July 9th, 2009
Day 2B passes by…
After a lifetime of poker crammed into one day, Day 2B has finally come and gone.
Only 3 players managed to survive the crazy day of poker. Lars Oerskov Jensen of Eurobet told me that he’s not exactly had the best days. Being down to 11k at one point The Dane informs me that his chip stack was so low, that all he could do is “wait for a hand and then push”. His stack was at such an amount, he was restricted from playing poker. He’s still smiling though, so I’m sure he’s happy to make it through to Day 3. Håkan Andersson of Betsson told me that he had a “tough table” and that he’s had to “fight for every chip constantly throughout the day”. The Swede is looking forward to his day off tomorrow, and understandably, is glad to be coming back on Day 3. He’s been “all smiles” during the entire day and is in great spirits. As he made it to Day 2B, he mentioned he wasn’t going to shave for luck. Will we see a fully grown beard by Day 3? Christian Heich has been the Christian Heich that we all know and love. The German’s stack has been up then down, then up then down and has finished the day with around the average stack. He’ll be joining the 3 other RedKings players on Day 3, making a total of 7 players from our Partners in action in 2 days time.
Lars Oerskov Jensen of Eurobet – 23,100
Håkan Andersson of Betsson – 73,500
Christian Heich of RedKings – 88,000
With a day off tomorrow for everyone involved in the WSOP 2009 Main Event, it’s about time that your blogger topped up his tan! It’s only going to be 41°C…
Piero’s bad beat…
The mystery of Piero Boschi’s elimination has been discovered!
The Eurobet player had J♣ K♥ on a flop of J♠ 9♣ 9♦ . The Italian then bets, and staright behind him, his opponent raises. Piero calls. The turn is a 4♥ . There’s a bet, and Piero moves all-in. His opponent calls this and shows Q♣ K♦ . Piero has top pair and his opponent is behind. It’s a 500k pot, and Piero just has to dodge any Ten or Queen. Astonishingly, the river was a Q♦ and the Italian is sent to the rail. A crazy call that got paid. I’m actually glad I missed it, would’ve looked bad if the Ongame Network blogger fell to his knees crying in anguish!
It’s been a great tournament, and a very classy finish to Season Five of the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour. As always, it’s been a ride of emotions for the players (not to mention your blogger) and we’ve seen some great action this week. The heartbreak at the end is only dampened thanks to the beautiful location we’re in.
There’s 60 players left battling it out for the €2,300,000 first prize. It’s a massive amount to win, and if I was forced to make a prediction on who would hold the trophy aloft…I’d have to say either Sandra Naujoks, Annete Obrestad or Ludovic Lacay.
May 1st, 2009It’s over…but not quite…
Our Partners players may all have hit the rail, but the “Poker Elite” is once again out in force at the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final. The tournament area is still rife with superstars all trying to squeeze into the final 32 players that will come back for Day 4 tomorrow. Here’s a select few…
Hansen falls…
Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers, the last player representing our Partners here in Monte Carlo, has just been eliminated.
After losing a big pot with J♠ 9♦ against his opponents T♣ T♥ on a board that read 8♣ 8♦ 9♠ … T♠ … 4♥ , the Dane was left with around 40k in chips.
Not too long after, His chips were all in again with A♦ 3♣ and up against his opponents A♠ K♠ . There was no fairytale to the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final, as “Big Slick” held up.
The Dane leaves us in 115th position.
May 1st, 2009Yachts and Lamborghini’s…
With the action inside heating up nicely, outside in the Monte Carlo sunshine, people are just everywhere…on the beach topping up their tan, on their yachts being all posh, in their Lamborghini’s and Ferrari’s being all fancy. It’s a beautiful day outside, and Monte Carlo really is an amazing place.
Even though I’m in a calm and relaxed paradise, accompanied by fantastic weather, inside the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort it’s another story. There’s all-ins from every corner of the tournament area…it’s getting quite intense. Only 107 players left now…the “Bubble” approaches!
1 man army…
Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers means business today!
With an early bettor firing 13k, the last remaining representative of our Partners players moves all-in. His opponent doesn’t take too long to think about it, and calls. The Scandic Bookmaker shows Q♠ Q♦ and is up against A♥ 9♦ . With the flop coming out 5♠ K♦ Q♣ , Martin stretched further ahead. The turn was a 3♠ and left his opponent drawing dead. For the formalities, the river was a 9♠ . The Dane collects a hefty pot…
The blinds are a stack crunching 3k/6k with an ante of 500 now. getting closer to the money…
Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 172k
May 1st, 2009Toni’s Finn-ished…
Shortly after Day 3 had begun, Toni Ojala of RedKings had his stack in the middle, in some early pre-flop action…and there was a caller. Toni showed his 7♠ 7♥ and ran into his opponents K♥ K♠ . The RedKings player needed help…and help he got. The Finn hit a 7♣ on the flop and all looked fantastic at this point. The turn bricked out for Toni’s opponent. Only the last 2 “Cowboys” to dodge. With the pot is about 200k…this is a very important river. Amazingly, The Finns’s opponent completes his set, by spiking one of his 2 outs. It’s a horrible start to Day 3.
