Friday, October 14, 2016 4:28 PM Local Time
Dan Shak Wins Without Showdown
Dan Shak raised to 55,000 from under the gun, and Yaqi Sun called from the small blind. The flop fell and Sun checked. Shak continued for 125,000. Sun then check-raised to 350,000 and Shak called.
Sun checked when the came on the turn. Shak bet 600,000 and Sun called.
The river was the and Sun checked again. Shak bet 1,500,000. Sun thought a minute, then folded.
| Dan Shak | 6,700,000 | 1,315,000  |
Friday, October 14, 2016 4:24 PM Local Time
Overpair for Talal Shakerchi
Talal Shakerchi raised to 60,000 from middle position and Kamer Alyanakyan called from the button. The flop came and Shakerchi continued for 75,000. Alyanakyan then raised to 240,000 and Shakerchi called.
Both players checked the on the turn, and the fell on the river. Shakerchi bet 327,000. Alyanakyan tanked for about a minute, then called.
Shakerchi showed for two pair, jacks and nines, and Alyanakyan slid his cards to the muck.
| Talal Shakerchi | 4,650,000 | -350,000  |
Friday, October 14, 2016 4:22 PM Local Time
Gurtovoy Versus Madden
We picked up the action on a flop of and Bob Safai checked. Seated under the gun, Patrick Madden made a bet of 75,000. Gurtovoy raised to 150,000 and Safai got out of the way. Madden called.
Madden checked on the turn and Gurtovoy bet 300,000. Gurtovoy check-raised to 1 million and Gurtovoy answered with a three-bet to 2.4 million. Madden called instantly.
The river saw Madden check again. Gurtovoy bet 1 million and Madden tanked for a bit before he called. Gurtovoy showed and Madden mucked.
The next hand, Gurtovoy open raised again and Madden called from the big blind. Madden check-called Gurtovoy's 100,000 continuation bet on but check-folded to the 300,000 bet on the turn. Gurtovoy showed for another flopped diamond flush.
"Wow, what are the odds!" Elton Tsang said.
| Anatoly Gurtovoy | 9,000,000 | 3,300,000 |
| Patrick Madden | 3,340,000 | -3,660,000 |
Friday, October 14, 2016 4:07 PM Local Time
Sean Dempsey Takes it on the Turn
Sean Dempsey raised to 55,000 from the button. James Bord called in the small blind, and Cary Katz called from the big blind.
The flop fell . Both blinds checked, and Dempsey continued for 80,000. Only Bord called.
The came on the turn and Bord checked again. Dempsey bet 200,000. Bord thought for about two minutes, then slid his cards to the muck.
| Sean Dempsey | 5,900,000 | 900,000 |
Friday, October 14, 2016 4:01 PM Local Time
Pots for Baldwin and Bord
In a number of ways, this isn't like any other poker tournament but in plenty of ways it is. The fundamental rules still apply, of course, the blinds go up and at the beginning, they are relatively low compared to the stacks in play. That all means that as per normal the early stages of a tournament feature a ton of small pots rather than heavy action.
This is neatly illustrated in small pots won at different tables by Bobby Baldwin and James Bord. In the first, I picked up the action to see the 1978 WSOP Champion raising to 100,000 on the button, a bet that was called by Anatoly Gurtovoy. The board ran and a bet of 300,000 from Baldwin on the river was good enough to earn him the pot.
Meanwhile, on Table 7 James Bord was heads-up against Zuo Wang in a pot that had reached the turn. A board was on the felt and Wang bet 133,000. Bord, who's been getting a massage throughout this tournament, asked for a count and then called. The river was checked through in lightning fashion and Bord's was the winner.
Friday, October 14, 2016 4:01 PM Local Time
2016 Monte-Carlo One Drop Extravaganza €1,000,000 Big One For One Drop Players
Friday, October 14, 2016 3:52 PM Local Time
"So That's What You've Been Doing, Huh?"
Elton Tsang, moved to Guy Laliberté's former seat on the feature table, opened with a raise to 50,000 from the cutoff. Small blind Patrick Madden reraised to 170,000 and Tsang called.
Both of them checked on and the hit the turn. Madden tossed in two 100,000-chips and Tsang called.
It went check-check on the river and neither player was eager to show their cards.
