In 2015, a fresh-faced Adrian Mateos proved he was more than a one-trick pony by winning the 2015 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event for his second major live title. What followed over the ensuing nine years was nothing short of remarkable. Wherever Mateos went, success followed, cementing his status as one of the most formidable competitors to ever grace the felt.
As 16 players reconvened for Day 5 of the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Monte Carlo €5,300 Main Event, anticipation was high. Mateos, positioned among the chip leaders, seemed poised to recreate his previous triumph at the iconic Sporting Monte-Carlo.
Undoubtedly the most decorated player remaining in the record-breaking field of 1,208 entrants, Mateos appeared destined for yet another shot at the final table. However, in the unpredictable realm of poker, certainty is elusive.
A showdown with amateur player Philipp Wenzelburger shattered Mateos' aspirations of joining the elite ranks of two-time EPT Main Event champions, a feat achieved by Mike Watson just the year prior at the same venue. Wenzelburger, with just second pair, fearlessly called down Mateos' jack-high triple-barrel bluff.
In a swift turn of events, Mateos bowed out in eleventh place for €70,300, clearing the path for the remaining seven contenders vying for one of poker's ultimate prizes in the series' climactic finale.
Boris Angelov Leads the Final Seven Players
Boris Angelov (11,500,000) sits with the chip lead after a flourishing day where he scored two of the nine knockouts.
Much of Angelov's success has come on the virtual felt, where he's cashed for more than a million dollars. His live earnings stand at $162,793, with his best score being $34,869.
"I started playing when I turned 19. I got into poker, and the first things I watched on YouTube were replays of EPT final tables and everything," Angelov told PokerNews. "Coming back tomorrow with the chip lead and a chance to take the trophy home, it's all I've dreamed of."
Sitting in second place is Rania Nasreddine with 7,900,000, the only other player with more than 50 big blinds. Competing at only her second EPT, she has every chance in the world to make history and become the circuit's only fourth-ever female winner.
Now, with a busy law career, real estate dealings, and a young child at home, Nasreddine only gets to play poker every four to six weeks. “So it’s really a treat when I get to play,” she said.
Serbia's Jovan Kenjic rounds out the top three with 4,750,000. Kenjic has been making the rounds since 2021, cashing for more than $300,000 since 2021.
A familiar face will return to the bright lights of the feature table, as streamer Niclas “flushiisback” Thumm (3,650,000) has put in another deep run at a PokerStars major event.
The popular member of the Twitch poker community turned a platinum pass into $1 million thanks to his sixth-place finish at last year's PSPC.
On his strategy ahead of tomorrow, Thumm said "The plan is I'm going to try to get another milly. That's obviously the dream, but yeah, I won't be disappointed; I'm just realistic and try my best."
Originally from Le Mans, Jonathan Pastore (3,350,000) has steadily ascended the poker ranks, beginning his journey in small poker clubs before advancing to the professional circuit.
His career reached a pinnacle in 2022 in Las Vegas, where he secured a WSOP bracelet in a $5,000 buy-in 6-max event. Just a few months later, he clinched the runner-up spot in the WSOP Europe Main Event in Rozvadov. These two paydays netted him over $1.6 million in earnings within just five months.
Dutchman Derk van Luijk couldn't believe his luck when he went runner-runner to crack aces to stay in the mix. His ace-jack flopped a flush draw, but he got there the hard way as the turn and river both delivered jacks.
The 43-year-old investor had already come close to an EPT Main Event final table when he made it to 28th place in Paris earlier this year.
PokerStars qualifier Jonathan Guedes (1,900,000) got his seat at the tables from a €250 satellite. He'll see some significant return on that investment, as the finalists have all locked up at least €154,900.
EPT Monte Carlo Main Event Seating Chart
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rania Nasreddine | United States | 7,900,000 | 53 |
| 2 | Derk van Luijk | Netherlands | 3,200,000 | 21 |
| 3 | Jovan Kenjic | Serbia | 4,750,000 | 32 |
| 4 | Jonathan Pastore | France | 3,350,000 | 22 |
| 5 | Jonathan Guedes | Brazil | 1,900,000 | 13 |
| 6 | Niclas Thumm | Germany | 3,650,000 | 24 |
| 7 | Boris Angelov | Bulgaria | 11,500,000 | 77 |
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Name | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | €1,000,000 | ||
| 2 | €620,500 | ||
| 3 | €442,900 | ||
| 4 | €340,500 | ||
| 5 | €261,700 | ||
| 6 | €201,000 | ||
| 7 | €154,900 | ||
| 8 | Jozef Cibicek | Slovakia | €119,000 |
| 9 | Philipp Wenzelburger | Germany | €91,500 |
Day 5 Action
Despite hopes of orchestrating a miraculous chip-and-a-chair comeback, David Docherty's (16th-€40,600) journey came to an end as he became the first casualty when play resumed. Following closely behind was fellow short stack Nathan Tetart (15th, €48,800), who joined Docherty on the wrong side of the rail.
Mateos flipped out online phenom Francisco Benitez (14th-€48,800) ahead of the departures of Jamil Wakil (13th-€58,500) and Javier Caballo (12th-€58,500).
Mateos' shocking exit set up the final table bubble, which burst when Natan Chauskin (10th-€70,300) couldn't pair up in a preflop race.
Over four hours passed until the first elimination took place at the final table. After having aces cracked, Wenzelburger put in his last eight big blinds with ten-eight, which couldn't leapfrog Nasreddine's queens, ending his deep run in ninth place for €91,500.
Late on in the session, Jozef Cibicek (8th-€119,000) committed somewhat of an ICM faux pas, jamming 25 big blinds with queen-jack over Angelov's open. Unfortunately for Cibicek, Angelov had Big Slick, which remained best following the runout. Angelov skyrocketed to the top of the counts and the bustout allowed two shorter stacks to ladder up.
When play kicks off at 12:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, May 4, the players will start on Level 31: 100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 big blind ante. All remaining levels will last 90 minutes until three players are left, at which point they will be reduced to 45 minutes in length.
The PokerNews coverage will commence at 1 p.m. local time, on a 30-minute delay so as to not spoil the cards-up stream on Pokerstars' Twitch and Youtube channels.
So stay tuned to find out who will be victorious in Monaco and will be crowned the second EPT champion of the 2024 season during the thrilling conclusion of the EPT Monte Carlo Main Event.
