2019 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT

€5,300 EPT Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info

2019 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
q8
Prize
€827,700
Event Info
Buy-in
€5,300
Prize Pool
€4,471,700
Entries
922
Level Info
Level
36
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000

€5,300 EPT Main Event

Day 4 Completed

Six Remain in 2019 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event; Riess, Loeser Still in Contention

Level 27 : 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Ryan Riess
Ryan Riess

The penultimate day of the 2019 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino European Poker Tour €5,300 Main Event saw a field of 30 hopefuls being reduced to the final six. Each of these six will look fondly back after all is said and done, with €152,800 already locked up for their efforts, but the grand prize of €827,700 and the title of EPT Champion awaits the eventual winner to be crowned on Saturday, May 4.

Starting from pole position is Nicola Grieco from Italy. Grieco is looking to become the first Italian EPT winner since Antonio Buonnamo in 2014 and with 7,160,000 in chips, he's the odds-on favorite to do so. The passionate Italian will certainly be hugging the spotlights tomorrow and isn't afraid of a personal vendetta at the tables. Conor Beresford was one of the players to fall to Grieco after some personal back and forths, and the Italian also pulled off a bold three-barrel bluff on German pro Manig Loeser to help him secure the overnight chip lead.

Loeser and Ryan Riess are the two biggest names that will return at noon to the Salle des Etoiles in the Monte-Carlo Sporting. Loeser jumped into the chip lead in the middle levels of the day, courtesy of a big cooler against Nicolas Chouity. Loeser turned a straight while Chouity turned a set, and the former EPT Monte Carlo champ wasn't able to get away from it. From there on out, it was smooth sailing for the German high staker, who will return fourth in chips with 4,005,000.

2013 WSOP Main Event champion Riess could become the first-ever player to win both the WSOP Main Event and an EPT Main Event, and he has a shot to accomplish the improbable coming into the final day with 3,585,000 in chips. While that places him fifth out of six, it's still sixty big blinds, plenty to work with.

Rounding out the final table are Viktor Katzenberger (6,070,000), a 27-year old Maltese transplant from Hungary whose bread and butter are normally cash games, recreational player Wei Huang (5,690,000) who spun it up from the shortest stack at the start of the day, and Luis Medina (1,105,000), the only real short stack at the final table. One of them will walk away with the coveted prize and will be nearly a million USD richer.

2019 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event Final Table Seating and Chip Counts

SeatPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Ryan RiessUnited States3,585,00060
2Wei HuangChina5,690,00095
3Nicola GriecoItaly7,160,000119
4Viktor KatzenbergerHungary6,070,000101
5Manig LoeserGermany4,005,00067
6Luis MedinaPortugal1,105,00018

While the aforementioned six made it to the final table, 24 others fell along the wayside and missed out on the opportunity for EPT glory on Day 4. One of the most notable to drop was Iranian beauty queen Melika Razavi, who had been tearing it up in the EPT Monte Carlo Main Event for two days straight. After a strong start to the day, Razavi's bid came to a screeching halt when she flopped flush-under-flush against Huang, one of the few players in the field that had her covered. With no time banks left, there was no escape and Razavi bowed out before the final two tables.

Melika Razavi
Iranian star Melika Razavi had to settle for 17th place.

Several of poker's greatest tournament stars, such as Conor "1_conor_b_1" Beresford (11th - €50,930), Sam Greenwood (12th - €45,570), Christoph Vogelsang (18th - €32,150), James Romero (21st - €27,680), and Mikalai Vaskaboinikau (22nd - €27,680) all busted on the penultimate day, as did former EPT champs Nicolas Chouity (16th - €36,620), Paul Michaelis (25th - €23,210) and Remi Castaignon (26th - €23,210).

Another high stakes phenom, Timothy Adams, did make the final table but ended up busting in eight place (€78,030) after running his pocket queens into a turned flush of Katzenberger. Last to bust out on the day was Rustam Hajiyev (7th - €109,510), who shoved ace-ten into Loeser's pocket queens and didn't improve.

Be sure to check back regularly to PokerNews on Saturday, May 5, the final day of the 2019 EPT Monte Carlo as the Main Event plays down to a winner. Action will resume at noon local time with 36:58 left in the current level at blinds of 30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 big blind ante. Live coverage with hole cards will be on a security delay of 30 minutes and coverage will follow along with the live stream.