Piero Boschi of Eurobet did get eliminated last night. Unfortunately, I don’t have any hand details of how the Italian hit the rail, but I’m extremely curious to find out…
Tears before bedtime…
The final level of Day 2 of the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final has just passed. However, your blogger is somewhat distraught. Piero Boschi of Eurobet, the one time owner of 264,000 chips, appears to have been eliminated. There is no sign of the Italian in the tournament area, the lobby, or even the bar. It really doesn’t look good. Hopefully I can fill in the gaps before tomorrow begins.
Toni Ojala of RedKings and Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers have both passed through to Day 3 safely, with almost the same chip count. Martin has played good solid poker today, and while drinking his fully deserved beer, he’s looking quite content. Toni has had his back to the wall for the latter stages of the day, and has done a great job in managing to claw himself back above the 100k mark. Upon approaching the Finn, the first thing he says to me is “Did you see that hand? That one when I had A♠ K♥ ?”. I felt for Toni after that hand, but he’s showed his class by not tilting or making rash decisions. Amazingly, after the entire day of pressure, The RedKings player is still as happy as ever. What a star!
Tomorrow will be a day of intense action, and with both players in possession of just 20 Big Blinds, I’m predicting that Day 3 will start with a bang!
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 104,500
Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 101,000
Survival of the “Superstars”…
There’s still some great names in poker remaining in Day 2. The Powerhouses of poker also have to survive the last level if the want to make it through to Day 3. Here’s a few of them still chasing the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final title…
3 to Day 3?
The last level of the day is under way. It’s costing the player 2k/4k with an ante of 400. At 9,6k a lap…it’s mega expensive now. All 3 of our Partners players are handling themselves well, and with it being so close to the end of the day, mistakes at this stage could be costly.
Moments ago Toni Ojala of RedKings lost an opportunity to send a player to the rail. Calling an all-in bet of 31,500, Toni showed A♠ K♥ against his opponents 5♣ 5♥ . It was a coin flip that never went the Finns way with the board showing 5♠ J♦ 7♣ … 8♠ …9♣ . It wasn’t a nice moment as that took a thrid of Toni’s stack.
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 62k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – 243k
Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 117k
Expensive laps…
Level 14 costs each player 1500/3000 with an ante of 300, making it 7,200 an orbit. With 201 players left, there’s more people still to stumble at the Day 2 finishing hurdle.
Our Partners players are coming through in style. For fear of jinxing their progress for the remainder of their Day 2, I won’t be making any predictions. Toni Ojala of RedKings and Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers, have a sturdy hold of their chip total. Just a few tables down, Eurobet player Piero Boschi, is relentless in his pursuit of chips. The Italain has gone beyond the quarter of a million mark, and doesn’t look like slowing down…EVER!
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 103k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – 264k
Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 100k
The “Gun Show”…
So…It’s Day 2 of the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final. That means that there’s plenty of “Big Guns” here plying there trade. Here’s a sample of some of the amazing talent here…
Unlucky 13?…
There’s about 30 minutes of level 13 left and our Partners players are performing very well. Piero Boschi of Eurobet goes from strength to strength and is now approaching a quarter of a million in chips! He told me during the dinner break that he feels good and has quite a good table. He’s looking very sharp and is playing a great game. Toni Ojala of RedKings is going steady and still has around the same chip stack as 45 minutes ago. Upon saying to Toni “You were just born to play poker eh?”, the friendly Finn replied “Yeah…I think I was”, followed by Toni’s great big smile. The chip count of Scandic Bookmakers player, Martin Hansen, has hardly stayed close to the same amount all day. He’s had a good level and has increased his chip count considerably.
The blinds will be 1200/2400 with an ante of 200 for the next 30 minutes, at which point, there’s a bit of a jump. Only 201 players left now, and remember…only 88 places paid.
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 101k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – 240k
Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 87k
The lucky half…
The dinner break has arrived for half of the tournament…and the other half continue to play on. When an hour has passed, there will be a 15 minute break for every player. At the end of this 15 minute break, the first half of the tournament that just ate lunch, will continue playing and the other half will then take their lunch, followed by another 15 minute break. When this break ends, the tournament resumes in the same format prior to lunch. Confusing enough?
The 3 remaining players are all on their well deserved (and probably well needed) dinner break. That’s just enough time for the blogger to run out and get some crêpes…
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 110,900
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – 182,300
Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 51,400
“Chip Mountains” in Monaco…
Martial Alvarez of Winamax has been eliminated. As soon as I find out the who, why, where, what and when…You’ll be the first to know! The three remaining players from our partners are all going steady and almost have their hand in the EPT “cookie jar” of €9,350,000.
Toni Ojala of Redkings is using his stack very wisely and has inflated it a little. Piero Boschi of Eurobet, has had a scraping of change taken off him, but the Italian has still got “Chip Mountain” in front of him. Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers has had his stack sliced in half. The Dane sits behind his short stack, but it won’t be long before he has to push.
There’s 250 people left and we’re coming up on level 13. At 1,200/2,400 and antes of 200, it’s costing the players 5,200 per lap.
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 119k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – 172k
Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 39k
Chasing Day 3…
The break has passed…and level 12 has arrived. It’s now 1k/2k blinds with a 200 ante. That’s 4,800 per lap!
