€25,000 EPT High Roller Day 1 | 2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

05-04-2023 18:23 UTC+2

Kisacikoglu Makes Quads To Send Luhut To The Rail

Andrew Knowles

Level 5 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Jean-Vincent Lehut opened to 900 from middle position and it folded to Orpen Kisacikoglu in the small blind who three-bet to 4,100. Lehut elected on a four-bet to 9,500 and Kisacikoglu made the call.

The flop came J♣9♥2♣ and Kisacikoglu checked to Lehut who continued for 10,000. Kisacikoglu pondered for a moment before putting in a check-raise to 25,000. Lehut quickly moved all in for close to 55,000 and Kisacikoglu snap-called with a slightly bigger stack.

Jean-Vincent Lehut: A♣K♣
Orpen Kisacikoglu: 9♦9♠

Lehut flopped the nut-flush draw while Kisacikoglu flopped a set. The turn fell the 9♣ to seal the deal for Kisacikoglu who made quads and the inconsequential 3♣ completed the runout, sending Lehut to the exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
Orpen Kisacikoglu	148,000 104,000	104,000
Jean-Vincent Lehut	Busted

Tags: Jean-Vincent Lehut Orpen Kisacikoglu

05-04-2023 18:20 UTC+2

High Stakes Legend Patrik Antonius Says Live Streams Should "Focus on the Poker"

Connor Richards

Level 5 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

While many of the biggest stars from poker's golden era of the mid-2000s are only mentioned in "Where Are They Now?" pieces, Patrik Antonius is not one of them. In fact, the Finland all-time money leader is as relevant as ever.

Not only is Antonius still regularly competing in the televised cash games that boosted his career early on, he is also a force to be reckoned with in on the current high roller tournament scene and even won his first Triton title last year. Additionally, Antonius recently signed on as an ambassador for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Thrill Team, something he said he got involved in "accidentally" before adding that he was "happy to get invited to join the Thrill Team."

"It's nice," Antonius said. "WSOP is a big brand and they have a lot of influence in the industry. And it's nice that they have this app so a lot of new players can have an experience playing poker on an app like this for free. And if they like it they can start playing for real money and so on. So it's nice, it's nice that they have an app like this."

Antonius appeared as a guest on the most recent episode of the PokerNews Podcast and spoke about winning his first Triton title, how High Stakes Poker impacted his career and representing the WSOP Thrill Team in the upcoming Main Event. The full conversation with the Finnish poker legend can be heard here.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON PATRIK ANTONIUS!

05-04-2023 18:10 UTC+2

Shimizu Calls the Cards

Frank Visser

Level 5 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

''Two-two'', Nozomu Shimizu said from under the gun, as he raised to 2,200. Emil Bise flatted the raise from the cutoff before Hirokazu Kobayashi three-bet from the big blind. Shimizu then four-bet jammed his starting stack in the middle, still exclaiming ''two-two''. Bise got out of the way, but Kobayashi, who was sitting on only 15,000 chips, made the call.

Hirokazu Kobayashi: Q♥Q♦
Nozomu Shimizu: K♣K♦

Shimizu would be the victor in the Japanese showdown, as he almost immediately locked up the board when the flop came K♥2♠8♠. The 2♦ threw out the possibility of runner-runner quads, and the 3♣ river was dealt as a formality.

Kobayashi kept laughing throughout the ordeal, while Felipe Ketzer pointed at the pair of ducks on the board and said: ''You called the cards! That's how you win tournaments.''

Player	Chips	Progress
Emil Bise	42,000 -8,000	-8,000
Hirokazu Kobayashi	33,000 -17,000	-17,000
Nozomu Shimizu	26,000 26,000	26,000

Tags: Emil Bise Felipe Ketzer Hirokazu Kobayashi Nozomu Shimizu

05-04-2023 17:52 UTC+2

No Longer World Chess Champion, Magnus Carlsen Sets Sights On Poker

Connor Richards

Level 5 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen shocked the public in July 2022 when he announced that he wouldn't be defending the title he had held for a decade. And while Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren were at St. Regis Hotel in Kazakhstan last month battling to take his place as supreme leader of the chess world, Carlsen was getting ready for a trip to the sunny Mediterranean coast.

Carlsen made a deep run extending into Day 3 in the EPT Monte Carlo €5,300 Main Event as part of 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) presented by Monte-Carlo Casino® before falling in 63th place €15,000.

In his first interview since giving up his World Chess Champion Title, Carlsen sat down with PokerNews and PokerStars for an exclusive look at what the future holds for the 32-year-old Norwegian chess prodigy.

READ ABOUT CARLSEN'S DEEP RUN AT EPT MONTE CARLO!

05-04-2023 16:58 UTC+2

Kudzmanas Scoops Huge in Double Bust-Out Bonanza

Frank Visser

Level 4 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

In a three-way clash between Marius Kudzmanas, Gianluca Speranza, and Yaman Nakdali, the pot had grown to a humongous 37,000 before a turn was dealt.

After that did happen, the board read K♠3♦Q♦8♠ and Kudzmanas bet another 14,000 from under the gun into the ever-growing pot. Both his opponents matched the bet, inflating the pot to well over 250 big blinds.

The action did not stop at that point, however, as when the 8♣ river completed the board, Speranza, who was in the hijack, announced his all-in. Button Nakdali asked for a count and made the call for 26,300 after he received a confirmation.

