€5,300 Main Event Day 6 | 2026 PokerStars EPT Monte-Carlo

May 10, 2026

Seat 4: Samuel Ju, 42, Berlin, Germany – 4,000,000

Frank Visser

Entrepreneur and startup investor, Samuel Ju, only became passionate about poker a few years ago, after discovering the game’s strategic and competitive aspects. Since mid-2022, he has accumulated more than $3.8 million in live tournament earnings, competing in some of the toughest events worldwide.

Co-founder of an app that combines bankroll management, live event scheduling, and social networking, now with thousands of users, Ju has established himself among poker industry professionals and has also become one of Germany’s elite players.

He is still doing both: traveling for poker while working on various other projects, including the development of an artificial intelligence-related application. “I’m tired but super happy and focused,” he says.

Player bios courtesy of Jan Kores/Florenze Mazet/Howard Swains/PokerStars

Career statistics

The Hendon Mob Earnings: $3,881,851
EPT Main Event cashes: 3
Best result: 93rd, 2023 EPT Monte-Carlo (€13,050)

Tournament progression

Day 1: 240,000 (4/177, 1B)
Day 2: 313,000 (31/151)
Day 3: 287,000 (40/48)
Day 4: 1,640,000 (7/20)
Day 5: 4,000,000 (3/8)

Key hands

Ju started Day 4 as one of the shorter stacks, but won aces against ace-king early on to climb above the average stack.
On Day 5, Ju won two sizable pots against Mirsolav Rizov, with the last one eliminating the Bulgarian player in 11th place

Tags: Samuel Ju

May 10, 2026

Seat 3: Roman Stoica, 31, St. Petersburg, Russia, represents Moldova – 3,200,000

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Frank Visser

Roman Stoica has been building steadily over the past year to this EPT final table appearance. He was 16th in Malta last year and 27th at EPT Prague in December. He is now sitting at the first EPT final of his career.

Originally from Saint Petersburg, the Russian player began his tournament poker career in Sochi, playing low buy-in events before becoming a regular on the EPT circuit starting with the 2024 stop in Cyprus. Stoica also holds a Moldovan passport and chooses to represent the country at the EPT, giving him the chance to become the nation’s first champion.

Stoica is mostly a live player and now boasts more than $1.6 million in live tournament earnings. The largest chunk of more than €360,000 came with his victory in the €3,250 Mystery Bounty event at EPT Barcelona in 2025

Player bios courtesy of Jan Kores/Florenze Mazet/Howard Swains/PokerStars

Career statistics

The Hendon Mob Earnings: $1,682,267
EPT Main Event cashes: 3
Best result: 16th, 2025 EPT Malta (€33,850)

Tournament progression

Day 1: 116,000 (41/111, 1A)
Day 2: 350,000 (25/151)
Day 3: 801,000 (13/48)
Day 4: 2,480,000 (3/20)
Day 5: 3,200,000 (5/8)

Key hands

Stoica was all-in and at risk against Jose Malpelli on the final level of Day 4, with his higher kicker holding for a double-up.
Not much later, Stoica was the final nail in Thomas Eychenne’s coffin, rivering a flush against Eychenne’s set to double up again and leave the former chipleader with crumbs

Tags: Roman Stoica

May 10, 2026

Seat 2: Bernhard Binder, 27, Vienna, Austria – 7,200,000

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Frank Visser

Not even a year ago, leading Austrian pro Mario Mosbock tipped his countryman Bernhard Binder as one of the hottest prospects in the game, just waiting for a breakout performance.

In recent months, Mosbock has been proven spectacularly correct.

In December, Binder won $10 million and his first World Series bracelet, and he added another massive seven-figure score in South Korea in March. Binder is now at a maiden EPT final table, which he'll start as a hot favorite.

And he's relishing the prospect of winning one of the most prestigious titles in his home continent. “It does mean something special, because it's the only big title I don't have,” the 27-year-old says. “I have won a Triton event, a big WSOP, and basically everything online.”

Originally from Oberpullendorf, close to Austria's border with Hungary, Binder learned the game playing home games with friends, and is now best friends and room-mates in the capital with fellow pro Samuel Mullur. He also cites Mullur and the Vienna-based crew as his main inspirations.

Though poker consumes most of his life, Binder says he's also a fan of most sports and games.

With Binder having already beaten his best EPT performance to date, Austria has never had a better chance of claiming a first EPT title.

Player bios courtesy of Jan Kores/Florenze Mazet/Howard Swains/PokerStars

Career statistics

The Hendon Mob Earnings: $13,151,514
EPT Main Event cashes: 2
Best result: 107th, 2024 EPT Cyprus ($12,020)

Tournament progression

Day 1: 125,000 (54/177, 1B)
Day 2: 411,000 (15/151)
Day 3: 740,000 (15/48)
Day 4: 4,540,000 (1/20)
Day 5: 7,520,000 (1/8)

Key hands

Binder faced a tough spot in the final Level of Day 4 as he was put all-in on the river by Mehdi Chaoui in a four-bet pot. Binder called with top pair, catching Chaoui bluffing to obtain the tournament chip lead for the first time.

Tags: Bernhard Binder

May 10, 2026

Seat 1: Jose Malpelli, 52, Bastia, France, PokerStars Qualifier – 2,300,000

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Frank Visser

Having qualified on PokerStars.fr for €250, José Malpelli is a recreational player who only recently returned to the live poker scene after several years away from the game. “I used to play a lot in the past, but I stopped for several years before coming back at the end of 2025 with a trip to Sanremo and then Cannes for the PokerStars Open Cannes,” the Corsican player says. “I even managed to cash there.”

Another Corsican player, Paul-François Tedeschi, went on to win that Cannes stop. “I don’t know him personally — he’s much younger than me — but I do know Anthony Apicella and his father, another Corsican player who has enjoyed plenty of success in PokerStars events.”

Malpelli lives in Bastia, in the department of Haute-Corse, and has worked in real estate for many years. He enjoyed a perfect end to the second level of Day 5, eliminating American pro Jason Wheeler with pocket kings against pocket nines.

Player bios courtesy of Jan Kores/Florenze Mazet/Howard Swains/PokerStars

Career statistics

The Hendon Mob Earnings: $9,505
EPT Main Event cashes: 0
Best result: n/a

Tournament progression
Day 1: 263,000 (2/111, 1A)
Day 2: 425,000 (14/151)
Day 3: 732,000 (16/48)
Day 4: 920,000 (16/20)
Day 5: 2,300,000 (8/8)

Key hands

Malpelli moved all in with top pair on the river against Thomas Eychenne late on Day 4 to double up and cross a million in chips.

On Day 5, Malpelli eliminated seasoned pro Jason Wheeler with pocket kings, and later spiked a three-outer on the river while all-in and at risk at the final table to survive to the final day.

Tags: José Malpelli

€5,300 Main Event

Day 6 Started