2010 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final - Monte Carlo

Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info

2010 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final - Monte Carlo

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
aa
Prize
€1,700,000
Event Info
Buy-in
€10,000
Entries
848
Level Info
Level
31
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
20,000

Go Go Go!

Three levels down and we've only got 225 players remaining of the 413 we started with. At this rate we might even make the money today.

Chipped Up Money

During the break we heard a couple of hands where Chris Moneymaker had apparently picked up a lot of his chips. Firstly he had been in a raising war preflop and then got check-raised all-in on a low flop and made the call with {Q-?} {Q-?} against a bluffing {A-?} {K-?}.

Soon after he took a chunk out of John Kabbaj's stack in a reraised pot when he attempted to bluff the turn but managed to catch an ace on the river with {A-?} {J-?} to crack the Brit's {Q-?} {Q-?}.

Gender Warfare

Leo Margets just stood up from her chair and exited the room, and we picked our way over to her (former) table to see the other lady stacking chips. It's the same lady that snapped off Nick Binger a few orbits ago, and her knockout of Margets moves her up to about 390,000.

Let the record show, the name of "other lady" is Ekaterina Kolobekova. We'll be keeping a close eye on her and hear top-three chip stack.

Tags: Ekaterina Kolobekova

Sarwer Busto

Thinks you're really light
Thinks you're really light
Jeff Sarwer raised to 5,900 from the button and Laurence Houghton shoved from the big blind for exactly 58,000. The action was back on Sarwer, who shook his head and looked extremely stressed. He tanked up for a very long time. Eventually he spoke.

"God, I think you're really light," is what he said. "Ok, I call."

Sarwer: {K-Spades} {J-Spades}
Houghton: {A-Clubs} {Q-Hearts}

Sarwer: "God you're that strong?"

Board: {10-Hearts} {A-Diamonds} {8-Hearts} {4-Clubs} {2-Diamonds}

Sarwer had only just had Houghton covered and was reduced to less than 4,000. "I think you're shoving way lighter than that, that's why I think that's a call," Sarwer said.

"I am shoving way lighter than that," replied Houghton calmly as he doubled to 125,000.

Next hand Dmitry Stelmak raised to 6,000 and Sarwer called all in. Everyone folded, and they were on their backs.

Stelmak: {A-Spades} {Q-Hearts}
Sarwer: {A-Clubs} {A-Diamonds}

"I only looked at this one," said Sarwer, pointing at the {A-Diamonds}, "And now I have aces." He turned to the rather lovely blonde lady railing him and said, "Thanks."

Board: {4-Clubs} {3-Spades} {2-Hearts} {K-Hearts} {6-Clubs}

Sarwer doubled up, but it couldn't last - a few minutes later we strolled by his table and he was gone.

Tags: Jeff Sarwer

Weisn-ing Up

Oh dear, it's not been a good last half hour for Aaron Gustavson. The EPT London winner just lost a big pot before getting in a raising war against Melanie Weisner, button vs small blind.

Gustavson: {A-Diamonds} {K-Clubs}
Weisner: {A-Clubs} {A-Hearts}

The board bricked out coming {6-Clubs} {J-Clubs} {9-Spades} {K-Spades} {2-Diamonds} and Weisner doubled to around 220,000.

Tags: Aaron GustavsonMelanie Weisner

What a Verbakel

Not going Deeb today
Not going Deeb today
Bjorn Verbakel had a spot of good fortune when he picked up aces and got action from Shaun Deeb holding {A-?} {K-?}. The rockets held, and the Deeb busted out, putting Verbakel up to 285,000.

Tags: Shaun Deeb

Loss for Ross

Last Boatman standing
Last Boatman standing
Ross Boatman bet out on a {4-Spades} {K-Clubs} {6-Diamonds} flop and got called by a gentleman who had position on him; they proceeded to the tun.

The turn was the {K-Spades} and this time Boatman check-called 18,000 from his opponent. Boatman checked again on the {3-Diamonds} river and this time he faced a 45,000 bet from the other player. Boatman tanked up for what seemed like forever, squinting at the board, but he must not have liked what he saw there as he eventually folded, leaving himself on under 100,000.

Tags: Ross Boatman

A Felonious Four-Bet

First in from the button, Melanie Weisner opened with a rainbow raise to 5,600. In the small blind, Juan Manuel Pastor came right back with a reraise to 17,400, but the action wasn't done yet. Joe Cada was in the big blind, and he seemed to be thinking sinister thoughts as well. After eying up both of his opponents' stacks, though, he shook his head and slid his cards muckward.

Weisner would spend the next couple minutes in the tank, during which she asked Pastor for a count of his remaining chips. He had about 100,000 behind his initial raise, and Weisner eventually settled on a four-bet up to 40,200 total. Pastor hemmed and hawed and gave a few sideways looks over at his aggressive neighbor before surrendering his cards back to the dealer.

When the hand was done, Cada gave a smirk at Weisner and interjected, “I was going to ship it if he folded or called.”

“You thought about it anyways,” Weisner said, returning the smirk.

“Yeah, but then you were getting two-to-one on your call. And I was worried I didn't have enough to get him to fold either.”

Tags: Joe CadaJuan Manuel PastorMelanie Weisner