The European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo Main Event played down to a final table of eight today, taking the remaining players one step closer to the €825,000 first-place prize.
From a field of 1,011 entrants, 20 players returned to the tables at Sporting Monte-Carlo today – each hoping to survive the chaos of Day 5. Bernhard Binder, the 2025 WSOP Super Main Event winner, began the day as the chip leader and wielded his stack to great effect – notching four of the day's eliminations to end Day 5 right where he started at the top of the chip counts. With more than twenty big blinds separating Binder from his nearest competitor, he's positioned himself well to capture yet another Main Event title.
The win is far from guaranteed, however, as Binder will have to navigate his way through a final table rife with talent and experience – get to know them below.
Seat 1: Jose Malpelli - 2,300,000 (18 big blinds)
As the shortest stack still in contention, all eyes will be on France's Jose Malpelli when play gets underway tomorrow. With ICM implications abound for everyone else at the table, Malpelli will be comparatively free to play his game – or, he can try to nurse his stack and attempt to ladder up. Based on his play during Day 5, the latter feels unlikely.
Malpelli's profile on the Hendon Mob lists only $9,505 in recorded cashes. With €99,450 locked up, he's already multiplied that figure by more than ten – and there's only more to gain.
Seat 2: Bernhard Binder - 7,250,000 (58 big blinds)
Austria's Bernhard Binder knows how to close out a final table in a large-field Main Event. With the Super Main Event title under his belt, Binder now has the chance to add EPT glory to his resume.
Binder's $13,151,514 in recorded cashes have come in short order – his first cash came in August of 2022 and he's showing no signs of slowing down.
Seat 3: Roman Stoica - 3,200,000 (26 big blinds)
Roman Stoica will start the final frame of play smack dab in the middle of the counts.
The Russian captured EPT glory last year in Barcelona, winning a Mystery Bounty event for $376,826 – his best live cash to date.
Stoica can improve on that figure with a podium finish in Monte Carlo, but he'll have to outlast the other stacks clustered around him to do so.
Seat 4: Samuel Ju - 4,000,000 (32 big blinds)
Germany's Samuel Ju was the only other player to hold the chip lead at any point on Day 5 – briefly wrangling it from Binder momentarily before the Austrian resumed control.
Ju's $1,098,000 high score means he won't be setting a personal best with a win in Monte Carlo, but that surely won't matter to him if he walks away with the title.
Seat 5: Longmao Fan - 2,475,000 (20 big blinds)
China's Longmao Fan has his work cut out for him as he will start proceedings with the second-shortest stack in play.
With only $623,001 in recorded cashes, Fan has a shot to more than double his career earnings if he manages to spin his stack into a win.
Seat 6: David Dijan - 3,625,000 (29 big blinds)
France's David Dijan has already exceeded his lifetime earnings with the €99,450 eighth-place prize money.
With just shy of 30 big blinds to work with, Dijan might be able to increase his earnings further with a couple of pay ladders.
Seat 7: Oshri Lahmani - 2,950,000 (24 big blinds)
Oshri Lahmani, of Israel, caught a fortunate river card to make a broadway straight with 
against Binder's 
late on Day 5 – and he made the most of it by battling on to reach the final eight.
Lahmani's $1,142,535 in recorded cashes and high score of $315,098 prove he knows how to comport himself with big payouts on the line. With a workable stack of 24 big blinds, anything is possible for the Israeli.
Seat 8: Raul Mestre - 4,525,000 (36 big blinds)
PokerStars Team Pro Raul Mestre is representing his employer with aplomb by making a run in one of its most iconic flagship events.
With over 35 big blinds to wield, Mestre can apply pressure to the shorter stacks when Binder isn't involved in hands – but he'll have to tread carefully as ICM pressure mounts.
