€1,100 FPS Main Event Day 2 | 2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

04-28-2023 18:44 UTC+2

Zerjav Doubles Patka

Frank Visser

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Blaz Zerjav opened the action from the hijack with a raise to 40,000. The action folded to small blind Tomas Patka and he went all in for 314,000. Zerjav asked for a count and made the call to put Patka at risk.

Tomas Patka: Q♦Q♥
Blaz Zerjav: A♣9♣

No ace or enough clubs were seen on the 2♠K♥5♣7♥10♣ runout, securing Patka's double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tomas Patka	658,000 497,000	497,000

Blaz Zerjav	425,000 -32,000	-32,000

Tags: Blaz Zerjav Tomas Patka

04-28-2023 18:43 UTC+2

Alija Takes Three-Bet Pot

Andrew Knowles

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Ignacio Puebla Alija opened the action to 40,000 from middle position and Julien Stropoli put in a three-bet to 120,000 from the hijack. The rest of the table got out of the way and Alija made the call.

The flop fanned out K♣10♠2♦ and Alija check-called a bet of 90,000 from Stropoli. On the 8♣ turn play slowed down with a check from both players. The 6♦ peeled off on the river and again action went check-check.

Alija rolled over A♦10♦ for a pair of tens and scooped the pot when Stropoli mucked his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ignacio Puebla Alija	1,580,000 1,100,000	1,100,000
Julien Stropoli	340,000 244,000	244,000

Tags: Ignacio Puebla Alija Julien Stropoli

04-28-2023 18:25 UTC+2

Small Bets Succeed for Petakovic

Frank Visser

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Milos Petakovic started the day as chip leader and is steadily maintaining his position in the upper regions of the leaderboard. In the latest pot he played, Quentin Laugt raised to 40,000 from the cutoff and Petakovic responded with a three-bet to 125,000 from the button. The rest of the table folded and Laugt quickly put in the extra chips.

The flop appeared K♥3♣7♥. Laugt checked to Petakovic who put out a small bet of 45,000. Laugt check-raised it to 125,000 and Petakovic called after giving the situation some thought.

Laugt slowed down on the 7♠ turn and checked again. Petakovic gathered a few chips, totalling 65,000, and put them in the middle. This tiny amount was enough to let Laugt lay his hand down and Petakovic added some more chips to his ever-growing stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Milos Petakovic	1,700,000 1,090,000	1,090,000

Quentin Laugt	440,000 -2,000	-2,000

Tags: Milos Petakovic Quentin Laugt

04-28-2023 18:17 UTC+2

Thiemer Eliminates Two Opponents

Andrew Knowles

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Frederik Thiemer opened to 35,000 from the hijack and Leon Sturm moved all in for 247,000 next to act. It folded to Ali Nikravesh in the small blind who shoved over the top to 542,000. Action was back on Thiemer, who took a moment but eventually made the call to put both players at risk.

Leon Sturm: 6♣6♠
Ali Nikravesh: A♦Q♥
Frederik Thiemer: 10♥10♦

The board ran out clean for the tens of Thiemer, J♠4♦2♠2♣3♣, and both Sturm and Nikravesh were sent to the payout desk.

Player	Chips	Progress
Frederik Thiemer	1,500,000 1,444,000	1,444,000

Ali Nikravesh	Busted
Leon Sturm	Busted

Tags: Ali Nikravesh Frederik Thiemer Leon Sturm

04-28-2023 18:11 UTC+2

"What a Setup'': Orpaz Falls as Ouaret Makes Bigger Boat

Connor Richards

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Tom Orpaz started the day by tripling his stack in the first hour and things mainly went up from there. Then it all came crashing down as the real estate investor tangled with the only player at the table who had him covered, in what was surely the biggest pot of the tournament so far.

In a three-way pot on a flop of 7♠A♥8♠, Orpaz bet 50,000 and Djamel Ouaret called, as did a third player in the hand, Richard Heveli.

Orpaz sized up to 200,000 on the J♥ turn and only Ouaret called. Orpaz, who started the hand with around a million chips, checked on the A♣ river and raised all in when Ouaret took the opportunity to bet. Ouaret called and Orpaz was stunned when he saw what the Frenchman turned over.

