Zona de Azar Monaco – Tim Adams Tops Day 1 of €10K Event at PokerStars and Monte Carlo©Casino EPT
Monaco.- April 25, 2018 www.zonadeazar.com Canadian high roller Tim Adams picked up where he left off last year when he triumphed in a €25k Event on the final day of the PokerStars Championship Monte Carlo.
Adams returned to Monaco for the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo©Casino EPT and thrived on the opening day of the festival. The 31-year-old is pacing the €10,000 NL Hold’em Single Re-Entry event after the first eight levels of play.
Adams more than quadrupled his starting stack through the first stage of the tournament, bagging 220,600 to put his name atop of a 31-strong leaderboard. “It went really smoothly,” he said. “I got lucky, I had a pretty fun table draw with a lot of action,” he said.
While he made a great initial step on a path to reach a remarkable feat in winning back-to-back here in Monaco, Adams keeps his feet on the ground: “That would be great [to win again] but it’s only the first day so I know there’s always a ton of more poker to be played. I’m just focused on to showing up and playing and that’s it,” Adams said.
EPT Monte Carlo schedule is packed with high buy-in events and Adams is a regular customer in these fields. As expected, he plans to “play a bunch of high stakes poker” during his stay in Monaco. “I don’t even know if there will be a day off,” Adams added.
The chip leader has celebrated his first Super High Roller triumph last December back at PokerStars Championship Prague. He currently sits in seventh place on the stacked Canadian all-time money list, having amassed $8.5 million in live tournament cashes.
Adams nearest competitor on Day 1 was Maria Ho who finished with 214,200. Ho is no stranger to PokerStars live events held in Monaco. She’s notched three Main Event cashes in the ministate. One of the most prolific female players in the world, Ho impressed in the 2017 WSOPE Main Event where she appeared on the final table, eventually banking €174,365 for a sixth-place finish.
Other player who reported six-figure chip counts at the end of the day included Benjamin Pollak (149,500), Ryan Riess (145,800), Stephen Chidwick (123,800) and Rainer Kempe (118,200).
The top half of the pack includes some more heavy-hitters such as Mustapha Kanit, Adrian Mateos, Justin Bonomo and David Peters.
Last year’s champion Ole Schemion arrived to defend his title but he failed to advance on his first bullet. Schemion still has a chance to re-join the contest with late registration open for another two levels of play, closing before the start of level 11 (approximately 2:45 p.m. local time).
So far, 47 players took to the felt (including 7 re-entries) and at least 31 runners will be back in their seats on Thursday, April 25 when the action resumes at 12:30 p.m. local time. The next blinds will be 600/1,200 with a big blind ante of 1,200. All levels will last 60 minutes from Day 2 onwards.
ABOUT POKERSTARS AND MONTE-CARLO©CASINO EPT
The ever-popular European Poker Tour (EPT) returns to Côte d’Azur once again with a spectacular 39-event PokerStars and Monte-Carlo©Casino EPT running April 24-May 4, 2018.
Formerly known as the EPT Grand Final, the event has played a pivotal role on Europe’s prime poker circuit for well over a decade. Debuting in the tour’s inaugural season all the way back in 2005, this year marks the 12th edition of the EPT festival held in the Le Sporting complex in Monaco.
The ministate has been annually hosting the top-shelf PokerStars sponsored live tournaments with massive prize pools and the upcoming edition of the EPT Monte Carlo follows suit with a stellar tournament schedule packed with 39 events of various buy-ins and games. The high-octane poker competition will include some illustrious events such as the €100,000 EPT Super High Roller – Shot Clock – Single Re-Entry (April 27-29), the €5,300 EPT Main Event – Single Re-Entry (April 28-May 4) and the €25,000 EPT High Roller – Single Re-Entry (May 2-4).
