Just as the first section players went to dinner, Fabrice Soulier was shoving in as many spots as he could manage. He first pushed against the small blind's raise who then called with [ah][2d].

"I have only looked at one," said Soulier turning over the [kd] but looked decidedly unhappy realising he was dominated, his other card being the [2h].

He was in luck though, the flop coming [8s][Ks][5s]. Things seemed even better on the [2s] turn, but the river brought a fifth spade - the [10s] chopping the pot.

Soulier pushed again soon after with [ad][8s], quickly called by [qd][qs] in the blinds. The flop was about as good as it could get without Soulier taking the lead, landing as it did [8d][5d][3d]. The [8h] turn and [3h] river sealed the double-up. Just in time for dinner.

As the other tables resumed Jason Mercier and Phil Laak got involved in a big pot. With blinds at 1,200-2,400 Mercier raised pre-flop to 6,300 with Laak calling from the cut-off. The big blind came along for the ride.

All three checked the [ac][2d][3c] flop before Mercier fired 9,600 on the [qd] turn. Laak was the only caller, and he bet 16,600 when Mercier checked to him on the [jd] river.

Off came Mercier's glasses as Laak stayed statue-like, but Mercier would reluctantly muck. Laak's stack now approaches something better than 'comfortable'.

Most stories about Joao Barbosa feature a recap of the Portuguese's seven cashes this season and of his EPT Warsaw title. Let's skip that this time, for Barbosa won't be making it eight. He's out, and it looks like we might have a new chip leader...

Barbosa had been playing a lean stack for some time. At one point today he was up to more than 70,000, then slumped to 35,000 before rallying slightly to 52,000. Finding pocket deuces in the cut off Barbosa shoved.

Vadim Shlez was right next to him on the button. He paused, then asked for a count. Barbosa's stack was spread out and counted as Shlez looked on. After another minute Shlez announced call, his hulk of a stack dwarfing that of Barbosa which was now laying exposed in the middle. It would look even worse when Shlez turned over [ad][ac].

Shlez hit a third ace on the flop and a fourth on the river, but by then his season was all over. Barbosa stood still for a second, looking back at the board before leaving. No number eight, but seven cashes in one season may take some beating.

That left Shlez adding even more to his stack, a Goliath that now measures more than 420,000. The New Yorker is the likely chip leader now but other names are emerging, including that of PokerStars qualifier Leonardo Patacconi, in pursuit with 320,000.

Luca Pagano finished day 1a with only his Team PokerStars Pro colleague Lee Nelson ahead of him in the counts. But after the second of the two day ones was complete, a handful of others sandwiched themselves between the two, and although Nelson still leads the charge as we enter the dinner break on day two, Pagano has been overtaken by a few more.

Nothing really to worry about: the Italian still has way north of 150,000 in chips, which, with blinds at 1,200-2,400 (200 ante) and as much experience as Pagano has, still represents plenty of play.

Luca Pagano

He still hasn't had it all his own way, however, and the arrival to his table of Mikke Norinder and Michael Watson, both to his left, can't exactly have been to Pagano's liking. Norinder rapidly accumulated more than 250,000 chips today, and Watson, despite starting with little more than a handful (and being reported out by me someone at PokerStars Blog) has also moved up to about 100,000.

Norinder, who made the final table at EPT Prague on season four, is a classically aggressive Scandinavian, and recently fired 14,400 into a pot of around 30,000 with the board showing [6c][2s]6s][ah][js]. "Show ace-jack," Pagano said, as he folded. Norinder politely declined.

Watson first came to our attention as the captain of the Canada team in the World Cup of Poker in 2007, but since then has gone on to even more spectacular exploits. "SirWatts" took down the $15,000 Bellagio Cup shortly after last year's World Series, good for $1,673,770, and he was back on the EPT early this season, finishing third in the Million Pound Showdown at the London leg. Another $440,000 cashed.

As mentioned, some fool I previously reported Watson as out of this tournament, having noticed him with a short stack early in the day, and then not in that seat about an hour later. But Watson is, in fact, still alive and healthy as we enter level 13.

****

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All sorts of things have been described as being made up of long periods of boredom, punctuated with moments of sheer terror. Combat missions perhaps, yearly tax returns and trips to the dentist. Add to that list playing on the same table as Annette Obrestad.

