€5,300 EPT Main Event
Day 6 Completed
2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo
€5,300 EPT Main Event
Day: 6
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 6
2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo
Buy-in
€5,300
Prize Pool
€5,325,300
Entries
1,098
Level
33
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
250,000
Entries
6
Players Left
1
Level 33
: Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Mike Watson was one card away from being eliminated on Day 4 of the EPT Monte Carlo €5,300 Main Event as part of the 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) presented by Monte-Carlo Casino® with just two cards in the deck that could help him. Not only did he hit one of them, the Canadian high-stakes veteran climbed back to win the event on Day 6 for €749,425 and his second EPT Main Event title.
Watson, who previously took down the 2016 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) Main Event for $728,325, became just the third player in poker history to win two live EPT Main Event titles. Vicky Coren-Mitchell was the first to do it in 2014 before Mikalai Pobal joined the two-time EPT champion club in 2019, while Sweden's "WhatIfGod" won consecutive EPT Online Main Events in 2020 and 2021.
"It's an amazing accomplishment," Watson told PokerNews in a winner's interview. "You know, winning two main events on the same tour is really hard. And yeah, I just feel really lucky that I was able to pull it off today."
The EPT Monte Carlo Main Event drew a record-tying field of 1,098 runners for a prize pool of €5,325,300. Watson defeated Germany's Leonard Maue (€697,175) after the two struck a heads-up deal that flattened the payouts and left the two accomplished pros playing for the trophy and an additional €33,340, while other players who earned six-figure paydays in the event included the United Kingdom's Leo Worthington-Leese (3rd - €397,450), Norway's Joachim Haraldstad (4th - €305,750) and France's Samy Boujmala (5th - €235,150) and Arnaud Enselme (6th - €180,900).
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (EUR) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Mike Watson | Canada | €749,425* | $823,558* |
| 2nd | Leonard Maue | Germany | €697,175* | $766,140* |
| 3rd | Leo Worthington-Leese | United Kingdom | €397,450 | $436,766 |
| 4th | Joachim Haraldstad | Norway | €305,750 | $335,995 |
| 5th | Samy Boujmala | France | €235,150 | $258,411 |
| 6th | Arnaud Enselme | France | €180,900 | $198,795 |
| 7th | Jason Wheeler | United States | €139,150 | $152,915 |
| 8th | Arunas Sapitavicius | Lithuania | €107,050 | $117,639 |
| 9th | Maduka Meragal | Canada | €82,350 | $90,496 |
*Denotes heads-up deal
"This One Feels a Little Extra Special"
While Watson was ecstatic after winning the 2016 PCA Main Event — photos of the post-victory celebration show Watson coddling the trophy with a cigar clenched between his teeth — he said winning the second title was "even sweeter."
"Just doing it again the second time, I think, definitely makes it feel more significant," he said. "You know, joining a very small club. So, yeah, I mean, anytime you win a big tournament, obviously it's amazing. But that definitely this one feels a little extra special."
With $18.6 million in live tournament earnings headed into the event, "SirWatts" was by and large the most accomplished and experienced player at the final table.
A glance at the PokerStars live stream or PokerNews updates will reveal plenty of snug folds throughout final table play as each player looked to ladder up the pay slots and avoid an ICM blunder. Not only was Watson aware of this, he used it to give himself a competitive advantage.
"I was lucky, obviously, to have a big stack for much of the final table and was able to leverage that to a good extent to help build a stack and just, you know, had some hands and big pots going my way as well," he said.
Watson's Path to Victory
As mentioned earlier, Watson's deep run almost came to an end on Day 4 as he was all in with pocket queens against the ace-king of 22nd-place finisher Jose Astima, who hit a king on the flop to take a major lead in the hand. An ace on the turn was no help to Watson, but the river miraculously brought a queen to keep him alive
"Deep in a tournament like that, to actually hit the two outer and a big spot is, you know, it feels amazing," said Watson. "That's when you want to do it. And I was still short after that. And then it seemed like that just kind of like, you know, the switch flipped and everything kind of started going my way right after that."
Watson was able to run it up from there and entered the final day of play second in chips with a big stack that he maintained throughout the day.
After several hours with little chip movement, France's two representatives on Day 6 were the first to go as Enselme's tens were pipped by Watson's jacks and Boujmala's king-queen was likewise dominated by Worthington-Leese's ace-queen.
There were two quick eliminations after that as Haraldstad shoved a short stack with king-six and Watson called with ten-nine, only for the Norwegian to be flopped nearly dead as Watson made trips. Shortly after, Worthington-Leese went out in third with a missed flush draw as Maue's jacks held up to have him enter heads-up play nearly even in chips with the eventual champion.
The German managed to take the lead from Watson before the Canadian doubled up to have Maue on the ropes. In the final hand, Watson bet the flop with top pair only to be check-raised by Maue, who then checked the turn before moving all in on the river to send Watson deep into the tank.
After using a half-dozen time banks, Watson called and locked up the victory as his opponent turned over a four-high bluff.
