€5,300 Main Event Day 4 | 2026 PokerStars EPT Monte-Carlo

May 08, 2026

Stoica Doubles, Leaves Eychenne With Chip and Chair

Frank Visser

Level 24 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Thomas Eychenne was first to act and raised to 60,000. Roman Stoica placed a small three-bet to 150,000 in the next seat over, and Jose Malpelli cold-called in the big blind.

Eychenne also came long, after which the trio checked through the A♠5♣6♥ flop. Malpelli checked again on the K♥ turn, but Eychenne took the initiative with a bet of 250,000. Stoica called before Malpelli mucked his cards.

Eychenne then took some time on the 9♥ river before he announced an all-in bet. Stoica quickly rechecked his cards, then immediately called.

Eychenne sighed as he flipped up 5♠5♦ for a set of fives. His bad news was confirmed when Stoica showed A♥10♥ for a flush, doubling him up to a stack of over 70 big blinds.

Eychenne, meanwhile, was left with just one big blind that the start-of-day chipleader would have to try and spin up.

Tags: Jose Malpelli Roman Stoica Thomas Eychenne

May 08, 2026

Chaoui Overbets River for Quadruple Pot

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Stewart Morrison

Level 24 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Rodrigo Selouan made it 60,000 from middle position, and only Mehdi Chaoui called, defending his big blind.

The action checked through all the way to the river on 9♣10♠8♣4♣, and the 8♦ completed the board.

Chaoui opted not to check for a third time; instead, he assembled a bet of 605,000 and slid it into the middle.

Selouan took his time to make a decision, ultimately electing to fold.

Tags: Mehdi Chaoui Rodrigo Selouan

May 08, 2026

River Bet Does the Job

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Stewart Morrison

Level 24 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Thomas Eychenne opened to 60,000 from under the gun, which both Miguel Franco and Jose Malpelli called in the small and big blind, respectively.

After both blinds checked on the K♥9♥3♦ flop, Eychenne continued for 70,000, which only Malpelli called.

The action checked through on the 7♥ turn, and the 2♥ completed the board.

When Malpelli checked for a third time, Eychenne fired 300,000 into the middle. That was enough to see Malpelli surrender, as he returned his cards to the dealer.

Tags: Jose Malpelli Miguel Franco Thomas Eychenne

May 08, 2026

Selouan Doubles on Roller-Coaster Runout

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Frank Visser

Level 24 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Boris Kolev made it 60,000 in the cutoff. Rodrigo Selouan pushed in a three-bet worth 215,000 from the small blind, and Kolev moved all in. Selouan quickly called off his stack of 775,000.

Rodrigo Selouan: Q♠Q♣ All in
Boris Kolev: 10♥10♣

Selouan was staring at the prospect of being eliminated after Kolev binked a set on the K♥10♠2♥ flop, but he found a higher set on the Q♦ turn to leave Kolev with one out.

The 4♥ river was not it, securing Selouan's double-up to an above-average stack.

Tags: Boris Kolev Rodrigo Selouan

May 08, 2026

Binder Doubles in Four-Bet Pot to Take Tournament Chip Lead

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Frank Visser

Level 24 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Bernhard Binder opened the action with a raise to 60,000 in middle position. Mehdi Chaoui responded with a three-bet to 195,000 in the cutoff, which Binder four-bet to 425,000.

Chaoui called, creating a massive pot as the players saw the 5♣Q♠2♥ flop. Binder continued for 225,000, seeing Chaoui toss in another call. Binder sized up to 475,000 on the 4♣ turn. Chaoui called again, revealing the 5♦ as the river.

Binder slowed down and checked. Chaoui then shoved all in, covering Binder's 745,000 remaining chips. Binder spent several time banks as he went deep into the tank. Ultimately, he decided to risk his tournament life and slammed in a call.

"Nice hand," Chaoui said as he could only show ace-high with his A♣6♣. Binder triumphantly tabled K♥Q♣ for top pair, and he raked in the pot worth over 125 big blinds to dethrone Chaoui as the chip leader.

Tags: Bernhard Binder Mehdi Chaoui

May 08, 2026

Kicker Plays, Stoica Doubles

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Stewart Morrison

Level 24 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Jose Malpelli opened to 60,000 on the button, and Roman Stoica called in the big blind.

On a 3♠7♥10♠ flop, Stoica executed a check-raise when Malpelli continued for 50,000. He upped the price to 130,000, which Malpelli called.

The turn brought the 10♥, and Stoica reverted to checking. Malpelli bet 400,000, enough to cover the 340,000 stack of Stoica, and Stoica called.

Roman Stoica: Q♠7♠ All in
Jose Malpelli: 7♦6♦

The 9♠ completed the board, and Stoica's two pair with a better kicker saw him earn a full double-up.

Tags: Jose Malpelli Roman Stoica

May 08, 2026

Malpelli Finds Non-Believer in Eychenne

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Frank Visser

Level 24 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

It folded to Jose Malpelli in the small blind. He raised to 90,000, seeing Thomas Eychenne call in the big blind. The K♥3♣5♣ flop had barely graced the felt before Malpelli continued with a bet of 110,000. Eychenne quickly called.

Another swift bet flew in on the 9♦ turn; this time Malpelli opted for a size of 250,000. Eychenne again wasted no time in calling. Malpelli then immediately moved all in on the 3♥ river for 500,000.

Eychenne went into the tank, visibly agonizing over his decision. Eventually, he tossed in a calling chip. Malpelli revealed K♦Q♣ for top pair, while Eychenne was stuck with 8♥5♦ for middle pair.

The huge pot was shipped to Malpelli, who nearly crossed the two-million mark as a result.

Tags: Jose Malpelli Thomas Eychenne

May 08, 2026

Blaison Rivers Anufriiev Out of Main Event

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Frank Visser

Level 24 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Hugo Blaison made it 60,000 to go in the cutoff. Small blind Stanislav Anufriiev committed his stack of 500,000, and Blaison quickly called with the covering stack.

Stanislav Anufriiev: A♦K♥ All in
Hugo Blaison: A♠J♦

Blaison flopped a straight draw on 10♦7♠9♠, although the 3♥ turn helped him no further. The J♠ river did, however, giving him a pair of jacks to beat Anufriiev's ace-king and send him to the rail.

Tags: Hugo Blaison Stanislav Anufriiev

May 08, 2026

Zeiter Doubles First Hand Back

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Stewart Morrison

Level 24 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Bernhard Binder kicked the action off with a raise to 60,000 from under the gun, and play then folded to Diego Zeiter in the big blind. Zeiter put out a three-bet to 155,000, and quickly called when Binder four-bet jammed.

Zeiter had the smaller of the two stacks, with 535,000, and as such, was the player at risk.

Diego Zeiter: Q♠Q♣ All in
Bernhard Binder: 6♥6♦

Zeiter's pocket queens never came under any threat, as the 7♣J♦2♥J♣9♦ board earned him a double-up.