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Nicolas Dumont wins the EPT Monte Carlo Main Event

Read the full report of Dumont’s remarkable win.

6:45pm: Nicolas Dumont is the champion after Honglin Jiang falls in second
Level 32 – Blinds 100,000/200,000 (BB ante 200,000)

We thought we could be in for a long heads up battle here in Monte Carlo with the two remaining players being so deep. But all of a sudden, in the third hand back from break, they were in dealt a pocket pair each, and all the chips went in.

Dumont sneakily limped in with QQ before Jiang raised to 650,000 with 66. Dumont took a little time and then reraised to 1.55 million. Jiang then shipped all-in and was immediately called.

The board ran 7K]383 to see the queens hold.

“Congratulations,” Jiang graciously said to Dumont who becomes the latest player from France to become an EPT champion. He takes home €712,000 and a Platinum Pass worth an additional $30,000.

Jiang played a fantastic final table but fell at the very last hurdle. He wins €434,000 for his runner-up finish.

That’s all for an incredible EPT Monte Carlo festival. Enjoy your summer and we’ll see you in Barcelona at the end of August for the next bumper EPT Festival. A full wrap of today’s events will be up on the blog shortly. –MC

6:40pm: Level up, first one for Dumont
Level 32 – Blinds 100,000/200,000 (BB ante 200,000)

Nicolas Dumont called on the first hand back from break and Honglin Jiang checked his option.

The flop came 62Q and Jiang bet 225,000. Dumont called and a 10 came on the turn. Both players checked and a 10 completed the board. Dumont bet 400,000 with 63 for a pair of sixes and Jiang let his 74 go.

Dumont has a slight lead with 12.53 million to Jiang’s 10.73 million. –AV

6:35pm: Play restarts
Level 32 – Blinds 100,000/200,000 (BB ante 200,000)

Heads up play continues into Level 32.

6:20pm: How things currently stand

Name Country Chips BBs
Honglin Jiang New Zealand 11,355,000 71
Nicolas Dumont France 11,885,000 74

6:15pm: Break time

Players are now on another 20 minute break. While you wait why not read about the winner in the High Roller event that finished a short time ago? Coverage of the Main Event contnues at 6:35pm. — SB

6:15pm:Back and forth
Level 31 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (BB ante 160,000)

Honglin Jiang raised to 325,000 and Nicolas Dumont agreed to a see a flop.

Jiang continued for 250,000 on the K83 flop and Dumont went for the check-raise to 800,000. A 9 came on turn and Dumont checked again. Jiang fired off another bet, this one worth 1.5 million and that did the trick.

Dumont let it go, but then he took the next one off Jiang.

Dumont then limped from the button with 98 and Jiang checked with 102. The flop came 3410 and Dumont bet 205,000. Jiang raised to 600,000 and Dumont called. A Q on the turn brought even more action.

Jiang bet 400,000 and this time Dumont made it 1.5 million. That also did the trick. Jiang folded and dipped to second with 11.56 million while Dumont squeaked into the lead with 11.68 million. –AV

6:10pm: Latest counts
Level 31 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (BB ante 160,000)

Name Country Chips BBs
Honglin Jiang New Zealand 12,295,000 77
Nicolas Dumont France 10,945,000 68

6pm: Nothing much to report
Level 31 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (BB ante 160,000)

No hand made it past the flop from the last hand we reported, until the one below where Nicolas Dumont beat the big slick of Honglin Jiang.

The latter opened to 325,000 with AK and Dumont peeled with Q5. The 9Q8 flop was checked to the 7 turn where a Dumont lead for 450,000 was enough to see off Jiang.

That win put Dumont into a massive three big blind advantage over his opponent. –MC

5:50pm: While you wait…

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5:40pm: Dumont back on top
Level 31 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (BB ante 160,000)

Hongliang Jiang raised to 325,000 from the button and Nicolas Dumont three-bet to a smooth 1 million. Jiang called and the flop came 5J4.

