€25,000 EPT High Roller Dia 1 | 2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

2023-05-04 11:31 UTC+2

Welcome to Day 1 of the Prestigious €25,000 EPT High Roller

Another staple event of the 2023 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) presented by Monte-Carlo Casino® is set to kick off today at 12.30 p.m. local time. The players with a larger bankroll will gather at the beautiful Sporting Monte Carlo for Event #42: €25,000 EPT High Roller.

The event will run for three days and a winner will be crowned on the final day of the festival, Saturday, May 6th. All players will have the option for a single reentry, with late registration closing at the start of Day 2.

Everyone will start with a stack of 50,000 chips, which is good for 250 big blinds in Level 1 and 2, where blinds will be 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante. Day 1 will play through ten levels of 60 minutes each, with a 20-minute break scheduled after every two levels. After level six that break will be 75 minutes instead, to allow the players to go and have dinner.

Level	Duration	Small Blind	Big Blind	Big Blind Ante
1	60 min	100	200	200
2	60 min	100	200	200
		20 min break
3	60 min	100	300	300
4	60 min	100	300	300
		20 min break
5	60 min	200	400	400
6	60 min	200	500	500
		75 min dinner break
7	60 min	300	600	600
8	60 min	400	800	800
		20 min break
9	60 min	500	1,000	1,000
10	60 min	600	1,200	1,200

Gianluca Speranza is the defending champion in this event, besting a field of 179 entries to win €853,000 during EPT Monte Carlo 2022. He defeated a strong final table line-up that included Bruno Lopes, Dimitar Danchev, and Steve O’Dwyer. All of these players have already been spotted in the tournament halls this year, and they are expected to make another attempt at coming out on top in the €25,000 buy-in this year.

Players who already forked over €25,000 at the registration desk and are confirmed to compete include Tom-Aksel Bedell, Harry Lodge, Julien Sitbon, and Felipe Ketzer, whose latest recorded tournament result is a second place in a €25,000 buy-in during EPT Paris for €232,800. Of course, many more household names are expected to appear throughout Day 1 and at the start of Day 2.

PokerNews will be providing the live report from hand one to the final one, so be sure to tune in today to not miss any of the High Roller action.

Tags: Bruno Lopes Dimitar Danchev Felipe Ketzer Gianluca Speranza Harry Lodge Julien Sitbon Steve O’Dwyer Tom-Aksel Bedell

2023-05-04 12:58 UTC+2

Silva and Sitbon See a River

Nível 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

There were 4,000 chips in the middle in a pot between Julien Sitbon and Pablo Silva. The board read 8♠Q♥6♣Q♦ and Sitbon check-called a 2,000 bet from Silva, who was sitting in the cutoff.

The river 3♣ was checked quickly by both players and Sitbon tabled 6♠5♠ for a pair of sixes along with the pair of queens on the board. Silva had that beat, however, as he tabled his K♦K♠ for an early pocket kings.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Pablo Silva	54,200 54,200	54,200
Julien Sitbon	46,400 -3,600	-3,600

Tags: Julien Sitbon Pablo Silva

2023-05-04 13:31 UTC+2

Ketzer Catches a Set

Nível 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

When the action was caught there were already 16,800 chips in the middle, for a pot of more than 80 big blinds. Felipe Ketzer was in the small blind and bet another 4,000 on the A♠7♠3♦9♠ board. His opponent was Alexandros Kolonias and he made the call.

Ketzer then opted to check the 4♥ river and Kolonias quickly checked behind. Ketzer was trying to set a trap on the river, as he showed A♦A♥ for flopped top set. It would be hard for Kolonias to beat this, and indeed he did not, as he mucked his cards.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Felipe Ketzer	63,500 13,500	13,500
Alexandros Kolonias	34,500 -15,500	-15,500

Tags: Alexandros Kolonias Felipe Ketzer

2023-05-04 13:41 UTC+2

Mateos Gets Paid With Trips

AndrewK47

Nível 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Adrian Mateos opened the action from the cutoff to 500 and both Yuan Li and Christoph Vogelsang made the call from the blinds.

The flop fanned out A♦3♠2♥ and all three players checked their options to the 8♣ turn. Again both blinds checked over to Mateos who bet out 500, which only Li called.

The A♥ completed the board and Li checked a third time. Mateos took a moment before tossing out a bet of 1,700 and Li quickly called. Mateos rolled over A♠5♠ for rivered trip aces and took down the pot when Li mucked his hand.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Adrian Mateos	55,000 5,000	5,000

Yuan Li	51,000 1,000	1,000
Christoph Vogelsang	49,000 -1,000	-1,000

Tags: Adrian Mateos Christoph Vogelsang Yuan Li

2023-05-04 13:59 UTC+2

Vieira Victorious in Four-Way Pot

Nível 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

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.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Joao Vieira	56,500 6,500	6,500

Mikhail Rudoy	48,800 -1,200	-1,200
Julien Sitbon	36,800 -9,600	-9,600
Cesar Garcia	32,500 -17,500	-17,500

Tags: Cesar Garcia Joao Vieira Julien Sitbon Mikhail Rudoy

2023-05-04 14:39 UTC+2

Thorel First to Exit

Nível 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

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.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Nacho Barbero	140,000 74,000	74,000

Jean-Noel Thorel	50,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Jean-Noel Thorel Nacho Barbero

2023-05-04 15:19 UTC+2

Heath Raises a Flush, Miskolaitis Folds One

Nível 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

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.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Dominykas Mikolaitis	60,000 2,700	2,700

Ben Heath	54,000 11,000	11,000

Tags: Ben Heat Dominykas Mikolaitis

2023-05-04 15:49 UTC+2

Ho Jumps In, Takes from Grafton

Nível 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

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.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Maria Ho	60,000 10,000	10,000

Sam Grafton	59,500 9,500	9,500

Andrew Leathem	50,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Maria Ho Sam Grafton

2023-05-04 16:37 UTC+2

Beresford Bluffs Big in Three-Way Spot

Nível 4 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

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.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Christoph Vogelsang	83,700 31,300	31,300
Fabiano Kovalski	52,400 6,400	6,400
Conor Beresford	14,600 -35,400	-35,400

Tags: Conor Beresford Cristoph Vogelsang Fabiano Kovalski

2023-05-04 16:58 UTC+2

Kudzmanas Scoops Huge in Double Bust-Out Bonanza

Nível 4 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

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.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Marius Kudzmanas	155,600 105,600	105,600

Gianluca Speranza	Eliminado
Yaman Nakdali	Eliminado

Tags: Gianluca Speranza Marius Kudzmanas Yaman Nakdali