2019 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event Final Table Payouts

PlacePrize (EUR)Prize (USD)
1€827,700$925,949
2€503,960$563,780
3€353,880$395,886
4€265,620$297,149
5€206,590$231,112
6€152,800$170,937
Nicola Grieco
The animated Nicola Grieco leads the 2019 EPT Monte Carlo final table.

Tags: Christoph VogelsangConor BeresfordJames RomeroLuis MedinaManig LoeserMelika RazaviMikalai VaskaboinikauNicola GriecoNicolas ChouityPaul MichaelisRemi CastaignonRustam HajiyevRyan RiessSam GreenwoodTimothy AdamsViktor KatzenbergerWei Huang

Rustam Hajiyev Eliminated in 7th Place (€109,510)

Level 27 : 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Rustam Hajiyev
Rustam Hajiyev

Rustam Hajiyev jammed first to act and Manig Loeser in the cutoff asked "can I please get a count." Once it was deemed to be for 915,000, Loeser reshoved and all three players behind him sent their cards into the muck.

Rustam Hajiyev: {a-Spades}{10-Hearts}
Manig Loeser: {q-Diamonds}{q-Clubs}

Hajiyev's brother Ramin headed to the feature table to see the showdown and saw the flop of {k-Hearts}{4-Spades}{3-Hearts}.

"Deuce of hearts," Ramin demanded and the {2-Clubs} followed on the turn. The river was a blank with the {6-Spades} and that sent Hajiyev to the rail in 7th place for €109,510. This also includes Day 4 as six players remain for the big showdown the next day.

Rustam & Ramin Hajiyev
Rustam & Ramin Hajiyev

A recap of today's action is to follow.

Player Chips Progress
Manig Loeser de
Manig Loeser
EPT 1X Winner
4,005,000 915,000
Rustam Hajiyev az
Rustam Hajiyev
Busted

Tags: Manig LoeserRamin HajiyevRustam Hajiyev

Medina Folds Pocket Eights, Hajiyev Shoves

Level 27 : 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Manig Loeser raised to 120,000 from the hijack with {k-Spades}{9-Spades}. Luis Medina had 1,260,000 left and, with Rustam Hajiyev shorter as well, decided to fold {8-Hearts}{8-Diamonds} in the cutoff. The other players folded as well to award Loeser the pot.

The next hand, Hajiyev shoved all in for 765,000 on the button with the {10-Hearts}{9-Hearts} and won the blinds and antes.

Player Chips Progress
Manig Loeser de
Manig Loeser
EPT 1X Winner
3,090,000
Luis Medina pt
Luis Medina
1,260,000 5,000
Rustam Hajiyev az
Rustam Hajiyev
915,000 -30,000

Tags: Luis MedinaManig LoeserRustam Hajiyev

Timothy Adams Eliminated in 8th Place (€78,030)

Level 27 : 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Timothy Adams
Timothy Adams

Timothy Adams raised it up to 140,000 first to act with the {q-Spades}{q-Clubs} and Viktor Katzenberger called in the cutoff with the {7-Hearts}{5-Hearts}. The flop brought {10-Hearts}{4-Diamonds}{3-Hearts} and Adams checked over to Katzenberger, who made it 160,000.

Adams carefully checked his remaining stack of 1,690,000 and check-raised to 585,000. Katzenberger made the call and they headed to the {2-Hearts} turn. Adams let his shot clock run down to one second and opted for the check, prompting the usage of one time bank by Katzenberger.

"You have one million behind?" Katzenberger asked and moved all in for effectively 1.1 million. Adams quickly called and found himself drawing dead even before the {8-Diamonds} fell on the river.

Adams was eliminated in 8th place and takes home €78,030.

Player Chips Progress
Viktor Katzenberger hu
Viktor Katzenberger
5,840,000 1,660,000
Timothy Adams ca
Timothy Adams
Day 3 Chip Leader
Busted

Tags: Timothy AdamsViktor Katzenberger

Grieco Shows the Bluff Against Loeser

Level 27 : 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Nicola Grieco
Nicola Grieco

Nicola Grieco raised the button to 200,000 with {10-Hearts}{9-Spades} and Viktor Katzenberger called in the small blind with the {k-Diamonds}{10-Diamonds}, as did Manig Loeser with {a-Clubs}{2-Clubs} in the big blind. The flop brought {6-Spades}{4-Clubs}{2-Hearts} and both blinds checked, Grieco bet 275,000 and Loeser was the only caller.

