Day 1b Offers Another Opportunity to Bag in 20th Anniversary of EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event
There's perhaps no tournament on the EPT calendar more prestigious than the PokerStars European Poker Tour Monte-Carlo Main Event, running at the Sporting Monte-Carlo casino here on the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean coast. It's the 20th anniversary of the event and Day 1b is the final starting flight for this event, although registration remains open until the start of Day 2.
In 2024, Derk van Luijk came out on top of the 1,208 entry field, defeating Boris Angelov after a six-hour heads-up battle to claim the €1,000,000 top prize. The reigning champion has already bagged an above average stack on Day 1a.
The overall chip leader following the conclusion of Day 1a was David Docherty, best known for his 2023 Irish Open victory which gave him a career high score of €365,000. Docherty is on the hunt for his first EPT title and is the man to beat for those joining Day 1b, starting at 12 p.m. local time.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Docherty | United Kingdom | 279,500 | 233 |
| 2 | George Tomescu | Romania | 275,000 | 229 |
| 3 | Christian Alilovic | France | 260,500 | 217 |
| 4 | Qing Lu | United States | 240,500 | 200 |
| 5 | Jeremie Beneteau | France | 236,500 | 197 |
| 6 | Stanislav Petriv | Ukraine | 225,000 | 188 |
| 7 | Boris Kuzmanovic | Croatia | 208,500 | 174 |
| 8 | Adi Rajkovic | Austria | 204,500 | 170 |
| 9 | Mariusz Golinski | Poland | 201,000 | 168 |
| 10 | Sameer Chaturvedi | India | 196,000 | 163 |
In Day 1b, players begin with a 30,000 starting stack and will play 10 hour-long levels, with a break every two levels and a 75-minute dinner break at the end of Level 6. Late registration remains open until the start of Day 2 and players can take a maximum of two entries in this event.
Those who make it through and bag at the end of the evening will proceed to Day 2, which commences on Tuesday, April 6 at noon.
Stay tuned to the action on PokerNews as reporters bring you live updates straight from the tournament floor.