EPT Monte Carlo final table set.
Friday, 30 April 2010
Over the past four days, 840 players have hit the rail at the PokerStars European Poker Tour grand final in Monte Carlo. Now just eight remain, each guaranteed €200,000 but gunning for the huge first place prize of €1,700,000.
The UK pair of Matt Perrins and Craig McCorkell both finished in the top ten but neither could crack the eight man final table leaving the massive first prize to be won by one of the following players:
Seat 1: Herve Costa, 1,590,000
A recreational player, Costa runs a local shop in Nice. Now he’s guaranteed €200,000 – not bad for playing recreationally.
Seat 2: Roger Hairabedian, 1,130,000
In 2008, French pro Hairabedian took down the Grand Prix de Paris for over €400,000 and was named France’s number one tournament player.
Seat 3: Aleh Plauski, 1,695,000
Aleh Plauski is an online tournament player who specialises in rebuy events, having successfully competed at the $109r level at PokerStars for years.
Seat 4: Dominykas Karmazinas, 2,285,000
No stranger to EPTs, this PokerStars player eliminated Alexander Gomes on Day 3 for a huge 1.2m pot with KK holding up against 99. He is third in chips.
Seat 5: Josef Klinger, 1,170,000
A former chess professional in his native Austria, Klinger has been making waves on the tournament poker circuit, most recently with an €85,000 cash in Vienna.
Seat 6: Mesbah Guerfi, 3,670,000
An Omaha specialist, Guerfi cashed in the Grand Prix de Paris last year for €50,000; his biggest tournament score until today.
Seat 7: Nicolas Chouity, 10,280,000
His modest list of EPT cashes – just two – is overshadowed by his gargantuan stack. An online qualifier, he is the overwhelming favourite.
Seat 8: Andrew Chen, 3,670,000
Chen is a Canadian online pro with a huge list of “almosts” as he made a deep run in the NAPT Venetian this year; cashed in three EPTs, came third in EPT Prague and final tabled two LAPTs.