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

05-05-2023 15:21 UTC+2

Big Hands for Worthington-Leese

Adam Lamers

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Leonard Maue opened to 100,000 in the cutoff with A♦Xx and Jason Wheeler three-bet to 375,000 on the button with 8♣8♦. Leo Worthington-Leese four-bet jammed all in for 3,785,000 in the small blind with Q♥Q♣. Maue quickly folded whereas Wheeler use a time extension before letting his hand go.

Two hands later, Worthington-Leese raised to 100,000 in the cutoff with K♠K♦ and Maduka Meragal called on the button with A♥7♥. Maue also came along from the big blind with 9♥Xx and the flop of A♠10♠9♠ hit the felt.

Worthington-Leese continued with a bet of 90,000 and both players called. The 3♠ peeled off on the turn and Worthington-Leese sized up a bet of 285,000 after making the nut flush. Meragal got out of the way but Maue stuck around for the 4♦ on the river.

Maue checked again and Worthington-Leese reached back for a bet of 715,000. Maue sighed and nodded his head as he was forced to send his cards to the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Leo Worthington-Leese	5,100,000 1,250,000	1,250,000

Leonard Maue	4,580,000 -625,000	-625,000
Arnaud Enselme	2,280,000 -260,000	-260,000
Jason Wheeler	2,210,000 -10,000	-10,000
Maduka Meragal	1,560,000 -440,000	-440,000

Tags: Jason Wheeler Leo Worthington-Leese Leonard Maue Maduka Meragal

05-05-2023 15:34 UTC+2

Up and Down for Meragal

Adam Lamers

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Leonard Maue opened to 100,000 under the gun with K♥Q♠ and Leo Worthington-Leese three-bet to 250,000 on the button with J♦9♦. Maduka Meragal four-bet shoved all in for 1,455,000 in the small blind with 10♣10♦ which got both of his opponents to send their cards to the muck.

On the next hand, Meragal raised to 100,000 on the button with 3♥3♣ and Leonard Maue defended from the big blind with 9♣6♣. The flop came 10♦7♠6♦ and both players checked to the A♣ on the turn.

Meragal tossed in a bet of 75,000 and Maue called to see the Q♦ on the river. Both players knuckled the table and Maue was awarded the pot with a pair of sixes.

Player	Chips	Progress
Leo Worthington-Leese	4,730,000 -370,000	-370,000

Leonard Maue	4,350,000 -230,000	-230,000
Maduka Meragal	1,730,000 170,000	170,000

Tags: Maduka Meragal Leonard Maue Leo Worthington-Leese

05-05-2023 15:43 UTC+2

Small Ball on Secondary Table

Adam Lamers

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Lots of small action in the recent level as players jockey for their seat at the final table.

Arunas Sapitavicius took down a pot with over 1,000,000 in it on a board of 3♥3♣5♠J♥5♥. A bet of 350,000 on the river was good enough to get it done.

Meanwhile, Samy Boujmala bet 245,000 into a 900,000 pot on a board of 5♥9♣J♠A♥7♠ and Oleg Vasylchenko gave up the pot.

On a later hand, Samy Boujmala raised to 100,000 and Mike Watson called from the big blind. The flop was J♦9♣6♥. Watson check-called on the flop when Boujmala tossed out 75,000. The turn was 5♠ and both players checked to see 3♣ on the river. Watson fired 525,000 and that was enough to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joachim Haraldstad	5,730,000 -970,000	-970,000

Mike Watson	4,100,000 900,000	900,000

Arunas Sapitavicius	3,575,000 75,000	75,000
Samy Boujmala	3,200,000 -340,000	-340,000

Oleg Vasylchenko	1,400,000 400,000	400,000

05-05-2023 15:46 UTC+2

Worthington-Leese Puts Wheeler in the Tank

Adam Lamers

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Jason Wheeler raised to 200,000 in the small blind with A♠7♠ and Leo Worthington-Leese just called in the big blind with a dominating A♦Q♣. The flop came 9♥9♣6♦ and Wheeler led out with a bet of 165,000. Worthington-Leese min-raised to 330,000 and Wheeler called.

