Thursday, 28th March 2024 10:54
Home / Uncategorized / EPT Monte Carlo: Table nasty

EPTFirst things first, the official numbers are now in. The 539 players of today, added to the 396 of yesterday make for a combined total of 935 – a new record for the EPT Grand Final, and, with each player parting with €10,000 for their seat, this is quite possibly the richest poker tournament in European history. We could be looking at a first prize of roughly €2.5 million.

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It was a nasty looking table at the start of the day and if anything Joe Hachem’s table has only got worse. The late arrival of Ilari Sahamies didn’t help. But there are no free rides and Sahamies has his work cut out, having lost a big pot to Hachem earlier today. He just got involved in another hand against Malzanini who started by making it 2,500 from the button. Sahamies called from early position for a flop of 2♥ Q♦ 2♦ . He then checked before Malzanini bet another 4,200 which Sahamies called.

The turn brought the Jâ™  which both checked before the 6♦ on the river. Sahamies checked again before Malzanini bet 10,500. Sahamies then climbed into the tank, shut the door and stayed there for seven minutes, his cap at a jaunty angle, adding to the sense of deep thought. Occasionally he’d scratch his head, that had the same effect before eventually the clock was called.

One minute… 30 seconds… call.

Two aces, A♣ A♠ for Malzanini. Two blanks for Sahamies, down suddenly to 14,500 while his opponent breached the 50K mark,

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Elsewhere ShootingStar Jan Heitmann is out, an easy spot if his frustration on the rail was anything to go by. “It was a very slow death…” he said. “Actually not so slow, only six levels…”

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