€3,000 Mystery Bounty | 2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

05-04-2023 17:43 UTC+2

Jon Ander Vallinas Eliminated in 5th Place (€59,200)

Calum Grant

Level 34 : Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante

Jon Ander Vallinas moved all in for around 1,200,000 from the small blind and Anton Kraous called from the big blind.

Jon Ander Vallinas: KxJx
Anton Kraous: A♦4♥

Vallinas could not connect on the 8♣3♦2♠3♣9♣ runout and was eliminated in 5th place for €59,200. He had also managed to claim eight bounties throughout the tournament for €8,000 in total.

Player	Chips	Progress
Anton Kraous	7,000,000	2,900,000
Jeremie Zouari	6,300,000	-1,500,000
Antoine Labat	3,550,000	50,000
Ignacio Sole Aparicio	3,500,000	300,000
Jon Ander Vallinas	Busted

Level: 34

Blinds: 125,000/250,000

Ante: 250,000

05-04-2023 17:42 UTC+2

Action Slows Down Five Handed

Matt Warburton

Level 33 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Action in the €3,000 Mystery Bounty has slowed down considerably five-handed. The pay jumps are now significant, with the difference between fifth and sixth place standing at €17,750.

In one hand that did see a flop, Antoine Labat raised and Anton Kraous called in the small blind. Players checked on a board of J♣Q♠8♦. The turn came the K♠ and players checked again. Labat led out for 700,000 on the 10♦ river and Kraous folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Anton Kraous	4,100,000
Antoine Labat	3,500,000	700,000

Tags: Antoine Labat Anton Kraous

05-04-2023 17:39 UTC+2

Aparicio Chips Up

Calum Grant

Level 33 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Ignacio Sole Aparicio and Antoine Labat went to the A♣6♣3♥ flop in a limped pot between the blinds. The action checked through to the river and Aparicio bet 350,000 and was looked up by Labat.

Aparicio tabled his K♣Q♣ for a pair of queens and Labat mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ignacio Sole Aparicio	3,200,000	-200,000
Antoine Labat	2,800,000	-1,300,000

Tags: Antoine Labat Ignacio Sole Aparicio

05-04-2023 17:33 UTC+2

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

Calum Grant

Level 33 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 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 17:28 UTC+2

Labat Jams the Turn

Calum Grant

Level 33 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Jon Ander Vallinas opened to 400,000 from the cutoff and Antoine Labat called from the big blind. The K♠Q♣5♠ flop checked through to the Q♠ turn. Labat then check-jammed for 2,300,000 after his opponent bet 2,300,000. Vallinas quickly folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Antoine Labat	4,100,000	1,350,000
Jon Ander Vallinas	2,200,000	-700,000

Tags: Antoine Labat Jon Ander Vallinas

05-04-2023 17:15 UTC+2

Andrea Crobu Eliminated in 6th place (€45,550)

Matt Warburton

Level 33 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Anton Kraous raised to 450,000 from under the gun. Action folded to Jeremie Zouari, who called on the button. Andrea Crobu called in the big blind and three players went to the flop.

The flop came 10♥9♠J♦ and players checked to Zouari, who bet out for 200,000. Crobu called and Kraous folded.

The turn was the 3♦ and both players checked. The river came the A♥, Crobu checked and Kraous moved all in for the rest of Crobu's stack, around 1,275,000 effective.

Crobu went into the tank. "Ace-jack?" he asked, before shaking his head. Time passed by in silence as Crobu contemplated his decision. Eventually, he made the call.

Zouari showed his hand first, K♠Q♥. Crobu attempted to muck and the dealer flipped his hand, K♥10♦ for a pair of tens.

Crobu hadn't believed Zouari, but Zouari's bet had been a genuine one. He had flopped the nuts and made the top straight on the river. After winning the hand, he chipped up to give himself a chip lead of more than 2-1 on second place.

Crobu was eliminated in 6th place for €45,550. He had also pulled a €25,000 bounty and two €1,000 bounties to bring his total winnings for the event to €72,550.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jeremie Zouari	7,800,000
Andrea Crobu	Busted

Tags: Andrea Crobu Anton Kraous Jeremie Zouari

Level: 33

Blinds: 100,000/200,000

Ante: 200,000

05-04-2023 17:00 UTC+2

Zouari Checks Blind and Raises

Calum Grant

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Jeremie Zouari defended his big blind after Ignacio Sole Aparicio opened to 300,000 from the button.

Zouari checked in the dark and then raised to 625,000 after his opponent bet 150,000 on the 9♦7♥4♦ flop. Aparicio folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jeremie Zouari	4,950,000
Ignacio Sole Aparicio	3,400,000

05-04-2023 16:59 UTC+2

Labat Limps Aces and Doubles on Flop

Matt Warburton

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Antoine Labat opened the hand with a limp from the cutoff and Anton Kraous checked his option in the big blind.

The flop came 3♦6♥J♦. Kraous checked and Labat bet 150,000. Kraous responded by moving all in for the rest of Labat's stack and Labat made the call for around 1,200,000. Players flipped their cards.

Antoine Labat: A♠A♣
Anton Kraous: J♥5♣

Kraous had flopped a pair of jacks, but Labat had been slow playing pocket aces.

The turn came the 10♠ and the river was the 4♥. Labat's aces held and he doubled up to around 2,750,000.