MAJOR EVENTS AT POKERSTARS AND MONTE-CARLO©CASINO EPT
– April 24-26, 2018: €10,300 NL Hold’em – 8 Handed – Shot Clock – Single Re-Entry
– April 25-28, 2018: €1,100 NL Hold’em – EPT National
– April 27-29, 2018: €100,000 EPT Super High Roller – Shot Clock – Single Re-Entry
– April 27-29, 2018: €2,200 NL Hold’em – EPT National High Roller – Single Re-Entry
– April 28-May 4, 2018: €5,300 EPT Main Event – Single Re-Entry
– April 29, 2018: €50,000 NL Hold’em – 8 Handed – Shot Clock – Single Re-Entry
– May 1, 2018: €25,000 NL Hold’em – Shot Clock – Single Re-Entry
– May 2-4, 2018: €25,000 EPT High Roller – Shot Clock – Single Re-Entry
SEVEN PLATINUM PASSES TO BE AWARDED
Five Platinum Passes to the 2019 PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) worth $30,000 will be up for grabs for EPT players through the 11-day festival. Winners of the €5,300 EPT Main Event and the €1,100 EPT National will both be awarded a pass while another two owners will be selected through random drawings on Day 2 of the aforementioned events. The final pass will be added to the special €1,650 PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship live satellite which runs on May 1 at 8 p.m. local time. Additionally, two more Platinum Pass will find its owners through a PokerStars TV broadcast challenge (see below for details).
SINGLE RE-ENTRY, SHOT CLOCK AND BIG BLIND ANTE INTRODUCED FOR MAIN EVENT
With the consensus established in recent months across the globe and positive feedback from players, PokerStars LIVE introduces the big blind ante in all No Limit tournaments in Monte Carlo including the EPT Main Event. The player sitting in the big blind will post the ante for all players on the table prior to a hand being dealt, speeding up the game process. Additionally, the Main Event will also feature shot clocks from Day 2.
EPT Main Event players will be allowed a single re-entry (maximum two total entries are permitted). Both starting days (Day 1a and Day 1b) will play ten 60-minute levels and the late registration will close at the start of Day 2 where the tournament shifts to the 90-minute levels.
EPT GRAND FINAL MAIN EVENT HISTORY
EPT Grand Final has brought some of the most iconic moments in PokerStars live event history including a record-setting notch by Pieter De Korver who topped the tournament for €2,300,000 back in 2009, claiming the largest single prize ever awarded in an EPT Main Event.
In 2013, EPT legend Steve O’Dwyer emerged victorious after conquering what has been widely dubbed as the toughest EPT final table. O’Dwyer denied the likes of Johnny Lodden, Daniel Negreanu, Jake Cody and Jason Mercier on his way towards the glory.
Two years later, 20-year-old Adrian Mateos became the first Spanish player to lift the EPT Main Event trophy. Jan Bendik succeeded Mateos on the throne, winning the first title for Slovakia in 2016. Bendik remains the reigning champion as the tour took an intermezzo in 2017 when Raffaele Sorrentino won the PokerStars Championship Monte Carlo Main Event.
Sorrentino is among a strong group of players who qualified online at PokerStars and will be vying for the title this year again. EPT champions Nicolas Chouity and Martin Finger also secured their seats through the online satellite process while other notable home run hitters who punched their tickets to the Main Event for a reduced price included Sam Greenwood, Bryn Kenney, Justin Bonomo, Nick Petrangelo, David Yan, and Jeff Hakim, among others.
Former champions who won the EPT Main Event in Monaco:
2005: 211 players, €1,983,400 prize pool, Rob Hollink (Netherlands) for €635,000
2006: 298 players, €2,801,200 prize pool, Jeff Williams (USA) for €900,000
2007: 706 players, €6,636,400 prize pool, Gavin Griffin (USA) for €1,825,010
2008: 842 players, €8,420,000 prize pool, Glen Chorny (Canada) for €2,020,000
2009: 935 players, €9,350,000 prize pool, Pieter De Korver (Netherlands) for €2,300,000
2010: 848 players, €8,480,000 prize pool, Nicolas Chouity (Lebanon) for €1,700,000
2012: 665 players, €6,650,000 prize pool, Mohsin Charania (USA) for €1,350,000
2013: 531 players, €5,310,000 prize pool, Steve O’Dwyer (Ireland) for €1,224,000
2014: 650 players, €6,500,000 prize pool, Antonio Buonanno (Italy) for €1,240,000
2015: 564 players, €5,640,000 prize pool, Adrian Mateos (Spain) for €1,082,000
2016: 1,098 players, €5,325,300 prize pool, Jan Bendik (Slovakia) for €961,800
WEEK-LONG POKERSTARS TV BROADCAST WITH PLATINUM PASSES UP FOR GRABS
PokerStars TV coverage will be airing for seven days, starting with a cards-up final table of the €100,000 Super High Roller on April 28. The coverage will commence with a Twitch Special session on April 29 (see below for details) before switching to the EPT Main Event, mapping the flagship event every day from Day 2 (April 30) until the champion’s ceremony.
