€5,300 EPT Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2024 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo
€5,300 EPT Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2024 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo
Buy-in
€5,300
Prize Pool
€5,858,800
Entries
1,208
Level
40
Blinds
600,000 / 1,200,000
Ante
1,200,000
Entries
393
Players Left
119
Elias Gutierrez Dominates Day 1a at EPT Monte Carlo Main Event
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
After 10 levels of intense play on Day 1a, 119 will return into Day 2 of the prestigious €5,300 EPT Main Event at the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Monte Carlo, hosted at Sporting Monte-Carlo.
The initial flight attracted 393 entries, which beats the number of last year's EPT Monte Carlo Main Event Day 1a by exactly 30 entries. Today's field contributed €2,580,200 to the prize pool but that figure is already over €3 million as, of the time of writing, over 130 more players have already booked their seat at the table for Day 1b.
Leading the way is Spanish poker player and streamer Elias Gutierrez, who bagged in an impressive 336,000 chips, the equivalent of 11 starting stacks.
Rania Nasreddine claimed second place with 302,000. She took out three players at once which is a feat few poker players achieve. Nasreddine’s pair of sixes held strong against three opponents, including Barny Boatman, propelling her into the top two chip leaders of Day 1a. They are the only two with over 300,000 in chips.
Amaury Mamou-Mani rounds up the top three with 266,500.
EPT Monte Carlo Main Event Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elias Gutierrez | Spain | 336,000 | 224 |
| 2 | Rania Nasreddine | United States | 302,000 | 201 |
| 3 | Amaury Mamou-Mani | France | 266,500 | 177 |
| 4 | Vladyslav Martynenko | Ukraine | 265,500 | 177 |
| 5 | Alan Ferraro | Italy | 243,500 | 162 |
| 6 | Tudor Zapsa | Moldova | 240,000 | 160 |
| 7 | Alexandre Reard | France | 234,500 | 156 |
| 8 | Peter Jorgne | Sweden | 226,000 | 150 |
| 9 | Aaron Olechnowicz | Mexico | 208,000 | 138 |
| 10 | Vahe Martirosyan | Armenia | 192,000 | 128 |
Several notables turned out for the opening flight of the Main Event, and among those returning for Day 2 with a good stack are PokerStars Ambassador Rafael Moraes who bagged 188,500, Adrian Mateos (129,500), Davidi Kitai (82,000) and Peter Jorgne with 226,000. After requiring a second buy-in, things took a turn for the better for Jorgne and he ended up bagging a top ten stack. Jorgne finished second in the EPT Paris Main Event in 2023 and fifth this year. He is now trying his luck in Monte Carlo.
Five of the PokerStars Gold Power Pass winners also competed today, with two of them making it through to Day 2: Edgaras Kertenis with 185,000 and Andrei Mjagkov with 133,000.
Last year's EPT Main Event Monte Carlo third-place finisher, Leo Worthington-Leese, had a rollercoaster of a day on the felt. In the end, he not only lost a pot worth around 120,000 but was also eliminated in the last hour before the end of Day 1a by Gutierrez.
Maria Konnikova was also among those that failed to qualify for Day 2. She jumped ahead early but fell in Level 8. Other players who couldn't find a bag include Hossein Ensan, Jon Kyte, Ankit Ahuja, Ian Hamilton, Jason Wheeler, and PokerStars Ambassadors Boatman, Simon Wiciak, Sam Grafton, Ramon Colillas, Andre Akkari and Guillermo Sanz.
The countdown to Day 1b is on, slated to commence on Monday, April 29, at 12:00 p.m. local time, it will be the same structure as Day 1a. Everyone starts with a fresh 30,000 stack and blinds begin at 100/100 with a 100 big blind ante. Registration is open until start of Day 2.
Stay tuned for more live coverage of the 2024 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event as the PokerNews live reporting team brings you all the action straight from the source.
