PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Grand Final Day 1b | 2008 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final - Monte Carlo

04-13-2008 21:45 UTC+2

Kostritsyn Plays It Safe

[user38449]

Sitting with just over 11,000 in chips, 2007 Aussie Millions Main Event Champ Alex Kostritsyn came over the top of an opponent's 800 pre-flop raise, making it a total of 2,250 to go. Both blinds folded and the action returned to Alex's heads-up opponent who three-bet the pot, upping the ante to 7,000.

"Are you gonna show?" Kostritsyn asked as he considered his decision. His opponent answered by shaking his head "no." "You look like you have a monster," Alex added, before eventually handing his cards over to the dealer. A moment later, he reached into the muck and dug his cards out, revealing a pocket pair of tens.

Kostritsyn was left with 8,900 in chips after the hand.

Tags: Alex Kostritsyn

04-13-2008 21:38 UTC+2

THEDRY Swings and Misses

[user38449]

On a board showing {10-Spades}

, Danny Ryan passed the honors to his lone opponent on the button who fired a barely-above-pot-sized bet of 3,450. Ryan tanked for quite some time, thinking out loud and telling his opponent, "You might have queen-jack or king-jack; something like that." After a minute or so passed, he finally made up his mind and said, "This might be a bad call, but..." and proceeded to toss his chips into the middle.

His opponent then tabled {A-Diamonds}

for trip fours and Danny rapped the table, before sending his cards into the muck. "Smelled like jack-queen," Ryan said after the hand.

Tags: Danny Ryan

04-13-2008 21:35 UTC+2

Eights are Good for JJProdigy

[user25067]

This hand is brought to you courtesy of Sorel Mizzi, an outstanding player in his own right, and apparently, Josh "JJProdigy" Field's new publicist. He relayed this hand to us brimming with excitement like a proud big brother.

An early position player raised to 900 and Field called from the big blind. The flop was J-9-5 with two diamonds. Field checked, the EP player bet out 1,000 and Field called. The turn was an offsuit 4. Field checked again, the EP player bet 2,500 and Field called. The river was the {10-Diamonds}

, putting a possible straight and flush on the board. Field checked a third time, the EP player bet out 7,000 and Field made the call.

Field turned over pocket eights and his opponent mucked. JJProdigy dragged the monster pot and with that read, increased his stack to just over 42,000.

Tags: JJProdigy Sorel Mizzi

04-13-2008 21:27 UTC+2

Scoreboard Update

[user38449]

Dario Alioto - 41,600
Gus Hansen - 24,000
Antonio Esfandiari - 26,300
Joe Hachem - 35,400
Danny Ryan - 26,100
Jeff "ActionJeff" Garza - 24,000

Level: 5

Blinds: 150/300

Ante: 0

04-13-2008 20:55 UTC+2

Rousso Doubles Up

[user38449]

On a board showing {7-Hearts}

, Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso moved all in over the top of an opponent's 2,200 flop bet for a total of 13,650. Her opponent called without hesitation and tabled {4-Clubs}

for a straight; Vanessa too had a straight, except hers was of the nut variety -- {10-Diamonds}

.

After the hand, Rousso stacked up just under 30,000 in chips. Her opponent was left crippled with 1,650, and he lost them a couple of hands later when his kings were cracked by another player's J-10. Ahhh.... poker.

Tags: Vanessa Rousso

04-13-2008 20:37 UTC+2

The Railkids

[user25067]

What can you find in the Salle des Etoiles that can't normally found in a poker room?

Children.

That's right. Make way for the Railkids.

Since we're not technically in a casino environment, there is no age restriction as to who can pass through the tournament area here at the Monte Carlo Bay Resort. Wives and girlfriends with baby carriers and strollers have been in and out of the tournament room all day, sweating their loved ones. Kids of all ages have been spotted on the rail, from Patrik Antonius' microphone-eating infant, Mila, to two French boys who look to be about 8 years old apiece, engaged in a heated video game battle on their PSPs right behind Theo Jorgensen's table. Hey, in ten years those two could be 12-tabling SNGs!

04-13-2008 20:18 UTC+2

Lee Nelson Doubles Up

[user67765]

A short-stacked Lee Nelson decided to commit his chips to the middle pre-flop holding {A-Spades}

but wasn't happy when an opponent called with a dominating {A-Clubs}

.

The flop of {3-Clubs}

gave his opponent a pair of kings, but actually gave Nelson additional outs with his flush draw. The {9-Diamonds}

on the turn changed nothing, but the {3-Spades}

gave Nelson his flush and a much needed double up to put him back to around an average chip stack of 16,000.

Tags: Lee Nelson

04-13-2008 20:13 UTC+2

ElkY Gets Busy

[user67765]

As the blinds increase many of the players are starting to get more active as the blinds become more attractive to steal attempts. This is evidenced by the recent action out on table 19.

After a change of hoodie during the dinner break, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier has been playing most pots and happy to float many of his opponent's bets and raises with mixed results.

In one hand Grospellier called a cutoff raise in position on the button and then called two streets on a J-2-3-A board. The 9 on the river was checked down and Grospellier's ambitious {J-Diamonds}

was good enough to scoop the pot.

A few hands later the same duo tangled again. This time on a board of {J-Spades}

Grospellier had again floated two streets in position, but when his opponent fired 8,000 on the river Grospellier had to give up his hand to be left with less than 10,000 in chips.

Tags: Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier

04-13-2008 20:03 UTC+2

Ace Magnets

[user38449]

Over at Chad Brown and Daniel Negreanu's table, we've seen pocket aces shown down three times in the last six hands! Brown was able to reap the benefits of the hot deck as he cashed in on a small pot holding aces; Negreanu is still waiting for his turn.