2016 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo® Casino EPT Grand Final

€5,300 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2016 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo® Casino EPT Grand Final

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
1010
Prize
€961,800
Event Info
Buy-in
€5,000
Prize Pool
€5,325,300
Entries
1,098
Level Info
Level
34
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
50,000

Holz Gonna Holz

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

"What else?" Fedor Holz smiled when we asked him if he indeed cold four-bet pre flop, as we just watched the German pro rake in a big pot.

Five minutes earlier...

A player raised to 500 and Nikolaus Teichert three-bet to 1,300 after which Holz four-bet to 3,100 from the cutoff. The initial raiser folded and Teichert made the call, creating an all-German battle.

The flop brought out {Q-Spades}{9-Diamonds}{7-Hearts} and Teichert check-called a bet of 2,600. On the turn the {6-Clubs} hit and Holz fired out another 7,400. Teichert took his time before calling, and the board completed with the {K-Hearts}.

Teichert checked again, and after about a minute Holz moved all in. Teichert folded right away, and without showing Holz raked in the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Fedor Holz de
Fedor Holz
48,000
Nikolaus Teichert de
Nikolaus Teichert
25,000
-8,000
-8,000

Tags: Nikolaus TeichertFedor Holz

Nguyen With Almost Double Stack

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

Thi Xoa Nguyen defended her big blind to a raise from early position and then checked down the board {Q-Clubs}{10-Hearts}{A-Spades}{9-Clubs}{7-Spades} entirely. Her opponent checked behind and Nguyen showed {6-Hearts}{2-Hearts} for six high, losing the pot to the {J-Clubs}{10-Diamonds} of her opponent.

It was not much of a hand, but helps to update her count. Fellow Frenchwoman Sarah Herzali lost some chips, but is still above two times the starting stack.

Player Chips Progress
Sarah Herzali fr
Sarah Herzali
64,000
-16,000
-16,000
Thi Xoa Nguyen fr
Thi Xoa Nguyen
53,000

Tags: Sarah HerzaliThi Xoa Nguyen

Game Over for Pakyar

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

Mahyar Pakyar moved all in for his last 4,700 and then stood up from the table to do some stretching. He was called by one opponent and then sighed for everybody to hear when the opponent showed {9-Hearts}{9-Diamonds}. Pakyar had the slightly inferior pocket pair in {8-Clubs}{8-Diamonds} and failed to get there on the board {A-Spades}{6-Spades}{5-Spades}{J-Hearts}{10-Hearts} to exit the tournament.

Player Chips Progress
Mahyar Pakyar gb
Mahyar Pakyar
Busted

Tags: Mahyar Pakyar

Three Big Names, Three Big Stacks

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

Faraz Jaka raised to 500 and was called by the player in the big blind. On the {A-Diamonds}{J-Spades}{J-Clubs} flop, the big blind check-called a bet of 550 and then bet the {4-Spades} turn to scoop the pot. Jaka is still among the biggest stacks in the room right now, joined by Steven van Zadelhoff.

Only Anthony Spinella has them beat by some and the American admitted to be "running okay" with a big smile on the face.

Player Chips Progress
Anthony Spinella us
Anthony Spinella
125,000
65,000
65,000
Steven van Zadelhoff nl
Steven van Zadelhoff
110,000
25,000
25,000
Faraz Jaka us
Faraz Jaka
110,000
54,000
54,000

Tags: Anthony SpinellaFaraz JakaSteven van Zadelhoff

Alt Pushes Out Coren

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

On the three-way flop {9-Diamonds}{6-Clubs}{3-Clubs} with 6,700 in the pot, Vicky Coren bet 2,500 in the small blind and Dinesh Alt raised to 7,500 from the big blind. Another player in the hand got out of the way and Coren called. On the {7-Hearts} turn, Coren checked and Alt shoved for his last 11,000.

Coren folded, sighed and then immediately went back to her newspaper.

Player Chips Progress
Dinesh Alt ch
Dinesh Alt
32,000
-2,500
-2,500
Vicky Coren gb
Vicky Coren
12,700
-17,300
-17,300

Tags: Dinesh AltVicky CorenVictoria Coren

Former Champion Steve O'Dwyer Eliminated

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

In Season 9 Steve O'Dwyer took down the EPT Grand Final in Monaco for €1.2 million, but this year he's among the first to hit the rail. The event O'Dwyer won back in 2013 will forever be known as one of the toughest final tables in poker history.

The payouts of that final table are as follows, with Freddy Deeb finishing in ninth, and John Juanda in eleventh place.

1Steve O'Dwyer€1,224,000
2Andrew Pantling€842,000
3Johnny Lodden€467,000
4Daniel Negreanu€321,000
5Jake Cody€251,000
6Noah Schwartz€189,000
7Jason Mercier€137,000
8Grant Levy€103,000

In total O'Dwyer has $15 million in live tournament earnings, putting him 14th on the all-time money list. The American-Irish pro will likely be back in action soon, as the €50,000 Single Day High Roller is on the schedule tomorrow, and the €25,000 High Roller on Wednesday.

Player Chips Progress
Steve O'Dwyer ie
Steve O'Dwyer
Busted
EPT 1X Winner

Tags: Adam LevyAndrew PantlingDaniel NegreanuFreddy DeebGrant LevyJake CodyNoah SchwartzJohn JuandaJohnny LoddenSteve O'Dwyer

Muehloecker Eliminated

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

Thomas Muehloecker was spotted not long ago in the field, but now his seat was empty and there was a big stack over in the six seat. Vladimir Troyanovskiy confirmed the departure of the Russian as follows:

A short stack opened to 600, Muehloecker three-bet to 1,600 and Enzo Del Piero in the small blind called. The short stack also filled up and the action then unfolded on the {3-Clubs}{2-Clubs}{2-} flop. Muehloecker bet 1,600 in the cutoff, Del Piero called, the short stack shoved 5,600 with pocket sixes and the Austrian called.

Del Piero then shoved with {J-Hearts}{2-Hearts} and Muehloecker's call with pocket queens found no further help.

Player Chips Progress
Enzo Del Piero gb
Enzo Del Piero
75,000
75,000
75,000
Thomas Muehloecker at
Thomas Muehloecker
Busted

Tags: Enzo Del PieroThomas Muehloecker

Metalidi Rivers Ziad Chehab

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

Felix Stephensen and Igor Yaroshevskyy have joined the table of Artem Metalidi and the latter just got involved into a big pot. More than 24,000 chips were dragged into the middle with the board reading {A-Diamonds}{J-Clubs}{5-Clubs}{10-Diamonds} and El Amir Ziad Chehab pushed all in for what looked like 13,000.

Metalidi was on the button and gave it some thought before then making the call.

Ziad Chehab: {A-Clubs}{10-Hearts}
Metalidi: {A-Spades}{K-Diamonds}

The {J-Spades} river counterfit the two pair of Ziad Chehab and he was covered to hit the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Artem Metalidi ua
Artem Metalidi
56,000
29,700
29,700
Felix Stephensen no
Felix Stephensen
31,000
1,000
1,000
Igor Yaroshevskyy ua
Igor Yaroshevskyy
18,500
El Amir Ziad Chehab lb
El Amir Ziad Chehab
Busted

Tags: Felix StephensenEl Amir Ziad ChehabArtem MetalidiIgor Yaroshevskyy