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6:44pm: Hey presto for Staples
Level 18- Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000 ante)
"Aieeyah," said Jaime Staples when he saw he was all in and in bad shape with [5h][5s] against Yew Kan's [8h][8c].
It was a blind on blind battle that had escalated into war, with Staples all in for his final 143,000 from the big blind. The [5h][7c][4s] flop meant Staples went from worst to first. He stayed there on the [Ac] turn and [7s] river, making a full-house just for good measure. --NW
Jaime Staples -- 294,000
Yew Kan -- 90,000
6:41pm: Wigg wounded
Level 18 - Blinds 3,000-6,000 (1,000 ante)
Maria Lampropulos open-shoved for 50,000 and Anton Wigg reshoved from two seats along. Wigg had about 150,000. Everyone else folded and those two turned over their hands.
Wigg: [ac][tc]
Lampropulos: [ad][7s]
The flop caused a couple of gasps from people who are still impressed by poker flops. It came [9h][9c][7c]. Wigg didn't hit his flush draw on the [9d] turn and, in fact, Lampropulos improved to a full house. The [5h] didn't change anything and Lampropulos doubles up to leave Wigg in trouble. --HS
6:31pm: Crazy Diamond
Level 18 - Blinds 3,000-6,000 (1,000 ante)
Cathal Shine shines on, getting his last 76,000 in with [7s][7h] and finding Adrian Mateos amenable with his [ah][js]. The board missed the overcards, though. It came [kc][4h][qh][6h][qd]. --HS
6:30pm: Schillhabel busts to Akenhead, Kisacikoglu doubles through Kan
Level 18 - Blinds 3,000-6,000 (1,000 ante)
All the action for the last few hands has been at the table currently housing Raiden Kan, James Akenhead, and Scott Margereson.
First off, German pro Stefan Schillhabel was knocked out by James Akenhead when he ran his ace queen into pocket aces.
Then Turkey's Orpen Kisacikoglu shoved his last 30,000 in from the small blind and Kan announced his call with a big slam down of a 25,000 chip. He had pocket fives, while Kan had the [kh][3d]. Kan couldn't catch a king and Kisacikoglu doubles to 64,000. --JS
6:27pm: Blind battles at opposite ends of the leaderboard
Level 18 - Blinds 3,000-6,000 (1,000 ante)
Two blind battles just resulted in called all-in bets, but the ledger will show one outdraw and one elimination.
The outdraw first. Mazin Khoury shoved from the small blind with a stack of about 50,000 and Ivan Deyra called from the big blind with a stack of only about double that. Both men were desperate.
Khoury had [7s][6h] and Deyra [ks][9s] but the latter was left wincing when the board ran [5s][5h][jc][4d][3h] and Khoury's straight earned him a double-up. Khoury now has about 100,000 and Deyra about half.
It was a more complicated affair over on table four -- and two significantly bigger hands. Richard Dubini, for long periods among the chip leaders here in Dublin, opened from the small blind, then called Adrian Mateos's three bet from the big blind. (Frank Williams reported this after the event.)
If I tell you that Mateos had [as][ad] and Dubini had [ac][qh] and the flop came [2c][qd][4s], you can guess how the betting went. (You're going to have to. I didn't see it.) But they were all in by the [3h] turn.
There was heaps in the middle at this stage -- so much so that the dealer had to check if Mateos had Dubini's stack of 190,000 covered. Mateos did indeed have more because Dubini was heading home after the [2d] came on the river.
Mateos is now playing about 680,000. --HS
6:16pm: One in, one out
Level 18 - Blinds 3,000-6,000 (1,000 ante)
Two big hands in a row at Table 6 have resulted in one elimination and one double up.
The first of the two hands involved Adrien Allain and Matias Ruzzi and ended with Ruzzi all in for 264,000 with [Qh][9h] and Allain looking to land the knockout blow with [Ad][Kd].
After the [Th][7h][2s] flop had been dealt, Allain was on his feet fearing the worst. His fears were confirmed on the [6h] turn as it left him drawing dead. He pushed the vast majority of his chips over to Ruzzi and looked utterly dejected at losing that big pot.
