€5,300 Main Event Day 1a | 2016 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo® Casino EPT Grand Final

04-30-2016 20:06 UTC+2

Player	Chips	Progress
Bruno Volkmann	Busted
Pavel Plesuv	Busted
Ivica Blazevic	Busted
Patrick Clarke	Busted
William Foxen	Busted
Gianluca Speranza	Busted
[Removed:19]	Busted
Hao Tian	Busted
Rudolf Wilhelm Zintel	Busted
Laurent van den Eynde	Busted
Alexander Uskov	Busted
Iona Finkenrath	Busted
Philipp Gruissem	Busted
Marius Heiene	Busted
Kohei Nakai	Busted
Maxim Panyak	Busted
Valentin Ionut Apostol	Busted
Fabrice Maltez	Busted
Mohamed Fares	Busted
Pascal Theodosiadis	Busted
William Saad	Busted

Verenko in Charge

Christian Zetzsche

Level 6 : 200/400, 50 ante

The already big stack of Roman Verenko has increased even further and the seat that formerly belonged to Sergio Castelluccio was open. According to Sam Greenwood on the same table, Verenko had turned the nut straight with queen-ten and Castelluccio got it in with pocket aces for top set.

The river was a brick and the Italian was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Roman Verenko	165,000	45,000
Sergio Castelluccio	Busted

Tags: Sergio Castelluccio Sam Greenwood Roman Verenko

04-30-2016 20:01 UTC+2

Herzali Stops Downfall

Christian Zetzsche

Level 6 : 200/400, 50 ante

The day had started with a bang for Sarah Herzali, but since then the Frenchwoman lost pretty much every showdown. Just now she bet the turn and enforced a fold from her opponent. The same table features Jimmy Guerrero, Mohsin Charania and Marvin Rettenmaier, both of the latter focusing on their smart phones and tablets when not involved in a hand.

One table over, Vicky Coren has overcome her early bad start and since reached almost average stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jimmy Guerrero	85,000	85,000
Sarah Herzali	42,000	2,000
Vicky Coren	35,000	22,300
Marvin Rettenmaier	26,000	-4,000
Mohsin Charania	22,000	-10,000

Tags: Jimmy Guerrero Marvin Rettenmaier Mohsin Charania Sarah Herzali

04-30-2016 19:58 UTC+2

Go Big or Go Home

Christian Zetzsche

Level 6 : 200/400, 50 ante

Before the start of Day 1a, Faraz Jaka tweeted that this would be an event where he either has a big stack or will bust early. So far, the American is sticking to the first part of the plan and just knocked out Vu Duong.

Jaka raised from under the gun and Duong called from late position before facing a check-raise on the flop. Duong called and the was the worst card he could find to improve to a flush with , as he got his stack in and found out that Jaka had turned the nut flush with .

Duong was drawing dead and the river only a formality, Jaka recovered from the previous losses and is back on track.

Player	Chips	Progress
Faraz Jaka	85,000	23,000
Vu Duong	Busted

Tags: Faraz Jaka Vu Duong

04-30-2016 19:58 UTC+2

Sammartino Takes One Down

Happy_Freaked

Level 6 : 200/400, 50 ante

Dario Sammartino just raised to 1,000 and the player in the small blind called. The flop brought out and Sammartino's opponent check-called a bet of 1,200.

On the turn the action went check-check and the river was the . Sammartino bet 3,800 after his opponent checked, and he got a fold from his opponent.

Sammartino's now sitting on 24,000, which is still a little below the starting stack of 30,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dario Sammartino	24,000

Tags: Dario Sammartino

04-30-2016 19:55 UTC+2

Lewis is Gone; Heizmann Works on Miracle

Christian Zetzsche

Level 6 : 200/400, 50 ante

Very early today, Stefan Heizmann was down to just 350 chips and would have picked up a penalty for acting out of the turn according to floor staff. However, the German had left the table after losing almost all his chips without checking his cards. Now, Heizmann is back up to 18,000 chips next to Max Silver. Miracle time?

Romain Lewis was at the very same table and quadrupled up earlier today, but then lost a flip with ace-jack to the pocket eights of Pavel Veksler.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pavel Veksler	55,000
Stefan Heizmann	18,000
Romain Lewis	Busted

Tags: Max Silver Romain Lewis Stefan Heizmann Pavel Veksler

04-30-2016 19:46 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

Happy_Freaked

Level 6 : 200/400, 50 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Anthony Spinella	126,000	11,000
Steven van Zadelhoff	126,000	16,000
Jake Cody	84,000	31,000
Faraz Jaka	62,000	2,000
Oliver Price	53,000	23,000
Mike Watson	52,000	24,000
Artem Metalidi	45,000	-5,000
Joao Vieira	42,000	2,000
Paul Newey	34,000	4,000
Andrew Lichtenberger	26,400	-3,600
Stephen Chidwick	24,000	-4,000
Erwann Pecheux	24,000	-10,000
Sam Greenwood	18,000	-12,000
Jean-Noel Thorel	16,000

04-30-2016 19:45 UTC+2

Holz vs Reinkemeier

Christian Zetzsche

Level 6 : 200/400, 50 ante

Tobias Reinkemeier raised from under the gun and Fedor Holz called the 900 chips in the small blind, the big blind tossed in the extra chips as well. On the flop, Holz bet 900 and the big blind folded whereas Reinkemeier stuck around.

One the turn, Holz fired a second bet worth 3,400 and was called by the fellow German before making it 4,000 on the river. Holz flashed for two pair and that won the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Fedor Holz	70,000	22,000
Tobias Reinkemeier	30,500

Tags: Fedor Holz Tobias Reinkemeier

04-30-2016 19:32 UTC+2

Nguyen Busts Chaves

Christian Zetzsche

Level 6 : 200/400, 50 ante

Pedro Chaves left his seat in a hurry after flat-calling a raise and picking up another call by Thi Xoa Nguyen in the big blind. On the rain bow flop, Nguyen check-raised to 6,800 and the initial raiser let go after making a continuation bet worth 2,500. Chaves called both bets though and the appeared on the turn.

Nguyen continued for 6,100 and was called after some consideration before checking the river. Chaves shoved with pocket fours and Nguyen called with for the better full house.

Player	Chips	Progress
Thi Xoa Nguyen	72,000	19,000
Pedro Chaves	Busted

Tags: Thi Xoa Nguyen Pedro Chaves

04-30-2016 19:29 UTC+2

Petrangelo's Flush Draw Fails

Christian Zetzsche

Level 6 : 200/400, 50 ante

According to fellow (Super) High Roller, Nick Petrangelo opened from under the gun and then called a three-bet, as did Roman Verenko in the big blind to see a seven-high flop with two clubs. Ultimately, Petrangelo got it in with for the flush draw and Verenko's pocket sevens for top set held up to scoop a decent pot.