€5,300 Main Event Day 4 | 2025 PokerStars EPT Monte-Carlo

05-08-2025 14:11 UTC+1

Pardo Cracks Malec's Aces to Bust Former EPT Champion

Matt Warburton

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Sebastian Malec open-raised to 40,000 from under the gun and Juan Pardo defended in the big blind.

Both players then checked on 7♥10♣7♠ flop. The turn was the 9♣ and Pardo used a time bank before putting out a bet of 130,000, which Malec snap-called.

The river came the 5♥ and Pardo announced that he was all in, putting his oppponent to the test for all of Malec's remaining stack. Malec immediately made the call.

Malec flipped over A♣A♦ for pocket aces, two pair with the sevens on board. Pardo, though, showed 9♥9♠ for a full house, nines full of sevens to win the pot.

Both players had near-equal stacks, but after the count it was revealed that Pardo had slightly more than Malec. Pardo close to doubled his stack, while Malec was sent to the exit, meaning there will be no second title for the EPT Barcelona 2016 champion.

Player	Chips	Progress
Juan Pardo	1,550,000 775,000	775,000
Sebastian Malec	Busted

Tags: Juan Pardo Sebastian Malec

05-08-2025 13:18 UTC+1

Recent Bustouts

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David Salituro

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Ignacio Sole	Busted
Attila Ivacson	Busted

05-08-2025 13:18 UTC+1

Santoro Runs Into Martirosyan's Aces

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David Salituro

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Boris Angelov raised to 30,000 in the cutoff and Vahe Martirosyan three-bet to 75,000 in the cutoff. Amerigo Santoro then four-bet to 190,000 on the button and Angelov folded, but Martirosyan moved all in and Santoro called for 250,000.

Amerigo Santoro: A♥K♠ All in
Vahe Martirosyan: A♠A♣

"Unlucky," a tablemate said to Santoro after Martirosyan showed down his two aces. The board ran out Q♥3♦10♣3♣9♦ and Santoro was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Boris Angelov	1,130,000 70,000	70,000

Vahe Martirosyan	600,000 310,000	310,000
Amerigo Santoro	Busted

Tags: Amerigo Santoro Boris Angelov Vahe Martirosyan

05-08-2025 13:01 UTC+1

Engel Tries to Take Out Halimi Twice

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David Salituro

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Rony Halimi moved all in for 84,000 in the hijack, Ari Engel reshoved for 250,000 in the cutoff, and the rest of the table got out of the way.

Rony Halimi: Q♦J♥ All in
Ari Engel: 6♣6♠

The board ran out A♦2♣2♦2♠A♣ and Halimi began to walk away from the table thinking he was eliminated before being alerted that it was a split pot.

A few hands later, Halimi again shoved for 64,000 on the button as Engel called in the small blind.

Rony Halimi: Q♦4♦ All in
Ari Engel: 6♦6♥

Halimi was again up against Engel's pair of sixes, but he wouldn't have the same fortune this time as Engel spiked a set on the K♠6♠10♠ flop. The board ran out 5♥A♠ and Engel scored the knockout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ari Engel	350,000 70,000	70,000
Rony Halimi	Busted

Tags: Ari Engel Rony Halimi

05-08-2025 12:37 UTC+1

Garcia Runs Top Pair Into Two Pair

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Matt Warburton

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Miki Vea Garcia raised from middle position and Nicolas Tytgat called in the big blind. The flop came 7♥3♠9♠ and Tytgat checked. Garcia bet 55,000 and Tytgat clicked it back to 110,000. Garcia shoved and Tytgat made the call. Garcia was at risk as players showed their cards.

Miki Vea Garcia: A♦9♦ All in
Nicolas Tytgat: 9♣7♣

Garcia had top pair, top kicker, but Tytgat was ahead with two pair, nines and sevens. The turn came the 10♦ and river the J♥. Tytgat held to bring his stack up to around the 1,000,000 mark, while Garcia was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nicolas Tytgat	1,000,000 360,000	360,000
Miki Vea Garcia	Busted

Tags: Miki Vea Garcia Nicolas Tytgat

05-08-2025 12:32 UTC+1

Tian Busts to Petriv

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Matt Warburton

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Stanislav Petriv open-raised to 30,000 from middle position and Mengshi Tian put the rest of his chips in the middle from the small blind for just 36,000. Malcolm Franchi called in the big blind and Petriv called.

