2015 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo® Casino EPT Grand Final

€10,600 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2015 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo® Casino EPT Grand Final

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a8
Prize
€1,082,000
Event Info
Buy-in
€10,000
Prize Pool
€5,640,000
Entries
564
Level Info
Level
31
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
20,000

Coca-Cola All Gone

Level 8 : 300/600, 75 ante

A preflop raising war saw Brazil's Joao Simao and Moldova's Valeriu Coca each get in 22,800 preflop, which led to a {4-Spades}{9-Clubs}{9-Diamonds} flop. Simao checked from the small blind, and his trap worked perfectly as Coca moved all in for right around 25,000. Simao snap-called and it was no wonder the chips went in.

Coca: {q-Clubs}{q-Diamonds}
Simao: {k-Clubs}{k-Spades}

Both players held a big pocket pair, but Simao's was best. Neither the {9-Spades} turn nor {7-Hearts} river had a bearing on the hand, and a disappointed Coca exited in the last level of the night.

Player Chips Progress
Joao Simao br
Joao Simao
130,000
Valeriu Coca ro
Valeriu Coca
Busted

Tags: Valeriu CocaJoao Simao

Chip Counts as We Enter the Final Level

Level 8 : 300/600, 75 ante
Player Chips Progress
Nicolas Chouity lb
Nicolas Chouity
EPT 1X Winner
156,000 45,000
Steven Zhou au
Steven Zhou
148,000 13,000
Atanas Malinov bg
Atanas Malinov
145,000 145,000
Mustapha Kanit it
Mustapha Kanit
Winamax
145,000 75,000
Giuliano Bendinelli it
Giuliano Bendinelli
EPT 1X Winner
135,000 103,000
Andre Akkari br
Andre Akkari
130,000 92,000
Ole Schemion de
Ole Schemion
90,000 -5,000
Jason Mercier us
Jason Mercier
55,000 -16,000
Charlie Carrel gb
Charlie Carrel
50,000 -16,000
Randal Flowers us
Randal Flowers
50,000 4,000
Steve O'Dwyer ie
Steve O'Dwyer
EPT 1X Winner
47,000 2,000
Maria Ho us
Maria Ho
26,500 -14,500
Stephen Chidwick gb
Stephen Chidwick
25,000 9,675
Kevin Killeen ie
Kevin Killeen
10,000 -10,000

Level: 8

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 75

€100 Coronas at the EPT Grand Final

Level 7 : 250/500, 50 ante

"Time please!" came the call, and we headed over to the table to find not a river, but a turn dealt: {3-Hearts}{5-Clubs}{9-Clubs}{Q-Spades}. Time had been called on Scott Davies in a hand against Patrick Leonard. There was already 24,000 in the pot, and Leonard had bet out 8,100.

"You can raise me" said Leonard.

"Thanks" came the brusque response from Davies, before eventually folding.

"€100," Leonard offered to show him his hand.

"No," came the response.

"Ok, how about a Corona?" said Leonard, "Although I suppose that a Corona is going to cost about €100 anyway!"

Leonard showed the {8-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds} face up and took down the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Patrick Leonard gb
Patrick Leonard
48,000 48,000
Scott Davies us
Scott Davies
38,000 1,500

Tags: Patrick LeonardScott Davies

Bye Bye Behbehani

Level 7 : 250/500, 50 ante

Salman Behbehani raised to 7,000 from early position and left himself just 1,200 behind. Greece's Georgios Zisimopoulos called from the cutoff, the rest of the players folded, and the two saw a flop of {4-Clubs}{5-Spades}{a-Spades}. Behbehani checked and shot a smile toward Zisimopoulos, who bet 1,500. Behbehani called off and the cards were turned up.

Zisimopoulos: {a-Hearts}{q-Spades}
Behbehani: {a-Clubs}{j-Clubs}

Behbehani had some kicker issues, and they failed to get resolved as the {K-Hearts} blanked on the turn followed by the {3-Hearts} river.

Player Chips Progress
Salman Behbehani us
Salman Behbehani
Busted

Tags: Salman BehbehaniGeorgios Zisimopoulos

REG Charity Update from Co-Founder Adriano Mannino and Liv Boeree

Level 7 : 250/500, 50 ante

During the EPT 11 Grand Final we caught up with REG Charity co-founder and chairman Adriano Mannino and Team PokerStars Pro Liv Boeree. Mannino explained the ideology behind Raising for Effective Giving and looked ahead at what's to come.

Tags: Liv BoereeAdriano Mannino

Chidwick Goes Shoving

Level 7 : 250/500, 50 ante

From the hijack seat, Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier raised to 1,200. John Duthie called from the cutoff seat, Kevin Schulz called from the button, and then play slid over to Stephen Chidwick in the big blind. Chidwick reraised all in for 11,025. Mercier, Duthie, and Schulz folded, giving Chidwick the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Jason Mercier us
Jason Mercier
71,000 31,000
Kevin Schulz us
Kevin Schulz
EPT 1X Winner
65,000
John Duthie gb
John Duthie
32,000 -8,000
Stephen Chidwick gb
Stephen Chidwick
15,325 -2,675

Tags: Jason MercierJohn DuthieKevin SchulzStephen Chidwick

World Champ Jacobson Folds the River

Level 7 : 250/500, 50 ante
Martin Jacobson
Martin Jacobson

Martin Jacobson defended his big blind from Georgios Sotiropoulos' open from under the gun. On a flop of {4-Clubs}{5-Spades}{4-Hearts} both players checked, but Jacobson bet out 3,500 on the turn card which was the {6-Hearts}. Sotiropoulos quickly called and the river brought the {Q-Clubs}. This time the reigning WSOP Main Event champion checked, and his opponent made it 4,800.

Throughout the hand both players had been staring at eachother, with Jacobson being met only by the glasses of the player seated directly to his left. The Swedish pro frowned as he looked between the board and Sotiropoulos' bet. He eventually folded, and could do with some chips as his stack shifted below starting stack.

Player Chips Progress
Georgios Sotiropoulos gr
Georgios Sotiropoulos
45,000
Martin Jacobson se
Martin Jacobson
26,000 -3,000

Tags: Martin JacobsonGeorgios Sotiropoulos