€10,600 Main Event Dia 1b | 2014 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo® Casino EPT Grand Final

2014-04-27 11:28 UTC+2

Welcome to Day 1b of the 2014 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo® Casino EPT Grand Final!

[user76023]

We're back for the final start day of the last main event of Season 10 of the European Poker Tour to see who will become the 99th EPT winner.

Yesterday 214 players stumped up €10,000 to take part with Samir Hadad finishing on top with 178,100. Today the field is expected to be even bigger as more players flock to Monte Carlo in the hopes of pursuing a dream. Among those thought to be playing today will be Daniel Colman, who last night won the €100,000 Super High Roller event, runners-up Daniel Cates and Igor Kurganov are also likely to be involved.

So what does the buy-in get you exactly? You'll receive 30,000 chips with the aim of getting through eight 75-minute levels (with a 75-minute dinner break after level 6). Manage that and you'll be through to Day 2 alongside the 106 qualifier who made it past Day 1a.

Play will begin at 12pm. This is the big one, a blue ribbon event and one of the most important tournaments of the poker calendar.

Good luck all.

2014-04-27 13:42 UTC+2

The Last Skrill Last Longer Competition for the Season 10 Grand Final has Begun

Nível 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

The Skirll booth. Photo courtesy of PokerStars.

The Skrill Last Longer competition has been being held at each stop on this season’s EPT, of which they’re an official sponsor. The promotion is simple – players sign up for the promotion either online (preregistration is available) or at the Skrill booth (which will be present at each stop); don a Skrill patch; and then aim to be the last man or woman standing. The last player remaining will then receive their buy-in back via their Skrill account.

It's the last stop of Season 10, and that means it's the last Skill Last Longer competition of the season. Yesterday, 214 players took their shot at poker glory on Day 1a, and of them 31 players participated in the contest, which was 14% of the field. Day 1b has attracted even more players, and they have the chance to sign up through the dinner break. Once registration is closed, we'll be sure to let you know how many "Skrillees" are competing.

While Skrill upped the ante for Season 10 with a bigger branding initiative, it wasn't their first appearance on the EPT; as a matter of fact, they were a sponsor of Season 8 and have held previous “Last Longer” promotions.

The company’s website provides a bit more information on Skrill, which rebranded from Moneybookers back in 2010:

“Skrill has been moving money digitally since 2001. We offer online payment solutions for businesses and consumers, allowing them to pay and get paid globally. Over 36 million account holders already trust Skrill. Our customers can send and receive money worldwide in 200 countries and 40 currencies, securely and at low cost, without revealing their personal financial details. Your business will benefit from our worldwide payment network with over 100 payment options. Whether through a simple one-step integration or a fully-tailored payment solution. Whoever you are, however you like to pay or get paid, trust Skrill to make your online payments simpler, faster and safer.”

Headquartered in London, Skrill is looking to make their presence known in the poker world with a commitment to customer satisfaction through innovation and service. Not only that, they’re looking to be more than just a company by becoming a trusted and respected member of the poker community.

For more information on Skrill, click here.

Tags: Skrill

2014-04-27 14:52 UTC+2

Matthias Habernig: A Blast from the Latin American Poker Tour Past

Nível 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

Back in 2010, 19-year-old Matthias Habernig from Klagenfurt, Austria made poker headlines when he topped a field of 364 players to win the Latin American Poker Tour Season III Florianopolis Main Event for $247,491. It was an exciting moment for Habernig, who had been playing online poker since he was 18. Prior to it, his career highlights include an $11 re-buy win on PokerStars and cashing in a $1,000 side event at LAPT Lima.

As if things couldn’t get any better, Habernig was back at a LAPT final table a month later. That’s when he navigated a field of 258 players to make the final table of the LAPT Season 3 Grand Finale in Rosario, Argentina. Habernig was looking to follow in Team PokerStars Pro Nacho Barbero’s footsteps by winning back-to-back LAPT titles, but that dream ultimately came to an end in sixth place for $49,400.

Since then Habernig has essentially disappeared from the poker landscape. In July 2011 he finished sixth in a €300 no-limit hold’em event at the CAPT Velden Open for €1,390, and in August 2013 he placed 25th n the IPT Nova Gorica Main Event for €3,300. Other than that, Habernig has stayed out of the poker eye.

That said, the poker eye is a keen one, and we happened to spot the now 22 year old, who will be celebrating his 23rd birthday on June 27, here in the EPT Grand Final field. Habernig was kind enough to inform us that since his win he has been focusing on his studies at the University of Graz, though he still enjoys playing poker.

