EPT Grand Final - Live Updates

Former EPT final-table participant Denes Kalo has become increasingly active in the last level or two and just took a big pot from Luca Pagano with an all-in move on the turn. Pagano opened to $120,000 and got a call from Kalo. The flop came down K♦ J♠ 9♠ and Pagano continuation-bet $160,000.

Kalo made a quick call and the 3♦ hit the turn. Kalo then moved all-in for around $400,000 and Pagano took a few moments before tossing his hand in the muck. With that pot Kalo is now up over $900,000.

We just missed the chance for some huge fireworks in a three way limped pot thanks to some prudent play from Isaac Baron and a paired board. The A♣ 7♣ 6♣ flop was checked by all three players, but the 7♠ turn brought a 100k bet from Baron. Denes Kalo made the call, but Glen Chorny raised it up to $300k from the button.

Baron slowly made the call before Denes moved aside and the river came the 8♠. Baron checked and Chorny made it $300k again. Baron just called with J♣ 10♣ for the flush and Chorny showed K♣ 9♣ for the nut flush. He may be cursing his luck now, but it could have been a lot worse for Baron. As for Chorny, he seems to have righted the ship.

Isaac Baron and Maxime Villemure just got into a rather large pot with the Canadian Villemure raking the pot when things were said and done. It started with Villemure opening after it was folded to him on the button and Baron calling from the big blind. The flop came Q♦ 6♦ 2♠ and both players checked.

The Q♠ hit the turn which prompted a $205,000 bet from Baron. Villemure thought for a moment before making the call and they both watched the 7♥ hit the river. A check from Baron brought a $425,000 bet from Villemure. Baron quickly folded and shook his head in dismay.

Glen Chorny is sinking fast and just made another huge call on the river only to muck his cards. He made a fairly standard raise pre flop and got the call from Isaac Baron. The two went heads up to the flop and both players checked when the K♦ J♠ 7♦ was turned up.

Chorny checked the 4♥ turn, but called after Baron bet $155k. The 8♥ river brought another check from Chorny and Baron made another stiff bet, making it $250k to see. Chorny called and threw it away when Baron showed J♥ 10♦. Chorny has now dipped under $2 million in chips.

We just saw a huge clash between Italy's Luca Pagano and one of the two remaining Canadians at this final table, Maxime Villemure. It began with Pagano opening from the button and Villemure re-raising from the small blind.

The big blind folded and Pagano took his time before setting the Canuck all-in. Villemure thought for some time before making the call and tabling A♦ K♣. He saw he was in a massive race against Pagano's J♦ J♥ but took a big lead with the flop of A♣ Q♣ 4♦.

The PokerStars crew were surreptitiously pulling for a jack but the board finished 5♣ 4♥. Villemure is the new chip leader with almost $3.5 million and Pagano is down to about $1.6 million.

Michael Martin either a big hand or made a very effective play here in Monte Carlo resulting a half million in chips ending up in his stack without the benefit of a flop.

Maxime Villemure began the action making it $100k to go. Isaac Baron then leaped into action bumping it up to $360k before Martin bet everything he had. Both players folded and the American stacked the chips.

Luca Pagano just fleeced Glen Chorny out of a mountain of chips and is now the chip leader. The Team PokerStars pro bet out $100k before the flop and both Chorny and Isaac Baron made the call.

On the 9♦ 4♦ 2♥ flop Luca bet $210k and after Chorny made the call, Baron let his hand go. Pagano fired again at the 4♠ turn making it $500k to see a river and after a short pause for thought, Chorny just called.

The Q♥ river brought another $400k bet from the Italian and the Canadian called. Luca had hit the river showing Q♦ K♦ and while Chorny had the right read all along with 6♣ 6♥ his time in the leader spot is now over. Pagano now has $3.4 million in chips and Chorny is down to $2.29 million currently holding third spot.

Level 26 is about to begin but in the meantime we thought we'd hook you up the latest in the counts.

