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

May 09, 2026

Stoica Stops the Rot

Stewart Morrison

Level 27 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

With the action folded all the way to Jose Malpelli in the small blind, he raised to 125,000, which Roman Stoica called in the big blind.

Both players checked the 9♦8♦6♣ flop, prompting Malpelli to pick his betting lead up again on the 4♥ turn. He put 130,000 into the middle, which Stoica called.

The 5♣ completed the board, and Malpelli checked. Stoica then assembled a tower of chips and bet 520,000. Malpelli opted to call, but it was bad news as Stoica tabled 9♠7♣, good for a rivered straight. Malpelli mucked his cards and paid the bet.

Tags: Jose Malpelli Roman Stoica

May 09, 2026

Miroslav Rizov Eliminated in 11th Place (€61,700)

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Frank Visser

Level 27 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Raul Mestre opened the action with a raise to 125,000 in the hijack. Samuel Ju called on the button, and Miroslav Rizov followed suit in the big blind.

All three players checked the Q♣6♥K♣ flop, and the A♠ turn was also checked to Ju. He then fired 175,000 into the pot, which Rizov raised to 450,000.

Mestre quickly mucked K♥9♥, but Ju was not going anywhere and called after spending one of his time banks. The river fell the innocent-looking 4♥, on which Rizov decided to move all in for 710,000.

Ju shook his head as he went into the tank, but eventually found a call with A♣Q♦ for two pair. Rizov could only show a pair of kings with K♦J♥, cementing his departure in 11th place.

Tags: Miroslav Rizov Raul Mestre Samuel Ju

May 09, 2026

Cortazar Doubles Through Maue

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Frank Visser

Level 27 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Xavier Cortazar looked down at his cards on the button and raised to 125,000. Leonard Maue defended the big blind, and a 2♣7♣6♥ flop was fanned.

Maue checked it over to Cortazar, who pushed in a continuation-bet of 175,000. Maue then put his opponent all-in for 910,000 and was snap-called.

Xavier Cortazar: 10♥10♦ All in
Leonard Maue: 7♠5♣

Maue turned an open-ender on the 4♥, but the 6♣ river remained clean for Cortazar to double up.

Tags: Leonard Maue Xavier Cortazar

May 09, 2026

Lahmani Cracks Mestre's Queens to Double Again

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Frank Visser

Level 27 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Oshri Lahmani pushed all in in the cutoff for 620,000. It folded to Raul Mestre in the big blind, who instantly called.

Oshri Lahmani: A♣10♠ All in
Raul Mestre: Q♥Q♦

Lahmani immediately flopped an ace on 9♦7♥A♥ to take a big lead. The 8♦ turn was no help to Mestre, and neither was the 3♠ river. Lahmani raked in another double-up as his comeback story continued.

Tags: Oshri Lahmani Raul Mestre

May 09, 2026

Jason Wheeler Eliminated in 12th Place (€51,400)

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Stewart Morrison

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Jose Malpelli opened to 100,000 from the hijack, and Longmao Fan called on the button. In the small blind, Jason Wheeler then inquired about Malpelli's stack. Happy with the answer he received, he moved all in for 1,055,000. Malpelli wasted no time moving all in as well, a bet worth roughly 1,700,000. Fan folded, and the cards were revealed.

Jason Wheeler: 9♠9♥ All in
Jose Malpelli: K♥K♣

Wheeler needed help fast, but the A♦6♥6♠4♥5♣ board was unforthcoming, seeing his deep run end in 12th place.

Tags: Jason Wheeler Jose Malpelli Longmao Fan

May 09, 2026

Lahmani Correctly Folds Two Pair

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Frank Visser

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Oshri Lahmani flicked in a raise to 100,000 under the gun with Q♦9♦. It folded to Samuel Ju in the big blind, who obliged with a call holding K♥6♥. Lahmani continued for 75,000 on the Q♥2♥K♦ flop, and Ju check-called.

The A♥ turn gave Ju the nut flush and was checked through to the 9♣ river, which gave Lahmani two pair. Ju bet enough to put Lahmani to the test for his last 400,000. Lahmani went into the tank, spending one of his time banks before finding the fold to stay alive in the Main Event.

Tags: Oshri Lahmani Samuel Ju

May 09, 2026

Rizov Remains in Contention

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Frank Visser

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Miroslav Rizov pushed all in for 620,000 on the button, and was called by Xavier Cortazar in the small blind.

Miroslav Rizov: K♦J♦ All in
Xavier Cortazar: A♥9♥

Rizov flopped a flush draw on 3♦8♣8♦ for some extra outs, although the 4♥ turn was of no help. The 5♦ river completed his draw, however, and he happily raked in his double-up.

Tags: Miroslav Rizov Xavier Cortazar

May 09, 2026

Ognyan Dimov Eliminated in 13th Place (€51,400)

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Frank Visser

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Raul Mestre was in the cutoff and raised to 100,000. Leonard Maue flat-called on the button, inviting Ognyan Dimov to squeeze in his 665,000 remaining chips from the small blind.

Mestre confirmed the amount before reshoving, forcing Maue's K♠Q♦ out of the pot.

Ognyan Dimov: A♦J♣ All in
Raul Mestre: 8♥8♣

Dimov needed running outs after Mestre flopped a full house on 5♠5♣8♦, and the A♥ turn provided him with a glimmer of hope. No second ace appeared on the 3♣ river, however, spelling the end of Dimov's Main Event.

Tags: Leonard Maue Ognyan Dimov Raul Mestre

May 09, 2026

Rodrigo Selouan Eliminated in 14th Place (€42,800)

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Frank Visser

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Rodrigo Selouan open-jammed for 815,000 in the hijack. It folded to Bernhard Binder in the big blind, who immediately tossed in a calling chip.

"I think I have 30 percent," Selouan stated as the cameras gathered.

"You have 32 percent," Binder replied as the cards were allowed to be tabled.

Rodrigo Selouan: A♠5♠ All in
Bernhard Binder: J♦J♣

Selouan flopped extra outs on 2♦3♣10♣, but the J♠ turn left him drawing to just a gutshot. The 3♥ river upgraded Binder to a full house instead, securing another pot for the chip leader and sending Selouan out in 14th place.