For a time yesterday, the France Poker Series Monaco Main Event had all but taken over the spacious main tournament room and second room (also large) dedicated primarily to cash games and smaller side events.

Such was necessary with greater than 700 here for Day 1B, but with just over 300 returning for Day 2 the tournament occupies just over 1/2 the principle tournament area, making today's first walkthrough less arduous than was the case an afternoon ago. And the sector is shrinking quickly as just over 50 players busted through the first level today.

John Bizzaro busted, but there wasn't anything strange about it.

Adrien Casanova went out, but we cannot overly romanticize that.

And Govert Metaal hit the rail as well, though only figuratively as if truth be told he just walked right past it.

Amid those knockouts, a scene over at Table 8 halted our progress early through the first level, as Team PokerStars Pro Christophe De Meulder was intently studying what appeared a knotty situation involving himself and two others (as pictured below).

Tough spot for Christophe

With about 12,000 within the middle and a board showing Q♣3♠K♣, De Meulder had led for 7,600, watched Simon Deadman call from a couple of seats over, then saw Rony Halimi, one of the who won his way into the development via a live satellite, set out four blue chips for a raise to 20,000. Looking wary as he did, De Meulder called the raise, and with less hesitation Deadman did as well.

The T♥ at the turn earned a cautious check from the Belgian, and again Deadman responded with a less circumspect version of the similar action. This time Halimi pushed his remaining stack of about 40,000 all in, and De Meulder didn't take long to fold. Deadman didn't need much time to make his decision, either, calling right away.

Halimi had flopped a suite with 3♣3♦, however the turn was right on for Deadman as he held A♣J♣ -- his flopped flush draw having become a Broadway straight.

Halimi wasn't a dead man to Deadman yet, but then a jack at the river sent him off as an early Day 2 casualty.

Post-hand table talk suggested it would has been ace-king giving De Meulder fits at the flop, though he avoided trouble at the turn. He fights on with about 85,000, while Deadman is now challenging for the chip lead with greater than 230,000.

Simon Deadman, looking lively

Key FPS Monaco Main Event Facts:- At first of Level 14, 261 players remain from the starting field of 993- Eliminations throughout the first hour included Yury Gulyy, Bryan Paris, and Team PokerStars Pro Matthias De Meulder (who began the day with 8,000)- Click here for an entire list of chip counts to start out Day 2- The tournament is scheduled to play 8 one-hour levels today, with 15-minute breaks every two levels (there's no dinner break)

To get the entire latest news, chip counts and payouts, make sure you download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

Martin Harris is Freelance Contributor to the PokerStars Blog.

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