Seat 2	Denes Kalo	$860,000
Seat 3	Michael Martin	$1,044,000
Seat 4	Luca Pagano	$1,885,000
Seat 5	Maxime Villemure	$1,742,000
Seat 6	Glen Chorny	$3,691,000
Seat 7	Isaac Baron	$3,440,000

French-Canadian Maxime Villemure just got into a hand with chip leader Glen Chorny and got lucky to be able to show down the best hand on the river. It started with Villemure limping from the small blind and Chorny checking in the big blind.

The flop came down K♥ Q♦ 8♠ and Villemure quickly fired out a bet. Chorny then raised and after a short dwell Villemure made the call. They both checked the 8♠ on the turn and the 3♣ hit the river. Villemure quickly bet out $225,000 and got snap-called. Villemure tabled 8-9 for the turned trips and Chorny mucks with a grimace.

Denes Kalo is the only player under $1 million in chips and in danger of making an early exit here. Just moments ago Glen Chorny made an $82k pre flop raise and Kalo made the call. Both players checked the A♠ 10♣ K♥ flop, but Chorny bet out $105,000 on the 9♥ turn.

Kalo made the call and after the 3♥ river Chorny fired away again making it $205,000. Kalo called and Chorny felted the 9♣ 9♦ raking in the pot with the set. With just $721,000 left now the Hungarian is the shortest stack at the table. Chorny still leads with over $3.8 million.

The ticking time bomb that is Valeriy Ilikyan has now exploded. Ilikyan open shoved with A♣ Q♣ and ran smack into Michael Martin's A♦ K♦. The 6♦ 7♦ 8♠ flop left the Russian drawing very thin and the A♥ didn't help.

Needing one of the two queens left in the deck that wasn't the Q♦, the 2♥ river sent Ilikyan out 7th. He'll cash €253,000.

Michael Martin took some hits leading up to this last hand but managed to double up thanks to a very questionable play from the Russian, Valeriy Ilikyan. The hand began with Martin raising to $80,000 and Ilikyan moving all-in for $1.1 million, effectively setting Maritn all-in.

The American made the call and saw he was in great shape with A♦ Q♦ to Russia's A♣ 4♦, leaving us wondering how you commit that many chips with A-4 offsuit. Ilikyan's predicament went from bad to worse when the flop came down A♠ Q♣ 6♠. The 5♥ hit the turn and Ilikyan was drawing dead. He's now up over $1.3 million.

Maxime Villemure just doubled through Valeriy Ilikyan when a coin flip went his way. Ilikyan started all the fun when he made it $80k to see a flop. Villemure then joined in pushing all in for another $644k and the Russian made the call.

It was A♦ K♦ for the Canadian against Ilikyan's 9♦ 9♥ and the race was on. Villemure took the healthy lead with the A♣ 10♠ 6♣ flop and it got even better with the A♠ turn. Only a nine on the end would send Villemure to the rail but the 2♣ came down and he doubled up.

Ilikyan is now on the short stack.

Glen Chorny continues his strong play just picking up another decent pot. The action began when Maxime Villemure made it 80k from the small blind and Chorny called. The 3♣ 10♥ 10♠ flop went check-check, but after Villemure checked the 9♣ turn Chorny fired out $81k. Villemure made the call and checked again on the brick-like 2♠ river.

Chorny bet out $225,000 and Villemure took his time before making the call. Villemure was forced to muck when his fellow Canadian countryman revealed 8♥ 8♦. Villemure is now the short stack at the table.

Coming back for the start of Level 25 sees the remaining seven players with the following ammunition.

Seat 1	Denes Kalo	$1,123,000
Seat 2	Michael Martin	$981,000
Seat 3	Luca Pagano	$2,028,000
Seat 4	Valeriy Ilikyan	$1,257,000
Seat 5	Maxime Villemure	$1,390,000
Seat 6	Glen Chorny	$3,158,000
Seat 7	Isaac Baron	$2,830,000

Isaac Baron just picked up a decent pot from Valeriy Ilikyan. Baron bet $100k into the 3♥ 8♠ 7♠ flop and Ilikyan made another one of his lightning quick calls.