Dumont had J9 and checked. Jiang took a stab at it with K9 and bet 700,000. Dumont called and the 10 came on the turn. Dumont checked again and Jiang checked behind. The 7 completed the board and Dumont fired 1.9 million.

Jiang couldn’t find a call with his king-high and dipped to 10.88 million while Dumont took the lead with 12.36 million. –AV

5:35pm: Dumont channels Dolly in the big blind
Level 31 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (BB ante 160,000)

Nicolas Dumont has moved up to 10.82 million after working 95 in the big blind.

Honglin Jiang opened to 325,000 with J8 and bet 250,000 on a KA5 flop. Dumont called both bets before the 29 turn and river were checked through. Dumont opened his hand and Jiang mucked. –MC

5:30pm: The final battle
Level 31 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (BB ante 160,000)

Honling Jiang raised to 320,000 in the first hand of heads-up play and Nicolas Dumont called. The flop came Q27 and Dumont checked with J6. Jiang continued for 250,000 with J8 and Dumont raised to 780,000.

Dumont and Jiang begin heads-up play

Jiang let it go. Let the game begin. –AV

5:20pm: Ready for heads-up

There’s a slight pause in the action as the two remaining players prepare for heads-up play.

5:15pm: Tomas Jozonis goes in third for €308k
Level 31 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (BB ante 160,000)

Tomas Jozonis’ comeback was short lived after he went in third spot.

He moved all-in for 1.88 million off the button and was called by Honglin Jiang in the big blind.

Jiang: A10
Jozonis: A6

Jozonis and Jiang look on

The board ran 410952 to have Jozonis drawing dead by the turn. This will not be the last time we see the hugely impressive Lithuanian deep in an EPT Main Event.

All over for Jozonis

The remaining two players will now take a short break before beginning their duel. Here’s how their stacks look:

Honglin Jiang – 13.405 million
Nicolas Dumont – 9.835 million
–MC

5:05pm: Jozonis doubles
Level 31 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (BB ante 160,000)

Honglin Jiang then tried to finish Tomas Jozonis off.

Jiang moved all-in from the button with A2 and Jozonis called from the big with K9.

Toms Jozonis with a lot on his mind

The flop came 5Q10 to give Jozonis a straight draw, but the 2 on the turn brought him nothing. The J on the river did though and Jozonis doubled to 1.96 million while Jiang’s lead took a small hit to 11.83 million. –AV

4:55pm: Huge double for Jiang
Level 31 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (BB ante 160,000)

“These are the make it or break it hands of a tournament,” said Maria Ho in commentary part-way through a huge hand.

Tomas Jozonis opened to 350,000 off the button before Honglin Jiang three-bet to 1.1 million from the big blind. Jozonis clicked it back to 1.8 million and then called after Jiang jammed.

Hongin Jiang

Jiang: A2
Jozonis: QQ

The board ran 8985J to make the Kiwi a flush. He moved up to 13.1 million while Jozonis was left with six big blinds. –MC

4:45pm: Peters sent packing in fourth
Level 31 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (BB ante 160,000)

It took a cooler, but David Peters is now out of contention.

Tomas Jozonis raised to 325,000 from under the gun with QQ in Peters’s last hand and action folded to Peters’s button. He looked down at JJ and moved all-in. Jozonis called and the board ran 6K10A10 to end the Main Event for Peters.

David Peters leaves the Main Event in fourth place

Peters won €232,000 for finishing fourth while Jozonis chipped up to 5.66 million. Now that we’re down to three players, levels will go down to 45 minutes after the completion of level 31. –AV

4:40pm: Dumont passes the 10 million mark
Level 31 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (BB ante 160,000)

Nicolas Dumont enjoyed a big lead at the top of the counts until it was closed down in the last level. He’s managed to open it back up again after Honglin Jiang folded to him on the river.

The latter opened to 330,000 with J10 and Dumont defended his big blind with 99. The Frenchman then led for 355,000, 475,000 and 1.115 million on each street of a 76825 board.

Dumont – 10.19 million
Jiang – 7.8 million
–MC

4:32pm: Play restarts and Jiang comes out swinging
Level 31 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (BB ante 160,000)

Hongling Jiang took the tournament lead last level and started this one swinging.

