€1,100 FPS Main Event Day 1a | 2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

04-26-2023 13:51 UTC+2

"My Pocket Pair Not Good Enough"

Connor Richards

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Marcin Puczylowski opened to 600 in the cutoff and George Rotariu defended out of the big blind.

Rotariu checked on the J♣Q♣K♦ flop and Puczylowski continued for 500. Rotariu called. Rotariu checked again on the Q♦ turn and Puczylowski checked back.

The J♠ river completed the board and Rotariu led out for 1,400. Puczylowski quickly called.

"My pocket pair not good enough!" Rotariu cried as he flipped over 3♥3x for a counterfeited pair, which meant he was playing the board. Puczylowski showed A♦J♦ to win the pot with a full house.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marcin Puczylowski	33,000 33,000	33,000
George Rotariu	27,000 27,000	27,000

Tags: George Rotariu Marcin Puczylowski

04-26-2023 14:04 UTC+2

Lika Rivers Kyte

Connor Richards

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Jon Kyte opened to 600 on the button and Kujtim Lika called out of the big blind.

Lika checked on the flop of 2♦3♠2♣ and Kyte bet 400. Lika called. Lika checked again on the 10♣ turn and Kyte checked back.

The 8♣ river completed the board and Lika led out for 800. Kyte called. Lika showed Q♦8♠ for a rivered pair of eights and the Norwegian gave a smile before tossing his hand in the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jon Kyte	32,000 32,000	32,000

Kujtim Lika	26,000 26,000	26,000

Tags: Jon Kyte

04-26-2023 14:06 UTC+2

Soubra Sends Samoylov To The Reentry Desk

Andrew Knowles

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

In a heads-up pot with 2,700 in the middle on a flop showing J♠8♥6♥, Hassan Soubra led out from the big blind for 1,200 and Roman Samoylov quickly put in a raise to 4,500 in the cutoff.

Soubra took a second before announcing all in, covering the 19,000 remaining for Samoylov, who went deep in the tank. After close to two minutes of thought, Samoylov tossed in the rest of his chips for the call and the hands were shown.

Roman Samoylov: J♥10♠
Hassan Soubra: J♣8♠

Soubra was well ahead with his flopped two-pair and when the board ran out K♥5♣, Soubra's hand held up to send Samoylov to the reentry desk for a fresh stack of 30,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Hassan Soubra	55,000 55,000	55,000
Roman Samoylov	30,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Hassan Soubra Roman Samoylov

04-26-2023 14:24 UTC+2

Pyttel Puts The Pressure On

Andrew Knowles

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Uzeyir Topchibashev opened the action from middle position to 600 and both Markus Pyttel in the hijack and Jorge Pardo in the big blind made the call.

The flop came 10♠7♣4♠ and Pardo checked to Topchibashev who tossed out a bet of 1,000. Pyttel decided on a raise to 2,600 and only Topchibashev came along.

The 6♦ hit the turn and Topchibashev checked to Pyttel who kept up the aggression with a bet of 4,000. Topchibashev weighed his options, but in the end made the fold and the pot was sent to Pyttel.

Player	Chips	Progress
Markus Pyttel	35,000 35,000	35,000
Jorge Pardo	28,000 28,000	28,000
Uzeyir Topchibashev	21,000 -11,000	-11,000

Tags: Jorge Pardo Markus Pyttel Uzeyir Topchibashev

04-26-2023 14:25 UTC+2

"Always the Israeli:" Koko Cracks Aces to Bust Demlakian

Connor Richards

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

An early position player opened to 500 and Yonatan Koko called in middle position before two players called behind him. Ken Demlakian three-bet out of the small blind and only Koko called.

"Always the Israeli!" laughed Demlakian. "When there's a murder, they always say it's the husband or the butler. But here, it's always the Israeli!"

Demlakian checked on the 9♠Q♣2♦ flop and Koko bet 2,000. Demlakian called and as he did so, asked his opponent how he got "that bump on your nose."

"You want to know the truth?" asked Koko. "It happened today. I was looking at Google Maps and walked into a pole."

As this conversation took place, Demlakian checked again on the 3♣ turn and Koko bet 4,000. The conversation died down as Demlakian check-raised all in to send Koko into the tank.

"You had enough of the game? I think you've had enough of the game," Koko said before making the call with his opponent covered.

Ken Demlakian: A♥A♦
Yonatan Koko: Q♦10♦

Demlakian was ahead with aces but that changed when the dealer put down the 10♣ on the river to give Koko two pair to mark the Australian's elimination.

"He said it's always the Israeli!" Koko said after his opponent left.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yonatan Koko	70,000 70,000	70,000
Ken Demlakian	Busted

Tags: Ken Demlakian Yonatan Koko

Level: 3

Blinds: 100/300

Ante: 300

04-26-2023 14:46 UTC+2

Duzgun Flops a Monster

Andrew Knowles

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

The action was picked up in a heads-up pot with roughly 7,000 in the middle on a board showing 9♥6♥5♥8♣. Samiyel Duzgun bet out 6,200 from the hijack and Jacques Der Megreditchian put in a raise to 15,200 on the button. Duzgun took close to a minute before he made the call.

The Q♥ completed the board and Duzgun quickly checked to Der Megreditchian who eventually checked back to a showdown. Duzgun tabled J♥4♥ for a flopped flush and took down the pot when Der Megreditchian tossed his cards into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Samiyel Duzgun	42,000
Jacques Der Megreditchian	14,000

04-26-2023 14:48 UTC+2

Petit Takes a Small One from Koko

Connor Richards

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

The under-the-gun player limped in for 300 and Rosalie Petit raised from the cutoff. Yonatan Koko called in the big blind and the under-the-gun player also called.

Action checked to Petit on the flop of 2♥7♠3♥ and she continued for 1,600. Only Koko called. Koko checked again on the 9♥ turn and Petit fired for 3,500. Koko laid it down.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yonatan Koko	68,000 -2,000	-2,000
Rosalie Petit	28,000 28,000	28,000

Tags: Rosalie Petit Yonatan Koko

04-26-2023 14:58 UTC+2

Cammarata Squeezes Out Columbe

Connor Richards

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

Claude Columbe opened to 1,000 in early position and the hijack, button and small blind all called before Gianluca Cammarata increased the price of entry with a three-bet to 8,000.

Columbe slammed his cards in the muck in frustration and the three other players left to act all followed suit by folding.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gianluca Cammarata	35,000 35,000	35,000
Claude Columbe	30,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Claude Columbe Gianluca Cammarata

04-26-2023 15:02 UTC+2

First Break of the Day

Andrew Knowles

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

Players are now on their first 20-minute break of the day. There are currently 253 entries in the field with registration and reentry still open until the end of Level 10. The action will pick up shortly.