Both players checked the 7♣ river, but when the 2♠ river hit Ilikyan bet out $100. Baron cut out $375k from his stack, added another $5k chip and put in a $280k raise. Ilikyan made another fast call, but didn't reveal his cards after Baron showed the 6♠ 9♠ flush.

There will be no triple crown of poker for Antonio Esfandiari. His final stab at the WPT, EPT, WSOP triumvirate began with an opening raise from Team PokerStars pro Luca Pagano before Esfandiari shoved. Luca called the half million dollar bet and Esfandiari would need a miracle with A♦ 8♠ against the Italian's A♠ J♣.

Pagano flopped the nut straight when the Q♠ 10♥ K♦ fell and the magician would have to pull a jack out of his hat just to chop. The 5♥ turn and 3♦ river ended it all for Esfandiari who takes home €168,000 for his 8th place finish.

Glen Chorny made his third opening raise in a row, but this time Valeriy Ilikyan made a stand reraising it up to $240k total. Chorny made the call and the Jd-3♦ A♦ was checked by both. Chorny bet $225k at the 3♠ turn and Ilikyan called incredibly fast.

After the K♠ river was checked by Chorny, Ilikyan spoke up.

"I just want to see your cards," Ilikyan said, passing on the opportunity to value bet and with pot of over $1 million in chips staring back at him he turned over A♥ K♣ for two pair.

Chorny's A♠ Q♥ was second best, but his lead is still in tact.

In the very first hand of the final table Valeriy Ilikyan put out fairly standard raise only to see Antonio Esfandiari reraise behind him. Antonio's bet left him just a few hundred thousand behind and he immediately stood up shaking the other player's hands and saying his goodbyes.

Once it folded back around to Ilikyan, Esfandiari began began chatting with him.

"If you call I'll show you the nuts; if you fold I'll show you the bluff," he said. "I might even fold for the rest."

Eventually Ilikyan folded and we will be treated to Antonio's unique personality for at least a few more hands at the final table.

Isaac began playing online poker aged 18 and two years later has established himself among peers as one of the best players in the world. He was Cardplayer’s Online Player of the Year for 2007 and, with 40 players left on day 4 of the Grand Final, Brandon Schaefer said Isaac was the best player left in the tournament, something few would dispute. “It’s definitely flattering” said Isaac, "But there are so many good players.”

A journalism student at the University of Oregon, Isaac hails from northern California. He dropped out of college to play poker full-time and see where that took him, and while he intends one day to get his degree, that poker journey has seen him cash six times in live events across North America and the Caribbean, as well as cement a much feared online reputation.

A former Sunday million winner netting $255K, Isaac, known as ‘westmenloAA’ on PokerStars, has won multiple tournaments online. Also a noted cash player, he plays at stakes anywhere between $25-$50 and $50-$100.

His first EPT was here at the Grand Final last year but he busted out early on Day 1. His first live cash came at the PCA 2006 and more have followed, with his first EPT cash coming in San Remo a few weeks ago where he finished in 11th spot, narrowly missing the final table. The EPT Grand Final will be his biggest cash to date.

Glen hails from Timmins, north Ontario but is currently studying business and history at Wilfred Laurier in Waterloo, Ontario - the same city that Mike “Timex” McDonald lives in. He has been a full-time pro since January but reckons he has been playing at pro “levels” for the last 18 months. He mainly plays online cash games and big live tournaments.

This is Glen’s second EPT - he came 13th at the PCA for $80k. Straight after PCA he won the PLO $5k at the Tunica World Poker Open in January 2008. He took up poker after watching it on TV. He said, “I played live home games, really small with like $50 buy ins. I had a bankroll before I started playing online so I started playing really big on the Internet because I thought I had the skills already.”

Glen says he’s had to play a lot tighter at the EPT than his usual style but has “managed to hang on and run really good.” He qualified online with PokerStars in the Steps satellites for $700.

Valeriy has been playing poker for nearly ten years and turned pro around three years ago. The former interior designer is already looking at his biggest result to date. He bought himself into last year’s EPT Grand Final but with little success.

