€1,100 French National Championship
Day 2 Completed
2019 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT
€1,100 French National Championship
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT
Buy-in
€1,100
Prize Pool
€1,382,250
Entries
1,425
Level
36
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Mazza Leads Last 16 After Day 2; Romero, Higgs and Sinclair in Contention
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
The first major event of the 2019 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino European Poker Tour (EPT) is one step closer to crowning a champion, as just 16 players out of a 1,425-entry strong field remain after ten hour-long levels on Day 2 of the €1,100 French National Championship at The Monte-Carlo Sporting.
All those that had survived their respective starting day had locked up a portion of the massive €1,382,250 prize pool and the final two tournament tables already guarantee a payday of €10,450. However, all eyes are set on the trophy, bragging rights and top prize of €244,500 for the eventual champion.
In the final two levels of the night, the chip lead changed several times and the clocks were stopped with 1:20 left in level 26 at blinds of 25,000-50,000 with a big blind ante of 50,000 when the redraw of the last 16 players was reached. A trio sits at the top of the leaderboard separated by not even two big blinds and the honor of leading the field into the final day with the most chips belongs to France's Sylvain Mazza (5,200,000), very closely followed by James Romero (5,140,000) and Dennis Schienagel (5,120,000).
A very international mix remains in contention as 11 different countries are represented. Among the notables still in for a shot at victory are 4,760,000, Jacquelyn Scott (3,775,000), Sam Higgs (3,535,000), Mario Mosböck (2,410,000), 2018 WSOPE Main Event champion Jack Sinclair (2,035,000), Shachar Haran (1,735,000), Day 12a chip leader Baptiste Certeau (965,000) and Arnaud Enselme (710,000).
Several other big names were eliminated towards the end of the night including Ole Schemion, Tsugunari Toma, former EPT Main Event champion Remi Castaignon, Josep Maria Galindo Lopez, Giuliano Bendinelli and Benny Glaser.
Seat Assignments for the Final Day
| Seat | Table 1 | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds | Table 2 | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dennis Schienagel | Germany | 5,120,000 | 102 | Shachar Haran | Israel | 1,735,000 | 35 |
| 2 | Daniel Ghionoiu | Canada | 2,175,000 | 44 | Jacquelyn Scott | USA | 3,775,000 | 76 |
| 3 | Baptiste Carteau | France | 965,000 | 19 | Jack Sinclair | UK | 2,035,000 | 41 |
| 4 | Arnaud Enselme | France | 710,000 | 14 | Morgan Aceto | France | 1,080,000 | 22 |
| 5 | Yota Mitsui | Japan | 4,760,000 | 95 | Stefano Schiano | Italy | 2,355,000 | 47 |
| 6 | Sam Higgs | Australia | 3,535,000 | 71 | Sylvain Mazza | France | 5,200,000 | 104 |
| 7 | Artur Martirosian | Russia | 1,185,000 | 24 | Mario Mosböck | Austria | 2,410,000 | 48 |
| 8 | Emrah Cakmak | France | 1,070,000 | 21 | James Romero | USA | 5,140,000 | 103 |
Action of the Day
Only 214 players had survived their starting days and returned to the seats in the Salle des Etoiles at noon local time. Especially in the early stages, the seat open announcements came every minute and the field was quickly whittled down to around 100 players in the first break. Erwann Pecheux, Gaelle Baumann, Dinesh Alt, five-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Sonny Franco, Francois Evard, Joey Weissman, former professional football player Jimmy Kebe and Jack Salter were among the big names that ran out of chips in the first two hours.
Julien Martini, who had entered Day 2 as one of the biggest stacks, also headed to the payout desk much earlier than he had hoped for and the PSPC runner-up was ousted after a big clash with Ole Schemion. In a three-bet pot, Schemion flopped a set of sevens and Martini called all in with pocket jacks on the turn when he had an open-ended straight draw and single pair. The set for Schemion held and Martini headed straight to the €2,200 French National Championship High Roller.
PSPC champion and PokerStars ambassador Ramon Colillas (pictured above) was the only one to represent the red spade in the penultimate tournament day and his tournament came to an end in 70th place for €3,200. EPT Sochi champion Arsenii Karmatckii, Gianluca Speranza, Benny Glaser and Paul-Francois Tedeschi were just some of the notables that bowed out before the dinner break.
Two massive pots between Sam Higgs and Remi Castaignon headlined the later stages of the day, along with a big double for eventual chip leader Sylvain Mazza and the late surge of James Romero.
Higgs was left short after losing a big pot to Castaignon and tripled up his short stack, then knocked out Gilbert Diaz and left Castaignon short with a full house over full house scenario to go from almost zero to hero and the top of the leaderboard within half an hour of play.
Down to the final three tables, Tsugunari Toma four-bet jammed with ace-jack into the pocket queens of Mazza and just one jack on the board was not enough for the Japanese, who has become a fixture on the European Poker Tour stops in the last few years.
