Feature Coverage
Day 5 Started
2018 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo©Casino EPT
Feature Coverage
Day: 5
Packed Schedule on Tap for Day 5 of EPT Monte Carlo
Things have been building slowly but surely at 2018 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo©Casino EPT, and today they'll hit a crescendo with the most loaded schedule of the festival.
There are four tournaments on the docket for Saturday scheduled to get coverage here on PokerNews, and they run the gamut of buy-ins, ranging from €330 to €100K.
Perhaps most relevant for poker fans will be the conclusion of the €100K Super High Roller, set to play to a conclusion when a winner will pocket €1,520,000. A loaded final six has emerged from a field of 44, with all of the remaining players in the money.
Everyone is looking up at Christoph Vogelsang, as the scarf-wearing German bagged over 100 big blinds to notch a decent lead over the red-hot Sam Greenwood — the Canadian enters having shipped two recent high roller events, one for over $1.2 million in Barcelona.
Here's how they'll be arrayed when play resumes:
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ali Reza Fatehi | Iran | 1,840,000 |
| 2 | Ole Schemion | Germany | 1,490,000 |
| 3 | Christoph Vogelsang | Germany | 3,020,000 |
| 4 | Isaac Haxton | United States | 1,680,000 |
| 5 | Sam Greenwood | Canada | 2,065,000 |
| 6 | Justin Bonomo | United States | 1,405,000 |
Hand history updates can be found at the PokerStars Blog. Those wishing for a more direct line on the action can tune in to the live stream.
Also of import, the Main Event at least gets under way. The marathon grind begins with the first of two starting days, with players able to enter — and now reenter once, for the first time ever — at the €5,300 price point. Ten levels are on tap today and we'll bring you hand history coverage right here on PokerNews.
Two prominent side events will conclude as well.
The €1,100 EPT National has just 24 players remaining in contention for a €250K first-place prize. Chip leader Michal Mrakes, PokerStars Team Pro Online Randy Lew and Gaelle Baumann appear to be the headliners.
Meanwhile, the €2,200 EPT National High Roller sees 55 players return out of 462. They're fighting for a €173K windfall. Plenty of big names remain in contention, including Leo Margets, Dario Sammartino, Jack Salter and Rainer Kempe.
Finally, the third and fourth flights of the €330 EPT Cup will go down.
PokerNews will bring you recaps, features and updates from all of the above throughout the day.
Tennis Star and TV Host Mariano Zabaleta Opens Up About His Passion For Poker
A warm smile accompanies former tennis star, TV host and poker enthusiast Mariano Zabaleta as he takes a moment to talk about his presence at the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo©Casino EPT, his love for the game of poker and the parallels between tennis and poker. Zabaleta had been in the principality of Monaco for the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters ATP tour before this event and will be present at the EPT until April 29.
A Spanish translator is present to make sure nothing gets lost in translation, but the first thing out of the tennis star's mouth needs no translation:
"I love poker," he says with a big grin.
"I've played poker for many years," he continued. "I've played many LAPT events in the past and was invited by PokerStars to come over here. Obviously, I'm very excited to play at this fantastic event."
According to The Hendon Mob, Zabaleta cashed two LAPT events in Lima, Peru, back in 2012: a fifth place in a $500 turbo event ($2,100) and 28th place a day later in the $1,100 Grand Final ($1,875). It shows Zabaleta's passion for poker goes back a while. Did he discover poker while playing the APT tour?
"I love tennis just like I love poker," he said. "You have to be prepared. Playing poker gives me the same adrenaline as playing tennis. That's why many other tennis players have been interested in playing poker as well."
Zabaleta's tennis career has been a major success, with three singles titles, five runner-up finishes and $3,204,127 in career prize money. His highest ranking was 21st, back in 2000. Zabaleta's deepest run at a Grand Slam event was at the 2001 US Open, where he made the quarterfinal as an unseeded player.
When asked about his best poker results, Zabaleta erupts in laughter.
"I play like shit."
Playing "like shit" or not, Zabaleta's competitive drive is present in poker as well.
"I've always wanted to get to a final table," he said. "I've been able to get from a Day 1 to a Day 2, and even a Day 3, but I'm not really making any money. As an average Joe, just like other people can't imagine playing tennis for four, five hours straight, I can't believe poker players can do that. After eight, nine hours, my mind is so exhausted. It's really tough to win a tournament."
