Last year, Sweden's Martin Jacobson made poker history by topping a field of 6,683 players to win the World Series of Poker Main Event for a smooth $10,000,000. It was an impressive performance, one that secured him an European Poker Award for "Best Tournament Performance."
Meanwhile, last October, Scott Davies defeated Jack Salter — last year's EPT Grand Final runner-up — in heads-up play to win the WSOP Asia-Pacific Main Event, a tournament that attracted 329 players and created a prize pool of AU$3,125,000. That wins awarded Davies AU$850,136 ($737,907 USD).
Today, the two WSOP champions are seated at the same table and looking to add an EPT title to their poker résumés. The two haven't tangled yet, but there's a good chance they'll play a pot or two as the day progresses. Rest assured we'll keep an eye on the dynamic duo.
The action was blind-on-blind between reigning EPT Grand Final champion Antonio Buonanno and Australian Steven Zhou. The board read and Buonanno, who was in the small blind, bet out 600 and watched as Zhou raised to 1,700. Buonanno called and the turn was the . It was checked to Zhou, who bet 2,725 and was duly called. The river brought the and once again Buonanno checked. Zhou put all of his blue and pink chips out, a bet of over 43,000, putting Buonanno at risk if he chose to call.
The action in this hand had been at a snail's pace, and the patience of the other players was put to the test until someone called the clock. Eventually Buonanno called. Zhou turned over the for a rivered full house, and Buonanno meekly turned over before making his way to the exit.
Today is the day. Later tonight, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will square off in what is deemed as the "Fight of the Decade." Some are even calling it the biggest fight in the history of boxing. If you're going by just the purse of the fight, which some anticipate could reach $300 million, then this will indeed be the biggest fight of all time.
Here in Monaco, the PokerNews team is currently covering the biggest event on the European Poker Tour schedule. This season's EPT Grand Final will boast an all-time high of 78 events on the schedule, highlighted by the €100,000 Super High Roller, the €50,000 Super High Roller, the €25,500 High Roller, and the €10,600 Main Event. But even despite all of the massive high-stakes poker action on offer, some players are still very much interested in the Mayweather-Pacquiao duel that will go down in the bright lights of Las Vegas on May 2.
Two of those interested are Phil Ivey and JC Alvarado, both fans of boxing and fight betting. Ivey even founded All-In Entertainment, which is a "boxing and entertainment firm representing sports and media interests, the promotion of worldwide entertainment events and orchestrating boxing events" alongside Jeff Fried and Monta Ellis.
While the two were playing the €100,000 Super High Roller in Monte Carlo, PokerNews' Remko Rinkema caught with both of them to get their views on the spectacle that will take place and who will win, Mayweather or Pacquiao. Check out the two interviews below:
We missed the elimination of Daniel Colman, which took place a short time before the break. However, Pratyush Buddiga was kind enough to fill us in on some details.
According to him, it happened when Argentina's Ivan Luca opened for 350 from early position and action folded to Colman, who three-bet to 1,300 from the big blind. Luca proceeded to four-bet to 3,500, Colman called, and the flop came down . Colman checked, Luca bet 1,450, and Colman check-raised to 7,800. Luca called and then bet 6,500 after Colman checked the turn.
Colman paused for a few moments before making the call, and then checked the river. Luca announced that he was all in for roughly 10,000, and Colman, who had a little less than that, hit the tank. He chatted up Luca for a bit — asking such questions like where he was from — and eventually called off with . It was no good though as Luca had turned a set with .
Meanwhile, Maximos Pertsinidis was also eliminated from the tournament in Level 2.
Action was preflop and Martin Finger raised to 425, with the blinds at 75/150. The player directly to Finger's left, and on the button, three-bet to 1,100 and action was on Quoss. The German had had a good run of hands and had increased his starting stack slightly. He slid out three red chips and four-bet to 3,000 total. Both the initial limper and Finger folded and after a significant pause, so did the last remaining player.
Pratyush Buddiga was one of the first to arrive for the Main Event, but he had little time to relax as a revolving door of poker players stopped by to chat. The PokerStars Blog eavesdropped on the conversations.
and Buonanno, who was in the small blind, bet out 600 and watched as Zhou raised to 1,700. Buonanno called and the turn was the 
. It was checked to Zhou, who bet 2,725 and was duly called. The river brought the 
and once again Buonanno checked. Zhou put all of his blue and pink chips out, a bet of over 43,000, putting Buonanno at risk if he chose to call. 
for a rivered full house, and Buonanno meekly turned over 
before making his way to the exit.
. Colman checked, Luca bet 1,450, and Colman check-raised to 7,800. Luca called and then bet 6,500 after Colman checked the 
turn.
river. Luca announced that he was all in for roughly 10,000, and Colman, who had a little less than that, hit the tank. He chatted up Luca for a bit — asking such questions like where he was from — and eventually called off with 
