€5,300 EPT Main Event Day 1a | 2024 PokerStars EPT Paris

02-19-2024 23:41 UTC+1

Normand Ships Big One on Star-Studded Table

Frank Visser

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Frederic Normand and Eric Afriat were fighting over a pot of 40,000 chips. They were on the turn on a board of 7♣K♠5♣5♠, on which Afriat bet 12,000 from under the gun and Normand made the call from the hijack.

Afriat then took a few minutes before checking on the Q♥ river, whereafter Normand instantly checked back. Afriat reluctantly showed his 9♠6♥ for nine-high, which was beaten by the 8♦8♣ of Normand.

He won a large pot while the rest of the table full of big names looked on.

Player	Chips	Progress
Frederic Normand	126,500
Elias Gutierrez	109,000 54,000	54,000

Jonas Hagstrom	109,000 73,500	73,500
Fintan Hand	79,500 10,500	10,500
Eric Afriat	53,000 17,000	17,000
Julien Sitbon	51,000 3,000	3,000
Thomas Boivin	16,500 26,500	26,500
Marc MacDonnell	15,500 41,500	41,500

Tags: Eric Afriat Frederic Normand

02-19-2024 23:41 UTC+1

Wiciak Drives Suzuki With Force

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

With 24,000 chips in the middle to the Q♦Q♥7♣ flop, Simon Wiciak made it 7,500 to go from the small blind. Yuto Suzuki called on the button and that led them to the K♥ on the turn. Wiciak now made it 21,500 to go and that eventually forced out Suzuki.

Right after the hand was completed, the table broke and all players headed to their new seat assignments.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sahil Chuttani	160,000 70,000	70,000
Simon Wiciak	117,000 37,000	37,000

Yuto Suzuki	62,000 25,000	25,000
Mehmet Kolgu	32,000 38,000	38,000

Tags: Simon Wiciak Yuto Suzuki

02-19-2024 23:44 UTC+1

Late-Night Eliminations

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Frank Visser

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Bryn Kenney	Busted
Nazar Buhaiov	Busted
Majid Ahmadian	Busted
Paul Fontan	Busted
Joakim Andersson	Busted
Marle Spragg	Busted

02-19-2024 23:51 UTC+1

Cardoso Falls Late On

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Calum Grant

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Diogo Cardoso jammed for 12,200 from the hijack and was called by Eric Sfez from the button.

Cardoso tabled 8♦7♦ and was behind his opponent's A♥J♥.

Both players paired up on the J♣8♣6♣ flop, keeping Cardoso behind. The 4♠4♣ runout offered no help and Sfez sealed the elimination.

Player	Chips	Progress
Eric Sfez	180,000 140,000	140,000
Diogo Cardoso	Busted

Tags: Diogo Cardoso Eric Sfez

02-19-2024 23:54 UTC+1

Greenwood gets a Shove Through

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Frank Visser

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Andrea Dato raised to 2,400 under the gun and Julien Stropoli called on the button. Sam Greenwood then squeezed in his stack of 35,700.

Dato tanked for a bit but ultimately made the fold with a painful expression on his face. Stropoli had a much easier time and quickly let go of his cards, shipping the pot to Greenwood.

Player	Chips	Progress
Julien Stropoli	127,500 101,000	101,000
Andrea Dato	70,000 38,000	38,000
Sam Greenwood	42,300

Tags: Andrea Dato Julien Stropoli Sam Greenwood

02-19-2024 23:57 UTC+1

Plante's Stack Begins to Sprout

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Calum Grant

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Graydon Kowal opened to 6,000 from the cutoff and called when Santiago Plante moved all in for 12,700 from the big blind.

Santiago Plante: A♦Q♦
Graydon Kowal: A♠7♠

Both players paired their ace on the A♣K♠4♣ flop but Plante's kicker played. The 10♣ turn and 6♥ kept Plante ahead and he welcomed the much needed double.

Player	Chips	Progress
Graydon Kowal	170,000 1,400	1,400
Santiago Plante	27,200 5,800	5,800

Tags: Graydon Kowal Santiago Plante

02-19-2024 23:58 UTC+1

Assorted Late Night Counts

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Gerard Rubiralta lost a big portion of his stack in a clash with Jan Kesänen when he could not get the Finn to fold 10♣10♦ on a board of 5♥3♣2♠K♦5♠.

Kesänen jumped to more than two times the average but the chip lead is still ways out.

Player	Chips	Progress
Grigorii Rodin	320,000 30,000	30,000
Peter Jorgne	295,000 3,000	3,000
Rayan Chamas	250,000 60,000	60,000
Sergio Coutinho	240,000 115,000	115,000
Jan Kesänen	220,000 125,000	125,000
Roman Stoica	170,000 25,000	25,000
Olivier Rebello-Frechette	170,000
Byron Kaverman	140,000 95,000	95,000
Alex Kulev	140,000 5,000	5,000
Dimitar Danchev	115,000 15,000	15,000

Anton Wigg	110,000 10,500	10,500

Govert Metaal	95,000 7,500	7,500
Ramon Colillas	80,000 13,000	13,000
Lewis Spencer	75,000 55,000	55,000
Joey Weissman	75,000 46,000	46,000

Roberto Romanello	65,000 41,000	41,000

Fabrice Bigot	55,000 15,000	15,000
Ian Bradley	55,000 39,500	39,500
Dinesh Alt	43,000
Gerard Rubiralta	40,000 116,200	116,200
Steve Yea	25,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Jan Kesänen Gerard Rubiralta

02-20-2024 00:05 UTC+1

Madanzhiev Loses Lots Late

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Frank Visser

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Stoyan Madanzhiev opened from the hijack and Donato De Bonis made it 9,500 to go from the cutoff. The action folded back to Madanzhiev, who made the call.

Madanzhiev then check-called De Bonis' bet of 8,100 on the 9♣7♥J♦ flop before the A♥ turn was dealt.

Madanzhiev checked again, this time facing a bet of 21,300, more than half De Bonis' stack. He tanked for a while before shoving all in, covering his opponent's stack.

De Bonis did not like the situation he found himself in, but eventually convinced himself to make the call for his tournament life.

Donato De Bonis: A♦J♥
Stoyan Madanzhiev: A♠9♠

De Bonis found himself ahead with the better two pair, and the Q♠ river did nothing to change that. He raked in a big double-up near the end of Day 1a, while Madanzhiev lost around half of his above-average stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Donato De Bonis	119,800
Stoyan Madanzhiev	50,000 90,000	90,000

Tags: Donato De Bonis Stoyan Madanzhiev

02-20-2024 00:06 UTC+1

Four More Hands

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Frank Visser

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

The tournament directors have announced that four more hands will be played before all remaining players in Day 1a will bag their chips.

02-20-2024 00:10 UTC+1

Mustafov Straightened Out of Main Event

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Calum Grant

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Matteo Cavelier opened to 2,600 from early position before Kostadin Kostadinov three-bet to 7,500 from the cutoff. Fahredin Mustafov jammed for 17,500 from the big blind, which folded out Cavelier but Kostadinov flicked in a calling chip.

Fahredin Mustafov: A♥K♦
Kostadin Kostadinov: J♥10♥

The Q♠9♣2♣ gave Kostadinov an open-ended straight draw which came in on the 8♦ turn to leave Mustafov drawing dead. He steamed to the exit as the 3♥ completed the board.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kostadin Kostadinov	140,000
Fahredin Mustafov	Busted

Tags: Fahredin Mustafov Matteo Cavelier Kostadin Kostadinov