Just as there are many examples of the above, you could fill books with adjectives used to describe Obrestad, a polite, well spoken 20-year-old when off duty, a chilling axe- wielding poker slayer on the baize.

After a period of consolidation*, her ruthless efficiency was demonstrated in two hands coming one after the other** against a player I've granted anonymity.

With three players seeing the flop of [9c][js][5s] each checked for a turn card [3d]. Obrestad's bet from late position was good enough.

On the next hand Obrestad led the betting pre-flop, 14,000 which again the seat three player called for a [qs][4d][8d] flop. Each checked to the [kc] turn, Obrestad again checking before facing a 15,500 raise. Slowly she picked off the different coloured chips from her stack, a careful almost hypnotic display you can't quite keep your eyes off, and threw in the call. The river [5s] and more betting from seat three, 25,700 in total. Obrestad called, up against [10h][10d], which was easily swept aside by her own [ah][kh].

That would normally be enough to prove how Obrestad can turn a game on it's head, but heading into the break she was up to 270,000 with people gathering round to take a picture of her stack. "I just won another 50,000 in the last hand" she said by way of explanation. Ace-queen vs king-deuce, Obrestad making a straight on the river. She has the chip leaders in sight.

* the boredom
** the sheer terror

David Williams had a really good rush earlier, putting him among the chip leaders with more than 200,000. Recently, however, he has dropped back to less than 100,000. The former World Series Main Event runner-up has been playing a lot of hands but without much success in the past hour. Most recently, he check-called two streets of a [jh][4s][2h][7h][ac] board for bets of 3,500 and 10,000 before giving up to a 20,000 bet on the river.

Dennis Phillips is another seemingly stationary stack. He was just chatting to Chris Ferguson about a lack of hands (Ferguson is also still in) and how they both have been forced to wait to make their moves. As Ferguson returned to his seat, Phillips shouted after him, "Of course, now that I've said all that, I'll probably find queens and bust!"

Ilari Sahamies, on the same table as Dennis Phillips and Sorel Mizzi

Two players that aren't missing any action on Dennis Phillips' table though are Sorrel Mizzi and Ilari Sahamies, who are continuing to spar frequently. The latest victory went to the Finn who bet 20,000 on the river of a [8d][10h][6c][2d][5s] board, getting a fold from his Canadian opponent that he may or may not have wanted.

There's been an almighty cull of players in Monte Carlo this afternoon - we're down to 319 of the starting 520-odd. The top pros have not been spared the slaughter and the latest sweep of the room suggests that Victor Ramdin, Chad Brown, Noah Boeken, Raymond Rahme and Vanessa Rousso have all be swept away, likewise Joe Beevers, Richard Ashby and Mike Watson.

Noah Boeken

Victoria Coren has the sorriest of all tales to tell: she lost to two two-outers, both times to Wooka Kim, and is now out of the tournament. The first hand was a threes versus kings encounter, costing the Team Pro 30,000. The second, and terminal, encounter was aces over tens, with a ten on the flop. Kim has turned her ten big blinds into about 150,000, while Coren is off to the beach.

Victoria Coren

Better news for Joe "Ender555" Ebanks, who is busy stacking gold chips as if they're going out of fashion. Similarly, Lee "Final Table" Nelson continues to angle towards fulfilling the prophecy of his nickname as he is the first the pass 300,000.

Most recently, he eliminated Aleksander Strandli, who finished third here in 2006, when Jeff Williams won. But Strandli won't be reliving those glory days as Nelson's A-6 on a 6-6-2 flop proved too much for A-K. They got it all in pre-flop, with some history between them to explain what might appear to be some loose play.

Lee Nelson

Nelson is running very very hot so far in Monaco.

Leo Fernandez is one of the newest members of Team PokerStars Pro and two levels in to day two has shown a remarkable sense of timing. The former semi-pro chess player is known to be a bit of an adrenaline junkie away from the tables and today he's played in the same wa. Starting today Fernandez had just 4,000. His first hand was spent folding the big blind, leaving him 2,800. But then he took off on a double up spree to reach 72,000. It makes his last minute decision to jet in and play the Grand Final an inspired one.