"It was just a really strange hand because he's really not repping much of in terms of value combos on the river," Watson explained. "So it's like, well, is he just really bluffing? And often it's really obvious that there's a lot of draws and things that missed and it's really hard for him to have a value combo or not."
"So (I was) just kind of going through thinking, you know, my hand seems very strong here, but (I was) just trying to kind of figure out, you know, what was going on, what he would have. (It's) obviously a big decision. So, yeah, I took my time with it. But in the end, I just, you know, just had to see the hand, I guess."
Watson celebrated the victory with his wife and fellow Canadian Sam Greenwood, who was also on the rail for Watson's 2016 PCA win. Whether there will be another Super Bowl championship-esque cigar celebration has yet to be seen.
Level 33
: Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Mike Watson raised to 650,000 on the button and Leonard Maue called out of the big blind. The dealer fanned the flop of 10♥7♥5♣ and Watson continued with a bet of 1,200,000. Maue check-raised to 3,000,000 and Watson just called.
The turn was the A♦ and both players checked to the 7♠ on the river. Maue used a time extension before announcing all in for 7,550,000. Watson asked for a count and went into the tank for several minutes. After using up at least five of his time banks, Watson eventually made the call.
Maue stood up from his seat and tabled 4♠3♣ for a missed straight draw while Watson turned over 10♣9♣ for two pair. The two players shook hands as Maue was eliminated in second place and Watson captured his second EPT Main Event title.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
32,925,000
11,500,000
|
11,500,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 33
: Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Leonard Maue raised to 650,000 on the button with 10♠3♠ and Mike Watson reraised to 2,200,000 out of the big blind with A♣Q♠. Maue was forced to let go of his suited holding and surrender the pot to Watson.
On the next hand, Watson raised to 650,000 on the button with J♦8♠ and Maue defended with 5♠3♥. The flop came 9♠7♣5♥ and both players checked to the 7♥ on the turn.
Maue checked again and Watson counted out a bet of 1,100,000. Maue called with his two pair and the 6♦ completed the board. Maue checked once more and Watson put together a bet of 3,000,000 after rivering a straight. Maue looked back at his cards and then sent them into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
21,425,000
2,650,000
|
2,650,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
11,500,000
-2,650,000
|
-2,650,000 |
Level: 33
Blinds: 125,000/250,000
Ante: 250,000
Level 32
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
The remaining two players have been sent on another 20-minute break. When they return, levels will decrease to 45 minutes in duration.
Level 32
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Mike Watson opened to 450,000 on the button and Leonard Maue three-bet all in for 6,525,000 in the big blind. Watson asked for a count and then called to put Maue at risk.
Leonard Maue: A♦4♠
Mike Watson: K♦Q♠
There was hardly a sweat as the flop of 5♥3♠2♣ gave Maue a straight. The 9♠ on the turn and the J♥ on the river were insignificant as Maue earned a double-up to narrow the gap on Watson.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
18,775,000
-7,375,000
|
-7,375,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
14,150,000
7,370,000
|
7,370,000 |
Level 32
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Mike Watson completed on the button with 10♦2♠ and Leonard Maue checked his option in the big blind with 3♦2♦.
Maue checked on the flop of 4♦J♠9♦ and Watson bet 200,000. Maue called. Maue checked again on the A♠ turn and Watson checked back.
The 5♦ river gave Maue the flush and he led out for 200,000. Watson went for a bluff with a raise to 900,000 and Maue moved all in as Watson snap-folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
26,150,000
-1,100,000
|
-1,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
6,780,000
1,105,000
|
1,105,000 |
Level 32
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Mike Watson limped in on the button with A♥6♠ and Leonard Maue checked his option holding 9♥4♣ in the big blind. The flop fell 10♣9♦7♠ and both players checked through to the 4♥ on the turn and the J♥ on the river. Maue finally bet 600,000 and Watson got out of the way.
Two hands later, Watson raised to 425,000 on the button with K♠J♣ and Maue called in the big blind with 8♠6♥. The flop came 5♥4♥3♦ and Maue led out with a bet of 350,000 which got Watson to send his cards to the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
27,250,000
-2,000,000
|
-2,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
5,675,000
2,000,000
|
2,000,000 |
Level 32
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Mike Watson limped in on the button with K♥J♣ and Leonard Maue raised to 1,000,000 in the big blind with Q♣8♥. The flop fell J♥7♦2♣ and Maue continued with a bet of 700,000. Watson raised to 2,100,000 with top pair and Maue quickly mucked his cards.
A couple of hands later, Maue opened to 500,000 on the button with 6♣6♦ and Watson reraised to 1,350,000 in the big blind with A♣9♣. Maue just called and the flop of 9♦8♥4♠ was spread across the felt.
Watson led out with a bet of 1,500,000 after making top pair again and Maue called. The turn was the K♣ and Watson jammed all in, forcing Maue to lay his hand down.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
29,250,000
4,950,000
|
4,950,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,675,000
-4,955,000
|
-4,955,000 |