The players are now on a 20-minute break.
2016 Monte-Carlo One Drop Extravaganza
In a hand that played into the break, Paul Phua made a tough river call, but was right to do so. Kamer Alyanakyan was the pre-flop raiser, he made it 130,000 from middle position and Phua (button) and Talal Shakerchi (big blind) both called.
Alyanakyan continuation bet 210,000 on the flop, both players stuck around and the
fell on fourth street. No one bit this time as all three took a free card, which was the
. First to act was Shakerchi and he bet 425,000. That got rid of Alyanakyan but Phua tanked before calling. Shakerchi showed
but Phua had him beat with pocket sixes.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
8,950,000
2,350,000
|
2,350,000 |
|
||
![]() |
4,165,000
635,000
|
635,000 |


From early position, Pierre Garand raised to 150,000 and Cary Katz three-bet to 350,000 two positions down. Action folded to Rick Salomon in the small blind and he cold four-bet to 850,000. The big blind folded.
Garand glanced at his coach Jonathan Duhamel and moved in for 2.2 million total. Katz tanked for a bit before folding, Salomon called.
Rick Salomon:
Pierre Garand:
"Ow, ace-king versus queens, a classic confrontation" noted Daniel Negreanu with a serious voice.
The board ran out and when the king hit, fellow Canadian Negreanu, Laliberté and Duhamel couldn't contain their excitement. Garand was cool, collecting the sizable pot and going into the last break of the night twice as rich as moments before.
"I had your two outs" Katz told Salomon, indicating he too had queens.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
|
4,880,000
2,090,000
|
2,090,000 |
![]() |
2,320,000
1,200,000
|
1,200,000 |

From middle position, Yaqi Sun raised to 150,000. Dan Shak, on the button, was the sole caller.
The flop came and Sun made a continuation bet. Shak called in position.
With the on the turn, Sun checked. Shak bet 325,000 and Sun called.
Both checked the on the river and Shak showed
for top pair and top kicker. Sun tabled
for the rivered two pair and collected the chips.
Shak called over his coach Seiver and told him what had happened. Sun mimicked a folding motion, indicating that Shak could've just folded on the flop. "I had the ace of hearts..." Shak replied.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
6,000,000
1,800,000
|
1,800,000 |
|
5,700,000
1,600,000
|
1,600,000 |
We haven't seen too many big pots involving Jason Strasser so far today but I just saw the Duke University graduate win a pot against Paul Phua.
The Macau player opened to 175,000 from the cutoff and picked up calls from Talal Shakerchi (button) and Strasser (big blind). The flop checked through and the
fell on the turn. Strasser led for 275,000 and Phua was the only caller. Both players checked on the
river and Strasser's
was good enough to take the pot.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
6,600,000
1,045,000
|
1,045,000 |
|
||
![]() |
4,550,000
455,000
|
455,000 |

There was already over 1,500,000 in the pot on the turn, and the board was . Tony Bloom bet 780,000, and Haralobos Voulgaris moved all in for roughly 1,800,000. Bloom called, and the players tabled their cards.
Bloom:
Voulgaris:
Bloom had two pair, jacks and tens, but Voulgaris had a better two pair with aces and sixes. The on the river secured the pot for Voulgaris, and he earned a double up.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
5,200,000
2,125,000
|
2,125,000 |
![]() |
4,200,000
800,000
|
800,000 |
David Einhorn raised to 150,000 and Anatoly Gurtovoy called. Elton Tsang then reraised to 550,000. Einhorn quickly folded. Gurtovoy thought for a minute, then called.
The flop fell and Gurtovoy checked. Tsang continued for 405,000. Gurtovoy called again.
Both players then checked the on the turn and they checked again when the
came on the river. Tsang showed
, and Gurtovoy mucked his cards
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
9,150,000
2,200,000
|
2,200,000 |
![]() |
9,000,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
The pre-flop action is unknown but Talal Shakerchi (hijack) and James Bord (big blind) were heads-up to a flop. The action was checked to Shakerchi and he bet 150,000. Call from Bord.
On the turn Shakerchi bet again, 275,000 this time, a longer think from Bord this time but the outcome was the same, he called. The
fell on fifth street and the pattern was repeated again, check, a bet of 525,000 from Shakerchi and a very quick call from Bord this time. He showed
for a full house, but Shakerchi had
for quads!
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
4,800,000
560,000
|
560,000 |
![]() |
3,800,000
950,000
|
950,000 |
|
Elton Tsang raised to 160,000 from middle position, and Haralobos Voulgaris reraised to 280,000 from the button. The blinds both folded and Tsang called.
The flop was . Tsang checked and Voulgaris continued for 425,000 and Tsang called. The
fell on the turn and Tsang checked again. Voulgaris bet again, this time for 850,000. Tsang called again.
The completed the board on the river, and both players checked. Tsang turned over
for two pair, aces and queens. Voulgaris mucked his cards.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
6,950,000
1,450,000
|
1,450,000 |
![]() |
3,075,000
775,000
|
775,000 |

By Neil Stoddart.























