button in SafariMehdi Chaoui Bags the Chip Lead on Day 1a of EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event
With the sun set on another day on the French Riviera, Day 1a of the €5,300 Main Event at the PokerStars European Poker Tour in Monte-Carlo has come to a close.
As expected, a wave of players made their way to Sporting Monte-Carlo to take their seats at one of the tour’s most prestigious stops. In total, the first of two starting flights attracted 374 entries, generating a prize pool that currently stands at €2,192,200, and after ten levels of play, 111 of those players bagged chips and progressed to Day 2.
No stranger to the big stage, it is Mehdi Chaoui who leads the way. Having late-registered, the accomplished high roller went about his business in typical nonchalant fashion, building a commanding stack of 357,000.
Already atop Morocco’s all-time money list on The Hendon Mob, he will begin Day 2 with a mammoth 238 big blinds.
The chasing pack are tightly bunched, but completing the podium are Jose Malpelli of France, who finished the flight with 263,000, and Brazil's Leonardo Pires, who bagged 243,000.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mehdi Chaoui | Morocco | 357,000 | 238 |
| 2 | Jose Malpelli | France | 263,000 | 175 |
| 3 | Leonardo Pires | Brazil | 243,000 | 162 |
| 4 | Florian Ribouchon | France | 210,500 | 140 |
| 5 | Andrei Shmakov | Russian Federation | 206,500 | 138 |
| 6 | Laurent Polito | France | 204,000 | 136 |
| 7 | Stanislau Shylkou | Belarus | 199,000 | 133 |
| 8 | Ravi Sheth | United Kingdom | 191,000 | 127 |
| 9 | Juha Helppi | Finland | 188,500 | 126 |
| 10 | Hamza Nasir | United Kingdom | 187,000 | 125 |
Further down the chip counts, heavy hitters such as Juha Helppi (188,500), Espen Jorstad (172,000), Roberto Romanello (146,000), Adrian Mateos (112,500) and Zdenek Zizka (107,500) all ensured that they will be in the mix when the chips are emptied onto the felt for Day 2.
Reigning champion Aleksandr Shevliakov (104,000) also progressed, while Elias Gutierrez (68,000) was the sole survivor from PokerStars Team Pro.
Not all who entered enjoyed the same success, as players such as Rania Nasreddine, Kenny Hallaert, Maria Konnikova, Ole Schemion and Ben Heath can attest. All of whom fell short of putting chips into a bag.
All hope is not lost, however, as each player is allowed one reentry, which they can use any time up until cards are in the air for Day 2.
Day 1b provides the next opportunity to join the field, getting underway at noon local time on Tuesday, May 5th.
EPT Monte-Carlo Remaining Schedule
| Day | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1b | May 5 | 12pm |
| Day 2 | May 6 | 12pm |
| Day 3 | May 7 | 12pm |
| Day 4 | May 8 | 12pm |
| Day 5 | May 9 | 12pm |
| Day 6 | May 10 | 12:30pm |
Day 1b will feature ten hour-long levels, with a 75-minute dinner break scheduled at the end of Level 6.
Players will start with a 30,000 stack, with blinds starting at 100/100 and a 100 big blind ante.
Be sure to tune into PokerNews where you will find live coverage of all the major moments until an EPT Monte-Carlo Champion is crowned.