€1,100 FPS Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2024 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo
€1,100 FPS Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2024 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo
Buy-in
€1,100
Prize Pool
€2,012,160
Entries
2,096
Level
38
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Entries
31
Players Left
6
Atanas Malinov Takes a Commanding Lead at the Final Table of the FPS Main Event
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Atanas Malinov sits at the table with his head lowered and nearly completely covered by his hoodie. He looks more like a silent assassin than a poker player, and today on Day 3 of the PokerStars France Poker Series Main Event at Sporting Monte-Carlo, he made picking off opponents look easy.
Malinov eliminated the likes of Ankit Ahuja, Andrei Mjagkov, Kin Hang Man, and, finally, Elie Saad on his way to finishing as the chip leader with 21,725,000 as six players return for tomorrow’s live-streamed final table at 12:30 p.m. local time.
The Bulgarian high roller has EPT cashes dating back to 2015 and finished 17th at EPT Cyprus in October. But he’s not the most highly decorated player remaining in the field. That belongs to Guillaume Nolet, who has $1.6 million in live earnings including finishing second in a €10,300 event at EPT Barcelona in 2019. The Canadian ended up in third place with 10,500,000, closely behind start-of-day chip leader Virgile Turchi (10,700,000).
Day 3 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atanas Malinov | Bulgaria | 21,725,000 | 72 |
| 2 | Virgile Turchi | France | 10,700,000 | 36 |
| 3 | Guillaume Nolet | Canada | 10,500,000 | 35 |
| 4 | Marco Gambini | Italy | 9,525,000 | 32 |
| 5 | Gabi Livshitz | Israel | 6,050,000 | 20 |
| 6 | Remy Murcia | France | 4,325,000 | 14 |
Marco Gambini was at times the story of today’s play as he enjoyed a spectacular fall to an extreme short stack, only to rise up to become an overwhelming chip leader. The Italian eventually fell back toward the pack and bagged up 9,525,000. Gabi Livshitz, who has a run to fourth place at the EPT Prague Main Event in 2019 among his $1.5 million in live earnings, is in fifth place with 6,050,000, while Remy Murcia rounds out the final table with 4,325,000.
Day 3 Action
Day 3 began with 31 players remaining out of a starting field of 2,096. Harry Lodge busted in 29th place when he lost a race with ace-jack to Nolet’s threes, while Robbie Bull won a big flip to eliminate Miroslav Alilovic in 27th place.
Ahuja has shown a remarkable proficiency in these events, including finishing in fifth place out of 7,398 entries at the ESPT Main Event at EPT Barcelona last year, then winning the Eureka Poker Tour Main Event at EPT Cyprus over 2,659 entries in October. However, his run here in Monte Carlo ended in 23rd place when he picked up aces but Malinov turned two pair with queens and nines.
Antonino Venneri was among the top stacks remaining when he jammed for 1,875,000 on the river with jacks and fours, but Turchi had a set of sevens to win the massive pot and bust Venneri in 19th place. Eusebiu Jalba (18th) and Alessandro Merelli (17th) followed to the exit as the field went down to the final two tables.
Then came the fall and rise of Gambini. He ran two tens into Kin Hang Man’s kings to drop down to just 310,000, good for three big blinds. After one double up, he was all in for 920,000 with fives against Federico Macori’s kings but spiked a two-outer on the river to stay alive yet again.
Malinov, meanwhile, busted Mjagkov in 16th with trip kings, while Jason Wheeler fell in 15th in a blind-versus-blind battle with Murcia. Gambini then opened to 250,000 in middle position and Alisa Sibgatova moved all in for 720,000. Pierre Basile reraised to 1,200,000 in the small blind. Gambini didn’t notice Basile had raised and just called Sibgatova’s bet. He was forced to put in the extra chips as Basile jammed for 4,000,000 on a nine-high flop. Gambini snap-called with pocket threes, while Basile had two tens and stayed in the lead until a three fell on the river.
Gambini had once again hit a two-outer to win the massive pot and knock out both players to take the chip lead with more than 13,000,000. Day 1 chip leader Gil Aboodi fell in 12th after running two tens into Murcia’s kings, while EPT champion Uri Gilboa was eliminated by Bull in 11th.
Play slowed down considerably near the final table bubble, with tournament officials stopping play at one table because they had played so many more hands than the other. Gambini crossed 20,000,000 when he rivered a full house against Murcia’s straight, but Turchi then picked up aces to Gambini’s sevens to double up to 11,000,000. Finally, Man called Malinov’s pre-flop shove with ace-high, but Malinov made trip jacks to eliminate Man in 10th and set up the nine-handed final table.
Gambini led with 16,000,000, followed by Malinov at 15,500,000. Macori was the first out, calling off his short stack with nine-seven against Livshitz’s ace-king. The final table then became a war of attrition as the short stacks battled for survival. Murcia doubled off Gambini with aces, while Nolet doubled off Turchi. Nolet then moved all in for 5,000,000 with kings against Gambini’s ace-queen and held on to double again.
Livshitz was all in for 2,400,000 with two tens, but Gambini woke up with kings to leave Livshitz at risk of elimination. Livshitz, though, caught a running straight to earn a miracle double up. Saad's set of threes then went down to Malinov’s rivered flush as Saad finished in eigthth. Two hands later, Turchi picked up tens in the small blind to eliminate Bull in seventh and bring the night to an end.
