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

05-04-2025 14:55 UTC+1

Duta Doubles With Soup Equity

Matt Warburton

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Angelos Valilis raised to 800 from middle position and Florian Duta three-bet to 2,800 from the button. Valilis then moved all in and Duta called for 9,100. Players flipped their cards.

Florian Duta: K♦Q♦ All in
Angelos Valilis: 10♥10♣

Valilis looked a little disappointed as his opponent turned over two high cards to make it a flip. The flop came J♣A♥K♥ to give Duta a pair of kings and leave Valilis drawing thin.

To rub salt in his wound, the turn came the K♣ and river the Q♥ to further improve Duta's hand to a full house. He won the pot and doubled his stack.

"See, you cannot beat me while I'm eating," said Duta as he chowed down his soup.

Player	Chips	Progress
Angelos Valilis	35,000 35,000	35,000
Florian Duta	21,000 20,000	20,000

Tags: Angelos Valilis Florian Duta

05-04-2025 14:51 UTC+1

Herold Wins Pot from 2024 Champ

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Matt Warburton

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Action was on the turn on a board of 8♥7♥Q♦5♦ and Kao Herold led out for 6,000 and Derk van Luijk called.

The turn came the 6♠ and Herold moved all in for 16,000 into a pot of around 25,000. Van Luijk folded and Herold took the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kai Herold	41,000
Derk van Luijk	22,000 13,000	13,000

Tags: Derk van Luijk Kao Herold

05-04-2025 14:44 UTC+1

Barsegyan Hits the River For a Bustout

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David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Manuel Cortada was down to just 3,000 as he moved all in from the cutoff. Action folded to Eduard Barsegyan who called in the big blind.

Manuel Cortada: A♦4♥ All in
Eduard Barsegyan: K♣3♣

Cortada was ahead with his ace-high as the board came J♠6♣7♥7♦, but Barsegyan hit the K♠ on the river to make two pair and send Cortada to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Eduard Barsegyan	35,000 12,000	12,000
Manuel Cortada	Busted

Tags: Eduard Barsegyan Manuel Cortada

05-04-2025 14:41 UTC+1

Domination Rotation for Awad as Rabas Busts

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Matt Warburton

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Boutros Awad raised from late position, Felix Rabas three-bet from the small blind, then Awad moved all in for 22,000. Rabas called and was covered as players turned their cards.

Felix Rabas: A♠K♦ All in
Boutros Awad: A♦Q♠

Awad was dominated, but found all the help he needed as the flop came 2♦Q♦9♣ to give him a pair of queens. He held as the turn came the 7♦ and river the 5♥. Awad close to doubled and Rabas was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Boutros Awad	45,000 5,000	5,000
Felix Rabas	Busted

Tags: Boutros Awad Felix Rabas

05-04-2025 14:37 UTC+1

Pardo Shoves Short and Busts

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Matt Warburton

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Juan Pardo moved all in from early position with a devestatingly short stack of just 2,600. He was looked up by Lucas Pochat, who called in middle position. The rest of the table folded and players turned their cards.

Juan Pardo: A♦3♥
Lucas Pochat: A♠10♠

The board ran out 6♣J♣K♣7♣9♠ and neither player improved their hand. Pochat held with his ace-ten high to win the pot, sending Pardo to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Lucas Pochat	35,000 35,000	35,000
Juan Pardo	Busted

Tags: Juan Pardo Lucas Pochat

05-04-2025 14:36 UTC+1

Afriat Reads Zagar Correctly

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David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

With around 8,000 in the pot on a flop of K♣10♠6♥, Eric Afriat bet 3,500 from the hijack and Franck Makaci called on the button, as did big blind Vid Zagar.

All three players checked the A♦ turn. Zagar then led out for 9,000 on the 3♦ river.

Afriat spent a minute in the tank before folding, while Makaci quickly mucked. "Show one time," Afriat pleaded with Zagar, who obliged by showing Q♦J♦ for a straight.

"I had two pair. See how I folded and checked the turn? You're the only one who can have a straight there," Afriat added after the hand.

Matthew Wantman recently took his seat at this table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vid Zagar	37,000 2,000	2,000
Matthew Wantman	30,000 30,000	30,000
Franck Makaci	25,000 25,000	25,000
Eric Afriat	17,000 10,500	10,500

Tags: Eric Afriat Franck Makaci Vid Zagar

Level: 4

Blinds: 200/400

Ante: 400

05-04-2025 14:26 UTC+1

Recent Bustouts

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David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Maher Achour	Busted
[Removed:546]	Busted
Harry Lodge	Busted
Dan Djorno	Busted
Luca Maerki	Busted
Dario Devincenzi	Busted
Thierry Amirault	Busted
Omar Hernandez	Busted

05-04-2025 14:26 UTC+1

Jaraiz Makes Set, Golinski Loses Chips, Boatman Tries to Take Seat

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Matt Warburton

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

Three players were in the pot on a flop of 3♠10♣4♥ and Mariusz Golinski checked. Eric Afriat bet 2,000, which Jose Jaraiz and Golinski both called.

The turn was the 8♦ and Golinski checked. Afriat bet 4,500, which both Jaraiz and Golinski called again.

The river came the J♣ and Afriat checked. Jaraiz sized up a bet of 16,000 and Golinski went into the tank, placing his head on his hands and leaning on the table. He eventually placed his chips in the middle in dramatic fashion. Afriat folded and players showed their cards.

Golinski had 10♠8♥ for two pair, but Jaraiz flipped over 3♥3♣ for a set of threes to win the pot. Golinski's stack was reduced to around half what it was towards the start of the level.

On the table behind, mild drama was unfolding as Barny Boatman tried to take his seat for his second bullet, only to find a player already seated who also had the same seat number on his ticket. The floor was called and the situation cleared up. Boatman took his seat with a fresh 30,000 stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jose Jaraiz	68,000 31,500	31,500
Mariusz Golinski	45,000 50,000	50,000
Barny Boatman	30,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Barny Boatman Eric Afriat Jose Jaraiz Mariusz Golinski

05-04-2025 14:25 UTC+1

Kraous Hero-Calls Wiciak For a Bustout

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David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

Selim Amghar raised to 700 under the gun and Anton Kraous called in middle position. Simon Wiciak then three-bet to 2,200 in the hijack and only Kraous called, donning his hood as he and Wiciak went to the flop.

The flop came 9♥4♠4♣ and Wiciak bet 2,500. Kraous called to the 9♣ turn, where Wiciak bet another 5,600. Kraous again called.

The river was the 2♥ and Wiciak moved all in for 15,500. Kraous ripped off his hood and went into the tank for a few minutes until eventually calling.

Wiciak could only show K♥10♥ for king-high, while Kraous turned over A♥8♥ for ace-high to win the pot and send Wiciak to the rail.