€5,300 EPT Main Event Day 3 | 2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

05-03-2023 18:45 UTC+2

Lodge Can't Win Flip to Stay Alive

Andrew Knowles

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Artur Martirosian opened the action to 22,000 from early position and Nicola Grieco made the call next to act. It folded to Kelvin Kerber on the button who also made the call and Harry Lodge elected to move all in from the big blind for 186,000 total. Martirosian moved all in over the top, covering the rest of his opponents, who quickly got out of the way and the cards were on their backs.

Harry Lodge: A♦K♠
Artur Martirosian: Q♠Q♣

It was a classic flip situation, but when the board ran out Q♦4♥3♥2♠A♣, it was the queens for Martirosian that made a set to send Lodge to the exit in 50th place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Artur Martirosian	1,820,000 170,000	170,000

Kelvin Kerber	455,000 11,000	11,000
Nicola Grieco	213,000 -186,000	-186,000

Harry Lodge	Busted

Tags: Artur Martirosian Harry Lodge Kelvin Kerber Nicola Grieco

05-03-2023 18:43 UTC+2

Fisz Goes on a Rollercoaster

Calum Grant

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Orpen Kisacikoglu opened to 20,000 from early position and was called by Elias Fisz and Salvatore Camarda from the cutoff and the big blind.

Action checked to Fisz on the K♠Q♥3♣ flop and he bet 30,000. Only Camarda called. The 6♥ turn checked through to the A♦ river and Camarda led out for 70,000 and was snap-called. Camarda has the goods, as he held the J♥10♥ for the rivered nuts.

"Oh my god," exclaimed Fisz repeatedly until the next hand was dealt. When action folded to Fisz, he moved all in for 219,000 and was quickly called by Pieter Aerts from the big blind.

Elias Fisz: JxJx
Pieter Aerts: A♦Q♦

It was a classic race, but this time the pocket jacks held out as the board ran out with the 10♦8♣4♣K♠6♦.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pieter Aerts	1,175,000 75,000	75,000
Elias Fisz	453,000 18,000	18,000
Salvatore Camarda	360,000 120,000	120,000
Orpen Kisacikoglu	340,000 -319,000	-319,000

Tags: Elias Fisz Orpen Kisacikoglu Pieter Aerts Salvatore Camarda

05-03-2023 18:26 UTC+2

Baggenstos Runs Into a Flush To Hit The Rail

Andrew Knowles

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Moritz Baggenstos opened the action to 20,000 from the hijack and both Elias Fisz on the button and Jimmy Torres Velasquez in the big blind made the call.

The flop came A♥Q♦4♥ and Velasquez checked to Baggenstos who continued for 22,000, which only Fisz called. The 3♥ hit the turn and Baggenstos quickly moved all in for 127,000. Fisz double-checked his cards before making the call to put Beggenstos at risk.

Moritz Baggenstos: A♣9♦
Elias Fisz: 10♥8♥

Fisz turned a flush, unfortunately for Baggenstos, who was drawing dead. The inconsequential 5♣ hit the river and Baggenstos was sent to the rail in 55th place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Elias Fisz	435,000 316,000	316,000
Jimmy Torres Velasquez	260,000 -153,000	-153,000
Moritz Baggenstos	Busted

Tags: Elias Fisz Jimmy Torres Velasquez Moritz Baggenstos

05-03-2023 18:18 UTC+2

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

Connor Richards

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 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!

05-03-2023 18:09 UTC+2

Martirosian Finds Nut Flush Against Seidel

Connor Richards

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Erik Seidel opened to 22,000 from the cutoff and Artur Martirosian defended out of the big blind.

Martirosian checked on the flop of K♠6♠7♣ and Seidel checked back. Martirosian checked again on the Q♠ turn and Seidel again checked back.

The J♠ completed the board and Martirosian put out an overbet of 60,000. Seidel called, only to muck as the Russian showed A♠6♦ for a rivered nut flush.

Player	Chips	Progress
Artur Martirosian	1,350,000 155,000	155,000

Erik Seidel	500,000 -140,000	-140,000

Tags: Artur Martirosian Erik Seidel

05-03-2023 18:06 UTC+2

Wheeler Picks Off Bluff From Chip Leader

Andrew Knowles

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

The action folded to Jason Wheeler on the button who opened for 22,000 and only Kenan Taylor made the call in the big blind.

