High Roller Day 1 | 2010 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final - Monte Carlo

04-29-2010 13:48 UTC+2

Stacked

[user140525]

As with any €25,000 event, the field is full big names. Still, with such a big turnout, this event is known as one of the softer high rollers out there. Many of the players showed up today hoping to draw a table full of wealthy European fish. But there is at least one table without a single soft spot, unless you count the empty eight seat, of course.

Seat 1: David Paredes
Seat 2: Isabelle Mercier
Seat 3: Liv Boeree
Seat 4: Lex "RaSZi" Veldhuis
Seat 5: David "Viffer" Peat
Seat 6: Carlos Mortensen
Seat 7: Justin "BoostedJ" Smith
Seat 8: dead stack

04-29-2010 13:55 UTC+2

McDo-uble Up

[user140344]

A player from under-the-gun made it 500 to go preflop and was called by Alex Kravchenko, Dario Minieri, and Olivier Busquet before Mike McDonald in the big blind made it 2,500. The player under the gun was the only player to call.

The flop came {5-Hearts}

.

McDonald bet 4,500. His opponent moved all in, and after some thought, McDonald made the call, putting his tournament life at risk.

McDonald: {Q-Diamonds}

Opponent:

The turn brought the {4-Spades}

and the river the {j-Hearts}

, giving McDonald the double up. He now sits with about 90,000.

Tags: Mike McDonald

04-29-2010 14:12 UTC+2

Scheduling Notes

[user66118]

The tournament staff tells us they'd like to play eleven levels tonight, but they may settle with ten if the players put up a fight. Either way, it figures to be a long night with a dinner break in there as well. We'll stop after Level 7 so we can fill our bellies with baguettes, and we should be finished up for the night sometime in the wee hours of the morning.

04-29-2010 14:15 UTC+2

Langmann's Straight is No Good

[user140344]

We caught the action on the after the {9-Clubs}

flop had been dealt.

The small blind made a bet of 600, Florian Langmann bumped it up to 2,000, and the small blind came along to the turn.

The turn brought the {7-Clubs}

. Langmann called his opponent's 2,600 bet.

When the {a-Diamonds}

fell on the turn, the player in the small blind made a bet of 4,200 and Langmann slid out a raise of 11,300. His opponent thought about it for a minute or so before making the call.

Langmann flipped over {5-Diamonds}

for a straight, but it was too small. His opponent tabled {10-Clubs}

for a straight flush.

Tags: Florian Langmann

04-29-2010 14:16 UTC+2

Break Time

[user140344]

Players are on their first 15-minute break of the day.

Level: 3

Blinds: 150/300

Ante: 0

04-29-2010 14:42 UTC+2

We're Back

[user140344]

The players have taken their seats and the cards are now in the air.

04-29-2010 14:50 UTC+2

Filling the Gaps

[user140525]

The empty eight seats are starting to gain occupants. And most tables probably wish they were still empty. The ridiculous table (Boeree, Mortensen, Veldhuis, BoostedJ, etc.) now also has EPT-crusher Allan Baekke. William Thorson and Andrew Feldman helped to fill Michael Binger's table. Jan Skampa is also a new seat eighter.

04-29-2010 14:59 UTC+2

The Arrival of Gus

[user140525]

With Phil Hellmuth and his ridiculous entrances on another continent and Phil Ivey back in the States after leaving Monte Carlo earlier than planned, Gus Hansen gets to claim the late arrival spotlight. There had been a few whispers about where the Monaco resident was on this beautiful, sunny, warm, breezy, cloudless ... great day for high stakes poker.

Mr. Hansen has come to his senses and arrived at Le Sporting Club. He just filled the eight seat at a table with Haralabous Voulgaris, Markus Golser, and Florian Langmann.

Tags: Gus Hansen

04-29-2010 15:26 UTC+2

FullFlush Turns Up the Pressure

[user140525]

The cutoff opened for 900, and on the button, Alexander Kostritsyn reraised to just under 3,000. Luke "FullFlush" Schwartz then four-bet from the big blind, making it 6,000 total. The cutoff quickly folded, and Kostritsyn made the call.

Flop: {A-Spades}

- Schwartz checked, and Kostritsyn checked behind.

Turn: {3-Clubs}

- Schwartz bet 6,350, and Kostritsyn called.

River: {2-Clubs}

- Not messing around, FullFlush moved all in. When Alex asked for a count, Luke picked up his hands so he could see the chips but didn't bother to put down the larger value chips he was holding in his hand. Kostritsyn asked again for a count, and the dealer started to break down the stacks. She finished what she could, but Schwartz still didn't stop shuffling a handful of rainbow chips. The dealer had to raise her voice and insist he let go of them so she could provide an accurate count. Finally he did, and she determined (after checking with Jonathan Aguiar to make sure she was correct) that Schwartz has 25,925.

The information sent Kostritsyn deep into the tank. After four minutes, Schwartz called the clock, but as soon as the floor arrived, Alex gave up his hand, sending the pot to Luke. Kostritsyn still has around 36,000.