Nicolas Dumont raised to 350,000 from under the gun in the first hand back from break. Dumont had J9 and then Jiang three-bet it up to 900,000 from the button with A3. Dumont had been fairly active with his preflop raises and now Jiang was fighting back.

Dumont folded and was left with 8.37 million while Jiang’s lead grew to 9.54 million. –AV

4:10pm: Second break

That’s the end of the level and the four players are taking their second break of the day. The big blind will be 160,000 when they return, and here are their stacks:

Name Country Chips BBs
Honglin Jiang New Zealand 8,785,000 55
Nicolas Dumont France 8,720,000 55
Tomas Jozonis Lithuania 2,910,000 18
David Peters USA 2,825,000 18

4:08pm: Peters jams twice as level nears end
Level 30 – Blinds 60,000/120,000 (BB ante 120,000)

David Peters is up to 3.15 million after moving in twice, getting no callers.

He picked up KQ and open-ripped and found no callers. Shortly afterwards, Nicolas Dumont opened to 255,000 with 87 but couldn’t call after Peters three-bet all-in for 2.71 million from the big blind. –MC

4:05pm: Jiang back up top
Level 30 – Blinds 60,000/120,000 (BB ante 120,000)

Honling Jiang and Nicolas Dumont were less than a big blind away, but now Jiang has put some distance between them.

Tomas Jozonis raised to 250,000 from under the gun and David peters called from the button. Honglin Jiang did the same from the big blind and we went to the 872 flop three-handed.

Honglin Jiang: Up top

Action checked around and the 3 came on the turn. Jiang bet 325,000 with J9 and got a pair of folds. Jozonis let his KQ go and Peters folded his J9. Jiang is now back in the lead with 9.15 million. –AV

4pm: Jiang takes the lead without playing a hand, but not for long
Level 30 – Blinds 60,000/120,000 (BB ante 120,000)

Honglin Jiang has moved into the chip lead without having to risk any chips. That was because Nicolas Dumont raise-folded his way down to second.

Dumont opened to to 225,000 off the button holding 107 but folded when Tomas Jozonis three-bet to 850,000 with AK in the big blind. That put Jiang in front, the first time a player other than Dumont has been in the lead today.

But wouldn’t you know it, Jiang’s lead lasted just one hand after he raise-folded to a David Peters all-in. –MC


By the way, have you heard about this? You should have…


3:45pm: More for Jiang
Level 30 – Blinds 60,000/120,000 (BB ante 120,000)

Honglin Jiang raised to 250,000 from under the gun right after he busted Krisztian Gyorgyi.

Tomas Jozonis called from the button and the flop came K45. Jiang bet 280,000 and Jozonis called, bringing a 4 on the turn. Jiang upped the bet to 750,000 and Jozonis looked down at his 99 and couldn’t call.

Jiang took it down with A3 and then they went at it again from the blinds.

Jiang called from the small blind with 102 and Jozonis checked from the big with K8. The flop came 3106 and Jiang bet 125,000. Jozonis called and the 8 came on the turn. Jiang checked this time and Jozonis made it 325,000. Jiang called and a 5 completed the board. Both players checked and Jiang took it down with a pair of tens.

Jiang’s stack grew to 8.54 million, nearly tied with Nicolas Dumont for the lead, while Jozonis dipped to 3.46 million. –AV

3:30pm: Big slick costs Gyorgyi, he goes in fifth
Level 30 – Blinds 60,000/120,000 (BB ante 120,000)

Spin & Go qualifier Krisztian Gyorgyi’s dream is over after he lost big flip to Honglin Jiang.

Krisztian Gyorgyi: Flipping out

Gyorgyi was under the gun and opened to 280,000 and picked up a call from Nicolas Dumont. Jiang then squeezed all-in for 3.615 million. Gyorgyi agonised and then made the call all-in for 2.76 million.

Jiang: 44
Gyorgyi: AK

The flop came 4Q3 to make Jiang a set.

