Atanas Malinov takes down FPS Main Event at EPT Monte Carlo

Bulgaria’s Atanas Malinov has taken down the FPS Main Event, for a €303,190 payday.

Malinov topped 2,096 entries in the €1,100 buy-in opener to the EPT Monte Carlo festival, with 314 players chopping up the €2,012,160 prize pool.  

Those who made it to the paid spots included former EPT Barcelona 2023 Main Event champ and PokerStars ambassador Simon Wiciak, double seven-figure winner Maria Lampropoulos, and Belgium’s leading moneywinner and EPT Berlin 2012 winner, Davidi Kitai.

Davidi Kitai at the FPS Main Event at EPT Monte Carlo

It took four starting flights and two full days of play to whittle the contenders down to a final table of six. Malinov arrived with the chip lead, but with the highly-experienced Guillaume Nolet and Gabi Livshitz among his rivals, and Joe Stapleton calling the action.

Malinov unbeatable at the final table

Local Nice-resident Remy Murcia couldn’t spin his 14 bigs up to more than the €61,250 sixth-spot payout after running into Marco Gambini’s flopped top two.

He was followed to the rail by Israeli chess international master Livshitz, who doubled with aces against AK before the break but then found himself all-in and at risk against Malinov.

Livshitz’s blind-on-blind jam was good.

Livshitz:
Malinov:

But the spelled domination rotation, and the run-out rubbed salt in his wound. 

Guillaume Nolet at the FPS Main Event final table at EPT Monte Carlo

Domination rotation, part deux

It has been four years since Guillaume Nolet bagged a win and that wait will go on for the Montreal pro. Malinov hit hard again when it mattered.

Malinov was dominated again, this time with up against , but the board showed that when it's your day, there's no beating you.  

Down to just three and former professional sommelier Marco Gambini was hoping to celebrate with an appropriate victory drink. The 49-year-old eventually had to settle for third, however, with a traditional race sealing his fate.

Gambini:
Malinov:

Flop:

Turn:
River:

Virgile Turchi was runner-up at the FPS Main Event in Monte Carlo

Heads-up sees Malinov come from behind again

Heads-up saw Malinov facing Virgile Turchi, the latter living in Liverpool though originally from just along the French Riviera coast in Montpelier.

A couple of quick double-ups helped the Frenchman gain a foothold in the heads-up battle, but Malinov then took over and quickly re-established a commanding lead.

The finale saw the fall of the cards again favouring the Bulgarian.

Turchi:
Malinov:

Flop:
Turn:
River:

With that win, Malinov broke the the $1million lifetime earnings barrier courtesy of his biggest-ever cash.

FPS Main Event results