Kudzmanas then rejammed his own stack in the middle, totaling 52,300. This covered Nakdali by a fair margin, but he felt he was committed as he put in the rest of his stack with a big sigh.

Kudzmanas then tabled K♦K♣ for the best full house possible, and the second nuts. Neither player had the one combination of quads that could beat him, as Speranza showed J♠10♠ for a missed combo draw and Nakdali could not make anything higher than trips with his J♦8♦.

A huge pot for Kudzmanas, who is now sitting on a gigantic stack of over 500 big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marius Kudzmanas	155,600 105,600	105,600

Gianluca Speranza	Busted
Yaman Nakdali	Busted

Tags: Gianluca Speranza Marius Kudzmanas Yaman Nakdali

05-04-2023 16:37 UTC+2

Beresford Bluffs Big in Three-Way Spot

Frank Visser

Level 4 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

Conor Beresford, Cristoph Vogelsang and Fabiano Kovalski had arrived on the river in a modest pot of 6,300. The board read 10♦10♠Q♣6♠2♠ and Beresford checked from middle position before Vogelsang made a bet of 3,500. Kovalski made the call before Beresford baffled his opponents by jamming all of his 53,300 chips in the middle.

Vogelsang played 38,700 total and was deep in the tank. He used four time bank extensions before slamming a stack of chips in the middle to signify a call. Kovalski then quickly got out of the way so that the other two could have a showdown.

Beresford tabled Q♦6♦ for two pair that were turned into a bluff. Vogelsang triumphantly showed his K♣10♣ for flopped trips, while Kovalski claimed he folded the best hand with a queen-high flush.

Vogelsang secured a big double-up while Beresford was left with just under 50 big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christoph Vogelsang	83,700 31,300	31,300
Fabiano Kovalski	52,400 6,400	6,400
Conor Beresford	14,600 -35,400	-35,400

Tags: Conor Beresford Cristoph Vogelsang Fabiano Kovalski

05-04-2023 15:49 UTC+2

Ho Jumps In, Takes from Grafton

Frank Visser

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

Maria Ho has also entered the €25,000 EPT High Roller and was involved in a pot with Sam Grafton.

She raised to 700 from under the gun and Grafton responded with a three-bet to 2,500. The action folded back to Ho who made the call. The flop of 9♣4♠8♣ showed itself and both players checked.

The J♥ turn saw Ho retake the aggressive route as she put a bet of 3,600 out. Grafton made the call before the pair reverted to checking again on the 10♥ river.

Ho showed down K♠J♠ for a turned top pair and it beat Grafton's cards, which quickly hit the muck.

Shortly thereafter, Andre Leathern showed up at the table to take his seat.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maria Ho	60,000 10,000	10,000

Sam Grafton	59,500 9,500	9,500

Andrew Leathem	50,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Maria Ho Sam Grafton

05-04-2023 15:19 UTC+2

Heath Raises a Flush, Miskolaitis Folds One

Frank Visser

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

There was a 9,000 pot brewing between Ben Heat and Dominykas Mikolaitis. A completed board of 2♥6♥7♥9♥A♥ was in the middle and Heath checked from the big blind to Mikolaitis on the button.

He put out a bet of 3,000 and Heath responded with a raise to 18,000. Mikolaitis utilized one of his time bank chips before eventually finding the fold, putting Heath back above starting stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dominykas Mikolaitis	60,000 2,700	2,700

Ben Heath	54,000 11,000	11,000

Tags: Ben Heat Dominykas Mikolaitis

05-04-2023 14:39 UTC+2

Thorel First to Exit

Frank Visser

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

In a blind-on-blind battle, Nacho Barbero and Jean-Noel Thorel had already put in nearly 60 big blinds preflop. The pot was 11,800 as the 10♦8♠3♠ was dealt and Barbero checked his option. Thorel then fired for 10,000 before Barbero requested to take a look at his opponent's remaining chips.

Thorel had 20,400 behind, and Barbero, who was already playing a rather large stack, put him to the test by putting a stack of T-5,000 chips in the middle, enough to put Thorel all in. Thorel sighed while he quickly made the call.

Jean-Noel Thorel: 8♥6♥
Nacho Barbero: K♣K♦

Thorel had flopped middle pair, but was outclassed by the kings of Barbero. The turn 3♥ left Thorel with just the two remaining eights as outs, but a king came instead on the K♥ river.

Thorel was the first of the field to exit, but he wasted no time and immediately made use of his option for a single reentry and rejoined the fray.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nacho Barbero	140,000 74,000	74,000

Jean-Noel Thorel	50,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Jean-Noel Thorel Nacho Barbero

05-04-2023 13:59 UTC+2

Vieira Victorious in Four-Way Pot

Frank Visser

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Joao Vieira raised to 600 preflop from under the gun, and received calls from Julien Sitbon in the hijack, Cesar Garcia on the button, and Mikhail Rudoy in the small blind.

The quartet saw a flop of 8♦10♠K♣ and the action checked to Sitbon, who put out a bet worth 800 chips. Garcia made the call and so did Vieira, while Rudoy was the only one to fold his hand.

All three players checked the A♦ turn before Vieira retook the initiative on the 5♦ river by betting 3,100. Sitbon quickly folded but Garcia thought for a while and ended up making the call.

Vieira showed down Q♣J♦ for Broadway, and that was enough to win the pot, as Garcia slid his cards towards the muck.