At 12:00 p.m. local time, Day 2 of the PokerStars Championship presented by Monte-Carlo Casino® €5,300 will kick off. 716 hopefuls bought themselves into the Main Event, and after two starting days, 329 of them still have shot to become the first PokerStars Championship Main Event winner on European soil. Late registration is still open up until the start of Day 2 and ultra-late registrants will get a stack of 30 big blinds to spin up.
Jeff Hakim was the runaway chipleader on Day 1a and will start with 305,300 in chips, far more than his nearest rival Stefan Shillhabel (203,000). Notables with a strong showing on Day 1 include Manig Loeser (195,700), EPT9 Deauville winner Remi Castaigon (160,000), Igor Yaroshevskyy (156,700) and Ole Schemion (144,900).
Poker legend and Monacan resident Patrik Antonius, Last year's EPT12 Grand Final winner Jan Bendik and Team PokerStars Pro's Liv Boeree, Celina Lin, Jason Mercier, Igor Kurganov, Fatima Moreira de Melo, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier and Daniel Negreanu are still in contention as well.
Today will feature six levels of 75-minutes each, with a 20-minute break scheduled after each two levels. Follow all the action on PokerNews throughout the week as we crown a brand new PokerStars Championship Main Event winner in the Monte-Carlo Casino!
In a four-way limped pot, Steve O'Dwyer saw a flop from the blinds for free. The exact earlier flop action was unknown, but Steve O'Dwyer had a T-5,000 chip in front of him. Paul Tedeschi had raised to 16,000, O'Dwyer went all in for 27,500 and Tedeshi called it off.
Paul Tedeschi:
Steve O'Dwyer:
O'Dwyer was looking for straight and flush outs against Tedeschi's set, but the on the turn slammed that door shut. The meaningless river sealed it for O'Dwyer, who already racked up two six-figure scores earlier this week.
Randy Lew was one of the 11 players that registered at the start of Day 2, which gave him 30 big blinds to work with. The Team PokerStars Pro was able to enjoy those chips for just one level before they were all gone.
In his final hand, Lew opened to 2,200 and Patrik Antonius called on the button. Hideki Takafuji three-bet big from the small blind, Lew shoved 18,400 total, Antonius folded and Takafuji called.
Randy Lew:
Hideki Takafuji:
Lew was behind from start to finish on and headed for the rail.
Gaelle Baumann opened in late position and Fabrice Soulier defended his big blind. On a flop, Soulier checked, Baumann bet 2,500, Soulier check-raised to 5,700 and Baumann called.
The turn was the and Soulier kept up his aggression with a bet of 7,700. Baumann once again came along with the call.
On the river, Soulier fired a bet of 22,900, which was for nearly all of Baumann's remaining stack. The French pro seized up her countryman, assessed the situation, then slid in a call.
Soulier tabled the unexpected for a turned straight. With a pained look on her face, Baumann threw her hand in the muck and was left with just four big blinds.
At the same table, Thomas Muehloecker's seat has been taken by another player.
From early position, Artan Dedusha opened for 4,000. Small blind Dan Smith three-bet to 14,000 and the big blind folded. Dedusha wasn't doing the same, he called in position.
Smith bet 13,000 on the flop and 20,000 on the turn. Dedusha called rather quickly both times. The on the river completed the board and Smith shoved. Dedusha had a big decision with about 40,000 or so behind.
As Smith slid forward the large tower of chips to put his opponent all in, the PokerStars live stream cameras swarmed in and started taping the scene. The two camera teams attracted onlookers from other tables which made for a bit of a crowded situation for a hand not even all that big or exceptional.
"No pressure," Moreira de Melo said with a sense of irony. With the red lights of the cameras still on, the microphones precisely positioned above the table and more and more people watching, things didn't get any easier for Dedusha.
To make matters worse, Moreira de Melo started offering people water since she was getting some anyway. Dedusha pondered some more and by the time Moreira de Melo had made sure the entire table was hydrated enough, Dedusha announced his call.
Smith revealed which was good enough to take down the sizable pot. Dedusha mucked and made his way to the exit.
Jack Salter was first to act and limped under the gun. Igor Kurganov over limped from late position, the small blind completed and big blind Christoph Vogelsang checked his option.
All four of them checked on so the on the turn was seen for free. Action checked to Kurganov and he bet 5,500. The small blind folded, Vogelsang called, Salter folded.
