Orpen Kisacikoglu (here pictured in the Super High Roller earlier this festival)
The player in the hijack opened the action with a raise and Orpen Kisacikoglu on the button called. Big blind Stephen Chidwick squeezed to 1,250 and both the initial raiser and Kisacikoglu called.
With a flop of , Chidwick continued for 1,300. The hijack folded, Kisacikoglu raised to 3,900 after just a couple of seconds in the tank. Chidwick called.
As the hit the turn, Chidwick checked. Kisacikoglu bet a hefty 13,500 and Chidwick called.
The on the river saw both players check just about instantly and Chidwick revealed . Kisacikoglu tabled and took down the big pot.
On a table that also features Anthony Spinella, Preben Stokkan opened to 250 from early position and Bradley Marsh in the small blind, as well as Vanessa Selbst in the big blind, came along. The flop fell and Marsh checked, Selbst bet 500 and Stokkan folded while Marsh called.
Both remaining players checked the turn before Marsh's bet of 1,800 on the river did the trick to force a reluctant fold from Selbst.
Alin Grasu was the initial raiser and picked up two callers in Marc MacDonnell in the small blind and Jose Vendrell Schwaiger in the big blind. On the three-way flop of , the action checked through. After the turn, MacDonnell checked and Schwaiger bet 350, which Grasu folded and MacDonnell called.
The river completed the board and MacDonnell check-called another bet worth 1,000 before mucking to the of Schwaiger.
It may have a new — and longer — name, but PokerStars' flagship European event is back.
It's time for PokerStars Championship presented by Monte-Carlo Casino® €5,300 Main Event to get going. Dating to the days when the event here was known as EPT Grand Final, this has always been a storied, prestigious tournament that brought out all of the best players from Europe, and often, the world.
Day 1a is set to get going with cards in the air at noon local time here in Monaco. The plan for Day 1a is to play through eight levels lasting 75 minutes apiece. 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, progressing to 400/800/100 by day's end. They cannot reenter if they are eliminated.
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
PokerStars has already been hosting it's former European Poker Tour here in Monaco and below you can find a chart with all previous winners at Le Sporting. The buy-in for the Main Event was lowered to €5,300 last year, and Jan Bendik defeated Adrien Allain heads-up to claim the title. Bendik has already notched up a score during this PokerStars Championship as well after finishing 223rd in the € 1,100 PokerStars National Championship.
Season
Year
Place
Players
Champion
Country
Prize
1
2005
Monaco
211
Rob Hollink
Netherlands
€635,000
2
2006
Monaco
298
Jeff Williams
United States
€900,000
3
2007
Monaco
706
Gavin Griffin
United States
€1,825,010
4
2008
Monaco
842
Glen Chorny
Canada
€2,020,000
5
2009
Monaco
935
Pieter de Korver
Netherlands
€2,300,000
6
2010
Monaco
848
Nicolas Chouity
Lebanon
€1,700,000
7
2011
Madrid
686
Ivan Freitez
Venezuela
€1,500,000
8
2012
Monaco
665
Mohsin Charania
United States
€1,350,000
9
2013
Monaco
531
Steve O'Dwyer
Ireland
€1,224,000
10
2014
Monaco
650
Antonio Buonanno
Italy
€1,240,000
11
2015
Monaco
564
Adrian Mateos
Spain
€1,082,000
12
2016
Monaco
1,098
Jan Bendik
Slovakia
€961,800
The PokerStars Championship has already crowned Christian Harder, Kenny Smaron and Elliot Smith as champions in 2017. Stay tuned to PokerNews throughout the next few days to see who will be next.
, Chidwick continued for 1,300. The hijack folded, Kisacikoglu raised to 3,900 after just a couple of seconds in the tank. Chidwick called.
hit the turn, Chidwick checked. Kisacikoglu bet a hefty 13,500 and Chidwick called.
on the river saw both players check just about instantly and Chidwick revealed 
. Kisacikoglu tabled 
and took down the big pot.
turn before Marsh's bet of 1,800 on the 
river did the trick to force a reluctant fold from Selbst.
, the action checked through. After the 
river completed the board and MacDonnell check-called another bet worth 1,000 before mucking to the 
of Schwaiger.