The {8-Clubs} turn gave Grieco a gutshot while Loeser picked up the nut flush draw on top of his pair. Loeser checked once more and Grieco fired a second barrel worth 500,000, the call of Loeser followed.

After the {j-Spades} river, Loeser checked and Grieco emptied the clip with a bet of 1,200,000.

"I think you might be bluffing," Loeser said and Grieco replied with a no.

"I think you might have ace-king," Loeser added and tried to get some reaction from Grieco. A time bank was tossed into the middle by Loeser, followed by another one. A third time bank was invested and Loeser ended up folding. The Italian showed the bluff and exhaled deeply in relief.

Shortly after, Grieco was back to his chatty self and couldn't help but needling Loeser with a "that's poker, my friend."

Player Chips Progress
Nicola Grieco it
Nicola Grieco
Day 4 Chip Leader
7,160,000 1,235,000
Manig Loeser de
Manig Loeser
EPT 1X Winner
3,090,000 -1,040,000

Tags: Manig LoeserNicola GriecoViktor Katzenberger

Massimo Mosele Eliminated in 9th Place (€61,620)

Level 27 : 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Massimo Mosele
Massimo Mosele

Massimo Mosele shoved all in for 1,100,000 from middle position. Behind him, Ryan Riess reshoved for 2,555,000 and all other players folded.

Massimo Mosele: {a-Clubs}{q-Clubs}
Ryan Riess: {k-Spades}{k-Clubs}

Not for the first time today, the player with the pocket kings saw an ace land on the flop: {a-Spades}{j-Diamonds}{2-Clubs}. Mosele took a huge lead in the hand but Riess added additional outs with the {10-Spades} on the turn.

The river was the {q-Spades} and Riess completed his straight, setting the official final table with eight players. Mosele received €61,620 for his ninth-place finish.

Massimo Mosele
Massimo Mosele & Ryan Riess
Player Chips Progress
Ryan Riess us
Ryan Riess
3,815,000 1,220,000
Massimo Mosele it
Massimo Mosele
Busted

Tags: Massimo MoseleRyan Riess

Loeser Takes Two in a Row

Level 27 : 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Manig Loeser
Manig Loeser

Luis Medina moved all in for 1,255,000 from the cutoff with the {a-Spades}{q-Spades} and scooped the blinds and big blind ante.

Manig Loeser opened the next hand with a raise to 120,000 with {a-Diamonds}{q-Diamonds} and Wei Huang called in the big blind with {9-Spades}{8-Spades}. On a {a-Hearts}{k-Diamonds}{3-Spades} flop, Huang checked and Loeser bet 90,000 to win the pot.

Loeser raised to 120,000 with {a-Hearts}{q-Spades} and Medina snap-folded {a-Clubs}{10-Clubs} from one seat over. Huang let go of {a-Spades}{7-Spades} and Rustam Hajiyev called in the big blind with {q-Clubs}{9-Clubs}. The flop brought {j-Spades}{7-Clubs}{3-Clubs} and Hajiyev checked, Loeser bet 100,000 and Hajiyev made the call.

Hajiyev checked the {2-Hearts} turn once more and Loeser bet 240,000 and that forced a fold from Hajiyev, who dropped below one million in chips.

Player Chips Progress
Wei Huang cn
Wei Huang
5,540,000 -210,000
Manig Loeser de
Manig Loeser
EPT 1X Winner
4,130,000 525,000
Rustam Hajiyev az
Rustam Hajiyev
945,000 -280,000

Tags: Luis MedinaManig LoeserRustam HajiyevWei Huang

Last to First: Wei Huang Playing with his Poker Idols in EPT Monte Carlo Main Event

Level 27 : 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Wei Huang
Wei Huang

Dead last of 30 players coming into Day 4 of the EPT Monte Carlo €5,300 Main Event to chip leading within three levels — it’s been a very lucky day for amateur poker player Wei Huang.

The 34-year-old amateur poker player from Shanghai, China is enjoying his very first trip to Europe, and picked a great time to run good.

While he stays busy with his job as a finance controller for PepsiCo, Huang loves poker and plays for fun when he can. Sitting with the big-time pros late in the Main Event in Monaco, Huang is a little starstruck, but not letting it interfere with his game. In the late levels of the day, he's been seated with the likes of Ryan Riess, Sam Greenwood and Manig Loeser at the featured live-streamed table.

“It’s amazing because when I look at them, they’re like my idols. I’m a big fan of most of these players.”

Click here to read the full article at the PokerNews homepage.

Tags: Wei Huang