EPT fans have a fantastic chance to win their own Platinum Pass by completing daily challenges announced on the live stream. One lucky winner of a $30,000 Pass will emerge on the final day in a special online freeroll on PokerStars.com while another winner of the Pass will arise from the Spanish and French shared liquidity online player pool. Follow the footsteps of Mikolaj Syp, a passionate EPT spectator who is headed to The Bahamas next January!
The live stream will be available on desktop and mobile on PokerStars.tv, Facebook, YouTube and Twitch channels. Click here for a full schedule or see below for the details.
EPT Monaco live streaming schedule:
April 28 at 12:30 CEST – €100k Super High Roller Final Table
April 29 at 12:30 CEST – Twitch Special
April 30 at 12:30 CEST – EPT Main Event Day 2
May 1 at 12:30 CEST – EPT Main Event Day 3
May 2 at 12:30 CEST – EPT Main Event Day 4
May 3 at 12:30 CEST – EPT Main Event Day 5
May 4 at 12:30 CEST – EPT Main Event Day 6
TWITCH SPECIAL WITH UNIQUE POKERSTARS AMBASSADORS BATTLE
April 29 will see eight PokerStars representatives take to the felt in a special winner-takes-all tournament with a $5,000 Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) Main Event ticket awaiting the winner.
Fintan Hand, Ben Spragg, Lex Veldhuis, Randy Lew, Celina Lin, Fatima Moreira de Melo, Liv Boeree and Jake Cody will battle it out in a contest featuring many hilarious poker and non-poker challenges. Poker fans can enjoy the show on both Twitch and PokerStars TV.
Joe Stapleton will be on the floor, refereeing the action and communicating the challenges to the players while James Hartigan will colour the action from the commentary booth.
POKERSTARS AMBASSADORS
A host of PokerStars sponsored players will be attending the EPT Monte Carlo. Fatima Moreira de Melo, Andre Akkari, Victor Ramdin, Liv Boeree, Igor Kurganov, Jake Cody, Randy Lew, Fintan Hand, Ben Spragg, Lex Veldhuis Celina Lin, Leo Fernandez and PCA National champion and Platinum Pass owner Maria Konnikova will all be present. Former tennis pro and TV presenter Mariano Zabaleta will also be attending the event (April 25-29).
If you wish to arrange interviews with any of our sponsored pros or celebrities please contact press@pokerstarslive.com so that your request can be accommodated.
FOOD DISCOUNT AND VOUCHERS FOR EPT PLAYERS
All players can enjoy a 10% discount on the poker room menu. On top of that, complimentary food vouchers will be given to players during all scheduled events (including re-entries). Players who take part in the €1,100 EPT National and/or the €5,300 Main Event will receive additional vouchers for each successive day they advance in the tournament.
RIGHT TO PLAY CHARITY TOURNAMENT
EPT Monte Carlo will again feature the popular €150 buy-in charity tournament, running on April 28 at 18:00. Participants will help to raise funds for PokerStars’ official charity partner Right To Play. Team PokerStars ambassadors will be taking part in the event with amazing prizes for the top five runners, donated by partners Helping Hands, EPT and PokerStars travel. The winner will walk away with a €1,000 player credit while there are also iPhone 7s or mini iPads up for grabs.
OFF THE FELT ACTIVITIES
The Players Party will take place on April 27 at 21:00 in the Med Garden, featuring free drinks and entertainment in a unique setting. All media can collect a party wristband from the Information Desk.
PokerStars will also take care of football fans’ needs by showing the Champions League semi-finals in the tournament room and cash games area.
PokerStars’ Virtual Reality Challenge will run from April 25 to May 3. Players who get the best daily score will receive free PokerStars merchandise. The VR station will be in the Main Lobby, next to the Welcome Desk. PokerStars is also offering unforgettable Ferrari and Mercedes rides from April 25 to May 3 around the principality during the event. There will also be special tours and boat trips, open to anyone who’d like to take in the beauty of Monaco. If you would like to book a slot, please contact the PR team.
In addition, PokerStars ambassadors will welcome online qualifiers with a special reception on April 28 at 20:00 in the Blue Gin Bar at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel. This is an exclusive session for online qualifiers to meet and speak to some of the world’s best players, plus there will be PokerStars goodies for those attending.
Editó: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com
