€5,300 Main Event Day 1a | 2025 PokerStars EPT Monte-Carlo

05-04-2025 11:34 UTC+1

Smbatyan First to Bust

Matt Warburton

Level 1 : Blinds 100/100, 100 ante

Action was on the flop on a board of 5♥5♣4♣ and Daniel Zimbru checked. Artyom Smbatyan moved all in for his last 2,700 chips into a pot of 7,200. The button folded and Zimbru called. Players revealed their hands.

Artyom Smbatyan: J♦2♦
Daniel Zimbru: A♣Q♣

The turn came the 3♦ and river the 10♠, so Zimbru's ace-high was enough to win the pot. Smbatyan was the first to be eliminated in Day 1a of the Main Event.

Player	Chips	Progress
Daniel Zimbru	56,000
Artyom Smbatyan	Busted

Tags: Artyom Smbatyan Daniel Zimbru

05-04-2025 11:41 UTC+1

Cruel Flop Benefits Schieffer and Sends Out Kostagiolas

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David Salituro

Level 1 : Blinds 100/100, 100 ante

Around 6,000 was in the pot as Philipp Schieffer and Leonidas Kostagiolas went to the river on a board of 9♣J♣9♦2♠8♠.

Schieffer bet 4,600 from the big blind and Kostagiolas raised to 10,000 under the gun. Schieffer moved all in.

Kostagiolas had around 13,000 remaining and tanked for several minutes before calling. Schieffer then turned over J♠J♥ for a flopped full house and Kostagiolas mucked A♦9♥ as he headed to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Philipp Schieffer	65,000 65,000	65,000
Leonidas Kostagiolas	Busted

Tags: Leonidas Kostagiolas Philipp Schieffer

05-04-2025 11:50 UTC+1

Theuma Busts to Ivacson's Set

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Matt Warburton

Level 1 : Blinds 100/100, 100 ante

Attila Ivacson open-raised to 300 from early position, Carlos Garcia called, Corel Theuma called and Dario Talio called on the button.

The flop came J♦5♥10♥ and Ivacson continued for 1,000. Garcia called, then Theuma moved all in for 16,000. Ivacson then moved all in over the top and the rest of the table folded to leave two players to flip their cards.

Corel Theuma: Q♥3♥ All in
Attila Ivacson: 10♠10♣

Ivacson was out ahead with his set of tens, but Theuma had outs with a flush draw. The turn came the 3♦ and river the 6♣. Ivacson held and Theuma became one of the few players to face elimination in the first level of play.

Player	Chips	Progress
Attila Ivacson	62,000 28,000	28,000
Carlos Garcia	30,000 30,000	30,000
Corel Theuma	Busted

Tags: Attila Ivacson Carlos Garcia Corel Theuma Dario Talio

05-04-2025 12:04 UTC+1

More First Level Bustouts

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Matt Warburton

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Dietrich Fast	Busted
Maksym Filipovskyi	Busted
Leonidas Kostagiolas	Busted

05-04-2025 12:20 UTC+1

Preflop Fireworks Erupt as Golinski Puts Ultimate Cooler on Furman

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David Salituro

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Oleg Furman raised to 600 in middle position and Mariusz Golinski three-bet to 2,200 on the button. Eric Afriat then four-bet to 5,200 in the big blind.

Furman five-bet to 10,500 and Golinski six-bet to 15,700. Afriat took a moment before tossing his cards into the muck, while Furman moved all in for 26,000. Golinski snap-called.

Oleg Furman: K♠K♣ All in
Mariusz Golinski: A♦A♣

"I had ace-king," Afriat admitted as Golinski turned over two aces. Furman was looking for the last king in the deck but couldn't find any miracles on the 8♦3♣2♣2♠6♥ board and was sent to the rail.

"Too bad you didn't have kings," Golinski joked with Afriat.