Piero Boschi of Eurobet continues his chip trend and now sits behind a great amount. Toni Ojala of RedKings is also back on form and seems quite content with his stack. Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers has played great solid poker today and he also has a very healthy stack. Martial Alvarez of Winamax has vanished. The Frenchman only had around 30k, so I’m fearing the worst.
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 105k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – 190k
Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 79,5k
Looking good eh?
Another player leaves us…
Ivo “The Chessmaster” Donev went all-in again for what might be, the 1 millionth time today. He’s not been getting any cards, and had to push with J♠ Q♦ . The Austrian got a caller, and amazingly showed K♣ 4♥ . The entire board totally blanked with the K high outrageously being the winning hand.
We still have 4 guys representing our Partners in contention today, but it’s getting pretty tough out there! The break looms…
Your blogger gets involved…
While the pace has currently slowed down, allow me to entertain you with some “behind the scenes” action. Last night after Day 1B saw the Media Tournament begin at 22:30. From publications to poker sites, the media battled it out for Monte Carlo glory and prestige.
Now, let me explain something here. Everyone in the Media room fancies themselves as an up-and-coming “Gus Hansen” and like to brag about their poker knowledge to the rest of the media room. Out of the 50 strong crowd, only one player could take the prestige and honour in Monaco. It’s an extremely difficult task, in fact one might say “impossible”, to conceive that a mere blogger could take down the event. It’s the biggest “David and Goliath” situation ever. But a blogger did win it…a blogger from the Ongame Network!
That’s right, using amazing skills (alcohol) and years of experience (luck), the Media Tournament was won by none other than…your blogger. Cracking pocket Kings with my Queens, cracking “Bullets” with T♥ J♥ and even hitting a 1 outer on the river, this young poker sensation from the Ongame Network was destined to win the event. Eventually winning at around 02:30, I dropped to my knees like Willem Dafoe in “Platoon” and cried tears of joy that could be heard as far as Australia.
So, can our Partners players follow in the footsteps of your blogger, and lead themselves to glory in the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final? I hope so…
April 30th, 2009Tuomas and the “Cowboys”…
Eurobet player, Tuomas Pellinen just got all his chips in the middle.
Having been dealt “Cowboys”, there was a caller. As with every poker story, there is always a twist. The Finn ran into “Bullets” and his tournament life was on the line. The flopped bricked out. The turn bricked out. Could the river possibly help? Not this time, another blank sends Tuomas to the rail. It’s unlucky, he’s managed to play solid poker the past few days and was just a victim of the cruel game. He tells me he’s now going to enjoy the next few days in Monte Carlo. It’s glorious weather outside, so it’s not been a wasted trip.
Boschi is on fire…
As predicted, another 79 players have gone in the second level of the day. Our Partners players are getting stuck into the pots, and trying to inflate their stacks.
Ivo Donev of RedKings is struggling over on his table, and really needs a few decent hands. Within the last 5 minutes of the break, the Austrian had been all-in twice. Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers, and Martial Alvarez of Winamax are grinding it out, trying to steady the ship. Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet, tells me he’s running a bit cold today. Not a great situation when you have Chris Ferguson to your right. Toni Ojala is turning the glorious beginning of his day, into and even better one. He’s stacked nicely, and now has a fair few chips. Piero Boschi of Eurobet is having a phenomenal Day 2. The Italian started with 31k, and has now quadrupled that amount. He spent the 15 minute break constantly smiling…your blogger did the same.
Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet – 37,2k
Martial Alvarez of Winamax – 34,5k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 113k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 14k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – 127k
Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 32,5k
It’s all about the money…
The payouts for the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final are just in, ant it looks nice…real nice!
Only 88 players from the starting field of 935 will be paid. The prize pool is an enormous €9,350,000! With 88th place getting €20,000, there’s quite a distance between that and first place. The winner will take home a cool €2,300,000…
…not bad for a few days of poker.
April 30th, 2009434 left…
It’s been a crazy start to the day for Toni Ojala of RedKings. The Finn has been all-in 3 times in the first level! They haven’t always worked out so well, but he now has a commanding stack. As always, Toni is in a great mood. Fellow RedKings player Ivo Donev, is sitting with pretty much where he started Day 2. He tells me his table is “better than yesterday”. Piero Boschi of Eurobet has a nice table in terms of strength. He says today is “going ok” and seems happy to have just made it to Day 2. He’s still got enough chips to make problems for people. Winamax player, Martial Alvarez is in a buoyant mood. He’s again very relaxed and Frenchman still holds his smile from yesterday.
The blinds have just been raised to 600/1200 with an ante of 100. From the 527 players that started today, 93 fell within the first level, and I can promise you this…there’s going to be more casualties this level!
Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet – 54,5k
Martial Alvarez of Winamax – 34k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 94k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 20k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – 30k
Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 20,5k
Interesting seating…
A few of our Partners players have quite an interesting seating draw.
Ivo Donev of RedKings has French poker player, Brice Cournut opposite him. Fellow Redkings player Toni Ojala sits a few places down from the talent Joel Nordkvist of Sweden. Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers is sitting on the wrong side of Norwegian poker sensation, Annette Obrestad. Eurobet player Tuoman Pellinen has a great draw. The Finn has position over poker god, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson. That will be an interesting match up! After the difficulties faced yesterday, Piero Boschi of Eurobet has been found and seems to have done ok with the seating draw, as has Winamax player, Martial Alvarez.
