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

04-30-2023 13:07 UTC+2

Botez Bluffs, Gets Called By Worse

Connor Richards

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Chess streamer Alexandra Botez was in the hijack in a heads-up pot against Ehsan Amiri on the button on a flop of A♦K♠8♦.

Botez checked and Amiri bet 1,200. Botez check-raised to 3,500 and Amiri called. Botez then checked on the J♥ turn and Amiri checked back.

The 2♦ river completed the board and Botez sat still before tossing out a bet of 10,000. Amiri went deep into the tank for several minutes and tried to get some information out of the chess pro before calling.

Botez tabled A♥3♥ for a pair of aces and it was enough to win the pot as those as the table expressed their shock when Amiri mucked in defeat.

"I don't know who was more surprised!" said one of the table mates.

"Oh, definitely me!" laughed Botez. "I promised myself I would stop bluffing."

"It's a good value bet!" laughed another player at the table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alexandra Botez	45,000 15,000	15,000
Ehsan Amiri	10,000 3,500	3,500

Tags: Alexandra Botez Ehsan Amiri

Level: 2

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 200

04-30-2023 12:58 UTC+2

O'Neill Drags a Double

Matt Hansen

Level 1 : Blinds 100/100, 100 ante

Ken Demlakian jumped out of the gates today but Jack O'Neill was seen pulling in a double to slow him down.

The board read 2♦A♦K♥K♣3♣ and O'Neill had tabled A♣Q♠ to take the pot with aces and kings. Demlakian's hand was in the muck and his stack was a bit lighter, but still above the starting stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ken Demlakian	34,000
Jack O'Neill	32,800

Tags: Jack O'Neill Ken Demlakian

04-30-2023 12:46 UTC+2

Livestream Coverage of the FPS Main Event Final Table Starts Soon

Matt Hansen

Level 1 : Blinds 100/100, 100 ante

Seven consecutive days of cards-up coverage from #EPTMonteCarlo start today.
— James Hartigan (@J_Hartigan)

04-30-2023 12:44 UTC+2

Ho Goes Paid With a Flush

Connor Richards

Level 1 : Blinds 100/100, 100 ante

The under-the-gun player opened to 300 and got three callers, including Fiodor Martino in the hijack and Maria Ho on the button.

Action checked to Ho on the 2♠Q♣J♠ flop and Ho bet 800. Only Martino called. Martino checked again on the K♣ turn and Ho sized up to 2,300. Martino again called.

Martino checked a third time on the 6♠ river and Ho announced a bet of 5,500. Martino called, only to muck when the Women in Poker Hall of Famer showed 9♠8♠ for a rivered flush.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maria Ho	38,000 11,500	11,500

Fiodor Martino	22,000 22,000	22,000

Tags: Fiodor Martino Maria Ho

04-30-2023 12:34 UTC+2

PN Podcast: Guest Patrik Antonius Talks EPT, WSOP & Record Hand Against Eric Persson

Matt Hansen

Level 1 : Blinds 100/100, 100 ante

On the latest PokerNews Podcast episode, Chad Holloway and Jesse Fullen give updates on the PokerNews Cup on Global Poker, as well as the Matt Berkey vs. Nik Airball grudge match. Additionally, they discuss Nate Silver being out at 538, Patrick Leonard going back-to-back in the PartyPoker Sunday Party, and poker players having their fines dismissed from the Watauga Social Poker Club raid.

As for Connor, he chats with the legendary Patrik Antonius, who shares his plans for both the PokerStars EPT presented by Monte-Carlo Casino® and 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP), what it was like to capture his first Triton High Roller title, and of course, winning the largest pot ever broadcast on a US Live Stream. The new WSOP Thrill Team Ambassador also shares his thoughts on the current state of online poker. Don't miss your chance to hear from the Finnish poker legend!

Finally, Chad is headed down to Florida for the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown from April 28-May 2; while Jesse will head down to PokerGO Studio for the High Stakes Poker Live Stream.

Listen to the New PokerNews Podcast Here!

04-30-2023 12:28 UTC+2

Some Early Notables

Connor Richards

Level 1 : Blinds 100/100, 100 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Alexandra Botez	30,000 30,000	30,000
Romain Lewis	30,000 30,000	30,000
Peter Kvisthammar	30,000 30,000	30,000
Masato Yokosawa	30,000 30,000	30,000
Bruno Lopes	30,000

04-30-2023 12:23 UTC+2

Jorgne Takes an Early One

Matt Hansen

Level 1 : Blinds 100/100, 100 ante

Nicolas Julien raised to 300 from the cutoff and Alfonso Simone came along from the button before Peter Jorgne and Marcello Miniucchi joined the action from the blinds to make it a four-player family pot in early Day 1a action.

The flop was 7♣5♣9♣ and it checked to Julien for a bet of 600. Simone got out of the way and Jorgne called before Miniucchi tossed his hand into the muck.

The turn was 6♠ and Jorgne fired 3,200. Julien called and the river was 2♠.

Jorgne took a beat on the river before he tossed out 11,500, but it was too much for Julien and he gave up the pot.

The Swede drags in the early pot on a quest for another deep run after his second place finish at this year's EPT Main Event in Paris.

Player	Chips	Progress
Peter Jorgne	37,400 37,400	37,400
Alfonso Simone	31,000 31,000	31,000
Marcello Miniucchi	30,600 30,600	30,600
Nicolas Julien	26,000 26,000	26,000

Tags: Alfonso Simone Marcello Miniucchi Nicolas Julien Peter Jorgne

04-30-2023 12:14 UTC+2

Ketola Takes from Ho With Ladies

Connor Richards

Level 1 : Blinds 100/100, 100 ante

Maria Ho raised to 400 from the small blind and Ossi Ketola three-bet to 1,400 in the big blind. Ho called.

Ho checked on the flop of 9♦2♣8♣ and Ketola bet continued for 1,100. Ho check-raised to 3,000 and Ketola called. Ho checked on the K♥ turn and Ketola checked back.

Ho checked a third time on the 3♦ and Ketola also checked. Ho showed Q♠9♠ for a pair of nines, but it was no good against the queens of Ketola with Q♥Q♦.