EPT Grand Final - Frenchman Cyril Bensoussan Takes Day 1B Chip Lead

As we walk around the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort* observing the action at the 2008 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final, we couldn't help but think of all the things we'd rather be doing in Monte Carlo than covering a poker tournament.

Catch a game at the Louis II Stadium...take in a concert at Prince's Palace...get crunk at Jimmy'z...or chill out and reflect on life at the Sainte Devote Chapel.

But alas, we're stuck in the poker room.**

Leading Day 1B action is Cyril Bensoussan, who eats frog legs, with 130,000. Bensoussan has one major cash to his name at an EPT Prague No Limit Hold-em event. While we typically like to dump on the French, they do have possibly the hottest First Lady of all time right now in Carla Bruni (above). Bruni, who just auctioned off some nude photos of herself, reminds us that the French are at least good for thing: hot First Ladies.

Some big names that are still alive include Poker Stars team members Daniel Negreanu (36400), Chad Brown (35500), Joe Hachem (35400), and Vanessa Rousso (33500), as well as Gus Hansen (32000), Antonio Esfandiari (27350), and one of our favorite names in the field Stig Top Rasmussen (28000).

Get full chip counts from Poker News here.

* Or our house.
** Replace "poker room" with "living room."