The European Poker Tour has wrapped up its pre-World Collection of Poker motion with an thrilling cease on the shores of the Mediterranean. Following the cancellation of the EPT cease in Paris as a consequence of political points earlier this 12 months, the EPT Monte Carlo was the primary time that the crème of the European poker world had an opportunity to return collectively. On Friday, the ultimate desk of the €5000 Fundamental Occasion was contested, with a million-euro award awaiting the champion and first blood on the EPT circuit for 2025.
One Step Past?
When the six males got here collectively on Friday to find out the champion, one man was seeking to shake some demons. A 12 months in the past, Bulgaria’s Boris Angelov got here up simply in need of successful the championship, falling in second place to the Netherlands’ Derk van Lujik. This time, Angelov got here to the ultimate desk with a sizeable stack of chips (8.4 million), however he confronted a number of robust opponents amongst the opposite 5 opponents.
Hanging in second was Aleksander Shevliakov of the Russian Federation, holding a strong stack of chips in his personal proper (7.25 million). Mariusz Golinski of Poland held the third spot on the board (6.495 million), whereas the one North American on the last desk, Jamil Wakil (Canada), began in fourth place with 4.975 million in chips. Rounding out the ultimate desk have been Italy’s Enrico Coppola (4.715 million) and Khossein Kokhestani of Ukraine (3.86 million), technically a brief stack however with roughly 32 massive blinds to play with.
The depth of the stacks made the preliminary motion a little bit of a shock. Shevliakov got here out with stunning aggression, placing a number of of his opponents to the check early. The Russian would take the lead over with the elimination of Wakil in sixth place, Shevliakov’s Massive Slick besting the suited Q-J that Wakil determined to make a stand with on a dry board. Attempting to maintain tempo, Angelov tried to up his aggression, however solely noticed the chips slide by way of his fingers till he reached a degree the place he wanted a double by way of Coppola to remain alive.
Shevliakov, in the meantime, saved marching upward along with his chip stack. He knocked out Golinski in fifth place when he as soon as once more held A-Okay, this time towards Golinski’s A-9, and Shevliakov flopped a Broadway straight. As soon as Shevliakov mowed down Coppola in fourth (pocket sixes towards Coppola’s J-3), Shevliakov held over twenty million in chips and appeared to be operating away with the title.
Shut, However…
One of many quiet gamers on the felt was Angelov, who watched the flurry of motion from Shevliakov and maintained his endurance. With three gamers remaining, nevertheless, Angelov had seen his lead disappear as Shevliakov and Kokhestani bypassed him. Angelov tried to jump-start his recreation, however he waited a bit too lengthy as he was unable to mount a lot of a cost, falling in third place to Kokhestani when Kokhestani caught along with his 10-6 on a 2-7-9-10-3 board towards Angelov’s superior (pre-flop) A-8, sending Angelov to the rail one place decrease than the place he completed in 2024 on the EPT Monte Carlo.
All the way down to heads up, the stacks have been roughly even between Kokhestani and Shevliakov. The mano y mano combat would begin with some shuffling of chips between the gamers earlier than going to dinner. After the sustenance, they returned to motion, and Shevliakov went on the offensive.
Down about three million chips, Shevliakov gained the primary two palms again to motion and took over the chip lead. Kokhestani would solely see the lead as soon as after that, as Shevliakov’s aggression and the playing cards started to swing the match his means. On the ultimate hand, Kokhestani (coming off being on the shedding finish of a ship versus boat state of affairs) accomplished the blind, and Shevliakov saved the aggression up by transferring all in. Kokhestani made the decision and held a slight edge pre-flop:
Kokhestani (SB/D): A-6
Shevliakov (BB): Okay-2
The flop was a merciless one for Kokhestani, coming down 7-2-9 to present Shevliakov a child pair. No assist got here on the flip (the Q♥) or the river (8♣), incomes the checkmark and the championship for Aleksandr Shevliakov on the EPT Monte Carlo:
1. Aleksandr Shevliakov (Russian Federation), €1,000,000
2. Khossein Kokhestani (Ukraine), €615,000
3. Boris Angelov (Bulgaria), €439,200
4. Enrico Coppola (Italy), €337,900
5. Mariusz Golinski (Poland), €259,900
6. Jamil Wakil (Canada), €199,750
7. Miguel Capriles (Venezuela), €153,600*
8. Leon Zeaiter (Germany), €118,150*
(* – a part of official EPT last desk, eradicated on Thursday)
(Picture courtesy of Poker Stars Dwell)