Krisztian Gyorgyi sees the four on the flop

Gyorgyi couldn’t hit the running cards he need when the turn 6 and river J completed the board. That put Jiang up to 6.96 million.

Krisztian Gyorgyi: One final farewell

Meanwhile Gyorgyi takes home €184,000 – an amazing result and experience filled with legendary moments. –MC

3:15pm: Small hands, big bets
Level 30 – Blinds 60,000/120,000 (BB ante 120,000)

Nicolas Dumont raised to 255,000 from the button and Honglin Jiang three-bet it up to 825,000 from the small blind. Dumont four-bet it up to 1.75 million and Jiang let it go.

Neither player was strong either. Jiang had A4 while Dumont threw in his four-bet with K7. The pot put Dumont up to 9.03 million while Jiang dipped to 4.17 million. — AV

3:05pm: Peters out flops Dumont
Level 30 – Blinds 60,000/120,000 (BB ante 120,000)

David Peters has moved off the bottom of the counts (3.48 million) after taking one off chip leader Nicolas Dumont (who dropped to 8.27 million).

Dumont opened with A3 from the cutoff and Peters called in the big blind with K2. Peters check-called 275,000 on a K7J flop before the 9J turn and river were checked through. Peters opened his hand and Dumont mucked. –MC

3pm: Antonius out in sixth (€139,050)
Level 30 – Blinds 60,000/120,000 (BB ante 120,000)

Textbook poker.

Patrik Antonius looked down at KQ on the button and moved all-in for 1.31 million. Nicolas Dumont had A8 on the small blind and called.

“Another coin-flip,” Antonius said.

Patrik Antonius: Gets them in

This one wouldn’t fall in his favor though. The 9410 gave Antonius a gutshot straight draw, but the 9 on the turn didn’t complete it.

Neither did the 7 on the river and Antonius was eliminated in sixth place. Antonius won €139,050 for his final table finish while Dumont chipped up to 8.36 million.

Patrik Antonius says goodbye

Antonius may have broken one of Victoria Coren Mitchell’s EPT records, for time between final table appearances, but his has fallen short in his attempts to match her as a double EPT champion. –AV

2:55pm: Jozonis cuts the lead at the top
Level 30 – Blinds 60,000/120,000 (BB ante 120,000)

Tomas Jozonis has closed the gap at the top of the counts by taking two small pots off chip-leader Nicolas Dumont.

The latter opened to 255,000 with J9 but folded to Jozonis’s three-bet to 750,000 with AA.

Two hands later, Jozonis raised 250,000 in to Dumont’s big blind. The board rolled out Q3942 with Jozonis waiting until the river to bet his JJ for 250,000. Dumont check-folded his 74.

Jozonis – 5.57 million
Dumont – 6.82 million
–MC

2:50pm: Peters picks some up
Level 30 – Blinds 60,000/120,000 (BB ante 120,000)

David Peters is now out of the danger zone after flopping big and betting bigger.

Hongling Jiang raised to 250,000 from the button and Tomas Jozonis called from the small blind. David Peters called from the big blind and the flop came 5K7.

Jiang was holding J8 and continued for 225,000. Jozonis raised to 650,000 with A9 and Peters was holding two-pair with K5. Peters moved all-in for 1.47 million and Jiang got out of the way.

Jozonis couldn’t call either and Peters chipped up to 3.22 million. –AV

2:45pm: Small pot win for Jiang to kick off the level
Level 30 – Blinds 60,000/120,000 (BB ante 120,000)

Honglin Jiang started the level with a small-pot win versus Tomas Jozonis in a battle of the blinds.

After no raises an 83K board was dealt. It was checked through to the 6 where Jiang check-called 210,000 before both went back to checking on the Q river.

