Monte Carlo conjures up images of fast cars, luxurious yachts, crystal blue beaches, and the eponymous casino serving as the hotbed of high-stakes action as the rich and famous make the French Riviera their playground.
For the past 20 years, the top poker players in the world have descended on Sporting Monte-Carlo, all chasing one of the most prestigious titles on the poker calendar, the PokerStars European Poker Tour Monte-Carlo Main Event. That tradition continues today when Day 1a begins at noon local time.
EPT Monte-Carlo has been the backdrop of some of the most celebrated moments in EPT history over the last two decades. Ever since Dutch poker legend Rob Hollink won the first edition of this event, it has been the tournament that has cemented legacies and made new stars. It was here that Americans Gavin Griffin and Mohsin Charania captured titles on their way to joining the short, exclusive list of poker grand slam champions. In 2013, Steve O’Dwyer beat the likes of Johnny Lodden, Daniel Negreanu, Jake Cody, Noah Schwartz, and Jason Mercier in what is still considered the most star-powered final table in EPT history.
Antonio Buonanno and Jack Salter battled into the early hours of the morning in 2014 in an epic heads-up match before the Italian emerged victorius. Adrian Mateos’ audacious bluff against Lodden at the 2015 final table only added to the Spaniard’s growing legend as the then-20-year-old took down the title.
In last year’s event, Derk van Luijk ended up defeating Boris Angelov after a six-hour heads-up marathon to stand atop the record-1,208 entry field and capture the €1,000,000 top prize. The final table also included Rania Nasreddine, the first of her incredible back-to-back EPT final table runs last year, as well as Jovan Kenjic, Jonathan Pastore, and Niclas “Flushi” Thumm.
2024 EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Name | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derk van Luijk | Netherlands | €1,000,000 |
| 2 | Boris Angelov | Bulgaria | €620,500 |
| 3 | Rania Nasreddine | United States | €442,900 |
| 4 | Jovan Kenjic | Serbia | €340,500 |
| 5 | Jonathan Pastore | France | €261,700 |
| 6 | Niclas Thumm | Germany | €201,000 |
| 7 | Jonathan Guedes | Brazil | €154,900 |
| 8 | Jozef Cibicek | Slovakia | €119,000 |
A new group of players will try to add their names to the decorated history of this event once play begins today. Players begin with a 30,000 starting stack and will play 10 hour-long levels on Day 1. There is a break after every two levels and a 75-minute dinner break at the end of Level 6 around 6:40 p.m. Late registration remains open until the start of Day 2, with players allowed a maximum of two entries.
Another chapter in EPT history will be written today, and PokerNews will be following all the action and providing live updates throughout the tournament.
