American online pro Kevin Eyster is the chip leader as the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo goes into its penultimate day. He has 2,768,000 in chips and whatever happens to him today it will lead to a significantly bigger cash than his 133rd place finish at EPT San Remo last week.
All those still in the Main Event are now guaranteed at last €50,000 but that sum pales into insignificance compared to the €1.7 million that the new EPT Grand Final champion will be taking home on Friday.
Among those still in the running are new Czech Team PokerStars Pro Martin Hruby and a clutch of PokerStars qualifiers and players including Nicolas Chouity from Beirut who is currently lying fourth with 2,037,000 and Aleh Plauski from Belarus with 1,638,000. Some big names are still in the event including PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour Venice winner Matt Perrins from the UK, French veteran Roger Hairabedian, EPT5 Prague winner Salvatore Bonavena, Canadian online whizz Andrew Chen, Finnish high stakes online cash game player Sami Kelopuro, Swedish star Ramzi Jelassi and American WSOP bracelet winner Nick Schulman.
Several members of Team PokerStars Pro made the money in the €10,600 Main Event including Londoner Vicky Coren (26th), Dutchman Lex Veldhuis (31st), Brazilian Alex Gomes (33rd), former world champion Chris Moneymaker (69th), Juan Manuel Pastor from Spain (54th) and Swiss pro Rino Mathis (107th),
Only two of this season’s Main Event winners cashed – Swedish pro Anton Wigg who won EPT Copenhagen finished in 99th place for €20,000 and EPT Berlin champion Kevin MacPhee takes €20,000 back to the USA for 84th place.
A total of 848 players entered the EPT Grand Final including 161 who won their seats on PokerStars. They came from 51 different countries to create a total prize pool of €8,480,000. A total of 128 players will get paid at the event which is running April 25 to 30 at Le Sporting venue at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel. Last year Dutch Team PokerStars Pro Pieter de Korver won for a first prize of €2,300,000.
The prestigious €25,500 High Roller event starts today (April 29) as well as a €2,150 Freezeout, the €1,200 Ladies Only Freezeout and an invitational freeroll for PokerStars SuperNova Elite players.
The Grand Final culminates with the EPT Awards at the EPT Season 6 Wrap Party at Karement Club on Sunday, April 30. The EPT Awards includes Player of the Year, the Players’ Choice Award and EPT Achievement of the Year.
