I grabbed for my all-access badge, the one that I believe would give me the ability to rule Monaco for a day if I really wanted. I flashed it in their face, as politely as I could. "Oui?" I said. Of course, it was more of a question than answer.

"Non, non, non!"

How, I wondered, was it possible that I, a friendly blogger with an all-access badge, could be denied a place next to Mele's table. What was so special about the very spot I chose to stand?

I looked around, pretending to be oblivious to security's demands. It then became clear. I had entered the Trinity of Champions.

On one side of the triangle sat 2005 World Series Champion Joe Hachem, up on a riser and behind a rail. On another sat Chris Moneymaker, 2003 World Series Champion. On the final side sat Boris Becker, the tennis world's uber-champion. I now understood. Security wasn't worried I'd get in the way. They were worried I'd disappear into some black hole in the middle of a sort of Bermuda Triangle of competitiveness.

I maintained my position, however. Despite the inherent danger, I was determined to see what kind of stuff the PokerStars Passort holder had in his bag of tricks. If you're not familiar, Mele won a Tournament Leader Board competition at PokerStars that gave him the ability to travel the world on PokerStars' dime and enter ten big buy-in events.

Within minutes, I watched as Mele called a cut-off raise on the button. The flop came down ace-high and it went check-check. The turn was a blank and Mele's opponent put out a bet. Again, just a call from Mele. The river, again, a blank. This time, his opponenet checked and Mele counted out a bet. In it went.

After a short period of thought, Mele got the call.

"That's all you've got, huh?" his foe said.

On the table was a set of aces that had just taken someone for a short ride to Value Town.

With that, I escaped the Trinity of Champions and hopped off to a place where security personnel are more friendly to my wily ways.

Oui!

For more on one of those champions, check out this PokerStars Video Blog profile of Joe Hachem.

Getting to Monte Carlo to play in the PokerStars EPT Grand Final is an accomplishment in itself. The buy-in alone is enough to make this tournament among the most exclusive in the world. Here, though, among the elite players in the field, there is a certain place only a select group can go.

The PokerStars Player Lounge is open only to those folks who have made their way here through PokerStars. A quick walk though the room (outfitted with cold drinks, plasma TVs, cames, and soft leather seats) is a bit surreal.

In the corner, Daniel Negreanu is beseeching his Wii controller.

"Why won't it get over?" he shouts as his Wii bowling ball misses a strike by seven pins. Within seconds, he blames himself. "It's me," he admits.

Just a few feet away, Joe Hachem sits heads up in a Battleship Poker match. Just beyond that, Chis Moneymaker is tense and he battles all comers in a fooseball match.

If you're a PokerStars player here in Monte Carlo, feel free to come on down for a cold drink or a chat with a member of Team PokerStars Pro. You'll be greeted by these lovely ladies, Pip and Beatrice.

For more of a look around Monte Carlo and a few words from Team PokerStars Pro Raymond Rahme, check out the latest video blog.

It seems the notes are working then and he's doing the same here. It's no piece of scrap paper or back of a napkin. This thing is a leather bound folio... and a nice pen.

Today he sits opposite Team PokerStars Pro Isabelle Mercier, fingers loaded with sparkling rings, decked as she is in black clothes and black cap emblazoned with the word "Faith", blond hair flowing from it.

She's in a hand when I pass by, a board fully dealt that shows four diamonds. Isabelle made it 2,500 on the turn with the player to her immediate left to act. He called. When a fourth diamond came on the river, she checked and waited, a Blue Gin (the name of the bar at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel) plastic ice cube as her card protector flashing blue lights in front of her.

There's a bet now from her opponent now, a single 5,000 white chip on the felt. Her foe quietly annouces his bet, putting the focus back on Isabelle. But Isabelle is a top player and knows her options are limited. Her opponent cas committed himself to the pot. She folds, looks up into the rafters for a second and mouths a few words to herself, with 10k or so left in front of her.

A few tables away the words "Ivey's done "pretty much sum up Phil Ivey's day. A few minutes earlier he'd been getting a massage, now he was settling the bill, picking up his coat and leaving the tournament room.
Johannes makes a bet pre-flop bet, gets called by the player in seat nine and they see a flop of 7-4-T. Johannes makes it 1,200, called, and both check the king on the turn.

Johannes stays still through all this, each time he places his chips in the pot he leaves his hand there for a while. Then he makes it 2,200 after the river brings a nine. Again no movement and his hand stays in front of him, half in, half out of the pot.

"Call."

Johannes shows his pocket queens and watches his opponent for some sign of victory or defeat. He knows the longer that takes the more likely this hand to have a happy ending. It does, he back up to 14k and has a few more lines for the notebook.