"Give me back my 5,000," Afriat added.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mariusz Golinski	70,000 56,000	56,000
Eric Afriat	27,000 7,000	7,000
Oleg Furman	Busted

Tags: Eric Afriat Mariusz Golinski Oleg Furman

05-04-2025 12:28 UTC+1

Hruska Runs Into Kings

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Matt Warburton

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Two players were stacking off preflop with Petr Hruska pushing his stack into the middle from the button for a total of around 30,000. Bracher quickly called with the covering stack in late position and players flipped their cards.

Petr Hruska: A♠Q♦
Franz Bracher: K♥K♣

Hruska needed some help, but found none as the board ran out 5♣4♣8♠2♦2♥. Bracher held with his pocket kings to win the pot, near-doubling his stack and sending Hruska to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Franz Bracher	61,000 61,000	61,000
Petr Hruska	Busted

Tags: Franz Bracher Petr Hruska

05-04-2025 13:46 UTC+1

Colom Sends Out Lopes

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David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

Vid Zagar three-bet to 3,300 in the small blind and Maxime Colom called under the gun. Bruno Lopes then stuck in his last 6,300 from the cutoff and both opponents called.

Zagar and Colom checked to the river on a board of K♠Q♠3♣K♦10♣ when Colom bet 5,500. Zagar snap-folded and Colom showed Q♥J♥ for two pair. Lopes sent 9♥8♥ into the muck on his way to the exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maxime Colom	45,000
Vid Zagar	35,000 10,100	10,100
Bruno Lopes	Busted

Tags: Bruno Lopes Maxime Colom Vid Zagar

05-04-2025 13:51 UTC+1

Lehr Whiffs as Kolonias Scores Big Knockout

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David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

Keith Lehr and Alexandros Kolonias built a pot of around 18,000 as they went heads-up to a flop of K♦J♦9♥. Kolonias then bet 5,000 from the big blind, Lehr moved all in for 19,500 on the button, and Kolonias tanked for a minute before calling.

Keith Lehr: A♦10♦ All in
Alexandros Kolonias: Q♦Q♠

Kolonias was ahead with his queens, while Lehr was looking to complete straight and flush draws. The board ran out 5♥3♠ and Lehr missed both of his draws as he hit the rail.

"Good call," Lehr said to Kolonias who raked in the massive pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alexandros Kolonias	65,000 27,000	27,000
Keith Lehr	Busted

Tags: Alexandros Kolonias Keith Lehr

05-04-2025 14:00 UTC+1

Lipp Catches Grieco Making a Move

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David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

With nearly 10,000 in the pot on a flop of 4♥A♣8♣, Nicola Grieco bet 8,100 from the small blind and Matthias Lipp called in the hijack.

The turn was the 10♠ and Grieco moved all in for 15,000. Lipp snap-called and turned over 8♥8♦ for a set, while Grieco could only show K♥J♦ for a straight draw.

Grieco didn't improve on the 3♥ river and Lipp scored the knockout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matthias Lipp	60,000 30,500	30,500
Nicola Grieco	Busted

Tags: Matthias Lipp Nicola Grieco

05-04-2025 14:10 UTC+1

Boatman Promises to Return

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David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

John Howlett raised to 800 in early position and received two callers before Barny Boatman stuck in his last 5,000 from the big blind. Only Howlett called.

Barny Boatman: 7♦5♦ All in
John Howlett: A♥Q♠

"That's no good," Boatman said as the cards were revealed. The flop came J♣6♠3♣ to give Boatman some hope with a straight draw.

"Any fours around?" he asked, but Boatman didn't improve on the K♦ turn or 8♦ river and was sent to the rail.

"Are you going to reenter today?" tablemate Maria Konnikova asked Boatman, who promised he would be back for another bullet.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maria Konnikova	65,000 3,000	3,000

Dimitar Danchev	45,000 6,400	6,400

John Howlett	40,000 10,500	10,500
Boris Angelov	28,000 4,800	4,800

Jozef Cibicek	27,000 3,000	3,000
Barny Boatman	Busted

Tags: Barny Boatman John Howlett