EPT Grand Final - Monte Carlo: Day 1A - At A Glance

[NoflopsHomer]

Steve Jelinek has broken the 100k barrier. Moving in on a board against a 6k bet getting his opponent to fold before showing . Interestingly, he has the same 'awful' (his words) book he brought to the Broadway for their £1k event 6 weeks ago or so, but admits he "hasn't really read any of it today."

Annette_15 is OUT. 8-8 vs A-9.

[NoflopsHomer]

Jeff Kimber is OUT. Jacks against Ace King.

On a nearby table, Dean Sanders has taken a hit. Joined the hand when the chips were going towards his opponent, A-K vs K-Q on a J-A-8-T-3. Didn't see the betting, but it looked like a nasty one leaving the Aylesbury man with 26k.

[snoopy1239]

Paul Gourlay -- 45,800
Kjater Thater -- 16,700
Josh Arieh -- 52,100
Joe Rafferty -- 45,900
Andreas Hoivold -- 12,875
Dave Colclough -- 9,500
Humberto Brenes -- 8,900
Carlos Mortensson -- 22,775
Dennis Plejrup -- 22,625
Theo Jorgensson -- 36,750
Jeff Garza -- 30,200
Jan Boubli -- 24,100
Barney Boatman -- 14,200
George McKeever -- 4,350
Jani Vilmunen -- 90-95,000
John Shipley -- 12,800
Johan Storakers -- 17,225
Levi -- 36,875
Harry Demetriou -- 32,475
Michel Abecassis -- 4,300

[snoopy1239]

The biggest pot of the day has just taken place, and it involved one of the UK's most popular players, Barney Boatman, who is understandably dejected after losing what was eventually a 100k pot against flying Finn, Jani Vilmunen.

When I joined the action, our plucky Barney was faced with a 22,450 all-in and a board of . Clearly serious about calling, Barney asked for confirmation of the count and rose abruptly from his seat. Leaning slightly over the table, he encountered a brief spell in the think tank before bravely and confidently reaching back for a stack of blues and plonking them in with authority.

And he had a right to be authoritative (and you could tell he was confident in his instincts) as Barney was indeed ahead with Sixes versus Jani's and had ultimately made an excellent call, albeit one that was nigh on impossible to avoid an exit hole flexing Turn and River.

But that relaxation would only last one card, as the turn brought an emphatic . But hold on, Barney noticed his potential redraw, and although he held his breath like a child waiting to open a Christmas present, the on the sorrowful River was a big disappointment and the 90 to 95k pot, and potentially the chip lead in Europe's biggest comp, went sailing over to the young Finnish player.

Barney couldn't resist a slight bang of the table, but his frustration was understandable and it was hard not to sympathise with him, a near coinflip leaving him with just 15k and virtually ruining his chances of taking this comp by storm, as I am sure he was more than capable of doing.

[NoflopsHomer]

Last break of the evening now...

Quick round up of what I saw before the break...

Steve Jelinek paying off a river move all-in with 9-5 on a for about 10k, his opponent had

Nicholas Levi asks how much his American opponent has left, "About 20k" is the reply. Levi then bets 8k on a and his opponent folds. Levi offers to show if his opponent wants to see, but gets a negative as a response.

Pete Linton is now on 27k and has now got dangerous Swede Andreas Hagen on his table.

[Djinn]

A few more as they head into the final level of the day - 200/400 ante 50.

George Danzer                  30,000
Thomas Wahlroos              61,000
Nik Persaud                      33,150  (trying to get the Milkybarkid to bet on what the leader's stack will be at the end of play)
Ben Grundy                      19,000
Barney Boatman                14,500
Ramzi Jelassi                      25,000 (decrease in stack due, apparently, to, "Lots of raising, not a lot of pairs.")
Dave Colclough                 12,150  (now next to...)
Andreas Hoivold                 11,250

[snoopy1239]

Hans Varsi -- 35,625
Peter Linton -- 30,000
Mark Teltshcer -- 41,900
Victor Ramdin -- 42,725
Barry Greenstein -- 38,750
Mihai Manole -- 11,800
Ben Grundy -- 18,650
Fabrice Soullier -- 4,350
Nik Persaud -- 32,000
Odd Lavik -- 36,475
Mark Vos -- 77,225
Tony Cascarino -- 11,600
Dave Clayton -- 38,750
Dean Sanders -- 25,800
Ramzi Jelassi -- 25,775
Carlo Olsen -- 7,600
Stuart Fox -- 16,300
Daniel Makowski -- 28,825
Johnny Lodden -- 45,500
Ricky Nielsen -- 18,500
Pete Giordino -- 13,300
Ben Callinan -- 18,500
Greg Raymer -- 49,200
Patric Martensson -- 27,500
Joseph Karl Michael -- 22,700
George Danzer -- 23,300

Meanwhile, it would appear as though the Italian Pirate has departed, taken out by young Aussie sensation Mark Vos, who I recall won a  bracelet last year. 1k, 5k, all-in call. Aces v Kings. That's all she wrote.

