2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

€5,300 EPT Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info

2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
109
Prize
€749,425
Event Info
Buy-in
€5,300
Prize Pool
€5,325,300
Entries
1,098
Level Info
Level
33
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
250,000
Players Info - Day 3
Entries
126
Players Left
38

Lodge Can't Win Flip to Stay Alive

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Harry Lodge
Harry Lodge

Artur Martirosian opened the action to 22,000 from early position and Nicola Grieco made the call next to act. It folded to Kelvin Kerber on the button who also made the call and Harry Lodge elected to move all in from the big blind for 186,000 total. Martirosian moved all in over the top, covering the rest of his opponents, who quickly got out of the way and the cards were on their backs.

Harry Lodge: AK
Artur Martirosian: QQ

It was a classic flip situation, but when the board ran out Q432A, it was the queens for Martirosian that made a set to send Lodge to the exit in 50th place.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Artur Martirosian ru
Artur Martirosian
1,820,000
170,000
170,000
EPT Main Event Champion
EPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Kelvin Kerber br
Kelvin Kerber
455,000
11,000
11,000
Profile photo of Nicola Grieco it
Nicola Grieco
213,000
-186,000
-186,000
Day 1A Chip Leader
Profile photo of Harry Lodge gb
Harry Lodge
Busted

Tags: Artur MartirosianHarry LodgeKelvin KerberNicola Grieco

Fisz Goes on a Rollercoaster

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Eli Fisz
Eli Fisz

Orpen Kisacikoglu opened to 20,000 from early position and was called by Elias Fisz and Salvatore Camarda from the cutoff and the big blind.

Action checked to Fisz on the KQ3 flop and he bet 30,000. Only Camarda called. The 6 turn checked through to the A river and Camarda led out for 70,000 and was snap-called. Camarda has the goods, as he held the J10 for the rivered nuts.

"Oh my god," exclaimed Fisz repeatedly until the next hand was dealt. When action folded to Fisz, he moved all in for 219,000 and was quickly called by Pieter Aerts from the big blind.

Elias Fisz: JxJx
Pieter Aerts: AQ

It was a classic race, but this time the pocket jacks held out as the board ran out with the 1084K6.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Pieter Aerts be
Pieter Aerts
1,175,000
75,000
75,000
Profile photo of Elias Fisz nl
Elias Fisz
453,000
18,000
18,000
Profile photo of Salvatore Camarda it
Salvatore Camarda
360,000
120,000
120,000
Profile photo of Orpen Kisacikoglu tr
Orpen Kisacikoglu
340,000
-319,000
-319,000

Tags: Elias FiszOrpen KisacikogluPieter AertsSalvatore Camarda

Baggenstos Runs Into a Flush To Hit The Rail

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Moritz Baggenstos
Moritz Baggenstos

Moritz Baggenstos opened the action to 20,000 from the hijack and both Elias Fisz on the button and Jimmy Torres Velasquez in the big blind made the call.

The flop came AQ4 and Velasquez checked to Baggenstos who continued for 22,000, which only Fisz called. The 3 hit the turn and Baggenstos quickly moved all in for 127,000. Fisz double-checked his cards before making the call to put Beggenstos at risk.

Moritz Baggenstos: A9
Elias Fisz: 108

Fisz turned a flush, unfortunately for Baggenstos, who was drawing dead. The inconsequential 5 hit the river and Baggenstos was sent to the rail in 55th place.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Elias Fisz nl
Elias Fisz
435,000
316,000
316,000
Profile photo of Jimmy Torres Velasquez co
Jimmy Torres Velasquez
260,000
-153,000
-153,000
Profile photo of Moritz Baggenstos ch
Moritz Baggenstos
Busted

Tags: Elias FiszJimmy Torres VelasquezMoritz Baggenstos

No Longer World Chess Champion, Magnus Carlsen Sets Sights On Poker

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Magnus Carlsen
Magnus Carlsen

Five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen shocked the public in July 2022 when he announced that he wouldn't be defending the title he had held for a decade. And while Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren were at St. Regis Hotel in Kazakhstan last month battling to take his place as supreme leader of the chess world, Carlsen was getting ready for a trip to the sunny Mediterranean coast.

Carlsen made a deep run extending into Day 3 in the EPT Monte Carlo €5,300 Main Event as part of 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) presented by Monte-Carlo Casino® before falling in 63th place €15,000.

In his first interview since giving up his World Chess Champion Title, Carlsen sat down with PokerNews and PokerStars for an exclusive look at what the future holds for the 32-year-old Norwegian chess prodigy.

READ ABOUT CARLSEN'S DEEP RUN AT EPT MONTE CARLO!

Martirosian Finds Nut Flush Against Seidel

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Artur Martirosian
Artur Martirosian

Erik Seidel opened to 22,000 from the cutoff and Artur Martirosian defended out of the big blind.

Martirosian checked on the flop of K67 and Seidel checked back. Martirosian checked again on the Q turn and Seidel again checked back.

