€5,300 EPT Main Event Day 1a | 2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

04-30-2023 20:21 UTC+2

Ding Raises Ho

Connor Richards

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Maria Ho opened to 1,600 in the cutoff and Biao Ding flat-called on the button, while the big blind also came along.

The big blind checked on the flop of 6♣2♥6♦ and Ho continued for 2,500. Ding raised to 7,500 and the big blind folded, then Ho also folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maria Ho	80,000 7,000	7,000
Biao Ding	55,000 55,000	55,000

Tags: Biao Ding Maria Ho

Level: 7

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 800

04-30-2023 18:49 UTC+2

Dinner Break

Connor Richards

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Players have been sent on a 75-minute dinner break with the clocks showing 342 entrants so far. Action will pick back up at approximately 8 p.m. local time.

04-30-2023 18:48 UTC+2

Pardo Check-Raises Dudka

Connor Richards

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

In a three-way pot on a flop of 6♥10♠2♠, Juan Pardo checked and Ondrej Drozd also checked before Sergiy Dudka bet 2,000.

Pardo check-raised to 10,000 and Drozd quickly folded before Dudka followed suit as the players prepared for dinner break.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ondrej Drozd	85,000 85,000	85,000
Juan Pardo	45,000 -2,900	-2,900
Sergiy Dudka	40,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Juan Pardo Ondrej Drozd Sergiy Dudka

04-30-2023 18:44 UTC+2

Meragal Triples With Jacks

Connor Richards

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Maduka Meragal opened from early position and Kiryl Asaulenka three-bet to 3,000 on the button. Mauricio Sanchez then four-bet to 11,500 from the small blind and Meragal responded by five-bet jamming a stack of 15,200. Asaulenka called and Sanchez also called.

Sanchez checked on the flop of 7♥7♣4♦ and Asaulenka also checked. Sanchez then led out for a small 8,000 on the 3♣ turn and Asaulenka called.

The Q♠ river checked through and Meragal showed J♥J♠ for a pair of jacks, which was good to win the main pot as his opponents respectively held A♥K♣ and A♦K♦ to chop up the side pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kiryl Asaulenka	60,000 60,000	60,000
Maduka Meragal	46,000 46,000	46,000
Mauricio Sanchez	40,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Kiryl Asaulenka Maduka Meragal Mauricio Sanchez

04-30-2023 18:17 UTC+2

Antonius Joins the Field

Connor Richards

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Finnish poker legend Patrik Antonius, a recent guest on the PokerNews Podcast, has joined the field and sits with a stack of around 33,000.

In a recent hand, Gianfranco Iaculli opened to 1,500 from under the gun and the cutoff called before Patrik Antonius called in the small blind and Peter Jorgne defend his big blind.

The flop of 6♥K♥J♥ checked through and the same action took place on the J♣ turn. Antonius and Jorgne both checked again on the A♠ river and Iaculli took a stab with a bet of 2,500. There were no buyers as all three of his opponents folded in unison.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gianfranco Iaculli	60,000 60,000	60,000
Peter Jorgne	50,000 -25,000	-25,000
Patrik Antonius	33,000 33,000	33,000

Tags: Gianfranco Iaculli Patrik Antonius Peter Jorgne

04-30-2023 18:08 UTC+2

Nuhogiu Takes With River Jam; Kade Joins the Flight

Matt Hansen

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Ernie Nuhogiu raised to 1,500 from early position and Landron Alexandre called from the cutoff before Markkos Ladev came along from the big blind.

The flop was J♦8♣9♠ and Ladev checked before Nuhogiu bet 2,500. Alexandre called and Ladev got out of the way.

The turn was 4♠ and Nuhogiu fired 5,000. Alexandre called and the river was Q♠. Nuhogiu comitted his last 5,000 but it was too much for Alexandre and he got away from it.

Elsewhere at the same table, Vanessa Kade has taken her seat for the Main Event.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vanessa Kade	38,500
Ernie Nuhogiu	26,700
Markkos Ladev	23,200

Landron Alexandre	13,500

Tags: Ernie Nuhogiu Landron Alexandre Markkos Ladev Vanessa Kade

Level: 6

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

04-30-2023 17:44 UTC+2

Botez Falls to Better Straight

Connor Richards

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Alexandra Botez had a strong start that saw her nearly doubling her stack early, but the popular chess streamer is no more after a cooler against Antonio Buonanno.

As relayed to PokerNews, Buonanno opened to 1,000 and Botez three-bet to 3,000. Buonanno called.

The flop of Kx9x8x checked through and Botez bet 6,000 on the 7x turn. Buonanno called. Botez then bet 10,000 on the 10x river and Buonanno raised to put her all in. Botez called.

Buonanno tabled QxJx for the nut straight, while Botez showed AxJx for a worse straight to be eliminated toward the end of Level 5.

Player	Chips	Progress
Antonio Buonanno	75,000 43,000	43,000

Alexandra Botez	Busted

Tags: Alexandra Botez Antonio Buonanno

04-30-2023 17:39 UTC+2

PokerNews Freerolls Offer Readers More Added Value on PokerStars in May

Matt Hansen

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

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Date	Time (GMT)	Name	Added Prize Money
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Sun 14 May	7:00 p.m.	PokerNews Weekly Freeroll	$250
Sun 21 May	7:00 p.m.	PokerNews Weekly Freeroll	$100
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