The flop came 8♥8♠5♣ and Franchi checked. Petriv bet 35,000 and Franchi called. Both players then checked it back on the 5♥ turn.

The river was the 2♣ and Franchi checked again. Petriv bet 100,000 and Franchi folded.

Tian flipped over A♦6♦ and had missed the board, while Petriv had 7♠7♦ for two pair, pocket sevens and the eights on board to win the pot, sending Tian to the exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
Malcolm Franchi	780,000 232,000	232,000
Stanislav Petriv	570,000 48,000	48,000
Mengshi Tian	Busted

Tags: Malcolm Franchi Mengshi Tian Stanislav Petriv

05-08-2025 12:05 UTC+1

Barbero Wakes Up With a Monster to Bust Lam

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David Salituro

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Benoit Lam moved all in for 140,000 under the gun and Khossein Kokhestani gave it some thought in the hijack before folding.

"What is your name?" small blind Leon Zeaiter asked Lam.

"Ben. Benoit in French," Lam replied.

"Good luck," Zeaiter said as he mucked.

Nacho Barbero in the big blind took a peek at his cards and snap-called.

Benoit Lam: A♠Q♣ All in
Nacho Barbero: K♥K♣

Barbero had picked up kings and left Lam looking for an ace to survive, but he missed the 10♠7♥3♦6♣7♦ board and gave Barbero a high-five before making his exit.

"If I call, you go," Kokhestani said to Barbero, making an X sign with his hands and admitting he folded two sixes.

"If you call, I shove," Barbero replied.

Earlier at this table, Alexandros Kolonias objected to the table-breaking order and argued with the floor so loudly and for so long that a tournament official threatened to have security escort him from the room.

Player	Chips	Progress
Khossein Kokhestani	1,600,000 200,000	200,000
Nacho Barbero	900,000 341,000	341,000
Benoit Lam	Busted

Tags: Benoit Lam Nacho Barbero

05-08-2025 12:02 UTC+1

Lu Loses Flip to Bust

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Matt Warburton

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Ari Engel open-raised to 30,000 from the hijack and Qing Lu moved all in from the cutoff for 178,000. Engel flicked in a chip to make the call and players flipped their cards, with Lu at risk.

Qing Lu: 8♠8♥ All in
Ari Engel: K♥10♥

Lu was flipping for her tournament life. She stood up and other players wished her good luck, but the board ran out 7♠10♠4♦3♦J♥ to give Engel a pair of tens on the flop. He held and Lu was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ari Engel	760,000 105,000	105,000
Qing Lu	Busted

Tags: Ari Engel Qing Lu

05-08-2025 11:44 UTC+1

Martirosyan Spikes Trips to Bust Zagar

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Matt Warburton

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Vahe Martirosyan open-shoved from the button for around 180,000 and Vid Zagar made the call in the big blind with the shorter stack of around 79,000. Players revealed their cards.

Vid Zagar: A♥J♥ All in
Vahe Martirosyan: A♠5♠

Zagar had Martirosyan dominated, until Martirosyan hit a miracle flop of 10♠5♦5♣ to make trip fives. The turn came the K♠ and river the J♣. Martirosyan held and Zagar was eliminated from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vahe Martirosyan	290,000 80,000	80,000
Vid Zagar	Busted

Tags: Vahe Martirosyan Vid Zagar

05-08-2025 11:11 UTC+1

Valls Loses an Early Flip

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David Salituro

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Josep Valls began the day with 127,000 and moved all in the first hand, finding no callers. He again shoved the next hand from under the gun, but this time Enrico Coppola reshoved in the cutoff and the rest of the table got out of the way.

Josep Valls: A♥Q♥ All in
Enrico Coppola: 6♦6♥

Valls was racing for his tournament life as the flop came 10♠10♦5♥. The 4♠ turn was no help, while the river was the J♣ and Valls became the first casualty of the day.

Player	Chips	Progress
Enrico Coppola	360,000 122,000	122,000
Josep Valls	Busted

Tags: Enrico Coppola Josep Valls