It's time for Day 4 of the EPT Grand Final here in Monte Carlo. Just 41 players remain, all vying for that €1,240,000 first place prize. Malte Moennig, a 27-year old from Cologne in Germany, is the current chip leader with 1,150,000 - he's currently the only player over the seven-figure mark.
Team PokerStars Pro are being represented by Ville Wahlbeck (289,000) and David Williams (253,000) while Scott Clements (797,000), Steven Silverman (605,000), [Removed:17] (599,000) and Dani Stern (454,000) are also still in the mix. There are also two former EPT winners involved, both from earlier seasons rather than the later ones, in Mark Teltscher (356,000) and Noah Boeken (200,000). Could we have a second double champion in back-to-back events?
Blinds will be starting at 5,000/10,000 with a 1,000 ante and the players will be playing down to the final 16 or five levels - whichever happens first. This event will be starting at 12pm local time but at 1pm, the €25,000 High Roller will also be getting underway, no doubt some players will be jumping straight into that tournament should they bust the main event.
Action folded to a short-stacked Bryan Paris in the hijack and he moved all in for his last 129,000. Antonio Buonanno called from the cutoff, and after the rest of the players folded, the cards were turned up.
Paris:
Buonanno:
Paris was in a bad way as he held the inferior kicker, but he was optimistic.
"I got the lucky nine," he said. It may have been lucky for him at another point in the tournament, but not this one as the board ran out a dry . Paris becomes the 39th-place finisher.
Vladimir Troyanovskiy sat atop the chip counts with 123 players remaining at the end of Day 2, but he was only able to ride that stack to a 37th-place finish.
In a recent hand, Troyanovskiy opened for 21,000 under the gun and was met by a three-bet to 50,000 from Jack Salter, who has been on a heater here on Day 4. The blinds both folded and Troyanovskiy clicked it back for 120,000. Salter moved all in for 376,000 total and Troyanovskiy made the call.
Salter:
Troyanovskiy:
Salter had the goods, but Troyanovskiy picked up a sweat when the flop came down . Much to Salter's relief, neither the turn nor river proved harmful, and he doubled up yet again.
Troyanovskiy appeared to be streaming after the loss, and it was no surprise to see him get his last 100,000 or so all in the next hand on a flop of . This time he was squaring off against Dani Stern.
Troyanovskiy:
Stern:
Stern was ahead with aces, but Troyanovskiy was drawing to a diamond flush. The turn paired the board, and the actually did it again. Stern made a full house while Troyanovskiy suddenly found himself out of the tournament.
"Good luck, guys," he mustered before bowing out in 37th place.
Team PokerStars Pro Ville Wahlbeck opened to 40,000 on the button before Martins Seilis made it 92,000 in the small blind. Wahlbeck responded by moving all in and Seilis called instantly.
Wahlbeck:
Seilis:
The board came and the Finn was knocked out by the Latvian.
The last Team PokerStars Pro in the field has been eliminated.
David Williams got his stack of 285,000 all in preflop and received a call from Dani Stern.
Williams:
Stern:
It was a classic flip, but not after the flop came down . Stern flopped a set and became a massive favorite. When the appeared on the turn, Williams was drawing dead. The Team Pro immediately exited the stage and didn't even stick around to see the river, which of course was a meaningless card.
Williams will take home €36,700 for his 24th-place finish.
Two big hands and Heinz Kamutzki is out in 23rd place.
In the first, we picked up the action with around 300,000 in the pot and a board reading . Kamutzki bet 140,000 from middle position and Vasili Firsau called from the cutoff. When the completed the board on the river, Kamutzki put together a bet and slid out 190,000, which Firsau snap-called.
"Queen-nine," Kamutzki said and confidently tabled the . Firsau then casually rolled over the for a set and the win. Kamutzki was left with right around 350,000 after the hand.
A short time later, Ivan Soshnikov raised to 50,000 on the button only to have Kamutzki three-bet all in from the small blind. The big folded and Soshnikov thought for a long time before making the call.
Soshnikov:
Kamutzki:
It turned out to be a good call, and Soshnikov was rewarded for it when the flop gave him two pair. The turn left Kamutzki drawing dead, and after the was run out on the river, he took his leave in 23rd place.
Eros Nastasi, who finished 18th in the EPT10 Sanremo Main Event for €22,575, has managed back-to-back deep runs, but his latest just came to an end in 22nd place.
In what would be his final hand, a short-stacked Nastasi moved all in from early position and cleared the way all the way around to Miroslav Alilovic, who called from the big blind.
Alilovic:
Nastasi:
Nastasi got it in good, but it was a flip. The flop put a dagger through his heart by pairing Alilovic, and the turn left him drawing to a single out headed to the river. The dealer burned one last time and put out the . Nastasi missed and must settle for 22nd place and th accompanying €42,850 payday.
Kenneth Hicks had opened preflop to 40,000 and Dani Stern had called from the cutoff before Sebastian Von Toperczer squeezed in the big blind to 130,000. Hicks folded and Stern shoved for 764,000 but the German made the call.
Stern:
Von Toperczer:
The board ran out and Stern was covered, leaving just 20 players.
Just prior to the last break he was crippled by Steven Silverman, and he just busted at the same time as [Removed:17], albeit one table over.
It happened when Clements moved all in for 150,000 from middle position and Malte Moennig looked him up from the cutoff. The rest of the players folded and it was off to the races.
Moennig:
Clements:
Clements was ahead, but not after the flop came down . The turn improved Moenning to two pair, which meant Clements needed a seven from heaven to extended his tournament life. The dealer burned one last time and put out the .
Clements missed and was eliminated in 19th place. "Good luck everybody," he offered before making his way to the payout desk to collect €49,350.
[Removed:17] opened for 50,000 preflop and received a call from Antonio Buonanno. the flop saw Yan continue for 85,000, and Buonanno flatted. When the dealer burned and turned the , action exploded. Yan bet 155,000, Buonanno moved all in, and Yan, who had about the same size stack, snap-called off.
Yan:
Buonanno:
Both players hit the flop hard, but Yan's set was second best to Buonanno's straight. The failed to pair the board on the river, and Yan shook hands with everyone remaining at the table before taking his leave in 20th place.
![[user76023]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. Paris becomes the 39th-place finisher.
. Much to Salter's relief, neither the 
turn nor 
river proved harmful, and he doubled up yet again.
turn paired the board, and the 
actually did it again. Stern made a full house while Troyanovskiy suddenly found himself out of the tournament.
and the Finn was knocked out by the Latvian.
for a set and the win. Kamutzki was left with right around 350,000 after the hand.
flop gave him two pair. The 
turn left Kamutzki drawing dead, and after the 
flop put a dagger through his heart by pairing Alilovic, and the 
. Nastasi missed and must settle for 22nd place and th accompanying €42,850 payday.
. The 
![[Removed:17] - 20th Place](https://s.pnimg.net/r0RE1LSVEAtweagDoPZV7x27v9X9HrfyJSKQ6uFmtWY/pr:reporting-leading-desktop/aHR0cHM6Ly9wbmlt/Zy5uZXQvbHJlcC8x/ODUzLzE2L3hjYTQz/YTk5YTQ0LmpwZw.webp)