Whilst Ruzzi was still stacking his chips Jiachen Gong moved all in from the small blind, an effective shove of just 31,000 as Felix Lambertz was short on chips. The German called all in with [Kd][8h] and just needed the Poker Gods to smile on him as Gong had [Jc][2c]. The deserted him in his hand of need though as the [4s][Jh][As][4c][7d] board favoured Gong and Lambertz was eliminated. --NW
Matias Ruzzi -- 547,000
Jiachen Gong -- 500,000
Adrien Allain -- 120,000
Felix Lambertz -- 0
6:09pm: No room at Bernies' Inn
Level 18 - Blinds 3,000-6,000 (1,000 ante)
Andrew Chen departs, leaving the feature table stage and heading to the payouts desk. He had [9c][9s] against Gilles Bernies' [jh][jd]. They got it in preflop. The board of [as][ah][3h][2d][2c] did not help Chen. --HS
6:05pm: Rudnik bluffs every street, busts to Banic
Level 18 - Blinds 3,000-6,000 (1,000 ante)
Michal Rudnik just got knocked out in a way that's arguably more crushing mentally than a bad beat -- when you bluff all three streets and get caught out for it all.
It started with an open to 12,000 from Ivan Banic, the man who led the field coming into Day 3. It folded around to Rudnik in the small blind and he put out a three-bet to 32,000, which Banic called.
Then came the [4h][7c][7s] flop, and Rudnik continued his aggression with a 28,000 bet. Banic called again, leading to the [2d] turn. Now the bet was 51,000, and Banic went nowhere.
On the [3d] river, there was only one move for Rudnik if he wanted to stay aggressive, and that was an all-in shove for around 80,000. He did just that, and Banic snap-called, turning over the [ah][as].
Rudnik instantly mucked, but the dealer revealed his [kc][5c] for absolutely zilch. Rudnik went off to collect his winnings, while Banic stacked his winnings in chips. He now has 565,000. --JS
6:01pm: Soulier busts; Neuville doesn't
Level 18 - Blinds 3,000-6,000 (1,000 ante)
There were two players all in and called on neighbouring tables and, when two boards had been dealt, one of them was out and the other stacking a boosted pile of chips.
First, the elimination. Fabrice Soulier had only 36,000 when he shoved from early position. Mikael Jean called from a couple of seats around and everyone else left them to it.
Soulier had [ah][jh] and the lead against Jean's [qc][kd]. But the board ran [3c][tc][2c][2d][qd] and the river killed Soulier.
Pierre Neuville had a handful more than Soulier did when he got his full stack in the middle with [as][qh] against Pierre Calamusa's [ah][5h]. Neuville stands up whenever he is all in, even when he is dominating. But he sat down pretty quickly after the dealer span through a board of [ks][8s][6d][th][8d]. --HS
5:54pm: Komaromi down... and out
Level 18 - Blinds 3,000-6,000 (1,000 ante)
Alex Komaromi and Francisco Correia De Oliveira have been at the feature table for the first three levels, but as soon as their table was moved off the feature table they clashed in a pot that would've made for great viewing on EPT Live.
Ben Winsor opened to 15,000, Correia De Oliveira three-bet to 38,000, and Komaromi moved all in. Winsor folded, but Correia De Oliveira called all in. He was the shorter stack of the two with 139,000 total.
Correia De Oliveira: [Ah][Ac]
Komaromi: [Ad][Kh]
The [3c][4h][As][8s][9s] board meant there was no ace cracking this time round and it left Komaromi with just 28,000.
Just a few hands later Komaromi moved all in for 17,000 with [Ks][4s], and Correia De Oliveira finished the job with [Ad][2s]. --NW
5:45pm: Kruk continues to lead; 74 remain
Level 18 - Blinds 3,000-6,000 (1,000 ante)
As the new level begins, Christopher Kruk is back in the top spot in the counts with 835,000, with Frank Williams his nearest challenger 800,000. Get the latest chip counts by clicking here. --SB
5:42pm: Level 18 begins
Level 18 - Blinds 3,000-6,000 (1,000 ante)
The 74 remaining players have returned from the break and Level 18 has begun. --MH
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5:22pm: Break it up
Three levels down, two to go here on Day 3 at the EPT12 Dublin Main Event. Players are enjoying another 20-minute respite before rejoining the battle. --MH
5:21pm: Players might giggle at his stare, but Mike McDonald is now staring at more chips
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
The Mike McDonald stare is infamous in poker circles. But, let's face it, it's pretty funny. Especially when he's staring at a player sat right next to him.
In the hand I just caught, that player was Rodrigo "Peppa Pig" Perez (see 4:16pm post below for a nickname explanation). Sitting to McDonald's immediate right, Perez limped the small blind and McDonald bumped it up to 14,000. Perez called and the two went to a flop -- [2c][7h][ts] -- and here's when the giggling started.