Rob Hollink is no more, making a brave small blind re-raise, but finding a resistant button calling with A-Q. Looked good until the River, which brought a nasty Ace to eliminate the inaugural winner.

Finally, Kevin O'Donnell is OUT after running Jacks into Queens.

[NoflopsHomer]

Andreas Hagen is OUT, courtesy of Pete Linton, Hagen was short (about 5kish) and pushed. Pete called with but Andreas was holding ...

Flop:

! !! !!!!


Turn and River, nothing resembling the case King...

[Djinn]

Chris Smith was wandering out of the tournament arena, but again, not in a bad way - he just doubled up in the closing levels with .  He flat called a raise preflop, and when the flop came T-8-4, bet out, prompting the fingers-crossed raise putting him all in from the guy with .  So now with 50k+ he's even happier than when I saw him in the last break, at which point, with 27,500, he was already looking forward to "bagging and tagging."

[Djinn]

Fabrice Soulier has been short-stacked for what seems like weeks (he, incidentally, was kept in earlier by Nik's isolation raise with 7-7 when he was the short stack all-in with J-J).  Benjo says it's "true Thomas Fougeron style" but to cap it off he's going to have to make the final table from that 4k he had a minute ago.  I even got a story about the rarely spotted creature the Short Stack Bluff - Fabrice min-check raised the big blind (from the s.b) on the turn with Five high - 1k with 1k, and although there was 5k in the pot and he only had four behind, he got a pass from his neighbour...

[NoflopsHomer]

Chris Moneymaker trying to be sneaky, he flat-called a raise to 2.2k from a player with only about 4.5k back. He checked behind the raiser on the flop, both checked the turn and then Moneymaker made a 4k bet on the river and his opponent meekly folded. Moneymaker showed .

Moneymaker, "I gave you every chance to bet!"

Dave 'El Scoopie' Colclough has doubed up with Aces against K-6 on an K-x-x flop, no nasty surprises for the DTD player.

Flamboyant player, Humberto Brenes is OUT, no details there other than him walking away arms aloft in a theatrical way

20 minutes remain tonight...

[snoopy1239]

These are you current chip leaders, Josh Arieh not too far behind with 64,625.

(1) Steve Jelinek -- 107,100
(2) Christopher Ulsrud -- 102,400
(3) Thomas Wahlroos -- 91,500
(4) Jani Vilmunen -- 81,675
(5) Hans Ritburg -- 70,300

[NoflopsHomer]

Crazy big pot now.

Mateyboy, Ben Grundy and fairly large stacked Christopher Ulsrud get all the chips in the middle.

Mateyboy:



Ben:


Christopher:



Board:

.....................................


At which point Christopher admitted he was actually Jesus...

And Mohammed. And Buddha....

Click to see full-size image.

Ulsrud now has triumphantly ruined Snoopys' list of chip leaders... He has 145k.

[Djinn]

Paul Gourlay gets Last Ten Minute Penalty News Now:

An odd hand developed when he called a raise in the big blind with .  He'd been battling with this guy all day (according to my list it's Emanuele Carboni, but I am not sure) and when the flop came he called a 2,500 bet to " possibly bluff the flush on the turn."  The flush did appear next card, and he checked quickly (which doesn't quite tally, unless he was sure he'd be able to check-raise) but anyway, a check behind brought an Ace on the river. 

Paul checked, and thought it had been checked behind (which it hadn't).  Then he exposed his cards, a pair of Sevens his best hand.  The floor was called, and he was given a ten-minute penalty and allowed only to call.  His opponent then bet 3,500.  He was given a minute maximum to call, and after using up the full time bank, he did.  Incredibly, with three spades, an Ace and King on the board, and a bet in position from someone who'd already seen his hand, the Sevens were good.

Much shouting ensued (but it was all pretty good-natured).
____________________________________

"Last three hands of the night" have been declared.  Nearly home-time for the Day 1A-ers.  And a whole ten hours before play re-starts. 

[snoopy1239]

As they were bagging up, I managed to take a sneak look at a few final chip counts:

George Korch -- 17,800
James Hovgaerd -- 23,850
Tony Cascarino -- 12,000
David Adulo -- 10,050
Josh Arieh -- 60,575
Daniel Kelley -- 19,075
Uskov Alexandre -- 29,075
Simon Christensson -- 38,050
Paul Murrell -- 29,225
George Danzer -- 36,800
Steve Jelinek -- 95,375
Joe Rafferty -- 42,125
Paul Gourlay -- 53,175
Kurt Rystad -- 44,475
Thomas Wahlroos -- 87,625
Fabrice Souiller -- 8,550
Jesper Hougaard -- 23,850
Owen Crowe -- 27,700
Barry Strickland -- 25,650
Dave Colclough -- 12,900

And last but not lease, a Mr Mark Forrester with 37,775, a Brit from Preston who we shall now be following on Day 2 Good luck that man!