Dan Shak had barely sat down before he got embroiled in a big pot against Talal Shakechi. The American raised to 3,000 from under-the-gun, Yaqi Sun called, Talal Shakerchi three-bet to 21,500 from under-the-gun+2 and Shak was the only caller. This was only the second hand Shak had been seated for and he was still getting to grips with the chip denominations.
On the flop Shak check-called a bet of 18,000 and the fell on the turn. Far from being an action card, this slowed both players down and they got a free look at the river card. Shak took a look back at his cards and then bet 15,000. After thinking for about 30 seconds Shakerchi elected to call. "Set of jacks," announced Shak and he rolled over . Shakerchi couldn't beat it and he mucked face down. Some post-hand discussion revealed that Shak actually meant to bet 75,000 on the river but threw out the wrong colour chips, Shakerchi intimated that he'd have folded to a bet of that size so it was a 'good mistake' by Shak.
Action! The first all-in and call of the tournament just went down and this is how it played out. Tom Marchese raised to 9,000 on the button, Paul Phua shoved for 100,500 from the small blind and, when it folded back to him, Marchese called.
Phua:
Marchese:
It was a race and one that the overcards would win as the board came .
First to act, Talal Shakerchi raised to 17,000. His neighbor Yaqi Sun was down to just 25,000 and moved all in. Elton Tsang on the button over shoved for 400,000 and both blinds released. Shakerchi didn't hesitate and called all in.
Talal Shakerchi:
Elton Tsang:
Yaqi Sun :
Sun was excited seeing his ace was live and shouted "Ace!"
The flop came and Sun exclaimed "Ace!" once more.
"Six!" Badziakouski joined in with Sun as the hit the turn, notifying his neighbor of the extra out he had just gotten.
The on the river wasn't of any help to anyone and Shakerchi doubled while Sun hit the rail. There's still time to reenter, so he might make use of that option.
From the cutoff, Tom Marchese shoved all in for 152,000. His neighbor Paul Phua on the button over shoved and small blind Andrew Robl went into the tank. After 3 minutes or so, he called all in for 147,000.
"Oh wow" big blind Mustapha Kanit exclaimed.
"I was in." he continued, meaning he was going to call until Robl had called all in.
Kanit eventually folded, claiming to throw nines into the muck.
Andrew Robl:
Paul Phua:
Tom Marchese:
The board ran out and Marchese and Robl hit the rail.
A three-part chronicle led to Elton Tsang's elimination...
Part one: It folded to Cary Katz in the small blind and he limped. Quick as a flash Elton Tsang moved his stack over the line in the manner of someone who'd just won €11,111,111 and was having a good week. Katz tanked and then said: "Alright, I call."
"Wow," said Tsang as he showed , he thought he was behind, but Katz had . The board favoured Katz though. He was all-in for 195,000.
Part two: Talal Shakerchi raised to 34,000, Cary Katz flat called and upon learning there was a raise and call in front of him Elton Tsang moved all-in for 111,000 with , Shakerchi called with and Katz folded. The board meant the pot was chopped.
Part three: Cary Katz made it 32,000 to go, Elton Tsang shoved for 164,000 total and, when it folded back to Katz, he called.
Tsang:
Katz:
Yet again Katz was behind, but the run out meant he won the pot. "I had to get it in bad twice to knock the champ out," said Katz and indeed Tsang, who yesterday won the Big One For One Drop, will not be doing the double here in Monte Carlo.
As first to act, Cary Katz open-shoved for his last 155,000. Zuo Wang instantly folded but Talal Shakerchi on the button asked for a count. He then called and both blinds folded.
Cary Katz:
Talal Shakerchi:
The board ran out an uneventful and Katz made his exit in 5th place.
Down to just 35,000 Talal Shakerchi, who was on the button, said: "I don't know if I should bother looking." He did look and then moved all-in. "I don't know what I should do," said Paul Phua who then folded the small blind. "Wow," said Mikita Badziakouski, "Can't believe you didn't call!"
The Belarussian already had 40,000 in as he was the big blind, so he took 5,000 back and it was time for the showdown. Shakerchi showed while Badziakouski held . "He has the best hand, I folded seven-four," exclaimed Phua.
The flop was therefore pretty amusing to the table, there were, even more, laughs when the hit the turn. The river made Badziakouski two pairs and the winning hand to eliminate Shakerchi and just like that we're heads-up with Paul Phua having a four to one chip lead.
Mikita Badziakouski open-shoved from the button for his last 800,000 or so. Paul Phua looked at both his cards, held them right before his eyes and said; "Yeah,... I call"
Mikita Badziakouski:
Paul Phua:
"Flip flip flip!" Phua said with a big smile.
The flop came and Badziakouski asked for a diamond on the turn.
Instead, the came, which wasn't a bad card either for Badziakouski.
"Four!" the Belarusian high stakes player instructed the dealer.
She didn't oblige as the on the river was a blank and Phua was crowned the champion.
and Tsang check-called a bet of 5,000.
on the turn, Tsang checked again and Katz tossed in a 25,000-chip. 
and Tsang checked for the third time. Katz bet 1,000.
for not much of anything. 
and took down the hand.
flop Shak check-called a bet of 18,000 and the 
fell on the turn. Far from being an action card, this slowed both players down and they got a free look at the 
river card. Shak took a look back at his cards and then bet 15,000. After thinking for about 30 seconds Shakerchi elected to call. "Set of jacks," announced Shak and he rolled over 
. Shakerchi couldn't beat it and he mucked face down. Some post-hand discussion revealed that Shak actually meant to bet 75,000 on the river but threw out the wrong colour chips, Shakerchi intimated that he'd have folded to a bet of that size so it was a 'good mistake' by Shak.
.
hit the turn, notifying his neighbor of the extra out he had just gotten.
on the river wasn't of any help to anyone and Shakerchi doubled while Sun hit the rail. There's still time to reenter, so he might make use of that option.
board favoured Katz though. He was all-in for 195,000.
. 
and Katz made his exit in 5th place.
. "He has the best hand, I folded seven-four," exclaimed Phua.
river made Badziakouski two pairs and the winning hand to eliminate Shakerchi and just like that we're heads-up with Paul Phua having a four to one chip lead.
