2017 PokerStars Championship presented by Monte-Carlo Casino®

Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2017 PokerStars Championship presented by Monte-Carlo Casino®

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
aa
Prize
€466,714
Event Info
Buy-in
€5,300
Prize Pool
€3,525,950
Entries
727
Level Info
Level
32
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
25,000

Kisacikoglu Beats Chidwick in Big Pot

Level 1 : 50/100, 0 ante
Orpen Kisacikoglu (here pictured in the Super High Roller earlier this festival)
Orpen Kisacikoglu (here pictured in the Super High Roller earlier this festival)

The player in the hijack opened the action with a raise and Orpen Kisacikoglu on the button called. Big blind Stephen Chidwick squeezed to 1,250 and both the initial raiser and Kisacikoglu called.

With a flop of {4-Clubs}{7-Hearts}{8-Hearts}, Chidwick continued for 1,300. The hijack folded, Kisacikoglu raised to 3,900 after just a couple of seconds in the tank. Chidwick called.

As the {A-Spades} hit the turn, Chidwick checked. Kisacikoglu bet a hefty 13,500 and Chidwick called.

The {9-Hearts} on the river saw both players check just about instantly and Chidwick revealed {6-Spades}{7-Spades}. Kisacikoglu tabled {5-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds} and took down the big pot.

Player Chips Progress
Orpen Kisacikoglu tr
Orpen Kisacikoglu
WSOP 1X Winner
56,000 26,000
Stephen Chidwick gb
Stephen Chidwick
WSOP 1X Winner
11,300 -18,700

Tags: Orpen KisacikogluStephen Chidwick

Selbst Folds on the River

Level 1 : 50/100, 0 ante

On a table that also features Anthony Spinella, Preben Stokkan opened to 250 from early position and Bradley Marsh in the small blind, as well as Vanessa Selbst in the big blind, came along. The flop fell {7-Spades}{5-Hearts}{4-Clubs} and Marsh checked, Selbst bet 500 and Stokkan folded while Marsh called.

Both remaining players checked the {6-Clubs} turn before Marsh's bet of 1,800 on the {4-Hearts} river did the trick to force a reluctant fold from Selbst.

Player Chips Progress
Bradley Marsh ca
Bradley Marsh
31,000
Preben Stokkan no
Preben Stokkan
29,750
Vanessa Selbst us
Vanessa Selbst
29,000 -1,000

Tags: Anthony SpinellaVanessa SelbstPreben StokkanBradley Marsh

MacDonnell Walks into the Nuts

Level 1 : 50/100, 0 ante

Alin Grasu was the initial raiser and picked up two callers in Marc MacDonnell in the small blind and Jose Vendrell Schwaiger in the big blind. On the three-way flop of {6-Hearts}{4-Spades}{2-Clubs}, the action checked through. After the {5-Hearts} turn, MacDonnell checked and Schwaiger bet 350, which Grasu folded and MacDonnell called.

The {10-Spades} river completed the board and MacDonnell check-called another bet worth 1,000 before mucking to the {8-Hearts}{7-Clubs} of Schwaiger.

Player Chips Progress
Jose Vendrell Schwaiger de
Jose Vendrell Schwaiger
32,000 32,000
Marc MacDonnell ie
Marc MacDonnell
28,200 -1,800

Tags: Alin GrasuJose Vendrell SchwaigerMarc MacDonnell

Level: 1

Blinds: 50/100

Ante: 0

Welcome to Day 1a of PokerStars Championship presented by Monte-Carlo Casino €5,300 Main Event®

PokerStars Championship Monte Carlo
PokerStars Championship Monte Carlo

It may have a new — and longer — name, but PokerStars' flagship European event is back.

It's time for PokerStars Championship presented by Monte-Carlo Casino® €5,300 Main Event to get going. Dating to the days when the event here was known as EPT Grand Final, this has always been a storied, prestigious tournament that brought out all of the best players from Europe, and often, the world.

Day 1a is set to get going with cards in the air at noon local time here in Monaco. The plan for Day 1a is to play through eight levels lasting 75 minutes apiece. There will be 20-minute breaks after every two levels, plus a 75-minute dinner break after Level 6. Players will start with stacks of 30,000 and blinds at 50/100, progressing to 400/800/100 by day's end. They cannot reenter if they are eliminated.

Day 1 Level Structure

LevelDurationSmall BlindBig BlindAnte
175 min50100 
275 min75150 
375 min10020025
475 min15030050
575 min20040050
675 min25050075
775 min300600100
875 min400800100

PokerStars has already been hosting it's former European Poker Tour here in Monaco and below you can find a chart with all previous winners at Le Sporting. The buy-in for the Main Event was lowered to €5,300 last year, and Jan Bendik defeated Adrien Allain heads-up to claim the title. Bendik has already notched up a score during this PokerStars Championship as well after finishing 223rd in the € 1,100 PokerStars National Championship.

SeasonYearPlacePlayersChampionCountryPrize
12005Monaco211Rob HollinkNetherlands€635,000
22006Monaco298Jeff WilliamsUnited States€900,000
32007Monaco706Gavin GriffinUnited States€1,825,010
42008Monaco842Glen ChornyCanada€2,020,000
52009Monaco935Pieter de KorverNetherlands€2,300,000
62010Monaco848Nicolas ChouityLebanon€1,700,000
72011Madrid686Ivan FreitezVenezuela€1,500,000
82012Monaco665Mohsin CharaniaUnited States€1,350,000
92013Monaco531Steve O'DwyerIreland€1,224,000
102014Monaco650Antonio BuonannoItaly€1,240,000
112015Monaco564Adrian MateosSpain€1,082,000
122016Monaco1,098Jan BendikSlovakia€961,800

The PokerStars Championship has already crowned Christian Harder, Kenny Smaron and Elliot Smith as champions in 2017. Stay tuned to PokerNews throughout the next few days to see who will be next.

Tags: Adrien AllainChristian HarderElliot SmithJan BendikKenneth Smaron

Main Event

Day 1a Started