It’s going to be a very interesting day. Maybe all of our Partners players will make it through to Day 3?
April 30th, 2009Lights! Camera! And plenty of Action!…
Day 2 of the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final is off and running!
RedKings, Eurobet and Scandic Bookmakers are our Partners being represented today. We’ll be playing 7 levels of 75 minute blinds, and much to the delight of the players (and your blogger) there will also be an extended break for lunch. It costs 500/1000 with an ante of 100 right now, so with the blinds beginning to affects stack sizes, action is guaranteed!
The “Big Guns” are here in force again today, but really, who cares? I want to know about our guys!
Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet – 70,200
Martial Alvarez of Winamax – 34,700
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 66,400
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 22,500
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – 31,100
Martin Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 14,700
Day 2 is just around the corner…
Day 1B of the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final has just ended moments ago. With the exception of the illusive Piero Boschi of Eurobet, all of the Partners players have managed safe passage through to Day 2. I’m crossing my fingers that the Italian is also through, and we’ll be able to catch up with him tomorrow.
Martial Alvarez of Winamax will start Day 2 not too far from his Day 1B initial stack. Ivo Donev of RedKings has been holding out all day in the hope that Day 2 may bring warmer cards for the Austrian. His spirits are still high and has shown once again, that he’s a remarkable player. Fellow RedKings player Toni Ojala is beaming from ear to ear, and no wonder. He’s doubled his starting stack and has every reason to be happy about it. I mentioned the “King on the river” situation to him, and the Finns smile increased further as he said, “Yeah, that was a nice river…” trailing off into glorious thoughts of poker no doubt. Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet, also had an absolute stormer today, and has the highest stack of our Partners players. He was jubilant as he stepped away from the Day 1B session. Asked how his day was, the Finn replied “I had a good day”. That comment was followed by a gigantic smile.
Day 2 will see the best of Day 1A and Day 1B collide in the tournament area. It’s going to make for a fantastic day of poker. The blinds will be high to begin with, and there will be more than a handful of casualties within the first couple of levels. Action will not be avoided from 12:00 onwards tomorrow. Get that alarm clock set early again!
Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet – 70,200
Martial Alvarez of Winamax – 34,700
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 66,400
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 22,500
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – …
A Monster in Monaco…
Moments ago, Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet had put all of his chips to use.
With an already hefty sized pot of around 28k the board reads 6♣ 3♣ 5♥ . Acting first, the Finn fires his remaining 21,450 into the pot. It’s a lot of chips to be moving around, and the Finn doesn’t hesitate in his actions. Your blogger holds his breath waiting to hear from the opponent. As I’m turning purple, I hear “Call”. The cards look to the skies above and his opponent shows ladies. Tuomas shows A♣ J♣ and trails the Q♣ Q♠ . Not by much, but he’s still trailing and needs to hit something. The turn is dealt 6♥ . No help for the Finn. With odds of hitting only at 25%, he’s needing any “Bullet” or Club. His opponent covers his all-in, so the Eurobet player will be out if the river isn’t kind. I go back to holding my breathe. The dealer slowly flips over the river… 9♣ . A sigh of relief escapes my mouth, and watching on from the sidelines, Tuomas’ girlfriend also feels the sensation of that hand. Speaking to her right after, she’s almost speechless. I know the feeling only too well.
Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet – 71k
Martial Alvarez of Winamax – 24,5k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 59,5k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 22,5k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – …
The final straight…
With the last hour here, accompanying it is level 8. That’s 400/800 with an ante of 75. At about 1800 per lap, decisions need to be very wisely. It’s quite easy to be pulled into a pot, that you just shouldn’t be involved in.
Our Partners players are continuing to make a push to make it safely through Day 2, and it’s all going to plan…
Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet – 34,3k
Martial Alvarez of Winamax – 26k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 61k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 24k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – …
Monte Carlo…where the rich and famous are…
It’s true, everyone in this amazingly beautiful city, is either rich, famous, or both! The PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final has attracted and huge cast of celebrities and poker elite this week. Here’s some more faces I’m sure you’ll recognise…
Toni attacks…
Toni Ojala of RedKings gets himself into a very large pot, it was a make or break situation for the Finn.
There’s a bet to 1800 from middle position on Toni’s button, and the RedKings player bumps it up to 4,6k. His opponent calls and the flop is dealt 8♣ 5♣ K♣ . It’s checked to Toni who then bets 6k. His opponent continues his chase for the ever increasing pot and calls it. The turn is a 9♦ and the other player comes out betting, Toni pushes all-in just after the bet, and in a flash, he’s called. The cards get to breathe with Toni showing K♠ K♥ for a set . His opponent holds A♣ Q♣ and has flopped the nut flush. It’s a miserable situation to be in, and I think I actually rolled my eyes at this point. Toni’s got a 20% chance of hitting either the last King in the deck, or for the board to pair up. With his tournament life hanging by a thread, the dealer flips over the river… K♦ ! Brilliant!! The RedKings player hits the last King in the deck for “Quads”! I try to restrain myself from “fist-pumping” the air, and barely succeed. Toni collects the very hefty pot. A sublime moment in a day where the action is sparse.
Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet – 28,1k
Martial Alvarez of Winamax – 35,5k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 56,5k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 17k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – …
Still no luck in finding Piero Boschi from Eurobet…I hope he doing well!!
April 29th, 2009141 casualties and counting…
From the mammoth field of the 539 players, only 398 remain going in level 6 where the blinds have reached 200/400 with antes of 50.
Ivo Donev of RedKings now has a new player to his left…Phil Laak. If it was a little on the tough side before, then it just got a little worse. The Austrian is still sitting with enough chips to damage someone though, and the veteran of poker is battling on. Tuomas Pellinen is also running nice just a few spots along from Noah Boeken. RedKings player Toni Ojala is also running true to form and sits with a good sized stack too. Winamax player, Martial Alvarez, is having a wonderful day. The Frenchman looks very comfortable at the felt, and his healthy chip count must help that relaxation go along nicely.
Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet – 33k
Martial Alvarez of Winamax – 63k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 33k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 15,5k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – …
Fame and fortune…
Some more familiar faces from the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final. It really is a star-studded event…
The players say what?…
Speaking to our Partners players at the halfway point, brought me a warm fuzzy feeling. They’re all very content and happy with how their day is going.
Ivo Donev of RedKings tells me he’s had “Cowboys”, “Ladies” and “Butchers Hooks”, yet none of them have held up for him. He’s still in good form and the smile is still there. Fellow RedKings player, Toni Ojala, informs me that his table is ok, although there is only “2 bad players and the rest of them are quite good”. He’s also still holding his huge smile, and just being near the big cheery Finn is a pleasure. Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet continues to play solidly, and he’s also sporting a great smile. Winamax player Martial Alvarez looks very relaxed and it appears like he’s really enjoying himself. The Frenchman has a very nice stack and every reason to be happy.
Technology is beginning to fail me…
Piero Boschi continues to fly under the radar, and I only hope that the Eurobet player is doing well. The connection to the internet in the Media room isn’t really helping either. It almost feels like we’re back in the “dark old days of the 56k modem”. However, your blogger battles through.
The players have just been for the halfway break, and now have 4 levels left of the day, there’s plenty of action to come. Antes of 25 have just been introduced and will pair up with the 150/300 blinds of level 4.
Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet – 30,5k
Martial Alvarez of Winamax – 44k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 33k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 16k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – …
Tuomas moves all-in…
No sooner do I mentioned how little action there’s been, Eurobet player Tuomas Pellinen get’s himself involved.
Getting to the table with the Finn all-in and having already picked up a caller, a third player is actively wanting to call. It looks like he’s standing bare feet on hot sand as he mutters to himself and tries to make a decision. Eventually he folds and the cards in question are given some light. The Eurobet player shows A♦ Q♠ as his opponent also shows A♠ Q♥ . It’s looking very much like a chopped pot until the flop arrives 9♦ Q♦ 3♦ . The pot chopping is still on, but the Finn has picked up a great flop for his A♦ . The table is very interested now and even Noah Boeken, sitting a few seats before Tuomas, stretches to see the turn. It’s an 8♥ . If Tuomas can pick up a diamond on the river, his nut flush will send his opponent out of the tournament. I’m positive it’s going to be a diamond, and am repeating the suit over and over in my head. Out it comes… 4♦ ! My mind powers are unrivaled! The Eurobet player collects a nice 32k pot.
Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet – 32k
Martial Alvarez of Winamax – 46,5k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 37k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 17,5k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – …
Trying to find Piero Boschi in the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final is proving a difficult task…
April 29th, 2009Chip Counts…
Just a little burst of info regarding the chips status of our Partners players. There’s still no real action to speak of, and everything seems to be happening in little stages. The blinds are currently at 150/300 and there’s still about 500 left in today’s battle.
However, the chip counts don’t make for that bad a read!
Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet – 15,5k
Martial Alvarez of Winamax – 54k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 40k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 22k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – …
Time for some famous faces…
Armed with a camera, your blogger went in search of celebrities and “Big Guns”…and there’s quite a few around. Hip Hop star Nelly, just made an appearance, and although he only last 30 minutes in Day 1B of the EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final, he’s still wandering around attracting attention from every corner of the room.
Action resumes…
The second level of blinds have ended, and the players have enjoyed their 15 minute refuge from poker. It all appears to be going to plan.
Toni Ojala of RedKings is the bubble of enthusiasm that we’ll all come to love. The Finn is an abundance of smiles and is in great spirits. Ivo Donev also of RedKings appears in high spirits too. Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet is enjoying his first EPT experience and looks in awe of his surroundings. He’s also sporting a smile from ear to ear. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen an unhappy person yet. I’m pretty sure that Martial Alvarez of Winamax is also quite happy. The Frenchman is off to an amazing start and has managed to double his stack in just 2 short levels!
Piero Boschi of Eurobet is a hard man to track down, so no news from him yet. Leave it with your blogger and his Columbo skills, I’ll find him amongst the several hundred people participating today.
Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet – 32k
Martial Alvarez of Winamax – 66k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 34k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 27k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – …
Slowly, it begins…
The first level has come and passed with no real changes to the stacks of our Partners players.
The blinds are now at 75/150 and it appears that no player has fallen yet. From the 396 players that started yesterday, only 223 survived it to Day 2. Today will see more victims of bad luck and suckouts, we’ll just have to be a little patient until the action heats up.
