€2,200 FPS High Roller Day 1a | 2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

04-29-2023 19:06 UTC+2

Kitai Busts Covaciu; Belea Surging

Matt Hansen

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Davidi Kitai raised to 11,800 from the small blind before Paul-Adrian Covaciu shoved his last 45,000 from the big blind. Kitai went into the tank for a few moments before he eventually tossed out the chips to call.

Paul-Adrian Covaciu: A♦10♦
Davidi Kitai: K♣Q♦

The board ran out 7♠K♦5♦8♥2♣ and Kitai's flopped pair of kings was good enough to send Covaciu to the rail.

Meanwhile, 2023 EPT Paris champion Razvan Belea has 146,000 at the same table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Razvan Belea	146,000

Davidi Kitai	103,000 73,000	73,000

Paul-Adrian Covaciu	Busted

Tags: Davidi Kitai Paul-Adrian Covaciu Razvan Belea

04-29-2023 18:53 UTC+2

Odani Out-Kicks Baumann in the Blinds

Adam Lamers

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

The action folded around to Takumi Odani in the small blind who made it 3,000 to go. Gaelle Baumann called from the big blind and the dealer spread the flop of K♦10♥2♣.

Odani continued with a bet of 2,700 and Baumann called to see the A♣ on the turn. Both players checked and the 4♥ completed the board. Two more checks and Odani tabled K♣9♦ for a pair of kings. Baumann had the same pair with K♠7♦ but her seven-kicker wasn't enough.

Player	Chips	Progress
Takumi Odani	189,000 189,000	189,000
Gaelle Baumann	76,900 -10,200	-10,200

Tags: Gaelle Baumann Takumi Odani

04-29-2023 18:46 UTC+2

Spano Sends One to the Rail

Matt Hansen

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

A player in early position raised to 3,000 and Robert Spano called from the button before Christoforos Chatzikyriakos shoved his dwindling stack of around 15,000 from the small blind. The original raiser got out of the way and Spano called to put Chatzikyriakos at risk.

Christoforos Chatzikyriakos: A♥J♣
Robert Spano: 8♠8♦

The board ran out 6♣7♠2♠9♥6♥ and Spano's eights held to send Chatzikyriakos to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Robert Spano	134,000 73,200	73,200
Christoforos Chatzikyriakos	Busted

Tags: Christoforos Chatzikyriakos Robert Spano

Level: 9

Blinds: 600/1,200

Ante: 1,200

04-29-2023 18:10 UTC+2

Break Time

Adam Lamers

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Players are going on a 25-minute break, with more than 830 entries registered in this flight. There are still two more levels to play before they get their 75-minute dinner break, after which registration will close for Day 1a.

04-29-2023 18:00 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

Adam Lamers

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Alessandro Pichierri	203,500 40,100	40,100
Julien Sitbon	90,000 46,000	46,000
Gaelle Baumann	87,100
Nacho Barbero	85,400 50,300	50,300
Dominik Nitsche	84,000
Maria Konnikova	75,300 45,300	45,300

Gianluca Speranza	60,000 30,000	30,000
Aliaksandr Shylko	56,500 56,500	56,500
Felipe Ketzer	56,000 26,000	26,000
Jessica Teusl	52,500
Conor Beresford	48,000
Lander Lijo	30,700
Roberto Romanello	28,200

Arthur Conan	24,000

04-29-2023 17:57 UTC+2

Gala Puts Two in the Tank

Adam Lamers

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Thierry Morel raised it up in early position and was called by Maria Lampropoulos in middle position and Domenico Gala on the button. The flop came 9♠5♣2♥ and Morel continued with a bet of 4,000. Lampropoulos and Gala both called to see the 5♥ on the turn.

The action checked around on the turn and the 8♥ landed on the river. Morel and Lampropoulos checked again but Gala sized up a bet of 18,000. Morel thought for over a minute and finally decided to release his cards. Lampropoulos thought for just as long and eventually laid her hand down as well.

Player	Chips	Progress
Domenico Gala	72,000
Thierry Morel	60,500
Maria Lampropoulos	60,200

Tags: Thierry Morel Maria Lampropoulos Domenico Gala

04-29-2023 17:50 UTC+2

Larrosa Wins Showdown Without Showing Down

Matt Hansen

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Action was heads up with 20,000 in the middle and 2♣10♣K♠5♠ on the board when Tibor Nagygyorgy checked before Cristian Espineira Larrosa bet 9,000. Nagygyorgy called and the river was 4♣.

Nagygyorgy fired 19,500 at the river and mucked his cards when Larrosa called quickly. Larrosa tossed the winning hand in the muck without showing and dragged the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Cristian Espineira Larrosa	141,000
Tibor Nagygyorgy	15,000

Tags: Cristian Espineira Larrosa Tibor Nagygyorgy

Level: 8

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 1,000

04-29-2023 17:34 UTC+2

Liu Wins a Classic Flip

Adam Lamers

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

The action folded around to Arseniy Meshcheryakov and Chun Keat Liu in the blinds who wasted little time getting all of the chips in the middle after a couple of preflop raises. It was Meshcheryakov who was at risk for around 20,000 chips.

Arseniy Meshcheryakov: Q♠Q♣
Chun Keat Liu: A♥K♦

The flop came K♥10♣8♣ and Liu grabbed the lead after flopping a pair of kings. The K♣ on the turn and the 3♠ on the river were no help to Meshcheryakov who was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chun Keat Liu	58,000
Arseniy Meshcheryakov	Busted

Tags: Arseniy Meshcheryakov Chun Keat Liu