The EPT’s 4th season has come to a close, and it has been a raging success. With its end, was the Grand Final in Monte Carlo. The final able wrapped up Thursday, and after 13 hours at the final table, a winner was crowned. As to be expected with the amazingly talented field, this final table featured a great crew of players, of all ages, and from all over the world. Here were the stack sizes of the final eight players, heading into the final table.
Glen Chorny: 3,613,000
Isaac Baron: 2,853,000
Valeriy Ilikyan: 1,396,000
Michael Martin: 1,320,000
Maxime Villemure: 1,206,000
Denes Kalo: 1,119,000
Luca Pagano: 688,000
Antonio Esfandiari: 501,000
This was quite obviously a tough final table. Issac Baron is quite possibly one of the best players in the entire world, known online as westmenloAA. He has crushed cash games and tournaments for quite some time now. Michael Martin is no slouch himself, he’s known as Martine23 online, and has owned cash games as well. Luca Pagano is a Poker Stars pro, and Antonio Esfandiari is a well-known live tournament pro, who’s been on the circuit for quite a while. The chip leader coming in, Glen Chorny, is known online as Choron, but hasn’t had quite that much success as of yet.
Also, here were the final table payouts.
1. $3,198,500
2. $1,866,790
3. $1,132,107
4. $932,692
5. $666,606
6. $533,601
7. $400,590
8. $266,004
Unfortunately, the liveliest player at the table busted out first. Esfandiari got it in with A8 vs. Luca Pagano’s AJ. The flop was gin for Luca, as it came down TQK to flop him the stone cold nuts. Esfandiari never caught the Jack for the chop, and was out 8th, for $266,604.
With the blinds up to 15k/30k, with a 3k ante, the chips were flying hard and often. Valeriy Ilikyan had taken some hits, and found AQ, which looked amazing. Unfortunately, Michael Martin had AK, which held to finish off Ilikyan. He didn’t go home emptied handed, leaving with $400,590. Down to 6 players within fourty hands, here were the stack sizes, still during 15k/30k, 3k ante.
Glen Chorny 3,503,000
Isaac ‘westmenloAA’ Baron 3,238,000
Luca Pagano 1,895,000
Michael Martin 1,751,000
Maxime Villemure 1,452,000
Denes Kalo 928,000
Denes Kalo was in last, with 928k, but by no means was he in any danger. Monte Carlo features an amazing structure, as can be seen. By the time the blinds had hit 20k/40k, with a 4k ante, a new chip leader arose.
Luca Pagano raised it up to 110k pre flop, and was called by Glen Chorny and Issac Baron. On a 924 flop with two diamonds, Pagano bet 210k, and was called by only Chorny. The turn was the 4 of spades, which prompted a bigger bet out of Pagano this time, 500k, which Chorny called. The river was the Q of hearts, to which Pagano only bet 400k this time, and once again Chorny called. Chorny held 66, which was good until the river, as Pagano had the KQ of diamonds, good for two overcards and a flush draw on the flop. With that monstrous pot, he became the new chip leader. But that was short lived, of course. Just a few hands later, Villemure got it in with AK vs. Pagano’s JJ, and Villemure became the newest chip leader at the final table.
With the blinds still at 20k/40k, 4k ante, Chorny limped on the button. Baron completed in the small blind, and Kalo checked the big blind. The flop came down 76A, all clubs, and all three men checked. The turn was another 7, and Baron bet 100k. Kalo called, and Chorny raised another 200k on top. Baron called, and Kalo folded. The river was an 8, and Baron check called another 300k. Glen Chorny showed K9 of clubs for the flopped nut flush, and Baron, in a great show of restraint, had lost the minimum with JT of clubs. Quite the amazing hand, which caused another huge swing in chips at this final table, as they neared the 100 hand mark. Here were the stacks as they went into 25k/50k, 5k ante.
Maxime Villemure – 3,580,000
Glen Chorny – 2,810,000
Isaac Baron – 2,095,000
Michael Martin – 1,950,000
Luca Pagano – 1,295,000
Denes Kalo – 1,100,000
After a few hands of chipping up, Denes Kalo made it 2.5x, 125k to go. Luca Pagano shoved in with a now shorter stack, and was called. Luca’s AJ was way behind Denes Kalo’s QQ. Nothing rolled out for the Poker Stars pro, and he was out in 5th, for $533,601. Just a few hands later, another big showdown occurred. Chorny made a raise on the button to 125k. and was called by only Martin, in the big blind. The flop rolled out 67T, Martin checked to Chorny, who bet 225k. Martin raised to 675k, and Chorny put him in for the rest of his chips. Martin called, and flipped over QT. Much to his dismay, Chorny had him in a bad spot with JJ. The turn A was no help, as well as the river 2. Michael Martin finished in 5th place, for $666,606.
The remaining four players switched chips around for quite awhile, leading into 30k/60k, 6k ante. Here were the stacks.
Isaac Baron – 3,830,000
Denes Kalo – 3,435,000
Glen Chorny – 3,310,000
Maxime Villemure – 2,255,000
No one out of the remaining four had any sort of pressure on them, as despite being the short stack, Villemure had nearly 40 big blinds. No double ups occurred during this level, but during 40k/80k 10k ante, things got very interesting. Issac Baron and Maxime Villmure got all their chips in, with Baron holding 88, and Villemure holding QQ. Baron couldn’t get lucky, and the two players switched places, with Baron becoming the short stack, and Villemure becoming the chip leader. Just a few hands later, Baron doubled up with Q3, doubling through Kalo, who held AT. After all the exchanging of chips, here’s how the final four looked.
Glen Chorny – 3,765,000
Maxime Villemure – 3,590,000
Denes Kalo – 3,115,000
Isaac Baron – 2,065,000
Just a few hands later, Issac made it 220k to go, and was called by only Glen Chorny. On a 762 flop with two spades, Chorny led at it for 335k. Issac went into the tank, and eventually shoved all in. Chorny called him instantly, as Chorny had slowplayed aces. Issac was in a lot of trouble, as he held just AQ hi, but with the Ace of spades. The turn threw out the 9 of spades, which gave Issac a ton of hope. The river was the King of clubs, putting Issac out of the event. He left with $932,692, in fourth place.
After this, a long grind ensued, with the players staying very tight, as they ventured into 60k/120k, with a 10k ante. The lull at the final table was destined to end at some point, and it did in a big way. In quite the sick hand, Chorny and Villemure reached the end of a hand, where the board read TA4J9, with no flush. The pot was only about 600k, but both men got their chips in. Villemure flipped over Q8 for the straight, but Chorny flipped up KQ for the nuts, sending Villemure home in sick fashion, in third place. Villemure played a great final table, and took home $1,132,107. Chorny was in the driver’s seat, with a massive chip lead at this point. He held 11,360,000 to Kalo’s 1,265,000, for a huge lead.
Heads up play lasted but two hands. Kalo got it in with KQ against Chorny’s A5, with Chorny holding a slight lead. The flop came down AQ6, keep Chorny in the lead. The turn was a six, lowering Kalo’s outs, and the river was a ten, giving Chorny the win, and eliminating Kalo in 2nd place. Kalo made $1,866,790 for his finish. Chorny played a solid final table, and definitely ran well. In doing so, he beat out an extremely strong field, and won $3,198,500, a positively huge cash.