Tuomas Pellinen of Eurobet – 30k
Piero Boschi of Eurobet – 30k
Martial Alvarez of Winamax – 30k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 30k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 30k
Day 1B gets underway…
With Day 1B of the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final lined up for a spectacular day of poker, PokerStars Pro Gavin Griffin, says the words we’re all waiting to hear (no…not “The free bar is open!”)…”Dealers, shuffle up and deal!”.
We have 5 players in the action of Day 1B, with 3 of our Partners accounted for. Tuomas Pellinen and Piero Boschi are here representing Eurobet. Winamax is represented by Martial Alvarez. RedKings, our final Partner in representation, have the familiar faces of Toni Ojala and Ivo “The Chessmaster” Donev battling it out on their behalf.
Todays structure mirrors that of yesterday with the blinds set at 50/100 and the players each receiving the healthy starting stack of 30k.
It poses to be a very interesting day, and with just a quick dash around the tournament floor, I’ve spotted quite a few “Big Guns”.
Sole Survivor…
Martin Bjerring Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers is the sole survivor of our partners players in representation here today. After taking a little more damage to his stack, and with it costing 1200 per lap, the Dane finishes the day with 14,700 in chips. He’s looking a little on the tired side, and I’m sure he’ll sleep well tonight.
Going back to the madness that French poker pro, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier was enduring, the craziness did in fact have a point to it. ‘ElkY’ set a new Guiness World Record by playing 62 Sit ‘n’ Go’s within a single hour and finishing with a positive gain of $23.60. To recap…’ElkY’ played 62 tables, with a $6 buy-in…in an hour! Yeah…totally normal behaviour!
There will be 5 players tomorrow representing our Partners in Day 1B of the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final. As with Day 1A, tomorrow will have the exact same structure. We’ll have more action, and no doubt, some more big names from the poker world. Set your alarm clocks bright an early, the action begins at 12 o’clock sharp!
Martin Bjerring Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 14,700
Last level of the day…
We’ve just hit level 8, the last one for the day. The blinds are now 400/800 with antes of 75. Only 267 players remain in Day 1A, and one of them is Martin Bjerring Hansen of Denmark. The Scandic Bookmakers player is continuing to play a solid game, and now sits 3 places down from Norwegian poker queen, Annette Obrestad. She sits behind a mountain of poker chips and is playing with well controlled aggression.
On another note, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier is now on the feature stage and is currently playing 33 Sit ‘n’ Go’s simultaneously. I have to point something out here…33 was not a typo! It’s insane to even watch. He uses 4 computer screens to track each tournament he’s playing, and his head is actively darting from one monitor to another. It gives me a headache to just stand there spectating…
Martin Bjerring Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 30k
Not for the faint hearted…
WARNING: Parental Advisory is recommended. Those with weak hearts, high blood pressure, or just too emotional to handle difficult news, may want to wait for the next post.
With some chips already in the pot over on Ramzi Jelassi’s table, the flop is dealt 6♥ 8♥ 5♥ . First to act, the Swede bets out 1,9k. He’s then mini-raised to 3,8k. A blink of the eye later, the RedKings player re-raises to 15k. The American opponent in his “Golden Years” calls not too long after. The turn is then dealt K♦ and Ramzi moves all-in for his remaining 2,675. He’s then called and the cards get some air. The Swede shows A♥ T♣ against his opponents A♠ 8♣ to make a pair of “Snowmen”. Any heart or any 10 to give Ramzi the mammoth pot and keep his EPT Grand Final dream alive. He’s got a 25% chance of hitting his outs. The river is slipped out slowly…it’s bricked a 2♣ and the RedKings player is eliminated minutes before level 8 arrives.
April 28th, 2009Kristoffer makes a move…
Kristoffer Jakobsson of Heypoker found himself needing to make a move of somekind. With less than 20 Big Blinds in front of him, the Swede made a healthy bet pre-flop, only to be raised all-in. The Heypoker player called the all-in and showed A♠ J♠ against his opponents A♣ K♥ . The entire board bricked out for the Heypoker player, and he leaves the tournament with only 90 minutes left of the day.
He’s not exactly jumping for joy, but he looks like he’s enjoyed mixing it up, as well as just sitting in the same tournament room as multitudes of poker “Big Guns” surround him. He’s still smiling, so I’m taking that as a good sign.
April 28th, 2009“Anymore famous people there?”…
…I hear you all ask. Well, as it happens there’s an abundance of talent and glamour here…and no, I’m not talking only about your blogger. On pretty much every table I pass, there is someone equally as famous as me. For your pleasure, I now present to you some more familiar faces of Day 1A of the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final.
Level 7 is imminent…
As the final break passes by, our Partners players enjoy their last 15 minutes of relaxation , of Day 1A of the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final.
