It's been a quiet first thirty minutes, with not much to report on yet. Players are getting acquainted with each other and shying away from big pots.
Mohamed Aissani was one of the first to play a bigger pot. With the pot already up to over 10,000, Aissani bet 8,000 on a 
board. His opponent folded quickly and the Frenchman took it down.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
35,000 | 35,000 |
The shuffle up and deal has been spoken and cards are in the air. 266 players have registered for Day 1b so far.
Paul Newey is among those who got up bright and early to make sure they'd be sitting in for the first hand of the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Welcome to Day 1b of the PokerStars Championship presented by Monte-Carlo Casino® €5,300 Main Event. The first ever PokerStars Championship on European soil is on familiar ground, as the former EPT Grand Final has morphed into its new incarnation. The prestigious tournament in the gorgeous Principality of Monaco never fails to attract the best and brightest from around the world and this year is no different.
Yesterday, Day 1a drew 235 players and 107 of them survived. Jeff Hakim had a monster day and bagged over ten times his starting stack - 305,300 - after just eight levels of play. Germany's Stefan Schillhabel (203,000) and Manig Loeser (195,700) rounded out the top three. Notables like Ole Schemion (144,900), Team PokerStars Pro Celina Lin (125,500) and Fabrice Soulier (105,100) also bagged big on Day 1a.
Day 1b will attract even more hopefuls vying to follow in Jan Bendik's footsteps. The Slovakian topped a 1,098 strong field last year and banked a staggering €961,800. He's expected to take his seat today and start his title defense. Besides the Main Event, the €50,000 Single-Day High Roller will kick off as well, which will feature €100,000 Super High Roller winner Bryn Kenney, David Peters, Steve O'Dwyer and the aforementioned Schemion, among a slew of other notables.
Day 1b will commence at noon local time and eight levels of 75 minutes will be played. 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. The tournament is in a freezeout format; players are on one bullet only. Follow PokerNews throughout the week as we crown the first ever PokerStars Championship Monte Carlo Main Event champion!
Day 1 Level Structure
| Level | Duration | Small Blind | Big Blind | Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 75 min | 50 | 100 | |
| 2 | 75 min | 75 | 150 | |
| 3 | 75 min | 100 | 200 | 25 |
| 4 | 75 min | 150 | 300 | 50 |
| 5 | 75 min | 200 | 400 | 50 |
| 6 | 75 min | 250 | 500 | 75 |
| 7 | 75 min | 300 | 600 | 100 |
| 8 | 75 min | 400 | 800 | 100 |
Main Event
Day 1b Started