McDonald stared sternly. About 10 inches from Perez's face.
Perez found it pretty funny, as did all the players at the table. He tried to make McDonald crack by raising his eyebrows cheekily, but McDonald remained focused. Everyone but McDonald was having a good old giggle.
Then, somewhat surprisingly, Perez shoved for 81,500 -- way more than what was in the pot. McDonald broke the stare at this point and tried to figure Perez out.
He made the call and turned over just the [ks][jd] for two over cards, while Perez had a pair with the [6s][7s].
Then the sickest thing happened. No, a king or jack didn't hit the turn or river. But the [qh] and [ad] did. McDonald had runner-runnered a straight.
"What did you put him on?" another player asked after the hand.
"Hmmm... eight-nine, six-nine, jack-eight," McDonald said. He's up to 475,000 now, and isn't about to stop staring -- no matter how hard they giggle. --JS
5:20pm: Boeree busts
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
Players are being sent on their third break of the day, but Liv Boeree is free to take as long as she wants. She is out.
In what proved to be the last hand of the Team PokerStars Pro's tournament (and the last of Level 17), Boeree and Charles La Boissonnire got it all in from the blinds. Boeree had only 66,000 in her stack and [7c][7s]. La Boissonnire had more and [ah][9h].
The flop had something for both of them: [ad][jh][6h]. The turn also had something for both of them. The [7h] made a flush for La Boissonnire and a set for Boeree, which also meant she had full-house outs.
But the [8d] had nothing for either of them. It was [8d] and so that was the end of the game for Boeree.
You can see who is still in on the chip-count page. And you can see who has cashed already on the payouts page. -- HS
5:19pm: Better be lucky than good
Level 17 - Blinds: 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
"I'm so lucky!" said Kuljinder Sidhu to the blog after he maneuvered Ivan Banic off a hand on the turn to grow his stack to 405,000.
Banic opened to 11,000 and then four-bet to 63,000 after Sidhu three-bet to 28,000 from the big blind. The flop fanned [3d][5d][4d] and Sidhu check-called 32,000 before he led for 62,000 on the [qc] turn. Banic folded and dropped to 365,000. --MC
5:18pm: Exceptional reporting
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
There was precisely 30,000 in the middle and a flop of [2s][jh][2c] exposed. Ivan Banic had 35,000 over the line in front of him, and Bernardo Dias had 9,000. But that looked like a check-raise from Banic -- Banic attack! -- because Dias was the man in position. Dias called.
The [ah] came on the turn, but it seemed to be an action killer. Both players checked. The river was so inconsequential I didn't even write it down. This is exceptional reporting. Both players checked again.
Banic flipped over his [kc][js] but quickly turned them over again into the muck when Dias showed his pocket kings. Yep, that ace was indeed an action killer. --HS
5:13pm: More for Banic
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
Sadan Turker has pulled off the UKIPT/EPT Main Event double cash, but he's not gone as deep in either as he'd have hoped. He busted 63rd in the UKIPT Main Event (1,002 runners) and has just been knocked out with a little less than 80 players left in the EPT Main Event for a min-cash of €9,100.
Turker shoved all in for 71,000 from early position and it passed all the way to Ivan Banic in the big blind. He agonized over the decision for a little while before dropping one chip over the line to signify a call.
Turker: [Qs][Jd]
Banic: [As][Jc]
The [7c][3d][Tc][3s][Ts] board kept the Croatian in front and he's up to 520,000 now. --NW
5:09pm: Killeen busts from feature table
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
Local heroes David Lappin and Kevin Killeen both began their Day 3 on the feature table, and both have now been ejected from it. Lappin went before the money and Killeen got his last chips in with ace-three against the pocket threes of Antoine Saout.
Saout's hand was vulnerable -- he was about a 65 percent favourite only -- but the board was safe. It ran [jc][kh][8c][9h][6d].
Don't expect the whole of Ireland to turn off EPT Live now, though. This is being played in Dublin, after all. But Killeen is one of the best-known players in the Emerald Isle and will be missed. --HS
5:05pm: Urbanovich lets rip, doubles
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
There was no messing around from Dzmitry Urbanovich just now. He found a good enough hand to go with and shipped in 19 big blinds from the button.
