EPT Paris Hands of the Week: A Case of Quads and a Straight Flush Runout

February 21, 2024

The 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Paris stop is currently taking place at Les Palais des Congres, with the €5,300 EPT Main Event currently underway. The series will wrap up on February 25, and several champions have already been crowned. Mateusz Moolhuizen took down the record-breaking FPS Main Event while Thomas Santerne grabbed the biggest payout of the festival so far.

The PokerNews Live Reporting Team has been on hand all series long to capture all the action, and during that time, they documented some big hands, be they bad beats, sick coolers, or just game-changing in nature. Here’s a look at some of the biggest hands from EPT Paris.

A Straight Flush on the Board?

During Day 1a of the €2,200 FPS High Roller, it was Level 9 (600/1,200/1,200) when Global Live Events Assistant Manager Josh Noy, caught a three-way all-in that produced an unbelievable runout.

Soenke Jahn's open from the cutoff was called by Mohamed Kerkeni in the small blind. Sho Homma then moved all in from the big blind, and Jahn also moved his stack into the middle. Kerkeni called, and the hands were turned up.

Sho Homma: A♠K♥
Mohamed Kerkeni: A♥J♠
Soenke Jahn: K♣K♦

Jahn was looking to dodge an ace and stayed ahead on the monotone 5♦6♦7♦ flop. Holding the only diamond, Jahn then improved to a flush on the 3♦ turn, but an unlikely chop was still in play.

"Four of diamonds," said Jahn, calling for a card that would chop the pot. The dealer complied by turning over the 4♦, leaving a straight flush on the board. The table reacted in amazement as all three players improbably collected their share of the pot.

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Aissani Eliminated by Peluso to Set Up the Bubble

Veteran reporter Christian Zetsche was also on hand in the same tournament, albeit in the Day 1b flight, and witnessed a particularly eyebrow-raising hand that set up the money bubble.

With 85 players remaining and several tables stalling, floor staff told the dealers to stop after the current hand as hand-for-hand mode was to commence early. Mohamed Aissani had defended the big blind against cutoff aggression by big stack Fabio Peluso. The turn showed 6♦4♥2♣9♥ and Aissani had checked. Peluso pushed all-in and Aissani tank-called all-in for around 90,000.

Mohamed Aissani: 8♣7♦
Fabio Peluso: J♠10♥

"Let's go straight," Aissani said in French table chat but bricked the 6♣ river to leave the entire table stunned.

And just like that, the field was reduced to 83 players, thus ensuring hand-for-hand play on the stone bubble.

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Quads, Quads and More Quads

The FPS Main Event was one of the most anticipated events of the EPT Paris schedule, and the action did not disappoint as the tournament reached its conclusion.

Fabian Niederreiter ended up as the Day 1a chip leader thanks to his four-of-a-kind being paid off by an ambitious ace-high hero call. Reporter Tyler Foran was at the table this time around.

A pot of about 60,000 was already brewed as the J♠5♥4♥9♣ turn was on the table. Miguel Sanchez checked to Niederreiter who checked back.

The 4♣ completed the board on the river, and Sanchez checked once more. Niederreiter dropped a pile of blue chips across the line for a bet of 65,000, putting Sanchez to the test for his remaining stack of about 30,000. After a few moments, Sanchez pushed his stack across the line to make the call.

Niederreiter quickly rolled over quad fours, tabling 4♦4♠. Sanchez attempted to muck his hand, but his A♥10♠ was turned face-up.

15th place finisher Alin Grasu was also a recipient of a kind deck after flipping for his tournament life late on the tournament.

On Day 3 in Level 31 (100,000/150,000/150,000), Grasu moved all in for 1,200,000 from under the gun and received a walk to add some chips to his short stack. The following hand, Henri Lansade opened to 300,000 first to act and called when Grasu jammed for 1,350,000 from the big blind.

Alin Grasu: 6♥6♣
Henri Lansade: K♥Q♣

It was a coinflip until Grasu made quads on the 6♠6♦5♣ flop to seal the checkmark. The J♠ turn and 10♥ river completed the board as Grasu graciously thanked the dealer for his good fortune.

Pierre Merlin conjured up some magic on the felt, producing a spell-binding performance that saw him grab €73,580 thanks to his seventh-place finish.

Merlin had 4,950,000 and opened to 500,000 from the hijack. Ramon Miquel moved all in from the cutoff for 5,575,000 and Merlin committed his slightly covered stack.

Ramon Miquel: A♦10♦
Pierre Merlin: J♣J♥

Miquel flopped a set on on the J♠5♦6♠ flop and sealed the checkmark after making quads on the J♦ turn. The 4♥ river was a formality, and Miquel was sent down to the bottom of the chip leaderboard, who went on to bust a few hands later.

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Editor & Live Reporter

Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum's proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.

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