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.

Here's the chip counts as things stand right now:

Glen Chorny	$3,233,000
Isaac Baron	$2,125,000
Valeriy Ilikyan	$1,896,000
Maxime Villemuire	$1,276,000
Michael Martin	$1,260,000
Denes Kalo	$1,251,000
Luca Pagano	$1,152,000
Antonio Esfandiari	$574,000

 

Team PokerStars pro Luca Pagano was one of the shortstacks at the table but just managed to double to over $1.1 million. Pagano seemed to be getting frustrated as on the previous hand he was re-raised by Maxime Villemure, having to lay down his hand.

On the next hand Luca opened again and got re-raised again, this time by Isaac Baron. Pagano thought for some time before making the call and watching the flop come down J 4 3. Baron paused for just a second before moving all-in. Pagano snap-called and turned over K J which had out-floped Baron's A K.

The turn was the Q, presenting a few more outs for Baron, but the river was the 3, sealing the deal and giving Pagano the check mark. We'll have full counts for you in one moment. 

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.