2008 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final - Monte Carlo

PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Grand Final
Day: 1a
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Event Info

2008 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final - Monte Carlo

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a♥5♥
Prize
$3,198,500
Event Info
Buy-in
$15,764
Prize Pool
$13,393,124
Entries
842
Level Info
Level
30
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
10,000
Sort

2008 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final

[user67765]
[user67765]
The breathtaking Monte Carlo coast
The breathtaking Monte Carlo coast
Welcome to glamorous Monte Carlo and the home of the 2008 PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Grand Final! The Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort will be our hosts for the next week as the world's best poker players have made their way to the tiny country of Monaco for the pinnacle of the 2008 European Poker Tour.

The €10,000 + €600 tournament is the one of the most prestigious events on the poker calendar and has attracted some of the biggest names in world poker. PokerStars has sent a huge team to this event, including 320 online qualifiers and well known professionals Daniel Negreanu, Dario Mineri, Noah Boeken, Bill Chen, Vanessa Rousso, Isabelle Mercier, Greg Raymer, Chris Moneymaker, Joe Hachem, Lee Nelson, Raymond Rahme and Barry Greenstein.

Gavin Griffin captured the title last year, but this year's winner will need overcome an expected field of around 1,000 players to take home the trophy and the millions of Euros in prize money.

All of the action kicks off at 1:00 p.m. local time (GMT + 1) and the PokerNews.com team will be on the floor to bring you all of the latest news, chip counts, photos, video interviews and more, live as it happens here in Monte Carlo! We look forward to your company!

Tags: 2008 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final

Players Arriving

[user67765]
[user67765]
The players are starting to gather in the lobby area of the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort as we are about 15 minutes away from our scheduled start time of 1:00 p.m. local time for the 2008 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final.

Players will commence with 15,000 in chips, and we'll be playing seven 90-minute levels today with the blinds commencing at 25/50.

We're Moments Away...

[user67765]
[user67765]
We're only moments away from a start in the 2008 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final. The players are taking their seats and settling into position for a big day of poker excitement!

Stay tuned to PokerNews.com for all of the live action as it happens!

Level: 1

Blinds: 25/50

Ante: 0

Shuffle Up and Deal!

[user67765]
[user67765]
As the players took their seats, they were greeted by a spectacular lights and music display on the feature table that takes prominence on a main stage at the front of the poker room here at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort. The table featured PokerStars.com professionals including Greg Raymer, Humberto Brenes, Raymond Rahme and Barry Greenstein as the 2008 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final trophy was raised with the immortal words "Shuffle Up and Deal!"

745 and Counting...

[user67765]
[user67765]
The official number of entries for the 2008 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final at this point is 745 with this number still growing. With players still waiting to register today and more last-minute entries expected tomorrow, this number may indeed get very close to the capacity of 1000 entrants.

Who's Here?

[user25067]
[user25067]
The Salle de Etoiles is prehaps the most cavernous poker venue we've laid eyes on this season (outside of the WSOP) and today it's packed with some of the biggest names in the game. On our first pass through we spotted Phil Ivey, Erick Lindgren, Brandon Schaefer, Tuan Lam, Luca Pagano, Anna Wroblewski, Niki Jedlicka, Thomas Wahlroos, Billy "The Croc" Argyros, Tony G, Patrik Antonius, Raymond Rahme, Dag Martin MIkkelsen, Noah Boeken, Humberto Brenes, Rolf Slotboom, Peter "Nordberg" Feldman, Freddy Deeb, Isabelle Mercier, Barry Greenstein, Tino Lechich, Bill Edler, Katja Thater, Barny Boatman, Trond Erik Eidsvig, Greg Raymer, Sorel Mizzi, Soren Kongsgaard, George Danzer, David Levi, Rob Hollink, and Marcel Luske.

Tables of Death

[user25067]
[user25067]
WSOPE Champion Annette "Annette_15" Obrestad is seated next to the Hendon Mob's Barny Boatman, while Greg Raymer and Sorel Mizzi drew seats next to one another. Dutchmen Rob Hollink and Marcel Luske ended up at the same table, as did Americans Erick Lindgren and Brandon Schaefer. The worst draw in the room, though might be the Phil Ivey/ Masa Kagawa/ Bill Edler table, hidden behind a partition in the room's far corner.

Reuben Returns

[user38449]
[user38449]
Coloradan Reuben Peters, who captured the EPT Dublin crown a few months back, has returned to the EPT circuit to try and put together another big money run. Peters constructed an impressive come-from-behind victory in Dublin against young Norwegian superstar Annette "Annette_15" Obrestad to earn his first major live title.

Today, Reuben shares a starting table with PokerStars pro Raymond Rahme of WSOP Main Event fame.
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