"One pair,... small" Madden said.
"Oohh, that's not good enough" answered Tsang.
After some hesitation, the two of them both showed their cards. Madden tabled and Tsang showed .
"One more bet and you would've had it" Tsang smiled.
"But I made a pair" Madden answered.
Bob Safai, smiling at Madden, said: "So that's what you've been doing, huh?"
Friday, October 14, 2016 3:51 PM Local Time
Rick Salomon Takes from Mark Teltscher
There was about 250,000 already in the pot on the flop, and two players involved in the hand. After the flop came down , Rick Salomon checked from the hijack, and Mark Teltscher bet 140,000. Salomon called.
Both players checked the on the turn and the river was the . Salomon led out for 325,000. Teltscher thought for a minute, then tossed out the chips to call.
"Flush," Salomon announced as the tabled . Teltscher tapped the table, then mucked his cards.
| Mark Teltscher | 4,800,000 | 310,000 |
| Rick Salomon | 4,750,000 | -250,000 |
Friday, October 14, 2016 3:45 PM Local Time
Guy Back In
Guy Laliberté has bought back in and now seats in between Paul Phua and Talal Shakerchi over on table 11.
| Guy Laliberté | 5,000,000 | 5,000,000 |
Friday, October 14, 2016 3:40 PM Local Time
Did Steven Have it?
A head-scratcher of a moment for Pierre Garand to tell you about now and it was Brandon Steven who put him to the test.
Pre-flop Garand opened to 51,000 from the cutoff, Steven three-bet to 153,000 and Garand smooth called. On the flop Garand check-called a bet of 77,000 and he check-called a further 232,000 on the turn. The was a very interesting river card as it completed a broadway straight on the board. Again Garand played it passively, checking the action to Steven. He emptied the clip, firing a third barrel of 470,000 to further swell the pot. This gave Garand pause for thought, he quickly cut out the required calling chips and went to call but then thought better of it.
He and Steven shared some inaudible conversation as Garand continued to mull over the decision, he looked anguished and decided ultimately to keep his powder dry and pushed his cards into the muck. As for Steven, he wasn't showing.
| Brandon Steven | 5,700,000 | 700,000 |
| Pierre Garand | 4,660,000 | -230,000 |
Friday, October 14, 2016 3:38 PM Local Time
Bob Safai Wins with Flop Bet
Elton Tsang raised to 50,000 from middle position, and Bob Safai three-bet to 150,000 from the cutoff. Anatoly Gurtovoy called from the big blind, and Tsang called as well.
The flop came . Gurtovoy and Tsang both checked, and Safai continued for 175,000. Both his opponents folded, and Safai took the pot.
| Bob Safai | 5,485,000 | -515,000 |
Friday, October 14, 2016 3:24 PM Local Time
Guy Laliberté First One Eliminated
Not long after being crippled by Patrick Madden, Guy Laliberté made his exit.
In a battle of the blinds, Laliberté (small blind) got his last chips in. His neighbor Bob Safai in the big blind put him at risk by calling.
Guy Laliberté:
Bob Safai:
Without hesitation or much feel for show, the dealer put out the flop ( ), turn ( ) and river ( ).
Safai made a flush on the river and Laliberté gathered his things and said his goodbyes.
"He got it up to 5 million!" teased coach Negreanu, hinting at a possible reentry for Laliberté which would grant him a crisp 5 million-stack.
| Bob Safai | 6,000,000 | 1,000,000 |
| Guy Laliberté | 0 | -465,000 |
Friday, October 14, 2016 3:20 PM Local Time
Patrick Madden Leaves Guy Laliberté Short
Guy Laliberté raised to 45,000 from under the gun. Patrick Madden made in 130,000 from the cutoff. The button and blinds folded, and Laliberté called.
The flop came and Laliberté checked. Madden continued for 150,000 and Laliberté called.
The turn was the and Laliberté checked again. Madden bet again, this time for 350,000. Laliberté called.
The completed the board on the river and Laliberté led out for 650,000. Madden raised to 1,800,000, and Laliberté quickly called.
Madden:
Laliberté:
Madden won with his top full house, and Laliberté was left short-stacked.
After the hand, Madden is up to 7,000,000, and Laliberté has only 465,000.
