€1,100 FPS Main Event Day 1a | 2024 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo

04-24-2024 09:46 UTC+1

EPT Monte Carlo Kicks Off Today With Day 1a of €1,100 FPS Main Event

Calum Grant

The countdown to the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Monte Carlo is finally over and poker players from dozens of nations have journeyed for the card-playing festivities taking place at Sporting Monte-Carlo.

PokerNews is on-site to cover the tournament action and that coverage begins today with Event #1: €1,100 FPS Main Event, which kicks off at 12 p.m. local time.

The four-day PokerStars France Poker Series Main Event will feature four starting flights, the second of which will take place later today and the latter two playing out on April 25.

If the most recent FPS Main Event offering in Paris earlier this year was any indication, the event should draw a sizable field. Thanks to two additional starting flights in the French capital, the tournament set a new entry record, with the final tally being 4,149. Mateusz Moolhuizen defeated Blaz Zerjav in heads-up play to win the trophy and €470,830.

Action will kick off with blinds of 100/100/100 and levels lasting 40 minutes with 20-minute breaks every three levels. A 75-minute dinner break is currently scheduled to take place after the completion of Level 10 (approximately 7:40 p.m.) with late registration closing when play resumes.

Players are allowed two entries per flight and each flight will play until 15% of the field remains, at which point all players will be in the money heading to Day 2 (April 26).

Stay tuned as the PokerNews live reporting team is here on the Mediterranean coast and ready to provide updates of all of the EPT Monte Carlo action.

04-24-2024 12:11 UTC+1

Alfieri Makes Trips to Bust Cibicek

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David Salituro

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

In a pre-flop battle, Jozef Cibicek ended up moving all in for 12,500 from under the gun and Guillaume Alfieri called on the button.

Jozef Cibicek: J♠J♥ All in
Guillaume Alfieri: K♦10♦

Alfieri took the lead on the K♣A♠Q♣ flop with a pair of kings. The rest of the board came 4♣K♥ and Alfieri ended up with trips to send Cibicek to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Guillaume Alfieri	40,000 40,000	40,000
Jozef Cibicek	Busted

Tags: Guillaume Alfieri Jozef Cibicek

04-24-2024 12:28 UTC+1

Lipnitskii Drills the River For a Fortunate Double

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David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

Three-handed on a board of J♠4♠10♣7♣, Vladimir Lipnitskii moved all in for 11,700 from early position, Davor Bojovic reshoved in the cutoff, and the rest of the table folded.

Lipnitskii showed J♣8♣ for a pair and flush draw, but he was trailing the 10♥10♠ of Bojovic for a set. The river was the 9♣ and Lipnitskii spiked a straight flush to double up.

"Easy game," a tablemate said.

"$10,000 bonus for a straight flush, really," another added.

Lipnitskii began dragging in the pot as the dealer collected the cards. "No picture?" a tablemate asked Lipnitskii.

"He makes a straight flush every day," another joked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vladimir Lipnitskii	55,000 39,000	39,000
Davor Bojovic	15,000 15,000	15,000

Tags: Davor Bojovic Vladimir Lipnitskii

04-24-2024 13:50 UTC+1

Quads for Christy

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Sava Krink

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Woody Christy was the first to act and raised to 1,000. Valerie Lelouche, seated next to him, immediately called. The action folded to Oliver Huber, who also called from the big blind.

On the 8♥J♣9♣ flop, Huber checked and Christy made a continuation bet of 1,200, which both players called.

Christy fired out another 4,500 on the K♥ turn. Lelouche folded and Huber called once more.

The 8♣ river prompted Huber to check-call Christy's bet of 5,500.

Christy showed 8♦8♠, which was good for quads and Huber's cards went into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Woody Christy	88,000 18,000	18,000

Valerie Lelouche	21,500 21,500	21,500
Oliver Huber	17,400 17,400	17,400

Tags: Oliver Huber Valerie Lelouche Woody Christy

04-24-2024 14:37 UTC+1

Paris Opens Up Three Seats

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Sava Krink

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Enis Rouissi and Claudine Nataf limped in from under the gun and middle position before Joachim Meisolle raised to 2,500 from the button. Olivier Paris called from the small blind before Rouissi three-bet to 8,500.

Nataf then moved all-in for 15,100. After some thinking time, Meisolle called, and then Paris jammed as the big stack, with Rouissi and Meisolle committing their stacks of around 20,000.

Enis Rouissi: K♣Q♣ All in
Claudine Nataf: J♥J♣ All in
Joachim Meisolle: A♥J♦ All in
Olivier Paris: Q♦Q♥

Paris had the best hand, and he scooped in one of the largest pots so far after his queens stayed ahead following the 4♥3♠6♠10♦8♦ runout

Player	Chips	Progress
Olivier Paris	125,000 125,000	125,000
Enis Rouissi	Busted
Joachim Meisolle	Busted
Claudine Nataf	Busted

Tags: Claudine Nataf Enis Rouissi Manfred Joachim Olivier Paris

04-24-2024 15:07 UTC+1

Apicella Bows Out in Six-Bet Pot

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Calum Grant

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Jean Autran opened to 1,500 second to act and was called by Anthony Apicella from the hijack. Efim Dorfman clicked it to 3,000 from the cutoff which Autran called. Apicella responded with a four-bet to 6,500 before Dorfmann made it 23,000. Autran folded and then Apicella jammed for 23,900. Dorfman called and there were some raised eyebrows as the cards were unveiled.

