Is Another Major Title on the Cards for Scotland's Docherty?
David Docherty is no stranger to big scores on the PokerStars felt and is in pursuit of another major live title following his breakout year in 2023.
Last April, Docherty turned $109 into a �365,000 payday thanks to his victory at the Irish Open Main Event and then rounded out the winter months with a Super High Roller triumph on the UK & Ireland Poker Tour that saw him clinch the UKIPT Player of the Year accolade. You can't forget either that the precursor to his hot form began with making the final table of the Main Event at EPT London in 2022, where he bowed out in seventh place for ��103,700.
Now, the Scottish supernova has the chance to add to his burgeoning legacy at the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Monte Carlo, as he heads into Day 4 of the EPT Monte Carlo Main Event with a top-five stack (1,680,000).
When play resumes at Sporting Monte-Carlo at 12 p.m. local time, Docherty will find himself at the same table as chip leader Selahaddin Bedir (1,895,000). Will the two behemoths avoid each other? Or will fireworks ignite to see a tournament-defining moment?
Jonathan Guedes (1,810,000), Francisco Benitez (1,755,000) and Natan Chauskin (1,745,000) are the players that separate Bedir and Docherty in the chip counts, and will of course be looking to the steal the spotlight for themselves in this record-breaking event.
EPT Monte Carlo Main Event Top 10 Chip Stacks
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Selahaddin Bedir | Turkey | 1,895,000 | 126 |
| 2 | Jonathan Guedes | Brazil | 1,810,000 | 120 |
| 3 | Francisco Benitez | Uruguay | 1,755,000 | 117 |
| 4 | Natan Chauskin | Belarus | 1,745,000 | 116 |
| 5 | David Docherty | United Kingdom | 1,680,000 | 112 |
| 6 | Jovan Kenjic | Serbia | 1,610,000 | 107 |
| 7 | Nathan Tetart | France | 1,445,000 | 96 |
| 8 | Boris Angelov | Bulgaria | 1,170,000 | 78 |
| 9 | Adrian Mateos | Spain | 1,160,000 | 77 |
| 10 | Vladimir Troyanovskiy | Russia | 1,100,000 | 73 |
The Man with One Million Subs Still on the Hunt for �1,000,000
Another player to watch is Alexander Seibt. Better known as Wolfgang Poker, the vlogger has more than one million subscribers on YouTube and has a legion of fans following his deep run in his first EPT Main Event.
Seibt found himself in the bottom half of the chip counts for much of Day 3 but managed to rally to the middle of the pack of the 49 survivors thanks to a double-up on the last hand of the night. His pocket pair remained best against Enrico Camosci's ace-jack to see his chip count grow to 620,000, the biggest it's been so far.
While mostly found in the cash game streets, Seibt has put in notable performances in other tournaments. He played the WSOP Main Event last summer and made the money but there's something about this run that he finds extra special.
"Honestly, I'm more excited for this deep run than I was in the Main in Vegas," said Seibt at the end of Day 3. "There's something different about it here. [sic] Just representing the USA."
"Everything's been top-notch, from the floor to the dealers. The production on the livestream was amazing. They're getting 8,000 concurrent viewers on just the English stream...it's just gnarly, so I would definitely come back for the next one."
The Plan for Day 4
As mentioned, play gets underway at midday, with 49 players returning for the action. Everyone who's made it this far has locked up �17,500, with the next pay jump coming at 39th place (�20,100).
The tournament is on Level 21, where the blinds are 10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 big blind ante. The plan is to play until 16 players remain, with breaks taking place after each level's completion.
Alongside the PokerNews updates, cards-up coverage of the feature table will be available on PokerStars' live streaming channels. The broadcast will kick off at 12:30 p.m.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | �1,000,000 | 12-13 | �58,500 |
| 2 | �620,500 | 14-15 | �48,800 |
| 3 | �442,900 | 16-17 | �40,600 |
| 4 | �340,500 | 18-20 | �35,100 |
| 5 | �261,700 | 21-23 | �30,500 |
| 6 | �201,000 | 24-27 | �26,500 |
| 7 | �154,900 | 28-31 | �23,100 |
| 8 | �119,000 | 32-39 | �20,100 |
| 9 | �91,500 | 40-49 | �17,500 |
| 10-11 | �70,300 |
As always, stay tuned to keep up with all the happenings at Monte Carlo. Sit back, relax, and watch the stories of the felt unfold.