The rush hour of Romero started with a big flip against Danut Chisu, and his ace-king flopped a king to best the pocket queens of Chisu. Not even ten minutes later, Romero made a move against Ole Schemion, who, fresh off a double up, three-bet with pocket aces. Romero got it in with queen-nine suited and hit a queen on the flop and river to take over the top spot. Schemion had already won the EPT National at the 2019 PCA in January and came close to a repeat victory on the French Riviera.
Late double ups for Artur Martirosian and Arnaud Enselme were a minor speedbump for Romero and the American poker pro narrowly missed out on the overnight chip lead as a result.
The tournament is scheduled to play down to a champion as of 12 p.m. local time on Monday, April 29th, 2019, and the PokerNews live reporting team will provide continued updates until a champion is crowned. The next highlight of the festival on the French Riviera is also set to kick off with Day 1a of the €5,300 EPT Main Event.
End of Day 2 Chip Counts (full)
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
5,200,000
-375,000
|
-375,000 |
|
||
|
5,140,000
190,000
|
190,000 |
|
5,120,000 | |
|
4,760,000
260,000
|
260,000 |
|
3,775,000
225,000
|
225,000 |
|
3,535,000 | |
|
2,410,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
2,355,000
-495,000
|
-495,000 |
|
2,175,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
2,035,000
135,000
|
135,000 |
|
1,735,000
210,000
|
210,000 |
|
1,185,000
-215,000
|
-215,000 |
|
||
|
1,080,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
1,070,000
170,000
|
170,000 |
|
965,000
-855,000
|
-855,000 |
|
||
|
710,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
Luca Fontanel Eliminated in 17th Place (€10,450)
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Luca Fontanel got it in for about a million and Sam Higgs called from the big blind to put him at risk.
Luca Fontanel: 
Sam Higgs: 
Fontanel, with the inferior pair, wasn't able to wiggle his way out of it on a 
board. With 1 minute and 20 seconds left in the final level of the day, sixteen players were left and play was halted for the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,535,000
685,000
|
685,000 |
|
Busted |
Mosböck Doubles Through Higgs
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
On a flop of 
, Sam Higgs had Mario Mosböck at risk, however, the Austrian had the best of it going into the showdown.
Mario Mosböck: 
Sam Higgs: 
The turn and the 
river failed to improve Higgs and Mosböck doubled once more after being the shortest stack going into the final three tables.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,850,000
-950,000
|
-950,000 |
|
|
2,400,000
950,000
|
950,000 |
Mario Melis Eliminated in 18th Place (€9,100)
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Sylvain Mazza opened to 110,000 on the button and Mario Melis shoved for 380,000 in the small blind. Yota Mitsui called in the big blind and Mazza came along, too,
"Get ready for your triple up," Jacquelyn Scott said. The 
flop and the 
turn were checked. On the 
river, Mitsui bet 650,000 and Mazza folded instantly.
Mitsui rolled over 
for a full house and Melis mucked to take 18th place and €9,100 for his efforts.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,575,000
375,000
|
375,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
4,500,000
420,000
|
420,000 |
|
Busted | |
Higgs Gets it In
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Sam Higgs saw an 
flop with Dennis Schienagel and check-called a bet of 300,000. On the turn, Higgs checked, Schienagel bet 425,000, Higgs check-raised all in for 2,500,000, and Schienagel open-folded the 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,120,000
1,270,000
|
1,270,000 |
|
|
3,800,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
Romero Doubles Martirosian and Enselme
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Daniel Ghionoiu made it 100,000 to go in the hijack and Artur Martirosian jammed his short stack in the cutoff. James Romero called after brief consideration and Ghionoiu instantly folded.
Artur Martirosian: 
James Romero: 
Martirosian turned a king on the 
board and escaped from elimination.
In the very next hand, Romero open-shoved the small blind into the big blind of short stack Arnaud Enselme, who checked his cards and called in a heartbeat.
Arnaud Enselme: 
James Romero: 
Enselme locked up the double on the turn of a 
board and Romero took yet another hit to his stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,950,000
-750,000
|
-750,000 |
|
|
1,975,000
-165,000
|
-165,000 |
|
|
1,400,000
855,000
|
855,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
810,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
Jonathan Bussieres Eliminated in 19th Place (€9,100)
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Stefano Schiano raised first to act and called the shove of Jonathan Bussieres for 355,000 on the button.
Jonathan Bussieres:
Stefano Schiano:
Schiano took the lead on the 
flop already and proceeded to improve to a flush with the 
turn and 
river, sending Bussieres to the rail in 19th place for €9,100.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,850,000
750,000
|
750,000 |
|
Busted |
Ole Schemion Eliminated in 20th Place (€9,100)
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
James Romero made it 110,000 to go and was called by Daniel Ghionoiu in the cutoff. Ole Schemion on the button three-bet to 400,000 and Romero gave it some consideration before pulling the trigger and moving all in. Ghionoiu quickly folded, Schemion checked his cards and called instantly right after for 2,200,000 total.
Ole Schemion: 
James Romero:
The 
flop and the turn were no threat yet, however, the cruel on the river sent Schemion to the rail in 20th place in cruel fashion.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,700,000
2,300,000
|
2,300,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||