Urbanovich's (temporary) problem however, was that Fergal Cawley was in the big blind with [as][th] and called, dominating his [kh][ts]. The problem was only temporary as the board ran [9s][qc][jd][4d][ac] to hand Urbanovich a straight. Cawley dropped to 85,000 after the beat. --MC
5:01pm: Neuville doubles up
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
In the midst of a tsunami of post-bubble bustouts, Pierre Neuville found time for a cheeky little double-up. Adrien Allain had opened to 12,000 and November Niner Neuville shoved for 48,000 out of the small blind. Allain snap-called, flipping over his [ac][kd], which was up against the [3c][3s] of the Belgian.
The board ran out [8s][6d][2s][qs][td], and Neuville secured the double. He now sits with 104,000. --JS
4:54pm: Welcome Petrangelo, bigger pots expected
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
Andrew Chen opened to 12,000 from mid-position and Joao Baumgarten called from the button. It was only those two to a flop of [5h][6c][9s], which they both checked.
The [ac] came on the turn and Chen bet 15,000. Baumgarten called and they saw the [6h] on the river. Chen resignedly check-folded to Baumgarten's 23,000 bet.
As the hand played out, Nick Petrangelo arrived to fill the empty chair to Chen's right. He has close to 400,000 chips, which will make him the biggest stack at that table.
Gaelle Baumann opened on the first hand that Petrangelo saw, making it 12,000 to play, and although his chips were only just out the rack, Petrangelo three-bet and got everyone, including Baumann, to fold. --HS
4:45pm: Post-bubble chip counts
Level 17 - Blinds: 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
Big movers around the bubble included Frank Williams, who moved up to 770,000 to assume the chip lead over Christopher Kruk who is now up to 730,000.
Or Hadad also profited from the last period of play, moving up to 540,000. Check out the full chip counts. -- SB
4:44pm: Lybaert busts to Rudnik
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
Bart Lybaert was one of the short stacks who made it into the money, but he was not able to spin his stack up to something more playable.
In his exit hand Lybaert shoved for 60,500 over the top of Michal Rudnik's opening raise and when the Pole got a count of the shove he quickly called.
Lybaert: [Ad][8d]
Rudnik: [7h][7s]
The [Kd][Ts][Tc] flop meant Lybaert had some counterfeit outs to add to his live cards, and the [9c] turn gave him another three outs. But the [3h] river was not the card he was looking for and Lybaert is out. Rudnik is now up to 290,000. --NW
4:38pm: Vamplew vanquished from TV table (and tournament)
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
As anyone watching EPT Live will have just witnessed, we just lost David Vamplew from this event. He shoved with the [ah][qd] and was called by Jakub Michalak who had [jc][jh]. The [js][2c][3c][3s][qs] board gave Michalak a full house by the end, and Vamplew is outta here.
The bustouts are sure to be thick and fast now that the players have locked up a min-cash. --JS
4:30pm: Texting Lodden
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
It was actually just an idle enquiry.
"Are you texting Johnny Lodden?" I asked Luca Pagano, as the Team PokerStars Pro had his phone in hand just after the bubble burst.
"Yeah," Pagano said. He showed me his screen and he genuinely was tapping out a Facebook post, tagging Lodden.
As you may know (and as we have written this week) Pagano had the chance to tie with Lodden for most EPT Main Event cashes this week. Pagano led for years before Lodden drew level at the end of last year, then overtook his Team Pro colleague in Prague.
But Lodden was eliminated on Day 1 here and Pagano is now in the money, so they are all square again. Viva Pagano! --HS
4:28pm: Purice perishes
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
After leading a little earlier today, Tudor Purice has become one of the first-in-the-money finishers, with the Romanian losing out to Richard Dubini.
Purice held [Ad][Kd] to Dubini's [Ah][Qd] and there was betting preflop, on the flop, and finally all in on the turn of a [Qc][3d][7h][Tc][Th] board. After that hand Dubini is up to 330,000. --NW
4:27pm: Meet your bubble boy - Sven Magirius
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
"Congratulations everyone, you're all in the money!"
Those were the words from our Tournament Director Luca Vivaldi moments ago, meaning the bubble has now burst. The player leaving with nothing is Sven Magirius from Germany -- here's how he met his end.
Magirius only had 21,000 and stuck it all in under the gun. It folded around to Alexandre Rivero who made an isolation raise, and everyone else folded, so he was able to take some chips back.