Anthony Apicella: A♥Q♥ All in
Efim Dorfman: 4♠4♥

Dorfman was the slight favorite and remained ahead after Apicella failed to connect on the K♠9♣2♣ flop. The 10♦ turn gave Apicella outs to Broadway but the 3♥ river was a brick, awarding the pot to Dorfman.

Player	Chips	Progress
Efim Dorfman	100,000 100,000	100,000
Anthony Apicella	Busted

Tags: Anthony Apicella Efim Dorfman

04-24-2024 16:49 UTC+1

El Berrak Bows Out; Geller Fires Back at Bigot

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Calum Grant

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

The early position player limped in before Ivan Barbuto raised to 3,700 from middle position. Mohamed El Berrak called from the hijack before Axel Bayout jammed as the bigger stack from the button. The blinds, the early position player and Barbuto folded but El Berrak decided to commit his stack of 31,500.

Mohamed El Berrak: 10♠10♣ All in
Axel Bayout: J♠J♦

Barbuto lamented his fold after seeing the K♥Q♥6♥ flop, saying he had A♥Qx. El Berrak remained behind and couldn't catch up on the 2♣ turn and 9♥ river.

As the hand wrapped up, a big pot between Fabrice Bigot and Maya Geller was brewing on Table 25.

With around 30,000 in the pot and the 10♣6♥4♥ flop on display, Bigot bet 11,000 from the big blind. Geller, the wife of poker legend Patrik Antonius, raised to 25,000, leaving herself with around 20,000 behind. Bigot went deep into the tank, staring at Geller to pick up any reads. Eventually, Bigot released his hand, and Geller took in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Axel Bayout	86,000
Maya Geller	85,000 3,000	3,000
Fabrice Bigot	56,000 18,500	18,500
Mohamed El Berrak	Busted

Tags: Axel Bayout Fabrice Bigot Ivan Barbuto Maya Geller Mohamed El Berrak

04-24-2024 17:52 UTC+1

Defending Champion Moolhuizen Busts

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Calum Grant

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Alessandro Adinolfo opened to 2,500 from early position before Charles Whitehouse three-bet to 8,000 from the hijack. Reigning FPS Main Event champion Mateusz Moolhuizen was forced all-in from the big blind for crumbs and he would be against two players, as Adinolfo called.

Adinolfo check-called for 6,000 on the K♣Q♠9♦ flop before the 8♠ turn checked through to the K♥ river. Adinolfo chucked out 5,000 and Whitehouse folded.

Adinolfo tabled A♣Q♦ for kings and queens to take the side pot. Moolhuizen, who was blind, first flipped over the 3♦, which was then followed by the 6♥, marking his departure.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alessandro Adinolfo	80,000 37,000	37,000
Charles Whitehouse	31,000 31,000	31,000
Mateusz Moolhuizen	Busted

Tags: Alessandro Adinolfo Charles Whitehouse Mateusz Moolhuizen

04-24-2024 18:37 UTC+1

Malinov Drills the Turn For a Massive Double Off Wiciak

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David Salituro

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

With around 25,000 in the pot on a flop of 10♦Q♦8♥, Simon Wiciak bet 17,000 from the small blind before Atanas Malinov moved all in for 59,700 on the button. Wiciak snap-called.

Atanas Malinov: K♥J♦ All in
Simon Wiciak: A♠Q♠

Wiciak was ahead with top pair, while Malinov had a straight draw. The 9♦ fell on the turn and Malinov completed his straight to leave Wiciak drawing dead by the 7♣ river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Atanas Malinov	145,000 63,000	63,000

Simon Wiciak	7,000 -29,000	-29,000

Tags: Atanas Malinov Simon Wiciak

04-24-2024 18:39 UTC+1

Paris On Right Side of Cooler

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Calum Grant

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Olivier Paris continued his ascent to the top of the counts after knocking out another player, and he briefly recapped the hand to PokerNews.

Paris was out of position and saw his bets of 12,000 and 18,000 on the flop and turn called by Panagiotis Mavritsakis for the final board to read 9♥6♥A♣8♠A♥.

Paris fired out 32,000 on the river and snap-called when his opponent jammed for around 60,000. Mavritsakis turned over 9x9x for nines full of aces but he was bested by Paris who had Ax6x for aces full of sixes.

Player	Chips	Progress
Olivier Paris	270,000 100,000	100,000
Panagiotis Mavritsakis	Busted

Tags: Olivier Paris Panagiotis Mavritsakis