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

Kempe Up

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

Action folded to Rainer Kempe in the small blind and he raised to 500. The big blind called right away.

The flop came {6-Spades}{10-Spades}{6-Diamonds} and Kempe bet 600 placing a 500 and 100-chip in the middle. The big blind put a 1,000 and 100-chip forward, which was ruled a raise. The big blind added another 100-chip to make it 1,200 and Kempe called.

Kempe checked on the {J-Diamonds} turn and the big blind bet what seemed like 2,500. Kempe check-raised to 6,300 and the big blind folded.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Rainer Kempe de
Rainer Kempe
36,000
6,000
6,000

Tags: Rainer Kempe

The High Rollers Arrive Fashionably Late

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

Vladimir Troyanovskiy, Koray Aldemir and Rainer Kempe arrived fashionably late and took their seats in level two. Below are further updated chip counts including David Dayan, who became the second casualty of the day.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ema Zajmovic ba
Ema Zajmovic
48,000
18,000
18,000
WPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Ivan Banic hr
Ivan Banic
46,000
16,000
16,000
Run It Once
Profile photo of Vladimir Troyanovskiy ru
Vladimir Troyanovskiy
30,000
Profile photo of Koray Aldemir de
Koray Aldemir
30,000
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Rainer Kempe de
Rainer Kempe
30,000
Profile photo of Anthony Spinella us
Anthony Spinella
28,000
-2,000
-2,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of David Dayan br
David Dayan
Busted

Tags: Koray AldemirRainer KempeVladimir TroyanovskiyDavid Dayan

Jacobson and Thorel Enter

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

Both Martin Jacobson and Jean-Noel Thorel have taken their respective seats in the Main Event. The 2014 WSOP Main Event champion and the French genius will have to try and navigate their way to a 150+ field on Day 1a.

Thorel already dabbed in some early action. After defending his big blind, Thorel check-called 700 on the {5-Diamonds}{5-Spades}{3-Spades} flop and 1,000 and the {9-Spades} turn, but check-folded to a 2,000 bet on the river.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Martin Jacobson se
Martin Jacobson
30,000
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Jean-Noel Thorel fr
Jean-Noel Thorel
28,000

Tags: Martin JacobsonJean-Noel Thorel

Fatehi Firing

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante
Ali_Reza_Fatehi
Ali_Reza_Fatehi

Ali Reza Fatehi has certainly been one of the most active and aggressive players in the early going. In another recent pot, three players put in 3,500 on a {7-Clubs}{a-Spades}{j-Hearts} flop, and one of them checked to Fatehi on the {2-Clubs} turn. He fired in 9,700, getting two folds and taking down the pot.

At other nearby tables, Vladimir Troyanovskiy and Mike Watson grabbed seats.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ali Reza Fatehi ir
Ali Reza Fatehi
51,000
16,000
16,000
Profile photo of Mike Watson ca
Mike Watson
30,000
30,000
30,000
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
EPT 2X Winner
Profile photo of Vladimir Troyanovskiy ru
Vladimir Troyanovskiy
30,000
30,000
30,000

Tags: Ali Reza FatehiMike WatsonVladimir Troyanovskiy

Fatehi Raises the River

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

Matthew Laslo opened the cutoff for 450 and Ali Reza Fatehi on the button called, as did big blind Jeff Hakim.

Hakim checked the flop of {5-Diamonds}{6-Hearts}{8-Diamonds} and Laslo bet 525. Fatehi, who's set to participate in the televised $25/$50 cash game tomorrow, called. Hakim got out of the way to leave the pot heads up going to the turn.

As the {Q-Diamonds} hit, Laslo continued for 1,050. Fatehi called once more.

The {Q-Clubs} on the river paired the board and Laslo bet 2,500. Fatehi raised to 6,000 and Laslo let it go.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ali Reza Fatehi ir
Ali Reza Fatehi
35,000
15,000
15,000

Tags: Ali Reza FatehiJeff HakimMatthew Laslo

Murthy Forces Sperling to Fold

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

At the end of the previous level, Neel Murthy opened to 300 from under the gun and Fabio Sperling three-bet to 1,000, which Murthy called. On a flop of {5-Diamonds}{4-Diamonds}{2-Hearts}, Murthy checked and Sperling bet 875, which Murthy then check-raised to 2,025. Sperling called and did so for 2,100 on the {10-Diamonds} turn as well when Murthy led the action.

After the {J-Hearts} river, Murthy bet 5,300 and Sperling gave it plenty of thought before sending his cards into the muck.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Neel Murthy us
Neel Murthy
34,000
Profile photo of Fabio Sperling de
Fabio Sperling
24,000
-6,000
-6,000

Tags: Fabio SperlingNeel Murthy

Easy Double for Bosch

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

Oliver Bosch slipped slightly below the starting stack in the early stages, but quickly got himself back up with an easy double-up. On a {6-Clubs}{10-Hearts}{Q-Clubs}{A-Diamonds} board and with an already decent-sized pot, Bosch moved in for 11,000 and got a snap-call from David Dayan.

Bosch showed {6-Diamonds}{6-Spades} for the flopped set of sixes, which left Dayan drawing dead with {A-Spades}{5-Clubs}. The meaningless {J-Hearts} river completed the board and Bosch scooped up the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Oliver Bosch at
Oliver Bosch
40,000
40,000
40,000
Profile photo of David Dayan br
David Dayan
19,000
19,000
19,000

Tags: Oliver Bosch

Varnell Thriving

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

Nader Alfred raised to 400 and Craig Varnell three-bet to 1,200 from one seat over to pick up a call by Albert. On the {Q-Clubs}{4-Spades}{2-Hearts} flop, Alfred bet 1,000 and Varnell just called before then raising the {8-Hearts} turn from 2,000 to 5,000. Alfred called and then checked the {2-Spades} river.

Varnell made it 8,800 to go and his opponent eventually called to get shown {A-Diamonds}{A-Hearts} as winning hand by Varnell. "I have never bagged up here," Varnell said after the hand was over.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Craig Varnell us
Craig Varnell
52,000
22,000
22,000
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner

Tags: Craig VarnellNader Alfred

Level: 2

Blinds: 75/150

Ante: 0