On the most recent 15-minute break just outside of the Salle des Etoiles poker room here in Monaco, we saw the usual clusters.
Steffen Sontheimer, Stefan Schillhabel, Reiner Kempe and Dominik Nitsche - aka 'The Germans' - were huddled together by the fountain. Mike Watson, Sam Greenwood and Justin Bonomo were chatting away. Daniel Dvoress and Martin Jacobson were dashing back from the Monte Carlo Bay hotel. And Philipp Gruissem was showing Anton Morgenstern some karate kicks.
On the river of a board , Christoph Vogelsang checked out of the big blind. Charlie Carrel moved all in for around 58,000 and Vogelsang had less than that behind. As played in previous hands, it was now Carrel that was hiding his face behind a scarf, mimicking the move of Vogelsang. The German eventually took a time bank card and folded.
One hand later, Vogelsang open-shoved for 31,000 from the small blind and Daniel Negreanu called out of the big blind.
Daniel Negreanu:
Christoph Vogelsang:
The board came and Vogelsang joined the rail. Mustapha Kanit and Muhyedine Fares were also eliminated.
Colourful character Mustapha Kanit is on the floor at the PokerStars Championship presented by Monte-Carlo Casino® to give Laura all his opinions on various other players. Comedy ensues as he also nearly loses his front teeth in this video due to a microphone malfunction.
Hady El Asmar's stack got chopped up in two hands, making him our 62nd place finisher. El Asmar lost the majority of his stack in the first hand against Charlie Carrel, where he opened and called a reshove from Carrel holding . Carrel had and held up to gobble up 39,900 in chips.
With 15,200 remaining, El Asmar found another and went all in again. This time, he got looked up by and lost the remainder of his stack.
Philipp Gruissem opened to 7,000 and Dmitry Yurasov called, as did Oleh Okhotskyi in the big blind. The flop fell and the action checked to Yurasov. He bet 12,000 and Okhotskyi check-raised to 25,000 before Gruissem check-re-raised to 55,000. Yurasov waited until one second on his shot clock and folded, while Okhotskiy called.
On the turn, Okhotskyi checked and Gruissem bet 45,000. Okhotskyi had less than that behind and used one time bank card before sending his cards into the muck.
On a board, Anton Morgenstern had checked the river to Aliaksei Boika. The Belarusian EPT13 Malta winner moved ten T-5,000 chips forward, which was about Morgenstern's remaining stack.
Morgenstern entered a deep tank of over two minutes, sacrificing most of his time bank in the process. With mere seconds left, Morgenstern made up his mind and sternly said "call".
Aliaksei Boika:
Anton Morgenstern:
Morgenstern heroic call with just a pair of fives was miles behind Boika's trip eights and the German headed for the rail.
On the turn, Steffen Sontheimer bet 12,800 out of the big blind and initial raiser Dario Sammartino called in the cutoff. The on the river was checked and Sontheimer announced jack-high before flashing for a busted straight draw.
"I have something," Sammartino replied and showed , which prompted Sontheimer to add "that was the wrong river card for me."
Erik Seidel was down to less than the starting stack after raise-folding to a three-bet shove of Isaac Haxton in the big blind. He then check-shoved a flop with for 47,200 and Felipe Ramos called with the for top pair. No running clubs or one of the remaining queens in the deck showed up and that was it for Seidel.
Georgios Karakousis and Stefan Schillhabel were also sent to the rail as well.
Schillhabel shoved the second hand in a row, and this time initial raiser Ekrem Saniogliu called the 26,500.
Ekrem Sanioglu:
Stefan Schillhabel:
The German took the lead on the flop, but the fortune was short-lived as the followed right after on the turn. This left Schillhabel drawing dead, and made the river a formality.
no Safari
, Christoph Vogelsang checked out of the big blind. Charlie Carrel moved all in for around 58,000 and Vogelsang had less than that behind. As played in previous hands, it was now Carrel that was hiding his face behind a scarf, mimicking the move of Vogelsang. The German eventually took a time bank card and folded.
and Vogelsang joined the rail. Mustapha Kanit and Muhyedine Fares were also eliminated.
. Carrel had 
and lost the remainder of his stack.
and the action checked to Yurasov. He bet 12,000 and Okhotskyi check-raised to 25,000 before Gruissem check-re-raised to 55,000. Yurasov waited until one second on his shot clock and folded, while Okhotskiy called.
turn, Okhotskyi checked and Gruissem bet 45,000. Okhotskyi had less than that behind and used one time bank card before sending his cards into the muck.
turn, Steffen Sontheimer bet 12,800 out of the big blind and initial raiser Dario Sammartino called in the cutoff. The 
, which prompted Sontheimer to add "that was the wrong river card for me."
flop with 
for 47,200 and Felipe Ramos called with the 
flop, but the fortune was short-lived as the 
river a formality.