Jiang opened 108 for third pair and Jozonis mucked his 65 to drop to 5.48 million. Jiang moved up to 4.21 million. –MC

2:35pm: Take a seat again
Level 30 – Blinds 60,000/120,000 (BB ante 120,000)

They are back at the table and play has resumed. — HS

2:18pm: Break time

The six remaining players are going for their first break of the day. They’ll return to a big blind of 120,000 and stacks that look like this:

Name Country Chips BBs
Nicolas Dumont France 7,440,000 62
Tomas Jozonis Lithuania 5,930,000 49
Honglin Jiang New Zealand 3,755,000 31
Krisztian Gyorgyi Hungary 2,570,000 21
David Peters USA 1,840,000 15
Patrik Antonius Finland 1,605,000 13
Nicolas Dumont: Still out in front

2:15pm: Another shove
Level 29 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (BB ante 100,000)

Another shove before the break: Patrik Antonius opened his button to 225,000 with 78 and Honglin Jiang pushed from the big blind with pocket eights. Antonius was the effective stack with his 1.61 million, but decided not to call it off. — HS

2:10pm: Peters pushing
Level 29 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (BB ante 100,000)

David Peters was on the cutoff with A5 and moved all-in for about 1.7 million. Action folded to Nicolas Dumont on the big blind and he looked down at A4.

He asked for a count and considered calling Peters. But no, not this time. Peters took down the pot but is still short with 1.84 million. –AV

2pm: Antonius doubles through Jiang
Level 29 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (BB ante 100,000)

Patrik Antonius’s double EPT dream is still alive with a double through Honglin Jiang.

Antonius had 840,000 when he moved all-in from the button and Jiang called from the big blind.

Jiang: A5
Antonius: J8

Patrik Antonius: Gets there

The board ran K281010 to make the Finn two pair. Jiang dropped to 2.98 million as Antonius moved back up to 1.83 million. –MC

1:55pm: Jiang makes a stand versus Dumont
Level 29 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (BB ante 100,000)

Nicolas Dumont looked down at 97 in the cutoff and came in with a raise, taking the blinds and ante.

He had KJ the next hand and came in with an open again, making it 215,000 to go. Honglin Jiang was in the next seat and made a stand with 109, three-betting to 575,000.

Honglin Jiang: Takes a stand against the leader

Dumont was a believer, laying the best hand down to drop a little to 7.56 million. Jiang’s stack grew to just under 3 million. –MC

1:50pm: Jozonis fills up on Peters
Level 29 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (BB ante 100,000)

David Peters raised to 215,000 from under the gun with JJ and Tomas Jozonis called from the big blind with 44. The flop came 6Q10 and both players checked.

A 4 came down on the turn and Jozonis hit a set. How much could he get from Peters?

David Peters: Couldn’t get away

Jozonis bet 425,000 and Peters called, bringing a Q on the river. Jozonis filled up and bet 950,000. Peters wasn’t able to find a fold. He called and dropped to 2.09 million while the pot put Jozonis up to 6.58 million. — AV

Tomas Jozonis: Returning to the top(-ish)

1:45pm: Folding fours
Level 29 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (BB ante 100,000)

David Peters looked down at 55 from the button and moved all-in for 3.4 million. Patrik Antonius was on the big blind with just eight big blinds and he looked down at 44.

“So dumb, so dumb,” Antonius said.

And he managed to fold. Antonius is down to 890,000 while Peters is up to 3.68 million. –AV

1:40pm: Peters shoving and Dumont gets paid with quads
Level 29 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (BB ante 100,000)

Honglin Jiang opened to 220,000 from the hijack with the pretty KJ but David Peters’ A9 in the big blind was even prettier, so much so that he shoved for 3.11 million. Jiang folded and dropped to 2.89 million. Peters moved up to 3.48 million.

The very next hand saw two more big hands match up.

Patrick Antonius raised to 225,000 from under the gun with 1010 and called when Nicolas Dumont three-bet to 600,000 from the next seat with KK. Both players checked the 7K8 flop before Dumont bet 450,000 on the Q turn, then 525,000 on the K river. By that point, he had quads.

Nicolas Dumont: Taking a stranglehold

Antonius happily check-called on the turn, but burnt through two time-bank cards while pondering his options on the river. But he couldn’t find the fold and saw the bad news.

