Main Event Day 1a | 2010 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final - Monte Carlo

04-25-2010 14:12 UTC+2

Everybody Needs Good Neighbours

[user46392]

By the by, as the cool kids have trickled in during the first couple of levels, some extremely interesting tables have emerged.

As well as the Table Of Death And Flushy, featuring as we mentioned earlier Messrs. Phil Ivey, Roland de Wolfe, Men Nguyen and James "Flushy" Dempsey, the following little clusters of terrifying poker prowess are dotted around the room:

- Erik Seidel sharing with Kevin MacPhee, Max Heinzelmann and Cristiano Blanco

- Barny Boatman sitting next to Russell Carson

- Barry Greenstein sharing a table with Arnaud Mattern and Jens Kyllonen

- Amnon Filippi rubbing shoulders with Fedor Los, John Kabbaj and EPT London winner Aaron Gustavson

04-25-2010 14:12 UTC+2

Dresch for Success

[user46392]

Some curiousness as Daniel Drescher and Alan Smurfit checked a {2-Clubs}

flop to the gentleman on the button who bet 1,400. Back to Drescher, who now check-raised to 5,000. Both players folded and Drescher as back up to 28,000.

Tags: Alan Smurfit Daniel Drescher

04-25-2010 14:13 UTC+2

Boatman Gets Luck In Spades

[user76023]

Alain Roy was left smarting after Barny Boatman got all-in on the turn of a {4-Clubs}

board

. Roy had turned a set with {J-Clubs}

though and was not going anywhere.

The river was {Q-Spades}

to make Boatman the nut-flush allowing him to double up to 44,000. Roy drops to 13,000.

Tags: Alain Roy Barny Boatman

04-25-2010 14:13 UTC+2

Break Time

[user46392]

Two levels have been and gone, so players are heading out into the sunshine for 15 minutes.

Level: 3

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 0

04-25-2010 14:32 UTC+2

And We're Back

[user46392]

Two more levels, here we come!

04-25-2010 14:43 UTC+2

No Free Information

[user66118]

"Floor, Table 28!"

We like to follow the floor guys around, so we followed Clement over to see what was going on. There was a full board on the table with two aces and three rags, and there was a pot of about 18,000 in the middle of the table. Jeff Sarwer had led out on the river, his opponent had raised, and Sarwer had made the call.

When he did, his opponent flashed a king (for king-high) and said, "You win." He then mucked his cards, but asked to see Sarwer's winning hand. "I don't want to if I don't have to," said Sarwer. "For obvious reasons. I don't want to slow the game down though."

The floor ruled that because the other player had not tabled his hand, Sarwer would not be required to show his. The pot was pushed to him, and he plunked his cards straight into the muck as he stacked up. It looks like he has about 38,000 after that exchange.

Tags: Jeff Sarwer

04-25-2010 14:52 UTC+2

Buonanno Doing Bueno

[user46392]

We're not sure of the details, but it seems that Antonio Buonanno had already knocked out two players early in the day to put him up to over 90,000. When we caught up with him, though, he was in the process of losing a little of it back to EPT Snowfest runner up Russell Carson.

There had been a raise in mid position and Buonanno had called from the button, Carson from the big blind. Thus they saw a {9-Diamonds}

flop and it checked around to Buonanno who bet 1,525. Carson called.

Both players checked the {A-Diamonds}

turn and

river and Buonanno turned over {Q-Clubs}

. Carson turned over {9-Spades}

for an unimpressive flush that was nonetheless good enough to take the pot. Carson moved up to 33,000, while Buonanno was still sitting on a chip-leading 96,000.

---

So next hand, Phil Ivey, newly moved to the table, opened for 550 and Buonanno made it 2,025 from the cutoff. Barny Boatman called on the button, Ivey folded with his trademark soul-piercing stare, and they went heads-up to the flop.

Flop: {6-Diamonds}

The flop looked harmless enough, but Buonanno bet out 3,500 and Boatman made it 10,000. Buonanno promptly announced all in, easily covering Boatman's remaining 35,000. After a few moments Boatman passed and Buonanno was up to a massive 110,000.

Tags: Antonio Buonanno Barny Boatman Phil Ivey Russell Carson

04-25-2010 14:54 UTC+2

Ivey Takes One

[user140344]

In a four way limped pot, the flop came down {a-Clubs}

.

It was checked around to Ivey, he fired out two purple chips for 1,000 and was shipped the pot after his opponents quickly folded.

Tags: Phil Ivey

04-25-2010 15:00 UTC+2

Dempsey Likes Table Change

[user76023]

With several tables having broken James Dempsey has found himself sitting on the same table as Alexander Roumeliatos, who went deep in San Remo.

Roumeliatos opened to 500 preflop and Dempsey defended in the big blind.

The {3-Hearts}