Kristoffer Jacobsson of Heypoker now has a slightly bigger stack thanks to doubling up with his pocket 5’s against his opponents 9’s. He’s still in good spirits, but is beginning to look a little battle-worn and tired. The Swede is enjoying his day in Monte Carlo, even though his stack isn’t of the mammoth size. Martin Bjerring Hansen tells me of his wild ride today, that has seen his stack up to the dizzy heights of 50k, and also at the murky poker depths of hell with a mere 7k. He’s doing fine now and is all smiles and laughs. The Scandic Bookmaker sits a few seats along from PokerStars Pro, Luca Pagano. RedKings player, Ramzi Jelassi is also sitting with a healthy looking stack thanks to some earlier aggressive play. With a previous hand panning out with the Swede 3-betting to 1200, then a caller, then a raiser to 4,6k, the RedKings player slides his remaining stack into the middle. This eventually results in a fold-a-thon and the Swede pumps his stack up another 10k. Typical Ramzi magic!
Kristoffer Jakobsson of Heypoker – 12k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 28k
Martin Bjerring Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 31k
Blogger = Columbo…
With the benefits of uncanny wisdom (technology) and years of logical training (blind luck), Scandic Bookmaker player, Martin Bjerring Hansen has been located! As I approched his table the following hand unfolded.
The Dane limps under the gun, and there’s a bet 2 spots along to 1600. Folded around to Martin, the Scandic Bookmaker calls bet. The flop thunders out 6♦ 8♦ 9♠ . The flop feathers out in a “check check” style of play, and the turn arrives in the form of a 6♠ . Martin comes out firing 2,5k into the 4,2k pot. His opponent then mini-raises the Dane to 5k. It doesn’t take to long for the Scandic Bookmaker to re-raise to 13,5k. After a lifetime in the tank, his opponent folds, and there’s a nice chunky pot being pushed over to our Partners player. Martin now sits behind a nice looking stack.
Kristoffer Jakobsson of Heypoker – 8,9k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 15,4k
Martin Bjerring Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers – 38,5k
Henri gets involved…
About 15 minutes ago, Henri Kettunen got saw some action.
With a flop of Q♠ Q♥ 3♣ the Finn bets into the pot holding Q♦ A♦ . His opponent raises him, and the Betsson player just calls the raise hoping to trap. Cutting a long painful story short, his opponent had 5♠ 5♥ and managed to hit one of his 2 remaining outs. Horrible turn of events for Henri, leaving him crippled with a stack of around 3,5k.
Not too long after this pain, Henri moved all in with A♥ Q♥ and ran into “Cowboys”. With the flop landing 5♦ 7♥ K♠ , his opponents K♦ K♥ were miles infront. The turn came a 7♣ and the Betsson players EPT Grand Final dream was over.
He’s obviously disappointed, but still manages a smile. He tells me he’s enjoyed the “Monte Carlo Experience” even though it never ended they way he would’ve liked.
Kristoffer Jakobsson of Heypoker – 9,5k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 16k
Grind Time…
There isn’t a great deal of action in the tournament area, and it’s been quite a somber affair over the past 4 hours. The media room is also enjoying the slow pace of the day, but yet, we’re all still waiting for the action to arrive. Perhaps a streaker needs to sprint through the tournament area to liven things up? Perhaps a streaker in the form of an Ongame blogger? We’ll see…
With the blinds now at 150/300 and the ante of 25 now in play, the PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final has still only taken 41 victims. Out of the remaining 355 players, our Partners players are still awake and keeping their EPT Grand Final dream alive. All of the players have said the exact same thing to your blogger during the second 15 minute break…”it’s all about grinding”. They’ll have to begin making some moves to inflate their downsized stacks, as it currently doesn’t look too glamorous…
Kristoffer Jakobsson of Heypoker – 10,2k
Henri Kettunen of Betsson – 22,4k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 16,3k
It’s almost half time…
With the starting field of 396 players, the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final has only claimed 30 victims as the tournament approaches the 4 hour mark.
Our Partners players are still involved, but it’s not as sunny in the tournament area as it is out on the French Riviera. They’ve been getting involved and attempting to build stacks, but unfortunately, it’s not going to plan.
Kristoffer Jakobsson of Heypoker – 13,5k
Henri Kettunen of Betsson – 26,4k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 16,5k
Martin Bjerring Hansen would make a brilliant government spy. I, on the other hand, would make an extremely bad “Columbo” as the Scandic Bookmaker continues to elude me.
April 28th, 2009The “Big Guns”…
Whilst out walking the tournament area, the Ongame Network camera was in overdrive, snapping up pictures of the “Poker Elite”. Just to accentuate the enormity of the PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final, these are just a few of the faces gracing Day 1A.
Aaaaaaand Break!…
The first two levels of play have come and passed, and the players have had their well deserved 15 minute sabbatical from poker.
Speaking to Kristoffer Jakobsson of Heypoker, he tells me that his table is ok and he’s going along nicely. Towards the end of the conversation, he reaffirms that his table is ok, but whilst raising his eyebrows he says “I do have Johnny Lodden at my table though” and exhales. He’s looking comfortable even though this is his first EPT event. Henri Kettunen of Betsson tells me has a good table, despite sitting only two spots down from PokerStars Pro, Daniel Negreanu. He does however, inform me that Negreanu is a “funny guy”. The Canadian does like the sound of his own voice, and the table appears to be a happy one because of it. RedKings player Ramzi Jelassi, is mixing his game in the usual fashion with boisterous moves and tactical decisions. The constantly smiling Swede tells me he’s “just giving chips away”. It doesn’t seem to faze him in the slightest, and as I leave him to it, he tells me “no more bluffing…well, only if it’s an all-in…”.