The turn brought the Q♥ and both players checked to the Q♦ on the river. Wheeler fired out a bet of 375,000 and Worthington-Leese raised to 1,500,000 after making a full house. Wheeler dipped into the tank for nearly two minutes before deciding to dispatch his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Leo Worthington-Leese	5,810,000 1,080,000	1,080,000

Jason Wheeler	1,720,000 -490,000	-490,000

Tags: Leo Worthington-Leese Jason Wheeler

05-05-2023 15:50 UTC+2

Oleg Vasylchenko Eliminated in 10th Place (€63,300)

Adam Lamers

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Mike Watson opened to 110,000 from early position and Oleg Vasylchenko called on the button after winning two consecutive pots to chip up a bit. Joachim Haraldstad also called out of the big blind.

Haraldstad checked on the flop of 9♣Q♥4♥ and Watson also checked before Vasylchenko fired a bet of 140,000. Haraldstad called and Watson folded. Haraldstad checked again on the 2♥ turn and Vasylchenko sized up to 425,000. Haraldstad again called.

Haraldstad checked a third time on the 3♠ river and Vasylchenko took a moment before announcing all in for around 1,100,000. Haraldstad quickly called with a bigger stack.

Vasylchenko looked defeated as he turned over A♥10♠ for just ace-high with the nut flush blocker. But the blocker wasn't enough to get a fold from Haraldstad, who held 10♥5♥ for a ten-high flush to eliminate the Ukrainian on the final table bubble.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joachim Haraldstad	7,200,000 1,470,000	1,470,000

Mike Watson	3,400,000 -700,000	-700,000

Oleg Vasylchenko	Busted

Tags: Joachim Haraldstad Mike Watson Oleg Vasylchenko

05-05-2023 15:51 UTC+2

Final Table Redraw

Adam Lamers

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

The players are taking a 20-minute break in the action before the final table gets underway with around 17 minutes remaining in level 26.

Seat	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Maduka Meragal	Canada	1,280,000	26
2	Jason Wheeler	United States	2,105,000	42
3	Samy Boujmala	France	3,050,000	61
4	Mike Watson	Canada	3,730,000	75
5	Arunas Sapitavicius	Lithuania	3,250,000	65
6	Leo Worthington-Leese	United Kingdom	5,680,000	114
7	Leonard Maue	Austria	4,240,000	85
8	Arnaud Enselme	France	2,340,000	47
9	Joachim Haraldstad	Norway	7,255,000	145

Player	Chips	Progress
Joachim Haraldstad	7,255,000 -1,745,000	-1,745,000

Leo Worthington-Leese	5,680,000 -130,000	-130,000

Leonard Maue	4,240,000 -110,000	-110,000
Mike Watson	3,730,000 330,000	330,000

Arunas Sapitavicius	3,250,000 -325,000	-325,000
Samy Boujmala	3,050,000 -150,000	-150,000

Arnaud Enselme	2,340,000 60,000	60,000
Jason Wheeler	2,105,000 385,000	385,000
Maduka Meragal	1,280,000 -450,000	-450,000

05-05-2023 16:00 UTC+2

The Ultimate Bluff

Liam Black

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

05-05-2023 16:22 UTC+2

Watson Good at Showdown

Connor Richards

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Mike Watson opened to 110,000 from under the gun with 10♦10♣ and Leonard Maue three-bet to 330,000 from middle position with A♠J♥. Watson called.

Watson checked on the flop of 4♣K♣6♥ and Maue continued for 235,000. Watson called. Watson checked again on the 8♠ turn and Maue checked back.

Watson checked a third time on the 6♠ river and Maue checked back as Watson tabled his pair of tens to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mike Watson	4,420,000 690,000	690,000

Leonard Maue	3,680,000 -560,000	-560,000

Tags: Leonard Maue Mike Watson

05-05-2023 16:27 UTC+2

Meragal Chips Up Through Sapitavicius

Adam Lamers

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Arunas Sapitavicius opened to 100,000 from under the gun with 10♥10♦ and Maduka Meragal flat-called in the cutoff with K♣Q♣. Mike Watson came along from the big blind with 10♣9♥ and the flop of Q♥8♠2♣ was spread on the felt.

The action checked to Meragal who flopped top pair and fired out a bet of 225,000. Watson folded his straight draw but Sapitavicius stuck around for the K♠ on the turn. Sapitavicius checked again and Meragal tossed in a bet of 300,000. Sapitavicius folded this time and Meragal chipped up to over 30 big blinds.