Final Table payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | €303,190 | ||
| 2 | €189,220 | ||
| 3 | €135,160 | ||
| 4 | €103,970 | ||
| 5 | €79,980 | ||
| 6 | €61,520 | ||
| 7 | Robbie Bull | Scotland | €47,330 |
| 8 | Elie Saad | Lebanon | €36,410 |
| 9 | Federico Macori | Italy | €28,020 |
The remaining six players are guaranteed €61,520, with the winner tomorrow earning €303,190. The final table will be streamed on a 30-minute delay by PokerStars beginning at 1 p.m. Action begins with 24 minutes remaining on Level 34 with blinds of 150,000-300,000 and a 300,000 big blind ante.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as a champion will be crowned out of this massive field tomorrow.
End-of-Day Chip Counts
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
21,725,000
1,325,000
|
1,325,000 |
|
||
|
10,700,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
||
|
10,500,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
9,525,000
125,000
|
125,000 |
|
6,050,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
4,325,000
-675,000
|
-675,000 |
Robbie Bull Eliminated in 7th Place (€47,330)
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Action folded to Virgile Turchi in the small blind who raised to 700,000. Robbie Bull then moved all in for 2,700,000 and Turchi snap-called.
Robbie Bull: A♣3♦ 
Virgile Turchi: 10♣10♠
Bull was looking for an ace as the flop came Q♥4♦9♣. The 8♥ turn was no help, and the 6♥ river sealed his elimination in seventh place.
The remaining six players are now bagging up their chips for tomorrow's final table, which will be streamed by PokerStars on their Twitch and YouTube channels.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,500,000
1,500,000
|
1,500,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Elie Saad Eliminated in 8th Place (€36,410)
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Guillaume Nolet raised to 600,000 in the hijack and Marco Gambini called in the cutoff, as did Elie Saad and Atanas Malinov in the blinds.
All four players checked the J♦3♠4♠ flop. The turn was the 2♥ and Saad moved all in for 2,450,000. Malinov called, while Nolet and Gambini both folded.
Saad showed 3♥3♦ for a set and Malinov turned over J♠10♠ for a pair and flush draw. The river was the 5♠ and Malinov completed his flush to send Saad to the rail in eighth place.
"If I push on the flop, do you call?" Saad asked Malinov on his way to the exit and Malinov nodded as he stacked up the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
20,400,000
5,400,000
|
5,400,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
10,200,000
-750,000
|
-750,000 |
|
|
9,400,000
-700,000
|
-700,000 |
|
Busted | |
Fortune Shifts: Livshitz Doubles Up, Gambini Falls Short
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
In the midst of an active streak, Malinov Atanas opted for an open-raise once again, this time from under the gun. Marco Gambini, positioned on the button, decided to call. The action escalated when Gabi Livshitz, in the small blind, went all in for 2,400,000.
Atanas, curious but hesitant, requested a count from the dealer but ultimately chose not to commit. Perhaps it was a gut feeling, as Marco Gambini made an instant call.
Gabi Livshitz: 10♣10♠
Marco Gambini: K♠K♥
Initially appearing promising for Gambini with the stronger pair, the 9♦3♣8♠J♦7♠ board ultimately favored Livshitz with a straight, securing the win for him and a confidence he seemed to exude from the flop onward.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,100,000
-2,400,000
|
-2,400,000 |
|
|
5,450,000
1,650,000
|
1,650,000 |
Malinov Three-Bets Gambini, Then Slows Down
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Marco Gambini raised to 600,000 in the hijack, Atanas Malinov three-bet to 2,100,000 in the small blind, and Gambini called.
Malinov slowed down and checked the 5♣10♣7♦ flop and Gambini checked back.
Both players then checked down the J♦ turn and 7♠ river as Malinov showed A♠K♦. Gambini turned over 8♦8♣ to win the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
15,000,000
-500,000
|
-500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
12,500,000
2,400,000
|
2,400,000 |
Nolet On a Run
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Guillaume Nolet made a open-raise from the button to 600,000, prompting Marco Gambini to respond with an all-in push. Nolet wasted no time in snap-calling, leading to a showdown.
Guillaume Nolet: K♣K♥
Marco Gambini: A♥Q♦
The 10♣3♣6♦J♣7♠ board offered no assistance to Gambini, resulting in another successful double-up for Nolet.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,950,000
5,750,000
|
5,750,000 |
|
|
10,100,000
-6,900,000
|
-6,900,000 |
Saad Shoves Twice; Nolet Survives to Double Off Turchi
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Emil Saad moved all in for 2,700,000 on the button and Virgile Turchi tanked for a minute before folding in the big blind. Saad then moved all in again a few hands later and got no callers once more.
"Easy money. Ten all ins and you're chip leader," Gabi Livshitz said to him.
Turchi then moved all in from the cutoff and Guillaume Nolet called for 2,550,000 in the big blind.
Guillaume Nolet: A♦10♠
Virgile Turchi: A♥6♦
Nolet had Turchi dominated as the board ran out 8♥Q♦5♠8♠7♠. "Straight," Livshitz joked, but Nolet's ten-kicker continued to play to earn him a double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,000,000
-3,100,000
|
-3,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
5,200,000
2,300,000
|
2,300,000 |
|
|
4,000,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
Double Up for Murcia
Level 33
: Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Remy Murcia initiated the action with a raise to 500,000 from the button, which Marco Gambini, in the big blind, opted to call.
On the 9♦3♠5♠ flop, Gambini check-called Murcia's bet of 400,000.
The 6♠ turn prompted another check from Gambini, after which Murcia decided to move in with 1,400,000 chips left. Without hesitation, Gambini called.
Remy Murcia: A♦A♥
Marco Gambini: 5♣Q♦
Despite Gambini's need for help to send Murcia to the rail, the river 8♥ failed to swing in his favor.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
17,000,000
-2,600,000
|
-2,600,000 |
|
|
5,000,000
3,200,000
|
3,200,000 |