Heads up to the river and Vogelsang checked again. Kurganov pushed for 22,800 and action was on Vogelsang. The German high-roller took a fair amount of time before he eventually called.
"Straight!" Kurganov shouted.
But since it wasn't pineapple and there was no 2-card straight possible, Kurganov quickly admitted he had nothing. Kurganov showed and Vogelsang tabled for the winner.
Salter was sure not to let the bottom-pair call go unnoticed, while Kurganov got up and conversed a bit with Vogelsang about the hand. The Team Pro is out, Vogelsang up to over 160,000.
As we walked passed Table 22, a pot was brewing between Ole Schemion (hijack) and Dan Smith (cutoff). The board read and Schemion check-called a bet of 10,000.
The on the river saw Schemion check again. Smith bet 36,000 and Schemion contemplated what to do for quite some time. He wasn't too happy with the spot he was in but eventually called.
Smith showed and Schemion mucked with a look of disgust on his face.
The table they're on seems to be made for tv, as besides Schemion and Smith the table hosts Faraz Jaka, Fatima Moreira de Melo, Celina Lin and Rocco Palumbo. Yet, the feature table has been swapped out for Antonius' table and the one with Schemion and Smith is just in between all the others.
Leonardo Vilela raised to 4,500 under the gun. To his left, Sebastian Malec three-bet to 13,500. Action folded back to Vilela who came along with the call.
The flop was and Vilela checked. Malec took around thirty seconds to cut out a bet of 9,100, which Vilela called within seconds.
On the turn, Vilela checked and Malec now needed two minutes to decide on a bet. This time, he fired 23,100 into the growing pot. Vilela once again wasted no time in calling the bet.
The river paired the board with the and Vilela checked a third time. Malec emptied the clip and committed his last 68,000 to the pot. For the first time in the hand, Vilela seemed unsure what to do. He sunk back in his chair and moved his hands across his face, contemplating whether to call or fold.
The Brazilian took around three minutes before committing the calling chips. Malec showed , Vilela briefly flashed what appeared to be pocket queens and the EPT champion scored the full double-up.
Usman Siddique opened the hand with a raise to 4,500 and Kyrylo Kudyma called. Aliaksei Boika, who had lost most of his stack the hand before, called all in for just a few chips more from the small blind. Big blind Nick Petrangelo called as well.
Petrangelo and Siddique checked on and Kudyma bet 6,000. Petrangelo check-raised to 22,000 and both Siddique and Kudyma called to grow the (side) pot considerably.
All of them checked the on the turn before the completed the board. Petrangelo bet a hefty 80,000 and Siddique folded right away. Kudyma called but mucked his upon being shown by Petrangelo. EPT Malta winner Boika mucked his and the big pot went Petrangelo's way.
Andreas Klatt won the PokerStars Championship presented by Monte-Carlo Casino €1,100 National Champion Main Event® just yesterday after topping a field of 1,252 entries and he may very well end up with another big score in the €5,300 Main Event, too. Klatt had already boosted his stack significantly, and just knocked out William Saad to join the chip leaders.
Saad defended his small blind and got into a raising war on a flop where Saad bet and three-bet for more than half of his 60,000-stack and then called the shove of Klatt.
Andreas Klatt:
William Saad:
Both the turn and river were blanks and Saad was eliminated.
flop from the blinds for free. The exact earlier flop action was unknown, but Steve O'Dwyer had a T-5,000 chip in front of him. Paul Tedeschi had raised to 16,000, O'Dwyer went all in for 27,500 and Tedeshi called it off.
on the turn slammed that door shut. The meaningless 
river sealed it for O'Dwyer, who already racked up two six-figure scores earlier this week.
and headed for the rail.
flop, Soulier checked, Baumann bet 2,500, Soulier check-raised to 5,700 and Baumann called.
for a turned straight. With a pained look on her face, Baumann threw her hand in the muck and was left with just four big blinds.
turn. Dedusha called rather quickly both times. The 
and made his way to the exit.
river and Vogelsang checked again. Kurganov pushed for 22,800 and action was on Vogelsang. The German high-roller took a fair amount of time before he eventually called.
for the winner. 
and Schemion check-called a bet of 10,000.
and Schemion mucked with a look of disgust on his face.
and Vilela checked. Malec took around thirty seconds to cut out a bet of 9,100, which Vilela called within seconds. 
on the turn before the 
upon being shown 
and the big pot went Petrangelo's way.
flop where Saad bet and three-bet for more than half of his 60,000-stack and then called the shove of Klatt.
turn and 