Day 3 has concluded at the 2014 European Poker Tour (EPT) Grand Final, with the field shrinking from 123 players to just 41. Malte Moennig made a move from fifth at the start of the day to first at the end of it, tripling his chip count and going into Day 4 as the only player with over a million chips.
Though Moennig’s stack of 1,150,000 chips is the only seven-figure stack in the tournament, he has not pulled away from the field by any means. Sebastian Von Toperczer is close behind with 996,000, as are Eros Nastasi (995,000) and Mayu Roca (946,000). The chip counts start to spread out from there, with only one play in the 800,000’s and just four more at 700,000 or above.
It was late in the day that Moennig made the final leaps to the top of the leader board. Just after winning a big hand, he called a 123,000 chip all-in by Latvia’s Mihails Morozovs. Moennig had A♠-Q♠, dominating Morozovs’ A♦-J♣. The A♥-5♣-4♦ changed nothing, but the J♦ fell on the river, giving Morozovs the lead and a chance to stay alive. The odds gods flipped on the river, though, dealing the Q♦ and giving Moennig the hand.
Moennig spoke with PokerNews.com after the day was done, mentioning that hand as well as how he rose to the head of the class, saying, “At the early tables I had a really tough set up with tough competition, but it was quite easy going. I chipped up constantly. I won a big one with ace king but that was without showdown. And I won one with ace-queen suited against ace-jack right after I moved here. He hit a jack on the turn, but I hit a queen on the river.”
Moennig has already guaranteed himself a €24,400 payday, which, once it is official, will be the largest of his live tournament career. According to TheHendonMob.com, the German has just two live cashes, both coming in 2012. His biggest one also happens to be at this very same EPT Grand Final, when he finished 65th for €20,000. So he’s already on pace to at least double his all-time earnings.
Today will be a fairly short day as far as major tournaments are concerned; action will stop after either five 90-minute levels or when there are 16 players left, whichever happens sooner.
2014 European Poker Tour Grand Final – Day 3 Chip Leaders
1. Malte Moennig – 1,150,000
2. Sebastian Von Toperczer – 996,000
3. Eros Nastasi – 995,000
4. Mayu Roca – 946,000
5. Nicholas Petrangelo – 840,000
6. Scott Clements – 797,000
7. Matias Ruzzi – 746,000
8. Kenny Hicks – 738,000
9. Miroslav Alilovic – 700,000
10. Hendrik Latz – 680,000