Patrik Antonius: In trouble

The only former EPT champion left in the field has dropped to bottom of the counts with 1.09 million, while Dumont stretched his lead at the top as his stack swelled to 7.4 million. –MC


Here’s footage of the hand where Dumont made quads:


1:25pm: Fernandez felted in seventh (€99,900)
Level 29 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (BB ante 100,000)

Javier Fernandez had been jamming for a while and no one was calling. Some of his hands weren’t that good, but then he picked up AK from the cutoff.

Fernandez moved all-in again and Tomas Jozonis thought about the call with A7. But he folded. Action passed around to Krisztian Gyorgyi on the big blind and he also thought about it for a bit with J8. He folded too though and Fernandez remained uncalled.

Javier Fernandez: Last shove

Then Fernandez got some action a few hands later.

Fernandez moved all-in from the small blind with A4 and Tomas Jozonis snap-called with A10 from the big blind. The 367910 board brought no help for Fernandez and he was eliminated in seventh place.

Javier Fernandez: Adios

That was worth €99,900, while Jozonis chipped up to 4.99 million. –AV

1:15pm: No bluff Gyorgyi
Level 29 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (BB ante 10,000)

Seven-deuce worked so well for Krisztian Gyorgyi yesterday, but it didn’t work so well today. He opened from early position with 72 but Nicolas Dumont seemed to have sniffed something out and three-bet to 850,000 from the button with 96. The rest of the table folded and so did Gyorgyi. He wasn’t tempted to rip it in this time. — HS

1:10pm: Antonius gets back on the raising horse
Level 29 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (BB ante 100,000)

Rather than wallow in the fact he just doubled up David Peters, Patrik Antonius went after his opponent and got some go those chips back.

Peters raised to 225,000 from the cutoff holding K10 before Antonius three-bet to 700,000 from the small blind holding 86. Peters let his hand go and dropped a little to 3.69 million.

Antonius was on the other side of it the next hand, opening from the button with 108 but folding when Honglin Jiang three-bet to 700,000 from the big blind with AA. Antonius settled on 3.03 million and Jiang rose to 3.41 million. –MC

1pm: Another double, Peters gets one off Antonius
Level 29 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (BB ante 100,000)

Patrik Antonius opened to 225,000 from under the gun with AQ and David Peters moved all-in for 1.86 million from the small blind with AK. Antonius called and the J5386 board gave Peters the nut flush and a double up.

Just what David Peters needed

Peters doubled to second in chips with 3.91 million while Antonius dipped to 2.76 million. –AV

12:55pm: Fast start continues with a Gyorgyi double
Level 29 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (BB ante 100,000)

What a start to the day. Big action again and it’s only the second hand.

Neutral poker fans who are already tuning will be delighted with the news that Krisztian Gyorgyi has doubled up. Spanish ones, not so much, as he got the chips from Javier Fernandez who wouldn’t have planned on becoming the short stack so soon into the day.

Javier Fernandez: Left short

Gyorgyi opened to 325,000 from the hijack with QQ and called all-in after Fernandez shoved with AK from the big blind. Gyorgyi was out of his seat (as usual) and nervously lived every street of a board that ran 68649 to see his hand hold.

Krisztian Gyorgyi: Staying alive

He moved up to 3.93 million as Fernandez dropped to 815,000. Gyorgyi even managed to get a high five from the player he just took chips from! –MC


Have you heard the story about Filippo Filardo?

You may have noticed this man on the live stream yesterday.

You’ll hear more about Filippo Filardo on PokerStars Blog in the coming days. He’s a Platinum Pass winner from Cannes, not far from here on the south coast of France.

Filardo won a Platinum Pass on PokerStars but took some persuading that it was for real.

So, we invited him to come and see for himself.

Filippo Filardo: Platinum Pass winner

This is him seeing for himself. From about ten feet away to be exact, watching one of his poker heroes Patrik Antonius at the feature table.

But there’s a bit more to it than that.