Ouaret showed A♦J♦ for aces full of jacks as Orpaz showed J♣J♠ for an inferior full house, revealing Ouaret had hit a two-outer on the river to eliminate Orpaz and take the tournament chip lead.

"Ace-jack, the only thing that beats me," Orpaz told PokerNews afterward. "And I have jacks."

"It was a good run," he sighed. "What can you do? What a f***in' setup."

Player	Chips	Progress
Djamel Ouaret	2,100,000 1,770,000	1,770,000
Richard Heveli	600,000 286,000	286,000
Tom Orpaz	Busted

Tags: Djamel Ouaret Richard Heveli Tom Orpaz

04-28-2023 18:08 UTC+2

These Eliminations Have Shrunk the Field to Fewer than 100 Players (€3,320)

Frank Visser

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Dirk Noortman	Busted
Bjorn Kozenkai	Busted
Johann Zeitoun	Busted
Bing Zhou	Busted
Siarhei Sharkota	Busted
Eugenio Peralta	Busted
Peter Charalambous	Busted
Danielle Noja	Busted
Lucas Silva Rocha	Busted
Adrian Pacheco	Busted
Eric Bennici	Busted
Franck Kalfon	Busted
Francesco Delfoco	Busted
Nicolas Tytgat	Busted
David Hareuveni	Busted
Francesco Di Profio	Busted
Nourredine Aittaleb	Busted
Antonio Beatrice	Busted
Raoul Iancovici	Busted
Marco Monello	Busted
Omar Lakhdari	Busted
Govert Metaal	Busted

Level: 22

Blinds: 10,000/20,000

Ante: 20,000

04-28-2023 18:00 UTC+2

Guido Coolers Cannistra

Frank Visser

Level 21 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Dario Cannistra opened from under the gun to 35,000 and received a call from Corrado Martinelli in the hijack. Brice Guido was on the button and put in the squeeze to 90,000. The action was back on Cannistra, who four-bet jammed for 390,000. Martinelli eyed his fellow countryman's stack, but ended up folding reluctantly.

Guido, on the other hand, asked for an exact count and made the call immediately after receiving the correct information.

Dario Cannistra Q♣Q♠
Brice Guido: K♠K♦

Cannistra was at risk and received a grim-looking flop of 5♠9♠8♠, giving his opponent a higher flush draw. Drawing to one direct out, Cannistra's chances were looking slim and his fate was sealed as a pair of ducks appeared on the table to complete the runout 2♥2♦.

Martinelli claimed to have folded AxQx while Cannistra stood up and gave Guido a friendly pat on the back.

Player	Chips	Progress
Brice Guido	1,200,000 620,000	620,000
Corrado Martinelli	490,000 60,000	60,000
Dario Cannistra	Busted

Tags: Brice Guido Corrado Martinelli Dario Cannistra

04-28-2023 17:52 UTC+2

Zeitoun Doubles Through Zhou

Connor Richards

Level 21 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Johann Zeitoun was all in from the small blind against Bing Zhou in middle position, who had him slightly covered.

Johann Zeitoun: A♦Q♠
Bing Zhou: 8♦8♥

Zeitoun was able to survive the flip for a double as the board ran out Q♦10♠5♦6♣5♣ to pair his queen, while Zhou was left with just a few big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Johann Zeitoun	360,000 82,000	82,000
Bing Zhou	40,000 -107,000	-107,000

Tags: Johann Zeitoun Bing Zhou

04-28-2023 17:49 UTC+2

Sellam Takes Massive Pot

Andrew Knowles

Level 21 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

In a heads-up pot with just over 500,000 in the middle and a flop showing 9♠8♥6♥, Rubens Sellam checked from the big blind over to Vasken Demlakian on the button, who bet out 165,000. Sellam made the call and the pair saw the 5♥ turn.

Sellam took a moment before leading out for 500,000 and Demlakian went deep in the tank. After thinking for close to a minute, Demlakian reluctantly let his hand go and the massive pot was shipped to Sellam, who now inches closer to two million chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rubens Sellam	1,600,000 1,097,000	1,097,000
Vasken Demlakian	720,000 720,000	720,000

Tags: Rubens Sellam Vasken Demlakian