He hopes to make it out to the World Series of Poker for the first time either this year or in the future, but for now his focus is on his education. In the meantime, he’ll remain content playing European events. Well today he’s playing arguably Europe’s most prestigious tournament, and only time will tell if the Austrian can find himself the last man standing once again.

That said, he’ll face an uphill battle as he’s already down to 16,000 in chips. “I donked off a little,” Habernig said with a smile.

Tags: Matthias Habernig

2014-04-27 17:15 UTC+2

Habernig Sends Roy to the Rail

Nível 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

Earlier today we told you the story of LAPT Season 3 Florianopolis champ of 22-year-old Matthias Habernig, who has been focusing on his studies in Vienna. Habernig told us that he had never been to Monte Carlo before, so he decided to come play some poker.

He got off to a rough start early on when he "donked off" about half his stack, but he seems to have turned things around.

In a recent hand, 2012 World Poker Tour Montreal champ Jonathan Roy opened for 525 from the cutoff only to have Habernig three-bet to 1,700 from the small blind. The big folded, Roy pushed back with a four-bet to 3,700, and Habernig moved all in. Roy, who had about 14,000 total, called off.

Habernig:
Roy:

It was a classic flip, but Habernig needed to catch if he hoped to eliminate a tough opponent. Luckily for him, that's just what he did when the flop came down . Habernig took the lead with a pair of kings, and he never looked back as the appeared on the turn followed by the on the river.

Roy was eliminated in Level 4 while Habernig climbed above the starting stack for the first time in the tournament.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Matthias Habernig	34,000
Jonathan Roy	Eliminado

Tags: Matthias Habernig Jonathan Roy

2014-04-27 17:38 UTC+2

Set-Over-Set Flop Puts an Early End to Negreanu's Day

Nível 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

Daniel Negreanu doesn't tend to bust from tournaments too early, but of course a set-over-set flop will throw a wrench in anyone's well-laid plans. Unfortunately Negreanu just found that out in one of the most prestigious events of the year.

We didn't catch the action, which transpired at the tail end of Level 4, until the river with about 7,000 in the pot and a board reading . The Team PokerStars Pro bet 3,600 from the big blind, and World Series of Poker Europe bracelet winner Roger Hairabedian put in a big raise from the under-the-gun position.

Negreanu, who had 5,375 back, called off and tabled the . Unfortunately for him, "Big Roger" had flopped a bigger set with the , which of course turned into quads.

Negreanu, who was receiving a massage, laughed at his misfortune and then said to the masseuse in a friendly tone, "Ok, finish it up."

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Roger Hairabedian	42,000 22,000	22,000
Daniel Negreanu	Eliminado

Tags: Roger Hairabedian

2014-04-27 20:05 UTC+2

Ausmus Ousted

Nível 6 : 200/400, 50 ante

We saw World Series of Poker bracelet winner and former October Niner Jeremy Ausmus walking out of the tournament room with his backpack in tow, but before he left he was kind enough to inform us of some specifics.

According to him, an aggressive player opened for 1,000 under the gun and another player called. A third player then three-bet to 2,900, Ausmus four-bet to 5,000 with , and only the three-bettor called to see a flop of with two clubs. Both players checked and the dealer burned and turned the .

Ausmus' opponent moved all in, and Ausmus called off his last 10,000. Unfortunately for him, his opponent was head with and the river failed to produce another jack.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Jeremy Ausmus	Eliminado

Tags: Jeremy Ausmus

2014-04-27 21:39 UTC+2

An Orbit w/ the Best Poker Player in the World -- Phil Ivey

Nível 7 : 250/500, 50 ante

It's ironic that Phil Ivey is yawning in the picture. That's because we're accustomed to our orbits being rather boring, but the ten hands we just spent with Ivey were anything but.

Ivey is largely considered the best poker player in the world, so we thought it wise to spend some time observing him in the hopes of discovering what makes him so good. Well, when you win 40% of the hands we watch — and 100% of the hands you play — it helps explain a lot.

Here are the ten hands we spent with Ivey just before the dinner break on Day 1b of the 2014 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo® Casino EPT Grand Final €10,600 Main Event.

Hand #1 (Middle Position): Ivey opened for 900 when action folded to him and Vasili Firsau, who was in the big blind, decided to defend. The flop saw Firsau check-call a bet of 1,300, and then both players checked the turn. Action repeated itself on the river and Firsau showed he had missed a straight with the . Ivey then tabled the to win the pot.

