Over at table 9, "Peter" Ping San Chan is drawing attention to himself. Not in the last place due to his massive watch, that even here in the Principality of Monaco is making heads turn. Let's just say it would cover the buy-in of an earlier tournament this week with ease.
Chan's taste for the ultra-rich doesn't only show in his accessories, he's also a fixture on the Super High Roller circuit in the east. In 2013, Chan finished 3rd in the HK$ 1,000,000 tournament, cashing 4,123,000 Hong Kong dollars (appr. $531,139 USD). Last year, Chan banked another HK$ 2,339,900 ($301,712 USD) by finishing 6th in the HK$ 500,000 Triton Super High Roller.
Today, Chan is already up to 80,000 after winning a decent-sized hand followed up with a sweet bluff. In the first hand. Chan held and bet 2,600 on a flop. Pavlos Karagiannidis check-raised to 5,500 and Chan called. Both players checked the on the turn. On the river, Karagiannidis check-called 6,000 but couldn't beat Chan's two pair.
An orbit later, the board read and Luigi Grisa bet 4,500. Chan raised to 12,000 and Grisa folded. The Hong Kong resident tabled with a smile for just six-high.
"You don't need a watch to know what time it is," laughed another player at the table as Chan raked in the pot.
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The player under the gun opened for 250 and the hijack called before Fabrice Soulier in the cutoff squeezed to 1,175. Peter Vanco in the big blind called, and so did both players who had committed chips already.
All four of them checked on and the hit the turn. Vanco bet out 500 and the player under the gun folded, the hijack and Soulier called.
The river saw Vanco bet out 2,000. The hijack folded, Soulier called. Vanco tabled and Soulier mucked.
Orpen Kisacikoglu (here pictured in the Super High Roller earlier this festival)
The player in the hijack opened the action with a raise and Orpen Kisacikoglu on the button called. Big blind Stephen Chidwick squeezed to 1,250 and both the initial raiser and Kisacikoglu called.
With a flop of , Chidwick continued for 1,300. The hijack folded, Kisacikoglu raised to 3,900 after just a couple of seconds in the tank. Chidwick called.
As the hit the turn, Chidwick checked. Kisacikoglu bet a hefty 13,500 and Chidwick called.
The on the river saw both players check just about instantly and Chidwick revealed . Kisacikoglu tabled and took down the big pot.
It may have a new — and longer — name, but PokerStars' flagship European event is back.
It's time for PokerStars Championship presented by Monte-Carlo Casino® €5,300 Main Event to get going. Dating to the days when the event here was known as EPT Grand Final, this has always been a storied, prestigious tournament that brought out all of the best players from Europe, and often, the world.
Day 1a is set to get going with cards in the air at noon local time here in Monaco. The plan for Day 1a is to play through eight levels lasting 75 minutes apiece. There will be 20-minute breaks after every two levels, plus a 75-minute dinner break after Level 6. Players will start with stacks of 30,000 and blinds at 50/100, progressing to 400/800/100 by day's end. They cannot reenter if they are eliminated.
Day 1 Level Structure
Level
Duration
Small Blind
Big Blind
Ante
1
75 min
50
100
2
75 min
75
150
3
75 min
100
200
25
4
75 min
150
300
50
5
75 min
200
400
50
6
75 min
250
500
75
7
75 min
300
600
100
8
75 min
400
800
100
PokerStars has already been hosting it's former European Poker Tour here in Monaco and below you can find a chart with all previous winners at Le Sporting. The buy-in for the Main Event was lowered to €5,300 last year, and Jan Bendik defeated Adrien Allain heads-up to claim the title. Bendik has already notched up a score during this PokerStars Championship as well after finishing 223rd in the € 1,100 PokerStars National Championship.
Season
Year
Place
Players
Champion
Country
Prize
1
2005
Monaco
211
Rob Hollink
Netherlands
€635,000
2
2006
Monaco
298
Jeff Williams
United States
€900,000
3
2007
Monaco
706
Gavin Griffin
United States
€1,825,010
4
2008
Monaco
842
Glen Chorny
Canada
€2,020,000
5
2009
Monaco
935
Pieter de Korver
Netherlands
€2,300,000
6
2010
Monaco
848
Nicolas Chouity
Lebanon
€1,700,000
7
2011
Madrid
686
Ivan Freitez
Venezuela
€1,500,000
8
2012
Monaco
665
Mohsin Charania
United States
€1,350,000
9
2013
Monaco
531
Steve O'Dwyer
Ireland
€1,224,000
10
2014
Monaco
650
Antonio Buonanno
Italy
€1,240,000
11
2015
Monaco
564
Adrian Mateos
Spain
€1,082,000
12
2016
Monaco
1,098
Jan Bendik
Slovakia
€961,800
The PokerStars Championship has already crowned Christian Harder, Kenny Smaron and Elliot Smith as champions in 2017. Stay tuned to PokerNews throughout the next few days to see who will be next.
and bet 2,600 on a 
flop. Pavlos Karagiannidis check-raised to 5,500 and Chan called. Both players checked the 
on the turn. On the river, Karagiannidis check-called 6,000 but couldn't beat Chan's two pair.
and Luigi Grisa bet 4,500. Chan raised to 12,000 and Grisa folded. The Hong Kong resident tabled 
with a smile for just six-high.
and the 
hit the turn. Vanco bet out 500 and the player under the gun folded, the hijack and Soulier called.
saw Vanco bet out 2,000. The hijack folded, Soulier called. Vanco tabled 
, Chidwick continued for 1,300. The hijack folded, Kisacikoglu raised to 3,900 after just a couple of seconds in the tank. Chidwick called.
on the river saw both players check just about instantly and Chidwick revealed 
. Kisacikoglu tabled 
and took down the big pot.