The flop came 8♥7♣5♥ and both players checked their options to the Q♣ turn. Taylor elected to take the lead with a bet of 20,000 and Wheeler came along.

The 6♦ completed the board and Taylor tossed out a bet of 75,000. Wheeler took a few seconds before making the call and Kenan instantly mucked his hand to show he got caught bluffing. Wheeler scooped the pot and is now over the million chip mark.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kenan Taylor	2,320,000 79,000	79,000

Jason Wheeler	1,140,000 459,000	459,000

Tags: Jason Wheeler Kenan Taylor

05-03-2023 18:00 UTC+2

Rodriguez Gets It In Behind and Busts

Kaelaine Minton

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Apoorva Goel opened for 20,000 from early position, then Roberto Rodriguez moved his last 54,000 all in from the hijack. Arunas Sapitavicius was next to act on the button and he flatted the shove. After the blinds got out of the way, Goel jammed for 335,000 total.

Sapitavicius had him well covered and gave it some thought with his A♣Q♠, but eventually opted to fold.

Roberto Rodriguez: A♥9♥
Apoorva Goel: 10♠10♦

Board: Q♣K♠Q♦6♠10♣

Goel was ahead the whole way, but improved to a boat on the river to bust Rodriguez. He finished in 58th place.

Sapitavicius was lamenting his fold as he would have flopped trip queens, until the river turned that frown upside down and he was glad to preserve that big chunk of this stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Arunas Sapitavicius	1,390,000 -60,000	-60,000
Apoorva Goel	552,000 192,000	192,000
Roberto Rodriguez	Busted

Tags: Apoorva Goel Arunas Sapitavicius Roberto Rodriguez

05-03-2023 17:57 UTC+2

Kade Eliminated By Guerrero

Connor Richards

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Martin Guerrero limped in from early position and Vanessa Kade jammed a stack of around 200,000 from the big blind when the action got around. Guerrero called with a bigger stack.

Vanessa Kade: A♦Q♠
Martin Guerrero: A♥K♣

Kade was dominated and didn't get much help from the flop of 7♦5♠K♠, though the 6♠ gave her hope with a flush draw. Sadly for the 2021 Sunday Millions winner, the J♣ bricked off on the river to mark her elimination.

"Sneaky," Kade said about her opponent's preflop play.

For more on Kade, check out her interview on the PokerNews Podcast earlier this year.

Player	Chips	Progress
Martin Guerrero	730,000 165,000	165,000
Vanessa Kade	Busted

Tags: Martin Guerrero Vanessa Kade

05-03-2023 17:19 UTC+2

No Sixth Championship for Carlsen

Connor Richards

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen has proven he can hold his own against the poker pros during his deep run on Day 3, but that run has ended.

In a single-raised three-way pot on a flop of 7♣2♣9♥, Carlsen checked in the big blind and Mark Teltscher bet 30,000 in early position. Oleg Vasylchenko folded in late position before Carlsen check-jammed a stack of about 163,000. Teltscher called with a slightly bigger stack.

Magnus Carlsen: 4♠4♣
Mark Teltscher: 10♦10♣

Carlsen had the worse pair and couldn't improve as the board ran out Q♥8♠ to mark the chess prodigy's elimination. As he left, Teltscher thanked Carlsen for playing and told him it was good for "growing the game."

Player	Chips	Progress
Mark Teltscher	370,000 249,000	249,000

Magnus Carlsen	Busted

Tags: Magnus Carlsen Mark Teltscher Oleg Vasylchenko

05-03-2023 17:03 UTC+2

Aces Against Kings In Favor of Sir Watts

Connor Richards

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Antonio Calabro was all in for around 140,000 against tournament chip leader Mike Watson.

Antonio Calabro: K♥K♣
Mike Watson: A♠A♣

It was bad news for the Italian as he had run his kings smack into Watson's aces and got no help as the board ran out 5♠J♥2♠3♠9♠ to improve the Canadian to a flush. Calabro took a photo of the board before he left to document the carnage.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mike Watson	1,650,000 250,000	250,000

Antonio Calabro	Busted

Tags: Antonio Calabro Mike Watson