Friday, October 14, 2016 3:18 PM Local Time
A Set for Shak
Popular poker wisdom is that showing your cards when you don't have to is bad as you give your opponents free information. Well thankfully that memo hasn't reached Monte Carlo and we like that as it gives us more information to report.
In a recent hand at table 10 Yaqi Sun made it 50,000 to play and he picked up calls from Rick Salomon (button) and Dan Shak (big blind). The action kicked up a notch on the flop as Sun continued for 100,000, Salomon called and Shak then check-raised to 400,000 total. There followed quick folds from both his opponent's and as Shak took the pot he showed for a flopped set.
Friday, October 14, 2016 3:14 PM Local Time
Tsang Hits Big on the Turn
Paul Phua was first to act and raised to 45,000. His neighbor Talal Shakerchi called, Kamer Alyanakyan on the button called and big blind Elton Tsang called.
All four of them checked the flop. Tsang bet out 100,000 on the turn and Phua called, Shakerchi folded, Alyanakyan called.
The on the river made Tsang bet 225,000 and Phua instantly folded. Alyanakyan called but mucked upon being shown by Tsang.
| Elton Tsang | 6,100,000 | 600,000 |
| Kamer Alyanakyan | 4,600,000 | -400,000 |
Friday, October 14, 2016 2:43 PM Local Time
Break
The players are on a 20-minute break.
Friday, October 14, 2016 2:43 PM Local Time
Big Pot Brewing
From the cutoff, Patrick Madden raised to 36,000 and action folded to Alfred Decarolis in the big blind. Decarolis bumped the action to 116,000 and Madden called.
Decarolis continued for 135,000 on and Madden was quick to raise to 275,000. Decarolis called.
Decarolis check-called another 525,000 on the turn and completed the board. Decarolis checked and Madden was quick to check behind.
was shown by Decarolis and Madden mucked.
"Good hand Al" said Madden.
"That's what you do with queens right?" commented Decarolis.
| Alfred De Carolis | 5,700,000 | 700,000 |
| Patrick Madden | 5,000,000 | -1,020,000 |
Friday, October 14, 2016 2:38 PM Local Time
Win Some, Lose Some for Pierre Garand
As we mentioned earlier Pierre Garand is a singer by trade and he just combined his day job with his hobby in the second of back to back hands he played.
In the first he was in the small blind, he raised it up to 33,000 and Brandon Steven made up the extra from the big blind. Neither player liked the look of the flop but Garand bet 54,000 on the turn, call from Steven. The fell on fifth street and Garand's bet of 130,000 was enough to force Steven to fold.
Garand was in action on the very next hand, he raised on the button and Yaqi Sun defended from the big blind. The flop was checked to Garand and he bet 64,000. As Sun was considering his options Garand began signing, it was a very low volume but it sounded like a rendition of the popular Beatles hit 'When I'm 64'. He only had time for a couple of lines before Sun called and the peeled off on fourth street.
Another check from Sun was followed by another bet from Garand (111,000) and a call from Sun. The completed the board and once more Sun checked. Garand went deep into the tank and eventually he elected against firing a third barrel. It was a good decision as Sun opened for a turned flush, Garand showed pocket kings for a flopped set. "Very good check," said Mark Teltscher as the pot was pushed to Sun.
| Pierre Garand | 4,890,000 | -110,000 |
Friday, October 14, 2016 2:27 PM Local Time
Two Streets of Value
Elton Tsang raised the hijack to 40,000 and Talal Shakerchi on the button was the sole caller.
Both of them checked the flop and the appeared on the turn. Tsang bet 45,000 and Shakerchi was quick to call.
Tsang tossed in another 100,000-chip on the river and Sheckerchi again quickly called. Tsang tabled and Shakerchi mucked.
Friday, October 14, 2016 2:24 PM Local Time
Dan Shak Takes from Mark Teltscher
Mark Teltscher raised to 40,000 from the button, and Dan Shak reraised to 118,000 from the small blind. Tetlscher called.
The flop was and Shak continued for 225,000. A frustrated-looking Teltscher looked away from the table, took a deep breath, then mucked his cards.
| Dan Shak | 5,385,000 | 385,000 |
| Mark Teltscher | 4,490,000 | -510,000 |