button in Safari2026 EPT Monte Carlo Hands of the Week: Incredible Cooler Crushes Former Champ's Dream in Main Event
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The 2026 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) recently wrapped up its stop in Monte-Carlo. While there, PokerNews provided live updates from the €5,300 Main Event, which attracted a record 1,011 entries and awarded €4,903,350 in prize money. Throughout the tournament, PokerNews captured some big, interesting, and game-changing hands, some of which are highlighted below.
Morgan Aceto Bubbles EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event
On Day 2, reporter Stewart Morrison caught the bubble hand, which took place in Level 15 (2,000/4,000/4,000). Left with just one 1,000 chip, Morgan Aceto was forced all in from the small blind. When the action folded to Fabian Berraboukh in the hijack, he moved all in for 49,000, which nobody called.
Morgan Aceto: J♠6♣
Fabian Berraboukh: K♥K♣
An already difficult task became harder when the 10♠3♦10♦ flop left Aceto, requiring running cards to survive.
The 3♥ turn sealed the deal, confirming Aceto's elimination before the 9♣ river had even been dealt.
Lasouski on Piles After Hero-Call in Five-Bet Pot
On Day 3 in the same level, reporter Frank Visser watched Gianluca Cedolia open to 8,000 under the gun. Hugo Blaison made it 24,000 in the cutoff before Artsiom Lasouski four-bet to 51,000 on the button. Cedolia immediately got out of the way, but Blaison clicked it back to 95,000.
Lasouski confirmed the amount before calling, and the 4♣5♠2♣ flop was fanned. Blaison continued for 27,000, which Lasouski called. Blaison sized up to 102,000 on the 9♦ turn, but was still unable to shake his opponent as Lasouski called again.
The river fell the 6♣. Blaison moved all in, covering Lasouski's 175,000 remaining chips. Lasouski went deep into the tank, but eventually tossed a single chip in the middle to signal a call.
Blaison tabled A♠10♣ for just ace-high, prompting Lasouski to triumphantly show 8♥8♦. His pair of eights won him the massive pot worth more than 200 big blinds, and saw him ascend to be among the leaders in the room.
Sirghi Cracks Aces in Three-Way Clash, Heath Left Short
In another Day 3 hand reported by Visser, it was Level 17 (3,000/6,000/6,000) when big blind Sergiu Sirghi, Andras Nemeth in the hijack, and Ben Heath on the button got all their chips in the middle preflop. Sirghi played 69,000, and Nemeth was at risk against Heath for his stack of 311,000.
Sergiu Sirghi: A♦K♦
Andras Nemeth: A♠A♣
Ben Heath: J♠J♥
Sirghi flopped the nut flush on 6♦8♦5♦. The 5♣ turn gave both Nemeth and Heath outs, but the river fell the innocuous 7♠, deciding the pot in Sirghi's favor.
He tripled up to a stack of around 35 big blinds, while Nemeth shipped the big side pot with his aces. Heath paid both opponents and was left with just over 20 big blinds heading into the break.
Mestre's Massive Call Wins Biggest Pot of Tournament
One level later in Level 18 (4,000/8,000/8,000), Visser picked up the action on a 6♠3♠5♠ flop, Yurii Zabrodotskyi bet 25,000 under the gun, and Team PokerStars Pro Raul Mestre raised to 85,000 in the hijack. Zabrodotskyi called to the 7♥ turn, which both players checked.
Zabrodostkyi then made a gargantuan shove of 615,000 when the 10♣ river appeared, a bet worth around three times the pot. Mestre went deep into the tank, talking to himself while agonizing over his decision.
Eventually, he slammed in a tower of chips to call. Zabrodotskyi could only show ace-high with A♠9♣, and Mestre let out a sigh of relief as he triumphantly showed 4♠4♥ for a straight.
Zabrodotskyi hurried out of the tournament area, while Mestre stacked up his new chips and retook his lead over the rest of the field.
Incredible Cooler Crushes Van Luijk's Dreams
On Day 4 in Level 20 (6,000/12,000/12,000), Visser reported that 2024 EPT Monte Carlo champ Derk van Luijk and Jason Wheeler had created a pot of 375,000 in the blinds when they went to the A♣4♣2♥2♣9♠ river. After some thought, Van Luijk moved his remaining 214,000 all in, only to be snap-called by Wheeler.
Van Luijk confidently tabled 4♠4♥ for a full house, but Wheeler turned quad deuces with his 2♠2♦ to win the pot.
A stunned Van Luijk was sent to the payout desk, dashing his hopes of adding another EPT Monte-Carlo title to his resume. Meanwhile, Wheeler chipped up to cross the seven-figure mark.
