Boris Angelov raised to 300,000 in early position and Derk van Luijk called on the button. Jonathan Pastore in the big blind used a time bank and eventually three-bet to 850,000.
Angelov also went into his time banks before he emerge with a four-bet to 1,400,000. Van Luijk folded, but Pastore moved all in for 2,425,000 and Angelov called.
Jonathan Pastore: K♥K♣
Boris Angelov: K♦Q♦
Pastore had woken up with kings and ran off to his supporters on the rail as he was a big favorite to double up. The flop came 9♥2♦5♣, while Angelov was already drawing dead following the 7♣ turn and left paying off Pastore once the 6♥ fell on the river.
Derk van Luijk raised to 300,000 on the button before Jonathan Pastore moved all in from the big blind. Van Luijk snap-called for 2,400,000.
Derk van Luijk: A♠A♦
Jonathan Pastore: 5♥5♣
Pastore had run into van Luijk's aces as the flop came A♣6♦J♣, giving van Luijk top set. The J♥ turn improved him to a full house and Pastore was already drawing dead by the K♣ river as van Luijk doubled up.
As the sun hovers over the shimmering waters of the Mediterranean, the final day of the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Monte Carlo Main Event, inside Sporting Monte-Carlo, dawns with a promise of history in the making.
Among the seven remaining contenders from a record-breaking field of 1,208 entrants, one name shines brightly: Rania Nasreddine. Hailing from the United States, Nasreddine stands poised to etch her name in the annals of poker lore as only the fourth-ever female champion on the prestigious EPT circuit.
Rania Nasreddine
The path to glory is never easy, and Nasreddine faces some formidable opponents at the final table. Her stack of 7,900,000 chips gives her a commanding lead over all but one of the remaining players. Nasreddine will need to continue to show the skills that have got her this far while having a bit of luck along the way as she looks to claim the coveted title.
Among those standing between her and the winner's circle are Derk van Luijk from the Netherlands, Jovan Kenjic representing Serbia, homegrown talent Jonathan Pastore of France, Jonathan Guedes flying the flag for Brazil, the German contender Niclas Thumm, and Boris Angelov carrying the hopes of Bulgaria with his chip leading stack of 11,500,000.
EPT Monte Carlo Main Event Seat Draw
Seat
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Rania Nasreddine
United States
7,900,000
53
2
Derk van Luijk
Netherlands
3,200,000
21
3
Jovan Kenjic
Serbia
4,750,000
32
4
Jonathan Pastore
France
3,350,000
22
5
Jonathan Guedes
Brazil
1,900,000
13
6
Niclas Thumm
Germany
3,650,000
24
7
Boris Angelov
Bulgaria
11,500,000
77
For Nasreddine, the opportunity to join the esteemed ranks of previous female EPT champions like Victoria Coren-Mitchell (2006, 2014), Sandra Naujoks (2009) and Liv Boeree (2010), is both a personal triumph and a milestone for women in the game. With each hand dealt, she edges closer to a moment that could inspire a new generation of female players to chase their dreams fearlessly.
The stakes are high, not only in terms of prestige but also in terms of the substantial prize pool awaiting the finalists. With payouts ranging from €154,900 for seventh place to a staggering €1,000,000 for the eventual champion, every decision made at the final table carries weighty consequences.
Final Table Payouts
Place
Player
Country
Prize (EUR)
1
€1,000,000
2
€620,500
3
€442,900
4
€340,500
5
€261,700
6
€201,000
7
€154,900
8
Jozef Cibicek
Slovakia
€119,000
9
Philipp Wenzelburger
Germany
€91,500
When play kicks off at 12:30 p.m. local time, the players will start on Level 31: 100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 big blind ante. All remaining levels will last 90 minutes until three players are left, at which point they will be reduced to 45 minutes in length.
The PokerNews coverage will commence at 1 p.m. local time, on a 30-minute delay so as to not spoil the cards-up stream on Pokerstars' Twitch and Youtube channels.
So stay tuned to find out who will be victorious in Monaco and will be crowned the second EPT champion of the 2024 season during the thrilling conclusion of the EPT Monte Carlo Main Event.
Boris Angelov, from Sofia, Bulgaria, is showcasing his skills at the EPT Monte Carlo final table, having entered the tournament through a €500 online satellite. Despite this being a lower-cost route into the competition, Angelov is far from a novice in the poker world. "I started over six years ago, mainly in cash games, before turning to tournaments during the COVID pandemic," he shared.