All of which will be coming up on PokerStars Blog. – SB


12:50pm: Ole Schemion out on first hand, wins €68,300 for eighth
Level 29 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (BB ante 10,000)

Cards are back in the air and players wasted no time getting straight back into it.

David Peters raised to 225,000 from middle position with AJ and Patrik Antonius looked down at AJ in the cutoff. Antonius called and then Ole Schemion moved all-infor 1.16 million with KQ from the button. Action folded back around to Peters and he let it go.

“I don’t think I can pass,” Antonius said. And he didn’t.

Antonius called and he hit a jack on the J95 flop. The turn brought a 2 and Antonius picked up a flush draw as well. The river brought a 4 and Schemion hit the rail. Schemion won €68,300 for finishing eighth while Antonius chipped up to 4.61 million. –AV

Ole Schemion: Bad news

Auf Wiedersehen, Ole

12:30pm: The big off
Level 29 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (BB ante 10,000)

Players are settling into their seats and ready to get started. Remember, we’re reporting alongside the PokerStars.tv live stream, which is operating on a 30-minute delay, so there are no spoilers here. — HS

EPT Monte Carlo final table (standing l-r): David Peters, Ole Schemion, Honglin Jiang, Nicolas Dumont, Krisztian Gyorgyi, Patrik Antonius. (Seated l-r): Tomas Jozonis, Javier Fernandez

Introduction: The perfect EPT final table

After 11 days, many thousands of players and many millions of euros, we have reached the final stages of the 2018 European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo festival. Today is when we crown the most feted champion: the winner of the €5,000 Main Event. That player will get the €712,000 first prize, the EPT champion’s trophy, plus a Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players Championship, worth $30,000.

From a starting field of 574 players, who produced 777 entries and a total prize pool of nearly €3.8 million for this one tournament alone, we are now seeking only one player: the winner. We will not halt until he has been found.

The tournament’s penultimate day finished past midnight last night with eight players still standing. The French driving instructor Nicolas Dumont is in pole position, with more than 5.2 million chips. On paper, that’s a significant lead over Lithuania’s Tomas Jozonis, who has 3.8 million, but this tournament has been playing a long time and the blinds are already huge.

Easy rider: Nicolas Dumont, our driving instructor leader

It means that if any of our last eight wins a couple of significant early pots, absolutely anything is possible. And with the likes of Patrik Antonius, David Peters and Ole Schemion still involved, this is far from a foregone conclusion. The full list of remaining players, with their stack sizes, is as follows:

Name Country Chips BBs
Nicolas Dumont France 5,255,000 53
Tomas Jozonis Lithuania 3,800,000 38
Honglin Jiang New Zealand 2,985,000 30
Patrik Antonius Finland 2,975,000 30
Javier Fernandez Spain 2,755,000 28
David Peters USA 2,400,000 24
Krisztian Gyorgyi Hungary 1,940,000 19
Ole Schemion Germany 1,160,000 12

In many ways this is a perfect, typical EPT final. There are eight nationalities represented, and there are players from across the poker-playing spectrum. At the one end, you have the likes of Peters, who has more than $20 million in recorded live earnings, or Antonius, who regularly plays six-figure pots online. Then you have Krisztian Gyorgyi, who won his seat in this tournament via a €5 Spin & Go satellite and cannot contain his excitement.

Bluffing’s Krisztian Gyorgyi

Yesterday, Gyorgyi pulled off the play of the year when he made an enormous bluff with poker’s worst hand, the seven-deuce, and got it through on the biggest stage. Even Peters couldn’t keep a straight face.

David Peters: Cracking up

One more word about Antonius too: he has the chance to become only the second two-time EPT champion in the game’s history, a full 12 years, or 4,111 days, since he first made an appearance at an EPT final table.

Patrik Antonius: Two time?

Play resumes here at noon, with our reporting operating on a 30-minute delay to put it in line with the PokerStars.tv’s cards-up coverage.


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PokerStars Blog reporting team on the €5,000 Main Event: Stephen Bartley, Marc Convey, Howard Swains and Alex Villegas. Photography by Joe Giron/PokerPhotoArchive.

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