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

05-04-2025 17:43 UTC+1

Breckenridge Busts to Navarro

Matt Warburton

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Boutras Awad raised from early position, Jennifer Breckenridge called in the small blind, Mario Navarro three-bet from the big blind, Awad called, and so did Breckenridge.

The flop came 7♥J♣4♥ and Breckenridge moved all in for 15,000. Navarro called and showed K♣J♣ for a pair of jacks.

"C'mon," said Breckenridge as she showed J♦9♠ for the same pair, and then called for a nine to pair her inferior kicker.

The turn came the 3♠ and river the 2♥, so Navarro held with his pair of jacks and higher kicker to win the pot. Breckenridge was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mario Navarro	52,000 13,500	13,500
Jennifer Breckenridge	Busted

Tags: Jennifer Breckenridge Mario Navarro

05-04-2025 17:45 UTC+1

Dinner Break

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David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Players are going on a 75-minute dinner break. Action should resume around 8 p.m. local time.

05-04-2025 18:25 UTC+1

Flashback: Derk van Luijk Wins 2024 EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event

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Kaelaine Minton

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

There were times during the final table of the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte-Carlo Main Event that it seemed like it was fate for Derk van Luijk to be the one to hoist the gold-plated trophy at the end.

The 43-year-old Dutchman was all in on the penultimate day with ace-jack against aces but caught running jacks to make trips and earn a miracle double up. He was a card away from elimination on the final day but spiked two pair to stay alive. Van Luijk doubled up six different times over the course of the day. He ended up winning the most important all-in of all, the last one, as he defeated Boris Angelov at the end of an epic heads-up match to win the EPT title and the €1,000,000 top prize.

“That’s an amazing feeling. I cannot even realize still that I’ve won. It feels like I’m spacing right now. You don’t realize it yet, but it’s an amazing feeling,” Van Luijk said after conquering the largest field in EPT Monte-Carlo history with 1,208 total entries.

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

Find the Full Recap Here

Tags: Derk van Luijk

05-04-2025 18:37 UTC+1

Chip Counts at Dinner

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David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Martin Zamani	211,000 51,000	51,000
Chris Brewer	180,000 80,000	80,000
Adi Rajkovic	158,000 8,000	8,000
David Docherty	135,000 15,000	15,000

Maria Konnikova	130,000 57,000	57,000

Christian Alilovic	123,500 123,500	123,500
Max Neugebauer	122,700 39,700	39,700
Gianfranco Iaculli	121,500 6,500	6,500
Alexandros Kolonias	120,000 20,000	20,000
Christian Peukert	119,000 27,000	27,000
Kacper Swiderski	118,000 13,000	13,000
Saar Wilf	111,000 66,000	66,000
Andreas Goeller	103,800 13,200	13,200

Pierre Calamusa	102,000 52,800	52,800
Mohamed-Said Taghla	94,500 14,500	14,500
Andrei Konopelko	92,000 20,000	20,000
Tjan Tepeh	90,400 28,400	28,400
Anton Kraous	85,400 30,200	30,200
Francois Billard	84,300 48,300	48,300
Yulian Bogdanov	84,000 7,000	7,000
Maxime Colom	83,000 38,000	38,000
Luc Lafontaine	81,000 25,000	25,000
Aliaksei Boika	80,500 49,500	49,500

Qing Lu	80,000
Stefan Dimitrov	78,000 18,500	18,500

Read full

Level: 7

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 800

05-04-2025 19:09 UTC+1

Haitsiukevich Gets Post-Dinner Double Up

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Matt Warburton

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Maksim Haitsiukevich was all in from the button against Sergey Lebedev in the big blind. Haitsiukevich had 18,200 and was covered as players turned their cards.

Maksim Haitsiukevich: A♣J♣ All in
Sergey Lebedev: 8♣8♠

The board ran out 10♥K♥J♠3♦4♦ and Haitsiukevich paired his jack on the flop. He held to win the pot and double his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sergey Lebedev	70,000 70,000	70,000
Maksim Haitsiukevich	38,500 38,500	38,500

Tags: Maksim Haitsiukevich Sergey Lebedev

05-04-2025 19:12 UTC+1

Montalban Catches De Andrade Making a Big Move

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David Salituro

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Ricardo De Andrade raised to 1,600 in the hijack, Manel Montalban three-bet to 4,000 in the big blind, and De Andrade called.

Montalban continued for 2,300 on the A♦2♥2♣ flop and De Andrade came back with a raise to 6,500. Montalban called and the 4♥ fell on the turn.

De Andrade then bet 13,000 and Montalban again called. The river was the 4♠ and De Andrade moved all in for 30,000. Montalban nearly beat him into the pot with a call.

De Andrade was forced to show 9♦7♦ and was playing the board as Montalban turned over A♣4♣ for a full house to score the knockout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Manel Montalban	130,000 55,500	55,500
Ricardo De Andrade	Busted

Tags: Manel Montalban Ricardo De Andrade

05-04-2025 19:20 UTC+1

Zagorski Spikes a Set to Double

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David Salituro

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Robin Zagorski moved all in for 8,200 from the big blind and Gonzalo Almeida called in the hijack.

Robin Zagorski: 9♥9♦ All in
Gonzalo Almeida: A♣K♥

Zagorski didn't need to sweat out the race situation for long, as the flop brought 8♦Q♥9♣ to give him a set. The rest of the board ran out 7♠J♣ and Zagorski doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gonzalo Almeida	55,000 46,300	46,300
Robin Zagorski	18,000 17,000	17,000

Tags: Gonzalo Almeida Robin Zagorski

05-04-2025 19:27 UTC+1

Kalietina Shoves River on Docherty

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Matt Warburton

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

David Docherty raised from under the gun and Diana Kalietina was the only player to take him up, calling in late position. The flop came 2♦K♦8♣ and Docherty made a continuation bet of 2,600, which Kalientina called.

The flop came 2♦K♦8♣ and Docherty, looking stoic as ever, fired again, this time for 7,100. Kalietina took a moment before making the call.

The river was the A♣ and Docherty opted to check. Kalietina then moved all in for 18,800. Docherty went into the tank and started talking himself through the hand. Kalietina gave nothing away as she waited for her opponent to make the decision. Docherty eventually folded, giving Kalietina the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Diana Kalietina	110,000 55,000	55,000
David Docherty	45,000 90,000	90,000

Tags: David Docherty Diana Kalietina

05-04-2025 19:29 UTC+1

Yokosawa Holds to Double Off Vallinas

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David Salituro

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Alexandre Reard raised to 1,700 in early position and received four callers as action went on Jon Vallinas in the big blind. He three-bet to 12,000 and Reard folded, while only Masato Yokosawa called in the cutoff.

The flop came 9♣9♦5♣ and Vallinas bet 5,000. Yokosawa then moved all in for 22,000 and Vallinas called.

Masato Yokosawa: 6♣6♦ All in
Jon Vallinas: A♣Q♠

Yokosawa was ahead with his two pair and held on through the J♥ turn and 2♣ river to secure the double up.