End-of-Day 1a Chip Counts (full)
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
336,000
126,000
|
126,000 |
|
||
|
302,000
-3,000
|
-3,000 |
|
266,500
6,500
|
6,500 |
|
265,500
45,500
|
45,500 |
|
243,500
33,500
|
33,500 |
|
240,000
-60,000
|
-60,000 |
|
234,500
144,500
|
144,500 |
|
226,000
166,000
|
166,000 |
|
208,000
-52,000
|
-52,000 |
|
192,000
-3,000
|
-3,000 |
|
188,500
8,500
|
8,500 |
|
||
|
187,500
187,500
|
187,500 |
|
185,000
159,500
|
159,500 |
|
184,000
-36,000
|
-36,000 |
|
183,500
63,500
|
63,500 |
|
183,000
118,000
|
118,000 |
|
183,000 | |
|
182,000
182,000
|
182,000 |
|
176,000
78,000
|
78,000 |
|
168,000
58,000
|
58,000 |
|
162,000
92,000
|
92,000 |
|
157,500
-37,500
|
-37,500 |
|
153,500
73,500
|
73,500 |
|
152,500
82,500
|
82,500 |
|
150,500
150,500
|
150,500 |
Play Concludes
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Day 1a has ended with 119 players remaining.
Stay tuned for full chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Smith Wakes Up With Queens
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Mario Navarro raised to 2,500 in middle position before Dan Smith three-bet to 6,200 in the cutoff. Navarro then moved all in and Smith snap-called for 31,800.
Dan Smith: Q♣Q♦ 
Mario Navarro: 10♣10♦
Smith had picked up queens and was a big favorite to double up. The Q♥7♥7♠ flop made him an even bigger favorite as Smith flopped a full house.
The board ran out 8♣7♥ and Smith earned a late-night double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
65,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
25,000
-43,500
|
-43,500 |
Martirosyan Check-Raises Flop
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Vahe Martirosyan raised to 3,000 from under the gun, Aleksei Vandyshev three-bet to 10,000 and Martirosyan called.
The flop came 7♦4♠K♦. Martirosyan checked, Vandyshev bet 13,000, then Martirosyan pushed a stack of blues into the middle for all his opponent's remaining chips. Vandyshev folded the hand and Martirosyan took down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
195,000 | |
|
30,000
12,000
|
12,000 |
Moraes Takes Out Kapur
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Rafael Moraes bet 6,500 from the button on a flop of J♦Q♣2♠, Satchit Kapur moved all in for around 25,000 in the small blind, and Moraes called.
Satchit Kapur: K♣10♣
Rafael Moraes: A♦Q♠
Moraes was ahead with top pair, while Kapur was on a straight draw. The turn was the 7♠, while the Q♦ river gave Moraes trips and sent Kapur to the rail.
EPT champion Ognyan Dimov also busted at the same time on another table to Vladyslav Martynenko.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
220,000 | |
|
|
180,000
110,000
|
110,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
||
Klann Paid for River Shove With Straight
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Action was on the river on a board of 10♠8♠J♥9♦4♦. Stepan Khachaturyan checked and Paul Klann moved all in for 53,000. Khachaturyan made the call and plonked his chips in the middle.
Khachaturyan showed J♠9♠ for two pair, jacks and nines. Klann showed Q♦Q♥ for pocket queens for a straight to win a significant pot late in the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
120,000 | |
|
10,000
-32,000
|
-32,000 |
Three More Hands
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Tournament officials announced that players will see three more hands before Day 1a concludes.
Shylkou Makes a Big Fold to Dellisola
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Heads-up on a flop of A♦3♣9♣, Edoardo Dellisola bet 6,000 from the big blind before Stanislau Shylkou raised to 17,000 in the hijack.
Dellisola tanked for several minutes until he moved all in for 54,600. Shylkou also took a few minutes before he turned over A♠K♦ and tossed it into the muck.
"Show the bluff," a tablemate said to Dellisola, but Shylkou shook his head that he didn't want to see it and Dellisola returned his cards face down.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
80,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
75,000
-3,000
|
-3,000 |