GGPOKER

The European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo Main Event has concluded, with Russian player Aleksandr Shevliakov claiming the championship and a €1,000,000 prize. However, what has captured attention is not his poker prowess but rather his knack for exploiting rule loopholes. In Chinese, this is called (exploiting rule loopholes), known in English as "angle shooting." It refers to taking advantage of ambiguities or gaps in the rules in an unethical, though not outright illegal, manner to gain an unfair edge. While it’s not blatant cheating, angle shooting leaves a bad taste, often seen as dishonorable behavior that reputable players avoid. Angle shooting takes many forms, and whether a player’s action is intentional or accidental often sparks debate. Clearly, Shevliakov’s play in this hand has stirred significant controversy. Opinions vary, but I’ll first share the details of the hand, and you can form your own judgment.

Hand Details

The tournament had reached the six-handed final table, with blinds at 60,000/120,000 and a 120,000 big blind ante. Canadian player Jamil Wakil, the unfortunate victim in this hand, raised to 270,000 from under the gun with Q♦J♦. The action folded to Shevliakov in the small blind, who verbally announced a raise to 360,000.GGPoker This raise size was invalid because Wakil had already raised to 270,000, meaning the minimum raise would have been 420,000. Shevliakov’s explanation was that he thought no one had acted before him and he was only raising against the big blind. The dealer called the floor, and after review, the floor ruled that Shevliakov’s three-bet had to be at least 420,000. He complied, completing the raise, and the big blind folded.

Now it was Wakil’s turn to act.

Wakil had to weigh his options. Against a standard three-bet, his QJ might not hold up, likely forcing a fold or a call at best. However, Shevliakov’s raise was based on the apparent belief that he was raising only against the big blind, suggesting a much wider and likely weaker range. Given Wakil’s initial raise from under the gun, he saw an opportunity to apply pressure and shoved all-in for 3.895 million. To his shock, Shevliakov snap-called and revealed A♥K♥, acting surprised himself. Wakil watched in disbelief as the board ran out 10♣7♠3♣6♣, eliminating him in sixth place.

Was It Intentional?

Many suspect Shevliakov acted deliberately, pretending to be unaware of Wakil’s raise to make his hand appear weak while holding a premium hand to trap his opponent. When Wakil took the bait and shoved, Shevliakov was ready to call. Post-match, Shevliakov apologized, telling reporters: “I reviewed the footage. I thought I was raising from the small blind into an unopened pot, and only then did I realize Wakil had already raised. So, I wasn’t angle shooting or doing it on purpose. I feel bad for him, but that’s how it played out. It was my mistake, and he was the victim. I’m truly sorry.” Mistakes like this can happen unintentionally, but Wakil wasn’t convinced, especially after hearing that Shevliakov had allegedly pulled a similar move against another player when about 20 players remained. According to the broadcast, commentators noted that, based on viewer observations, Shevliakov had not verbally announced a raise once during the entire final table until this hand. One commentator called this “ironclad evidence” of intent. Another found the observation “very interesting.” Ultimately, only Shevliakov knows his true intentions, but everyone has their own perspective.

Other Controversial Incidents

The final table saw additional controversies. Third-place finisher Boris Angelov repeatedly left the table to check the live broadcast with a 30-minute delay at the spectator area with friends. Another issue involved Shevliakov again. He failed to place his hole cards correctly in the sensor area, making them partially unreadable on the broadcast. Angelov protested, stating that if Shevliakov wasn’t required to place his cards properly, he wouldn’t either. As a result, the organizers issued temporary rules: no electronic devices in the spectator area and all players must properly place their hole cards. In the end, Shevliakov defeated Ukrainian player Khossein Kokhestani to claim the title. Notably, both the champion and runner-up were non-professional players.