The J completed the board and Martirosian put out an overbet of 60,000. Seidel called, only to muck as the Russian showed A6 for a rivered nut flush.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Artur Martirosian ru
Artur Martirosian
1,350,000
155,000
155,000
EPT Main Event Champion
EPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Erik Seidel us
Erik Seidel
500,000
-140,000
-140,000
Poker Hall of Famer

Tags: Artur MartirosianErik Seidel

Wheeler Picks Off Bluff From Chip Leader

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Jason Wheeler
Jason Wheeler

The action folded to Jason Wheeler on the button who opened for 22,000 and only Kenan Taylor made the call in the big blind.

The flop came 875 and both players checked their options to the Q turn. Taylor elected to take the lead with a bet of 20,000 and Wheeler came along.

The 6 completed the board and Taylor tossed out a bet of 75,000. Wheeler took a few seconds before making the call and Kenan instantly mucked his hand to show he got caught bluffing. Wheeler scooped the pot and is now over the million chip mark.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Kenan Taylor gb
Kenan Taylor
2,320,000
79,000
79,000
Day 3 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Jason Wheeler us
Jason Wheeler
1,140,000
459,000
459,000

Tags: Jason WheelerKenan Taylor

Rodriguez Gets It In Behind and Busts

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Roberto Rodriguez
Roberto Rodriguez

Apoorva Goel opened for 20,000 from early position, then Roberto Rodriguez moved his last 54,000 all in from the hijack. Arunas Sapitavicius was next to act on the button and he flatted the shove. After the blinds got out of the way, Goel jammed for 335,000 total.

Sapitavicius had him well covered and gave it some thought with his AQ, but eventually opted to fold.

Roberto Rodriguez: A9
Apoorva Goel: 1010

Board: QKQ610

Goel was ahead the whole way, but improved to a boat on the river to bust Rodriguez. He finished in 58th place.

Sapitavicius was lamenting his fold as he would have flopped trip queens, until the river turned that frown upside down and he was glad to preserve that big chunk of this stack.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Arunas Sapitavicius lt
Arunas Sapitavicius
1,390,000
-60,000
-60,000
Profile photo of Apoorva Goel in
Apoorva Goel
552,000
192,000
192,000
Profile photo of Roberto Rodriguez es
Roberto Rodriguez
Busted

Tags: Apoorva GoelArunas SapitaviciusRoberto Rodriguez

Kade Eliminated By Guerrero

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Vanessa Kade
Vanessa Kade

Martin Guerrero limped in from early position and Vanessa Kade jammed a stack of around 200,000 from the big blind when the action got around. Guerrero called with a bigger stack.

Vanessa Kade: AQ
Martin Guerrero: AK

Kade was dominated and didn't get much help from the flop of 75K, though the 6 gave her hope with a flush draw. Sadly for the 2021 Sunday Millions winner, the J bricked off on the river to mark her elimination.

"Sneaky," Kade said about her opponent's preflop play.

For more on Kade, check out her interview on the PokerNews Podcast earlier this year.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Martin Guerrero es
Martin Guerrero
730,000
165,000
165,000
Profile photo of Vanessa Kade ca
Vanessa Kade
Busted

Tags: Martin GuerreroVanessa Kade

No Sixth Championship for Carlsen

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Magnus Carlsen
Magnus Carlsen

Five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen has proven he can hold his own against the poker pros during his deep run on Day 3, but that run has ended.

In a single-raised three-way pot on a flop of 729, Carlsen checked in the big blind and Mark Teltscher bet 30,000 in early position. Oleg Vasylchenko folded in late position before Carlsen check-jammed a stack of about 163,000. Teltscher called with a slightly bigger stack.

Magnus Carlsen: 44
Mark Teltscher: 1010

Carlsen had the worse pair and couldn't improve as the board ran out Q8 to mark the chess prodigy's elimination. As he left, Teltscher thanked Carlsen for playing and told him it was good for "growing the game."

Magnus Carlsen
Magnus Carlsen
Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Mark Teltscher gb
Mark Teltscher
370,000
249,000
249,000
EPT Main Event Champion
EPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Magnus Carlsen no
Magnus Carlsen
Busted

Tags: Magnus CarlsenMark TeltscherOleg Vasylchenko

Aces Against Kings In Favor of Sir Watts

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Mike Watson
Mike Watson

Antonio Calabro was all in for around 140,000 against tournament chip leader Mike Watson.

Antonio Calabro: KK
Mike Watson: AA

It was bad news for the Italian as he had run his kings smack into Watson's aces and got no help as the board ran out 5J239 to improve the Canadian to a flush. Calabro took a photo of the board before he left to document the carnage.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Mike Watson ca
Mike Watson
1,650,000
250,000
250,000
EPT 2X Winner
Profile photo of Antonio Calabro it
Antonio Calabro
Busted

Tags: Antonio CalabroMike Watson