Angelov’s poker journey began online, where he was influenced by talented Bulgarian players, including his close friend Alex Kulev. Post-pandemic, he transitioned to live tournaments, marking his debut on the EPT circuit in March 2022 at the EPT Prague Main Event, where he finished 59th. Since then, he hasn’t missed an EPT event, demonstrating his commitment and passion for the game. "This is obviously my deepest run yet," Angelov remarked about his current performance.
Notably, Angelov started this tournament from Day 2, playing one less day than many of his competitors. He admits that poker dominates his life, leaving little room for other hobbies. His focused approach and consistent presence on the circuit underscore his dedication and ability in the competitive poker arena.
After securing a $1 million prize at the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) in January, Niclas Thumm, known in the Twitch community as “flushiisback,” took a year off to ponder his future. This break followed his notable success in 2021 during the PokerStars Dare2Stream competition, where he was the runner-up, earning a $25k Platinum Pass. Although he didn’t win the top prize—a PokerStars Ambassadorship which went to Seb “peace&loove” Huber—Thumm leveraged his pass into a sixth-place finish at the PSPC in the Bahamas, transforming his low-stakes playing career.
At 31, Thumm explained his year-long hiatus by noting, "There are so many opportunities I have now, so I wanted to choose the right ones." Ultimately, he discovered that his joy comes from traveling to poker events, engaging with friends, and positively impacting his community. With this realization, he returned to the poker scene, entering online satellites for the EPT Monte Carlo and qualifying for just €500.
This week, Thumm has been applying new strategies and executing bluffs that he wouldn’t have dared at the PSPC, indicating a growth in his gameplay. “I’ve made several bluffs throughout this tournament that I wouldn’t have at the PSPC. So it feels different,” he shared. Now on the verge of another seven-figure score, Thumm is ecstatic and reflective: “I’m over the moon. I’m just doing what I’m doing, improving every day, and it’s working out so far.” This blend of introspection and strategic evolution marks Thumm's enthusiastic return to competitive poker.
Jonathan Guedes, a 27-year-old professional poker player from São Paulo, Brazil, predominantly plays online, making his final table appearance at the EPT Monte Carlo particularly notable as only his second live tournament cash. His first was a minor win at a BSOP event.
This trip to Monte Carlo is part of Guedes' first international journey, initially planned with his fiancée Fernanda. The couple started their travels in Germany, but after Guedes won a Silver Pass through the PokerStars Power Path, he decided to participate in the FPS in Monaco. His luck continued as he won a €250 online satellite on PokerStars, securing a full EPT package and extending their European adventure.
Having started playing poker only in 2018 and turning professional by 2019, Guedes' rise in the poker world has been swift. He now stands on the brink of becoming only the second EPT Main Event champion from Brazil, an impressive feat given his relatively short but successful poker career.
Jonathan Pastore, originally from Le Mans, France, has been a dedicated PokerStars player for a decade, initially on the .fr client and, after relocating to Malta, within the global .com player pool. He now resides in Mexico among a community of French professional poker players.
Pastore's poker journey began in small clubs and gradually progressed to the professional circuit. His career reached new heights in 2022 when he secured a WSOP bracelet in a $5,000 buy-in 6-max event in Las Vegas. A few months later, he achieved a runner-up finish at the WSOP Europe Main Event in Rozvadov, accumulating over $1.6 million in earnings within just five months.
Beyond the poker tables, Pastore is passionate about tennis, a sport he considered pursuing at a professional coaching level. However, during the Covid years, he fully committed to poker and also became a coach for various French poker stables.
Prior to this tournament, Pastore's results in EPT events had been modest, with only one previous Main Event cash. Now at the final table, he has the opportunity to add a prestigious EPT title to his achievements. “My mother will probably come tomorrow,” he mentioned, indicating that she, along with his friends, will be supporting him from the rail.
Derk van Luijk, a 43-year-old semi-professional poker player and investor, has already surpassed his previous best performance in an EPT Main Event.
Earlier this year, he reached 28th place in Paris, but has gone even further in Monaco, now making it to the final day. A dramatic moment defined his tournament when he drew two jacks on the turn and river, allowing his ace-jack to beat a pair of aces. This crucial hand occurred while they were nine-handed, propelling him with the momentum needed to continue.
Throughout the tournament, Van Luijk has had the support of his partner, who is expecting their third child and was present to witness the pivotal hand from the rail. With his performance in Monte Carlo, he is set to earn the largest prize of his poker career, already securing his first six-figure score. Additionally, Van Luijk has previously claimed a PokerStars spade for winning a €2,100 side event at EPT Barcelona in 2022.