Sitting next to him is Lance Funston who a few moments ago signed up for what could have been the shortest massage in EPT history, getting into position for his shoulders to be bent in all sorts of directions just as he moved all-in for 50,000. He got some interest but eventually the potential challengers folded. Funston showed pocket kings. The massage goes on.

There's some pretty daunting tables out on the floor today but none perhaps are quite so bad as table eight, which features some of the most fearsome professional players around. So without further ado, here's a round on the table of doom. Even as I start Ilari Sahamies wins a huge pot against Ruthenberg with queens against ace-king to put him over the 120,000 mark, giving us the following chip counts (approx) at the start of the round:

Seat 1: Dennis Phillips - 115,000
Seat 2: Walid Bou Habib - 180,000
Seat 3: Sorrel Mizzi - 83,000
Seat 4: Sergiy Polishchuk - 145,000
Seat 5: Liya Gerasimova - 33,000
Seat 6: Ilari Sahamies - 120,000
Seat 7: Sebastian Ruthenberg - 42,000
Seat 8: Henrik Gwinner - 22,000
Seat 9: Wladimir Stephanian - 24,000

The blinds are are 600-1,200 with a 100 running ante and we're in the second level of day two.

Hand one:
The button is on Sebastian Ruthenberg, Habib limps for 1,200 and Polishchuk limps behind, it gets passed to Henrik Gwinner in the small blind. The Dane, who just missed out on the final table last year, raises to 6,100. Habib calls and then Polishchuk reraises to 26,500. Gwinner calls all-in and Habib folds. Polishchuk flips [ac][ah] and Gwinner shows [as][9h] saying, "I need some nines."

The board comes out [5h][4s][6h][Qd][2d] and Gwinner is eliminated by the Bulgarian.

Hand two:
Sorrel Mizzi raises to 3,200 from early position but then Ilari Sahamies reraises to 9,700 from mid. Everyone folds, including Mizzi.

Hand three:
Sorrel Mizzi raises again to 3,200, this time from under-the-gun, and everyone gives him some respect and folds.

Hand four:
It's passed around to Wladimir Stephanian, who raises to 3,600 from the cut-off. Dennis Phillips folds on the button but then Walid Bou Habib makes it 11,600 from the small blind. Mizzi folds, Stephanian sighs and moves all-in for 22,200 total. Habib makes the obligatory call with [7c][7d] and the Dutchman shows [Ah][Qd]. A board of [js][qh][5c][3d][6c] doubles up Stephanian to about 45,000. Habib down to 150,000.

Hand five:
It's passed around to Sebastian Ruthenberg who raises to 3,100 and everyone folds and he purloins the valuable blinds and antes.

Just before the next hand, Peter Gould comes and sits down in Henrik Gwinner's old seat eight with about 80,000.

Hand six:
Sebastian Ruthenberg raises to 2,700 from early position and Peter Gould immediately makes it 9,500 next to him. "You come here and you take all the money," sighs Sorrel Mizzi as he folds. Ruthenberg folds and as Gould adds to his stack he simply says, "I wish."

Hand seven:
It's passed around to Sergiy Polishchuk on the button who raises to 4,100. Sahamies gives him a long cold stare but eventually folds the big blind.

Hand eight:
Sorrel Mizzi makes it his traditional 3,200, this time from the hijack. Sahamies and Ruthenberg decide not to tangle with him and fold the blinds.

Hand nine:
Mizzi raises once again to 3,200. He's easily the most aggressive player on the table. Peter Gould makes the call before telling Mizzi to "Take them glasses off!" The flop is [ac][kh][7d], Gould checks and Mizzi bets 3,400, Gould instantly folds saying, "You've missed the flop again."

Mizzi: "I have to bet if I miss."

Hand ten:
It's passed around to Peter Gould in the small blind who just calls. Stephanian checks his option in the big blind. The flop is [7s][6d][2c], Gould bets 2,200 and Stephanian calls. On the [qd] turn Gould bets 3,200 and Stephanian now raises to 9,000. A quick call from Gould results in them seeing a [4h] river, Gould plays with his chips for a while and it looks like he might bet, but he checks to Stephanian. The Dutchman thinks for about two minutes before betting out 20,500 and Gould gives it up fairly sharpish.

That concluded the round, but soon after Peter Gould was eliminated with kings against Sahamies' A-Q. Sahamies is up to more than 200,000 now - a great spot to make a charge deep at the Grand Final.