He mainly plays cash games, and also some of the big online Sunday tournaments including the Sunday Million. He started today as the one of the short-stacks but got up to $1.1 million when he busted Stig Top-Rasmussen.

He said: “I can win this, with a bit of luck, and some skill. It happens lots of times that a small stack wins.“ Valeriy’s wife Alena couldn’t make it to Monte Carlo but is watching Valeriy on EPTlive.com along with the couple’s three children.

Antonio is the first player to reach an EPT Final Table and be in the running for the Grand Slam of poker: a WPT win, an EPT win and a WSOP bracelet. Originally from Tehran, Iran, Esfandiari moved to the US States in 1988. He grew up in the San Jose area but left home at 17. It was while working as a waiter that he took up magic - throwing tricks into his waitering work until eventually he dropped waitering altogether.  

At that time, Esfandiari also took up poker and has often said how the two professions complement each other. As a magician, he learned to gauge human behaviour and could use that skill when he moved on to cards.

In 2002, Esfandiari made a name for himself at the WPT 49'er Gold Rush Bonanza by placing third for $44,000. A year later he made the final table of the $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em tournament at the 2003 WSOP. And in 2004 he beat out 382 to win the massive $1.4 million first-place prize at the L.A. Poker Classic, the youngest player at the time to win a WPT. A few months later, Esfandiari triumphed in the $2,000 Pot-Limit Event to win a bracelet and $184,860.

Esfandiari now lives in Las Vegas where he plays, writes books and appears in video games. He also competes on High Stakes Poker and the National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Esfandiari, along with his friend Phil Laak, also starred in the reality show I Bet You.

He is  supported here in Monte carlo by his “true love” Victoria. This is only his 2nd EPT but he plans to come to a lot more. He said his best moment so far as when he had QQ and the BB moved all-in with AT. “I ’m not talking about what happened next, but that was my best moment of the tournament,” he said.

Despite suffering a fever for the last few days, Max has been forging ahead at the EPT Grand Final – encouraged by the knowledge that Gavin Griffin won last year despite having a really bad cold.

Max took up poker just over a year ago after watching the WSOP on television. Home games with his friends turned into online play and within a short time he was doing so well, he gave up his law studies to play full-time.

This is Max’s third EPT – he busted out of the PCA on Day 2, and San Remo on Day 1. It’s also his first time in Europe. He said, “It’s great – but rather expensive.” He is being supported here in Monte Carlo by his friends Jason Mercier (who won EPT San Remo two weeks ago) and Sam Chartier.

Pagano was a computer programming student before taking up poker and didn’t have much of a bankroll – so he started with play money on PokerStars.com. One day, the man with a mind for computers and stock market trading decided he had honed his skills well enough to play with real money.

In the few years that have passed since that fateful decision, Pagano has done what most people can only dream. While the exact number is not one he's willing to disclose, Pagano has amassed online poker winnings that can be described in two words: "A lot."

Pagano is also a perfect picture of how online poker success can translate to brick and mortar poker abilities. Since starting to play live poker tournaments, Pagano has put together thousands upon thousands of dollars in winnings.

Among his many achievements in the past few years, Pagano has cashed in nine European Poker Tour events (a record), and made two final table appearances. It’s the second event in a row with an Italian Team PokerStars Pro at the final table after Dario Minieri came 3rd in san Remo two weeks ago.

Michael has been playing poker for four years and turned pro in January 2007 after graduating in English from Penn State. Originally an athlete – he played college hockey for 2 years – he took up poker at the end of a hockey season and never looked back. He said, “I got into it like everyone else – watching Chris Moneymaker at the WSOP.

I started playing on Christmas Day and from then on, combined poker with my studies. His biggest result so far was coming 2nd to Trond Erik Eidsvig at the Master Classics of Poker in Amsterdam in November. Although cash games are Michael’s bread-and-butter, he is now getting more into live tournaments. “My parents had different opinions about it all.

My dad wasn’t keen on me turning pro at all but my Mum was an enabler. She lent me my first $100 to play online with and when i made my first $1,000, I asked her if i should cash out and she said no!” Michael was virtual bubble boy at last year’s EPT Grand Final – 66th place, just two off the money.