After hanging up his rackets, Zabaleta became a TV host for ESPN and presents the very popular Argentinian show "Con Amigos Así" (translated as: "with friends like this [who needs enemies]"). Famous athletes often appear on the show and they do what Zabaleta called "fun stuff."
To get an idea of "Con Amigos Así," check out the video below of the latest episode.
Back in his heyday as a tennis pro, Zabaleta was known for his unusual but effective service. Has the Argentinean brought the proverbial ace up his sleeve to the poker table as well?
"I don't play enough to know," Zabaleta admitted. "I play whatever seems right at the time. If it feels good, I go for it. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't," he concluded with a laugh.
Zabaleta has played the €2,200 National High Roller, but wasn't able to cash, and will play the Right to Play Charity Tournament on April 28 at 6 p.m.
He may never reach $3 million like he did on the tennis court, but Zabaleta will continue to enjoy the game, especially as a celebrity guest of PokerStars.
13 Left at First Break €1,100 EPT National; Petruzzelli Leads, Vrakas Eliminated
At the first break, the field in the €1,100 EPT National is down to its final 13 players. Two-time National winner Georgios Vrakas was the last to go just shortly before the break.
From under the gun, Vrakas moved in with his last 12 big blinds holding 
. Guillaume Diaz called in middle position with 
and Vrakas was unable to connect to the board. The Greek received €9,700 for his 14th place finish.
The stacks of the 13 remaining players are as follows. Federico Petruzzelli holds the chip lead with 9,000,000, followed by Diaz (7,200,000) and Michal Mrakes 5,000,000. Team PokerStars Pro Online Randy "nanonoko" Lew sits in fourth place with 4,100,000.
| Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Abraham Passet | Germany | 2,000,000 |
| 1 | 2 | Guillaume Diaz | France | 7,200,000 |
| 1 | 3 | Dragos Trofimov | Moldova | 3,700,000 |
| 1 | 4 | Laszlo Barthi | France | 1,300,000 |
| 1 | 5 | Michal Mrakes | Czech Republic | 5,000,000 |
| 1 | 6 | Gaelle Baumann | France | 1,900,000 |
| 2 | 1 | Danilo Cangianiello | Italy | 4,000,000 |
| 2 | 2 | Federico Petruzzelli | Italy | 9,000,000 |
| 2 | 3 | Samy Boutaleb | France | 550,000 |
| 2 | 4 | Giuseppe La Guardia | Italy | 3,200,000 |
| 2 | 5 | Randy Lew | United States | 4,100,000 |
| 2 | 6 | Sorin Sufragiu | Romania | 2,500,000 |
| 2 | 7 | Abdullatif Attia | France | 1,000,000 |
€2,200 EPT National High Roller Down to Three Tables
It didn't take long for the players in the €2,200 EPT National High Roller to reach the final three tables. Dario Sammartino is the man in charge with 1,400,000 in chips, while players like Alexandre Reard (600,000), Lily Kiletto (400,000), Leo Margets (350,000) and Jeff Hakim (250,000) are still in contention as well.
They'll play down until a winner is crowned later tonight, with €173,000 up for grabs for first.
Photos: €100K Super High Roller
Photos by Rene Velli.
Gaelle Baumann Bubbles the €1,100 EPT National Final Table
The final table in the €1,100 EPT National is set after Gaelle Baumann was the one to bubble the final table. With ten players left, Michal Mrakes opened with 
from the cutoff, Baumann three-bet shoved 1,300,000 (16 big blinds) on the button with 
and Mrakes called. The best hand held up to send the French pro to the rail in 10th place (€15,830).
The final table is set with the following players and chip counts. Players will return in the level 40,000/80,000.
