Last year Talal Shakerchi and PokerStars Team Online player Isaac Haxton squared off in a big live streamed cash game right here in Monaco. Todat they're seating right next to each other today in the €100,000 Super High Roller. Haxton came out on top in the cash game last year, and just won a big pot here in the tournament.
Shakerchi opened the hijack for 2,500 and got three-bet by Haxton in the cutoff to, what we believe was 7,500. The button and both blinds folded, Shakerchi made the call.
Both players checked the on the flop. The turn brought the into play and Shakerchi check-called a 5,500 bet from Haxton. The river was anything but a blank with the . Shakerchi thought for a little bit, and then placed 16,500 in the middle. Haxton tossed a 25,000 chip into the middle. Shakerchi mucked his cards, and so did Haxton.
"How do you do it?" asked Daniel Cates who had the button that hand. "How do you win a pot and don't even have to show your cards". "You probably even called with queen-high" Cates laughed. "I probably did not call with queen-high" laughed Haxton. "I would have shown if Ithought he called with queen-high" added Shakerchi. "But what if he knows that you know that he's not bluffing" Cates replied. The table laughed while Haxton was stacking his chips.
Isaac Haxton and Dan Cates were deep in discussion about various online match ups; who they play, what strategy to employ against various opponents and how many buy-ins they are either up or down against them. That was interrupted however when Talal Shakerchi opened for 3,000 from the small blind and Haxton called from the big blind. The table fell silent as they watched the action unfold.
The two players saw a flop of and Shakerchi continued for 4,000. Haxton made the call and they went to the turn card to see the . Again Shakerchi bet, now 7,000, and Haxton called.
The river card was the and now Shakerchi checked. Haxton considered for a moment before betting 30,000. Shakerchi gave him a bit of a sideways glance but flicked his cards away to concede the pot. No showing from Haxton this time as he gathered the chips and released his cards.
The conversation between Cates and Haxton immediately resumed where it had left off.
They are plenty of players in today's field that are familiar to poker fans. For instance, we don't need to tell you what makes Ole Schemion so famous, nor what propelled Team PokerStars Pro Jonathan Duhamel to poker stardom. However, there are some players in the tournament who you may not be as familiar with. One of them is Senh Ung.
Other career highlights for Ung, who hails from Birmingham, England, included a fourth-place finish in the 2012 World Series of Poker Europe Event #1 €2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Six Handed for €44,913; runner-up in the EPT9 Grand Final €10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Six-Handed Turbo for €67,600 (he actually finished second to Ole Schemion, who is also in the field and will more than likely earn EPT10 Player of the Year honors); and 11th in the 2014 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Six-Max Turbo for $18,440.
For more on Ung, check out his winner interview from Macau:
Haralabos Voulgaris opened for 3,000 under the gun and cleared the field all the way around to Fabian Quoss, who if you recall won the $100,000 Super High Roller at the PCA back in January. The German made the call and then check-called a bet of 5,000 on the flop.
Both players then checked the turn, and Quoss check for a third time when the completed the board on the river. Voulgaris took the opportunity to bet 5,500, and Quoss woke up with a check-raise to 16,000. Voulgaris seemed to know the situation, and just called with the for the nuts. Quoss then rolled over the for the same hand.
Everybody loves a chop pot.
Quoss then noticed Voulgaris had actually turned the nuts, and acknowledged that he was fortunate to catch a jack on the river.
Vladimir Troyanovskiy raised to 2,500 from the hijack before Team PokerStars Pro Jonathan Duhamel made it 7,500 in the cutoff. Troyanovskiy responded with a four-bet to 20,000 and Duhamel made the call.
The flop was and Troyanovskiy continued with a bet of 25,000. Duhamel thought for a moment before making the call to see the on the turn. The Russian showed no signs of slowing down and bet 43,000, Duhamel elected to fold in response.
Troyanovskiy, who finished 5th in this event last year, is up to about 295,000.
Isaac Haxton - Daniel Cates - Daniel Colmam - Mike McDonald
Isaac Haxton was involved in a short discussion with Mike McDonald about a recent high stakes online game that Haxton was playing against Viktor Blom when Dan Cates strolled up to the table and sat to Haxton’s left. Almost immediately they got involved in a hand.
Haxton was on the button and opened for 3,000 and Cates in the small blind raised him to 10,000. The big blind folded and Haxton made the call.
The flop was .
Cates checked and then called a bet of 9,500 from Haxton. They saw a turn card and the action followed the turn, this time with a 25,000 bet from Haxton.
The river card was the putting a straight out there and bringing in the heart flush draw. Cates checked and Haxton announced, “All in.”
“All in huh?” mused Cates and mucked his cards. “I’m surprised you’re all in.”
18 players have taken their seats so far. With registration open till the start of Day 2, still some players with tournament receipts in their hands, and re-entry for the entire day, that number will sure increase. Once the tournament settles down a bit, we'll supply you with table draws so you know who's sitting where and battling it out with who.
Every EPT stop features a program for players, and in it EPT President Edgar Stuchly offers a welcome message. He is the one from the 2014 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo® Casino EPT Grand Final:
This week we will crown our final Main Event champion of the 'EPT decade,' and we will do it grand style. If you're a tour regular, you know we have partnered with the France Poker Series for our events in Deauville. Now, for the first time, the partnership brings the FPS to Monaco. That means not only will you get the big money action you expect from the EPT, but you'll also have a chance to play a wide variety of events at affordable and fun buy-ins.
We're extremely excited to bring cash games back to Monaco, and this year we've expanded our offerings again. We aim to provide you with the best cash game dealers and top service for your action. What's more, if you have made Open-Face Chinese Poker your new game of choice, we have specialized tables just for you. Be sure to check out the cash game area for our custom pentagonal tables made specifically for OFC games.
After this week, we'll take a brief break, but we'll be back at the end of the summer for Season 11 and the EPT Barcelona where we will celebrate the 100th EPT Main Event.
For now, go out and see all the beauty and opulence Monaco has to offer, and then come back to celebrate this final festival of Season 10 with us.
on the flop. The turn brought the 
into play and Shakerchi check-called a 5,500 bet from Haxton. The river was anything but a blank with the 
. Shakerchi thought for a little bit, and then placed 16,500 in the middle. Haxton tossed a 25,000 chip into the middle. Shakerchi mucked his cards, and so did Haxton.
![[user252447]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and Shakerchi continued for 4,000. Haxton made the call and they went to the turn card to see the 
. Again Shakerchi bet, now 7,000, and Haxton called.
and now Shakerchi checked. Haxton considered for a moment before betting 30,000. Shakerchi gave him a bit of a sideways glance but flicked his cards away to concede the pot. No showing from Haxton this time as he gathered the chips and released his cards.
flop.
turn, and Quoss check for a third time when the 
completed the board on the river. Voulgaris took the opportunity to bet 5,500, and Quoss woke up with a check-raise to 16,000. Voulgaris seemed to know the situation, and just called with the 
for the nuts. Quoss then rolled over the 
for the same hand.
and Troyanovskiy continued with a bet of 25,000. Duhamel thought for a moment before making the call to see the 
and the action followed the turn, this time with a 25,000 bet from Haxton.
