as scary as it could get. Ultimately, it was the 
against his 