€1,100 EPT National Final Table
| Seat | Name | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abdullatif Attia | France | 1,150,000 | 14 |
| 2 | Michal Mrakes | Czech Republic | 8,805,000 | 110 |
| 3 | Randy Lew | United States | 4,715,000 | 59 |
| 4 | Abraham Passet | Germany | 3,540,000 | 44 |
| 5 | Giuseppe La Guardia | Italy | 3,505,000 | 44 |
| 6 | Federico Petruzzelli | Italy | 9,395,000 | 117 |
| 7 | Sorin Sufragiu | Romania | 3,575,000 | 45 |
| 8 | Danilo Cangianiello | Italy | 2,750,000 | 34 |
| 9 | Guillaume Diaz | France | 7,555,000 | 94 |
Payouts
| Place | Price (in €) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 250,000 + $30,000 Platinum Pass |
| 2 | 143,000 |
| 3 | 100,000 |
| 4 | 74,120 |
| 5 | 57,840 |
| 6 | 44,000 |
| 7 | 33,740 |
| 8 | 24,620 |
| 9 | 18,910 |
Two-Time EPT Champion Coren-Mitchell in the Main Event Field
We've seen Mark Teltscher, Steve O'Dwyer and John Juanda. All are former EPT champions in their own right, and they've been joined in the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo©Casino EPT field by another former champion, and this one is a special one.
Victoria Coren-Mitchell took down EPT 3 London for £500,000, and then followed it up with a history-making second title at EPT 10 San Remo for a further €476,100. She spoke to us briefly and explained how she was enjoying a break with her husband and child.
"We took the train to Paris and then drove down from there," she explained, "It's a fun holiday now, but it's expensive! By the time you are here you have to come third to make your money back."
Coren-Mitchell could have been excused for thinking that, after the introduction of the PokerStars Championship tournaments, that her feat of winning two EPT titles was secure in the annals of history. However, with EPT Sochi a month ago, the tournament is back on the European poker calendar.
Now that it's back, how would she feel if a former champion joined her in the two-time club?
"I would be very happy for them," she said jovially, "I think it would show that there are still people and players around in poker today who have been playing poker for long enough that it's possible."
Last year Coren-Mitchell cashed in the PokerStars Championship Monte Carlo Main Event, and she's back for another EPT stop this year. Will we be seeing more of her at tournaments in the future?
"Maybe. I was going to go to Barcelona but then I went on a proper holiday instead. I'd definitely play a bit more if they had a big tournament in London. I'm thinking of organizing a big tournament in London. It's a case of if you want something done, then you have to do it yourself!"
We'll be keeping an eye on Coren-Mitchell throughout the rest of the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo©Casino EPT Main Event.
€2,200 EPT National High Roller Down to Two Tables; Margets and Kiletto Bust
With the bustouts of Leo Margets in 18th and Lily Kiletto in 17th place, the €2,200 EPT National High Roller is now down to its final two tables. Seating and chip counts are as follows:
| Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Karim Abdelmoumene | France | 470,000 |
| 1 | 2 | Jeff Hakim | Lebanon | 190,000 |
| 1 | 3 | Christopher Chaudey | France | 560,000 |
| 1 | 4 | Mikhail Soltanov | Russia | 300,000 |
| 1 | 5 | Honglin Jiang | New Zealand | 1,200,000 |
| 1 | 6 | Smain Mamouni | France | 950,000 |
| 1 | 7 | Benjamin Saada | France | 350,000 |
| 1 | 8 | Alexandre Reard | France | 670,000 |
| 2 | 1 | Yin Liu | China | 480,000 |
| 2 | 2 | Dmitry Shchepkin | Russia | 470,000 |
| 2 | 3 | Massou Cohen | France | 220,000 |
| 2 | 4 | Dario Sammartino | Italy | 1,700,000 |
| 2 | 5 | Xiaojie Cheng | China | 180,000 |
| 2 | 6 | Isabel Baltazar | France | 300,000 |
| 2 | 7 | Matous Houzvicek | Czech Republic | 350,000 |
| 2 | 8 | Raffaele Carnevale | Italy | 770,000 |
Payouts
| Place | Prize (in €) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 173,000 | |
| 2 | 109,000 | |
| 3 | 78,000 | |
| 4 | 62,000 | |
| 5 | 48,500 | |
| 6 | 38,000 | |
| 7 | 28,580 | |
| 8 | 20,000 | |
| 9 | 15,500 | |
| 10-11 | 13,000 | |
| 12-13 | 11,000 | |
| 14-15 | 9,700 | |
| 16 | 8,600 |
€1,100 EPT National: Final Table Photos
Photos by René Velli / PokerStars.