Hand #2 (Middle Position): Once again Ivey opened for 900, and the player to his left called. Firsau came along from the small blind and three players took a flop of . Firsau checked, Ivey bet 1,500, and both his opponents folded. Back-to-back wins for the superstar.

Hand #3 (Early Position): Ivey folded.

Hand #4 (Early Position): Sam Cohen raised under the gun and Ivey folded.

Hand #5 (Under the Gun): Ivey folded.

Hand #6 (Big Blind): A player in early position limped, Oliver Price raised to 1,100, and Ivey folded when action reached him.

Hand #7 (Small Blind): Price opened for 900 under the gun and received two called. Ivey then three-bet to 5,000 from the small blind and inspired all his opponents to fold.

Hand #8 (Button): Ivey folded to a raise in front of him.

Hand #9 (Cutoff): Action folded to Ivey and he followed suit.

Hand #10 (Hijack): Action folded to Ivey and this time he raised to 900, which Team PokerStars Pro Ville Wahlbeck called from the big blind. The flop came down and Wahlbeck ended up check-folding to a bet of 1,000.

Ivey finished the orbit with right around 67,000.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Phil Ivey	67,500 21,500	21,500

Tags: Phil Ivey

2014-04-27 21:54 UTC+2

Finger Eliminated

Webjoker

Nível 7 : 250/500, 50 ante

Martin Finger (in the €100,000 Super High Roller earlier this week)

EPT Prague Champion Martin Finger was just seen talking to some people who were still sitting at their tables playing the tournament. He was talking just a little bit too long with these gentlemen for him to be just sitting out a couple of hands. We asked him if he indeed was eliminated and he was kind enough to tell us the details of his bust out.

Finger had opened with pocket aces from early position and Ludovic Geilich on the button, who won one of the side events during the EPT in Vienna a couple of weeks ago, was the sole caller.

Finger made a continuation bet on -rainbow and Geilich, who had been playing just about every pot according to Finger, made the call. Finger, who had started the hand with 27,000, bet another 3,900 once the popped up on the turn giving him top set. Geilich instantly called.

The river was a and Finger checked. Geilich then snap shoved all in and Finger made the call, only to see him Geilich turn over for the straight.

We might see Finger, who played the €100,000 Super High Roller earlier this week as well, again in the €25,000 High Roller later this week.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Martin Finger	Eliminado

Tags: Ludovic Geilic Martin Finger

2014-04-27 22:07 UTC+2

Step One Completed

Webjoker

Nível 7 : 250/500, 50 ante

When we arrived at Farrell's table we were just in time to catch the cards and board, while [Removed:17] was counting out chips to hand them to his Scottish opponent.

Farrell later told us that he had shoved allin before the flop with from late position. Yan in the small blind made the call, while the big blind was sitting out. Yan had and had made the call. The board had ran out and Farrell doubled.

"Step One completed of my master plan" he said. "Of your master plan for world domination?" we asked. "For my master plan to take over the world" he added. Farrell, who won the FTOPS Main Event for $236,232 just a week ago, is still short, but on his way back.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
[Removed:17]	14,000 -18,500	-18,500
Niall Farrell	13,200 -49,800	-49,800

Tags: Niall Farrell

2014-04-27 22:21 UTC+2

Geilich Primed to Continue His Stellar Year

Nível 7 : 250/500, 50 ante

Some big stacks are beginning to emerge here in the penultimate level of the night, and Ludovic Geilich is one of them. Earlier this month, Geilich, who plays online under "ludovi333," notched a Super Tuesday win for $101,325.13 following a four-handed deal at the final table. That online score came less than a year after Geilich won the PokerStars UKIPT Marbella Main Event for €130,000.

In a recent hand, four players each put in 1,100 preflop to see a flop of . All four checked, and then they did the same on the turn. When the completed the board on the river, Kirill Shugai checked from the small blind and Geilich bet 5,500 from the big. Team PokerStars Pro Christophe de Meulder called from the hijack, and then Hao Tian folded from the button followed by Shugai.

Geilich rolled over the for a rivered two pair, and it was good as de Meulder simply shook his head and then sent his cards to the muck.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Ludovic Geilich	200,000 15,000	15,000
Christophe de Meulder	15,500 -4,500	-4,500

Tags: Ludovic Geilich