PokerNews has been bringing you live reporting from the biggest poker tournaments for over 17 years, and it's time for a brand new addition to the live update product with the launch of PokerNews emojis.
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Well, now you can show exactly how you're feeling with the launch of 24 bespoke reaction emojis which are available to be used on every single post in our live reporting.
PokerNews Emojis
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In a limped pot between the blinds to the A?6?5? flop. Boris Angelov bet 150,000 with 10?3?. Rania Nasreddine called with her 9?8?. Angelov's ten-high was still the best hand on the 4? turn, and he folded out his opponent after firing another barrel of 425,000.
In another limped pot between the blinds, Nasreddine, with 7?6?, and Derk van Luijk, with K?8?, saw the Q?8?5? flop. Nasreddine bet 200,000 with her open-ender, and Van Luijk called with his middle pair.
The 5? turn saw Nasreddine continue for 350,000 and was called once more. The 3? river gave Van Luijk the checkmark, but he faced another bet as Nasreddine slid in another 700,000. Van Luijk folded the best hand and Nasreddine chipped up.
Derk van Luijk raised to 325,000 in the hijack before Jovan Kenjic three-bet to 825,000 in the cutoff with A?J?. The table folded back to van Luijk who got rid of 2?2?.
Van Luijk opened again the next hand, making it 325,000 from early position with A?6?. Boris Angelov had the same A?6? in the big blind and three-bet to 975,000, and this time van Luijk called.
The flop came J?K?10? and Angelov checked. Van Luijk then moved all in for 1,500,000 and Angelov folded.
Jovan Kenjic opened to 300,000 from the cutoff with K?10? and folded out the remaining players on the first hand of play.
Chip leader Boris Angelov received a walk in the big blind.
In the cutoff, Jonathan Guedes raised to 300,000 from the cutoff with J?8?. Angelov made it 900,000 from the small blind with the dominating Q?J?. Nasreddine folded in the big blind, and Guedes also got out of the way.
Jonathan Pastore picked up the first big hand of the day, waking up with Q?Q? in early position. Rania Nasreddine used up a time bank in the small blind before folding her A?5?. Derk van Luijk also folded in the big blind.
Boris Angelov raised to 300,000 in the cutoff after peeling Q?10?. The button and blinds got out of the way.
As the sun hovers over the shimmering waters of the Mediterranean, the final day of the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Monte Carlo Main Event, inside Sporting Monte-Carlo, dawns with a promise of history in the making.
Among the seven remaining contenders from a record-breaking field of 1,208 entrants, one name shines brightly: Rania Nasreddine. Hailing from the United States, Nasreddine stands poised to etch her name in the annals of poker lore as only the fourth-ever female champion on the prestigious EPT circuit.
Rania Nasreddine
The path to glory is never easy, and Nasreddine faces some formidable opponents at the final table. Her stack of 7,900,000 chips gives her a commanding lead over all but one of the remaining players. Nasreddine will need to continue to show the skills that have got her this far while having a bit of luck along the way as she looks to claim the coveted title.
Among those standing between her and the winner's circle are Derk van Luijk from the Netherlands, Jovan Kenjic representing Serbia, homegrown talent Jonathan Pastore of France, Jonathan Guedes flying the flag for Brazil, the German contender Niclas Thumm, and Boris Angelov carrying the hopes of Bulgaria with his chip leading stack of 11,500,000.
EPT Monte Carlo Main Event Seat Draw
Seat
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Rania Nasreddine
United States
7,900,000
53
2
Derk van Luijk
Netherlands
3,200,000
21
3
Jovan Kenjic
Serbia
4,750,000
32
4
Jonathan Pastore
France
3,350,000
22
5
Jonathan Guedes
Brazil
1,900,000
13
6
Niclas Thumm
Germany
3,650,000
24
7
Boris Angelov
Bulgaria
11,500,000
77
For Nasreddine, the opportunity to join the esteemed ranks of previous female EPT champions like Victoria Coren-Mitchell (2006, 2014), Sandra Naujoks (2009) and Liv Boeree (2010), is both a personal triumph and a milestone for women in the game. With each hand dealt, she edges closer to a moment that could inspire a new generation of female players to chase their dreams fearlessly.
The stakes are high, not only in terms of prestige but also in terms of the substantial prize pool awaiting the finalists. With payouts ranging from €154,900 for seventh place to a staggering €1,000,000 for the eventual champion, every decision made at the final table carries weighty consequences.
Final Table Payouts
Place
Player
Country
Prize (EUR)
1
€1,000,000
2
€620,500
3
€442,900
4
€340,500
5
€261,700
6
€201,000
7
€154,900
8
Jozef Cibicek
Slovakia
€119,000
9
Philipp Wenzelburger
Germany
€91,500
When play kicks off at 12:30 p.m. local time, the players will start on Level 31: 100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 big blind ante. All remaining levels will last 90 minutes until three players are left, at which point they will be reduced to 45 minutes in length.
The PokerNews coverage will commence at 1 p.m. local time, on a 30-minute delay so as to not spoil the cards-up stream on Pokerstars' Twitch and Youtube channels.
So stay tuned to find out who will be victorious in Monaco and will be crowned the second EPT champion of the 2024 season during the thrilling conclusion of the EPT Monte Carlo Main Event.
Boris Angelov, from Sofia, Bulgaria, is showcasing his skills at the EPT Monte Carlo final table, having entered the tournament through a €500 online satellite. Despite this being a lower-cost route into the competition, Angelov is far from a novice in the poker world. "I started over six years ago, mainly in cash games, before turning to tournaments during the COVID pandemic," he shared.
Angelov’s poker journey began online, where he was influenced by talented Bulgarian players, including his close friend Alex Kulev. Post-pandemic, he transitioned to live tournaments, marking his debut on the EPT circuit in March 2022 at the EPT Prague Main Event, where he finished 59th. Since then, he hasn’t missed an EPT event, demonstrating his commitment and passion for the game. "This is obviously my deepest run yet," Angelov remarked about his current performance.
Notably, Angelov started this tournament from Day 2, playing one less day than many of his competitors. He admits that poker dominates his life, leaving little room for other hobbies. His focused approach and consistent presence on the circuit underscore his dedication and ability in the competitive poker arena.