Budapest, Hungary - 1,119,000 chips

Dénes Kaló was born and lives in Budapest, Hungary. He works as the sales manager of a broker company and has been playing poker for three years with increasingly good results. He came second in the 2006 EPM Vienna for €50,440 and then came 2nd at EPT Baden last October for €375,000.

Outside of poker, Denes is a sailing enthusiast. His wife Melinda was here at the weekend but has had to go back to work – she’s a model. He said, “She’s been watching EPTLive and supporting me from home.”

The beautiful, and Canadian, Kara Scott has filmed this episode's introduction along with fellow host James Hartigan. The players are expected to make their way to the table soon but for now satisfy yourself with their official seats and counts.

Seat 1	Denes Kalo	$1,119,000
Seat 2	Michael Martin	$1,396,000
Seat 3	Luca Pagano	$688,000
Seat 4	Valeriy Ilikyan	$1,396,000
Seat 5	Antonio Esfandiari	$501,000
Seat 6	Maxime Villemure	$1,206,000
Seat 7	Glen Chorny	$3,613,000
Seat 8	Isaac Baron	$2,853,000

Live by the sword; Die by the sword. That's an adage that Henrik Gwinner will have to accept as he has just been eliminated, a result of his reckless play. Action was folded around to Gwinner on the button and he moved all-in for $525,000. The small blind folded but Isaac Baron went into the tank in the big blind.

Baron asked for a count and, after some thinking and chip-shuffling, made the call. Baron tabled A♠ T♥ and saw his read had been correct as Gwinner felted A♦ 9♠. The flop came A♣ K♠ T♠ which opened up a ton of outs for the chop. The turn was the 8♠ and and the river the 5♥, sealing the deal and sending Gwinner out on the television bubble for €126,000. 

Making yet another donkey move; Stig Top Rasmussen has gone out 10th. The action in his final hand began with Michael Martin making a $70k raise from the button. Rasmussen then pushed all in.

The only problem with the move is Stig was sitting in the big blind and Valeriy Ilikyan had yet to act in the small blind. Donk!

The correct ruling was made by the floor that if Ilikyan did not change the action, Rasmussen's move would be binding.

"So if I call then he is all in?" Ilikyan asked. The answer was yes, Ilikyan called and also called the all in bet with enough chips to cover Stig.

"You must have the best hand," said a sheepish Rasmussen and it was about the only thing he was right about as his 10♦ 10♠ was behind against Ilikyan's J♣ J♥. Although Ilikyan sweat every card coming off like it was his tournament life on the line, his winning the hand was never in too much doubt as the K♦ Q♠ 3♣ flop and 3♥ 4♣ turn and river combo hit the felt.

Rasmussen is out 10th cashing €126,000 and proving luck can't last forever.

Here are the official counts for the final ten players. As you can see, there's quite a wide range of stacks which should induce some action on the two five-handed tables.

Glen Chorny	$3,370,000
Isaac Baron	$2,365,000
Michael Martin	$1,529,000
Maxime Villemure	$1,220,000
Denes Kalo	$957,000
Antonio Esfandiari	$735,000
Luca Pagano	$705,000
Valeriy Ilikyan	$650,000
Stig Top Rasmussen	$590,000
Henrik Gwinner	$466,00

 

With play suspended early last night, two eliminations short of the final eight-handed television table, we have ten optimistic players returning to the tournament room here in Monte Carlo for the playdown to the Season 4 champion of the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour.

€2,020,000 is up for grabs for the winner, as well as the prestige that goes with winning the biggest and best tournament Europe has to offer. Things are looking bleak for the European crowd with a pair of North Americans running over the field. For the last two years Americans have snatched this title, shipping it back across those vast waters.

Play should be getting underway momentarily with two tables of five. It seems no one will be playing on the feature table but, when one or two are eliminated, the players will pick up their chips and sit down in front of the cameras to get down to the serious business of the day.

Chip counts will be up in just a moment.