€25,000 High Roller
Day 3 Completed
2022 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo
€25,000 High Roller
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2022 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo
Buy-in
€25,000
Prize Pool
€4,297,790
Entries
179
Level
29
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
100,000
Entries
13
Players Left
1
Level 29
: 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Gianluca Speranza defeated Bruno Lopes in heads-up play to win the €25,000 High Roller on the final day of the 2022 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) presented by Monte-Carlo Casino®. Speranza outlasted 179 entrants to win €853,000 after a final two deal from a total prize pool of €2,297,790.
Dimitar Danchev finished in third, while Marton Czuczor was fourth and bracelet winner Byron Kaverman rounded out the top five. Players finishing outside the final table on Day 3 include Ramiro Petrone, Dominik Nitsche, and Joao Vieira.
This is Speranza’s first win at an EPT event and his best finish since he was runner-up in the 2017 WSOPE Main Event. Speranza continues a winning stretch that includes winning $609,950 for his third place finish at the WPT Five Diamond Poker Classic in December of 2021. Today’s win brings Speranza over $4 million in career earnings.
EPT Monte Carlo €25,000 High Roller Final Table Results
| Place | Name | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gianluca Speranza | Italy | €853,000* |
| 2 | Bruno Lopes | France | €703,990* |
| 3 | Dimitar Danchev | Bulgaria | €427,760 |
| 4 | Marton Czuczor | Hungary | €329,040 |
| 5 | Bryon Kaverman | United States | €253,100 |
| 6 | Rodrigo Seiji | Brazil | €194,690 |
| 7 | Jean-Noel Thorel | France | €162,160 |
| 8 | Manig Loeser | Germany | €135,120 |
| 9 | Steve O’Dwyer | Ireland | €112,600 |
*- denotes final two chop deal
Final Table Highlights
Davidi Kitai fell in 10th place when his ace-jack was outdrawn by Czuczor’s ace-eight and the final nine made their way to the unofficial final table. First out was Steve O’Dwyer after riding his short stack for much of Day 3. O’Dwyer got it in with ace-jack but he ran into the pocket kings of Kaverman. Also losing with ace-jack was Manig Loeser, who ran into the pocket queens of Speranza to finish in eighth place.
Next to go was Jean-Noel Thorel in seventh after Lopes cracked his pocket aces to leave him with crumbs. Thorel got it in with seven-six soon after, but Lopes was there again to eliminate him with king-queen.
Rodrigo Seiji got it in good with pocket nines, but Speranza knocked him out when his ace-seven made two pair. The elimination of Seiji added fuel to a run for Speranza that was already well underway throughout the day, and the pot put him over 4 million.
Speranza’s run continued immediately after dinner break when he knocked out Kaverman in fifth place with ace-king and then Czuczor in fourth with pocket queens. The Italian went into three-handed play with over 5.5 million chips and held a commanding lead over the two remaining players, Lopes and Danchev.
It wasn’t long into three-handed play before Danchev found himself short and got it in against Lopes with a pair of kings on the turn, but Lopes called after making two pair with his six-five to eliminate Danchev in third place.
A deal was struck just before heads-up play began that awarded €813,000 to Speranza and €703,990 to Lopes, leaving €40,000 to play for along with the EPT championship trophy.
The final two played for nearly 90 minutes, but the big moment came when Speranza called a shove from Lopes and turned over a flush to claim victory.
Congratulations to Gianluca Speranza for winning the €25,000 High Roller at EPT Monte Carlo!
Be sure to keep it with the PokerNews team throughout the month of May and beyond for live reports from your favorite events all over the world.
Level 29
: 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
With 
on the board, Bruno Lopes bet 400,000 and Gianluca Speranza raised to 1,100,000. Lopes fired back with a shove and Speranza called quickly.
Lopes turned over 
for a pair of queens, but Speranza had 
for the flush. The river was an inconsequential 
and Lopes was eliminated in second place for €703,990.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
8,950,000
3,900,000
|
3,900,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 29
Blinds: 50,000/100,000
Ante: 100,000
Level 28
: 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
The final two players have agreed to take a short 10-minute break prior to the start of the next level.
Level 28
: 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Bruno Lopes got it all in for around 1,900,000 and Gianluca Speranza called to put him at risk.
Bruno Lopes: 
Gianluca Speranza: 
The board ran out 
and Lopes made aces and jacks to secure the double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,050,000
-1,200,000
|
-1,200,000 |
|
|
3,770,000
1,370,000
|
1,370,000 |
Level 28
: 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
With more than 800,000 in the pot and 
on the flop, Bruno Lopes bet 325,000 and Gianluca Speranza called. The turn was .
Both players checked the turn and the river. Lopes turned over 
, but Speranza had to take the pot with a pair of tens.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,250,000
725,000
|
725,000 |
|
|
2,400,000
-625,000
|
-625,000 |
Level 28
: 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Action has been moving along slowly so far in heads-up play with both players looking to add the EPT trophy to their collection.
Gianluca Speranza raised to 125,000 and Bruno Lopes called. The flop was 
.
Lopes check-called a 150,000 bet from Speranza and the turn was 
.
Speranza fired 450,000 on the turn and Lopes got away from it without much hesitation.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,525,000
123,000
|
123,000 |
|
|
3,025,000
-180,000
|
-180,000 |
Level: 28
Blinds: 40,000/80,000
Ante: 80,000
Level 27
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
During the break before heads-up play began, the two remaining players struck a deal to divide up the prize pool and leave €40,000 for the winner of the tournament. Gianluca Speranza receives €813,000 and Bruno Lopes takes home €703,990. The winner will also receive the coveted EPT trophy.
Play will resume soon.