Martin Bjerring Hansen is in the tournament area somewhere, yet he’s eluded me so far. With 396 players in the room, finding the Dane is on the top of my priority list! More on that when I succeed!
Kristoffer Jakobsson of Heypoker – 23k
Henri Kettunen of Betsson – 32k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 26k
Martin Bjerring Hansen – …75k hopefully?
Taking it easy…
Day 1A has begun with a nice and relaxed pace. It’s not quite the comfortable “home game feeling”, but there isn’t a sense of urgency to be seen anywhere. With the chunky sized starting stack of 30k, you can see why it’s at a nice slow pace.
There hasn’t really been a change to the players initial amount of chips in the first level of blinds. In fact there’s quite a few people still turning up, most notably Chris Ferguson (who made his appearance at the EPT Grand Final only moments ago). Once the initial calm has has passed, you can bet your last dollar that action is just around the corner.
It’s quite a fancy place…
The PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final has just begun!
With tournament director Thomas Kremser introducing the event and the PokerStars Pro appearing from behind the giant curtains on stage, your blogger was suddenly taken by surprise…the roof of the tournament hall began to separate! Easily the fanciest poker room I’ve seen. The giant curtains hiding the windows were drawn back, and the tournament ceiling then began to part, revealing the glorious sunshine that basks Monte Carlo today. No sooner had the roof completely opened, it began to close again. It looked great playing poker in the sun…but it is slightly impractical. Nonetheless, your blogger was still impressed.
Walking through the tournament area, there is face upon face of poker stardom. Chris Moneymaker, Daniel Negreanu, Greg Raymer, Lee Nelson, Andy Black, William Thorson, Johnny Lodden…it’s an endless list of fame and glory.
Day 1A warming up nicely…
It’s an amazing day here in Monte Carlo with the sun blistering the earth with ease. Having walked to the casino from my hotel, along the F1 circuit and along the beach, I’ve surely acquired a tan already. In the distance, the PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final can be seen prominently on the peninsula that is the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort. Monte Carlo looks glorious with the sun lighting it up.
Today Henri Kettunen of Betsson, Kristoffer Jakobsson of Heypoker, Martin Bjerring Hansen of Scandic Bookmakers, and Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings are all participating in Day 1A of the PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final. Each player will be given a generous starting stack of 30,000 chips with the blinds starting at 50/100. There will be eight levels of 60 minute blinds the players have to survive, to make it through to Day 2.
Martin Bjerring Hansen is somewhat of an EPT veteran with two EPT top 30 finishes this season in Copenhagen and Dortmund. Can the Dane go one better and final table it here in Monte Carlo? Betsson’s Henri Kettunen, has also had success this season on the EPT with a 52nd place finish in Prague, and cashes from 2 side events at the same EPT. Kristoffer Jakobsson of Sweden is here representing Heypoker, and with a deeper look, is no stranger to live poker tournaments. Our final player participating today is Team RedKings player, Ramzi Jelassi. The Swede is hoping for a great end to a solid season.
We’re just moments away from the start of the action…
Ante Up For Africa…
Earlier this evening, an abundance of stars gathered in the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort in the aid of raising money and awareness for the current humanitarian relief efforts in crisis-torn Darfur. With all of the invited guests paying €4,000 each, all proceeds will go directly to the effort in Darfur. It was an event that attracted the likes of music stars such as Nelly and Christina Milian, footballers Pepe Reina and Teddy Sheringham, and rugby stars Mike Tindall and Sebastian Chabal. The poker elite also represented their field with Joe Hachem, John Duthie, Greg Raymer, Daniel Negreanu, Luca Pagano, Tony G, Dario Minieri, Isabelle Mercier…you get the picture by now. Needless to say, the were a lot of familiar faces at this star studded charity event.
Out of the 39 celebrities that took part, ex-footballer Teddy Sheringham and PokerStar Pro, Isabelle Mercier, battled it out in some fierce heads-up action. This may be a charity tournament…but nobody wants to finish second! Going into the heads-up action, Teddy had 300k to Isabelle’s 100k stack. However, the PokerStars Pro shone through and eventually took down first place. It’s been smiles all evening, and even though the tournament has just ended…there’s still plenty of smiles to go around.
The Calm Before The Storm…
This week brings your blogger to the prestigious EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo. I know what you’re thinking, “Wow, that blogger has a hard life!”. It’s true. I’ve taken one for the team again, and will be rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous residents of Monaco, purely in the pursuit of bringing my dear readers all the action as it happens.
Just off the back of the recent stop in San Remo, the EPT Grand Final will bring a glamorous end to Season Five of the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour. With almost 1,200 players participating in the San Remo event, you can rest assured that quite a few of those players will make the short trip along the French Riviera to Monaco, for the European “crème de la crème” event.
We have 9 players representing 6 of our Partners this week. A few of those players will jog your memory from previous EPT’s this season, and a few of them here, will get their EPT baptism of fire! This weeks structure differs from the usual EPT setup, with the players getting 30,000 in chips for their hefty €10,000 buy-in. The blind levels also differ, but more information on that tomorrow.
With an abundance of poker superstars and famous faces promised, this is a week of poker you do not want to miss out on. Will one of our Partners players be holding aloft the PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final trophy?…only time will tell…