There was a long wait before we'd see the cards, as all other hands had to finish before the reveal. When the time was right, the cards were on their backs:
Sven Magirius: [ah][kh]
Alexandre Rivero: [th][ts]
A classic race, then. The tens of Rivero actually got stronger on the [9d][7h][8d] flop, as he now had an open-ended straight draw to go with the overpair. The [jd] then hit the turn, giving Rivero a straight and leaving Magirius drawing dead. An inconsequential [9s] was dealt on the river, and the remaining 87 players waited for Luca to say those precious words before responding with a big round of applause. --JS
4:20pm: Money, money, monet, degas, cezanne
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
The bubble has burst on the first hand of hand-for-hand play. Full details are coming. The payouts page is now in play. --HS
4:17pm: Dimov gone in 89th - they're now on the stone bubble
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
Thiago Nishijima made it 13,000 to go and Ognyan Dimov shoved for his last 35,000. Nishijima made the call with [ad][8s] but needed to hit against Dimov's [kh][ks].
He would do just that on the [ah][6c][qh] flop, and again on the [ac] turn. The river was the [2h] and now with just one elimination from the money, they're playing hand-for-hand. --JS
4:16pm: A nice way to calm the nerves
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
Having a sub-20 big blind stack close to the bubble can fray one's nerves, so do whatever you can to keep calm.
Pepper Pig is a popular preschool cartoon in the UK and it seems as if its popularity has spread to Argentina as well, not necessarily amongst 2-4 year olds though. Rodrigo Perez has been watching the show all the way through the bubble period, occasionally giggling to himself.
It seemed to keep him calm and now he's in the money, so job done. --MC
4:12pm: New chip leader alert!
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
"I'm not sure I'm supposed to do that against an Italian!" said Frank Williams to tablemate Liv Boeree after he won an 80-big blind flip to eliminate Enrico Rudelitz.
As mentioned earlier, Williams and Rudelitz had been two of the active players at their table and just now the pair played out a huge pot against each other. When the dust settled, Williams became the new chip leader with 710,000, and Rudelitz was knocked out in 90th -- three spots shy of the cash.
Rudelitz opened and then four-bet all in after the young Brit had three-bet him. Williams called and the cameras gathered around to catch the action.
Rudelitz: [ac][ks]
Williams: [th][tc]
The board ran out [4h][jh][2c][ts][4d] to make Williams a set and knock out Rudelitz. --MC
4:08pm: Kan drops into the danger zone
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
Yew Kan is down to around 90,000 after losing a hand to Scott Margereson on the "soft bubble." The Brit opened to 10,500 from middle position, Kan three-bet to 27,500 on the button and Margereson flat called.
On the [Qc][Ad][6d] flop Kan c-bet 30,000 and Margereson smooth called. The [Ah] turn checked through and although Kan looked like he wanted to bet the [Ts] river he checked back and Margereson's [qd][Th] bested his pocket jacks. The former is up to 610,000 as a result of that hand. --NW
4:02 pm: Who's stalling; who's not?
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
The problem with the vexed issue of stalling is that you really can't ever tell if someone is doing it -- short of always seeing everyone's cards and knowing their precise short-stack habits. That said, the suspicion is easily founded.
On a recent hand, Adrian Mateos, who has a huge stack (around 400,000) opened from under the gun and made it 10,000 to play. Fabrice Soullier, sitting one seat to Mateos's left, has only 28,000 and he took a good long while to decide what to do next.
After Soullier's time in the tank had drifted beyond what most players would deem acceptable, Mikhail Petrov did what others were maybe thinking. He called the clock.
"I am doing the same in this spot," Petrov said, by way of apology. He explained that he fully understood Soullier's position but had something of an obligation to keep the game moving.
Soullier still took exception. "I'm not stalling," he said.
"Even if you were, I'm OK with it," Petrov said, continuing his aggressive-passive line.
Soullier folded eventually, and it passed all the way round to Thomas Lentrodt in the big blind. Lentrodt had only 86,000 in his stack and it seemed as though it might be a good idea if the tournament official stuck around with his stopwatch.
Lentrodt also went into the tank but, just when it seemed he might need a clock, he moved all in. You see, you just can't tell.
Mateos folded. --HS
4:01pm: Monstad spikes the river to survive
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
Vebjorn Monstad (early position) and Kuljinder Sidhu (big blind) had reached the turn of a [2c][6d][4h][Kc] board by the time I joined the action. Monstad bet 25,000 from his stack of 90,500 and Sidhu check-raised all in for the rest of Monstad's chips.
The Norwegian went deep into the tank and eventually called all in and showed [Ah][Kd]. Sidhu was ahead with [4d][2d] but the [6h] river counterfeited his hand and Monstad doubled up. He's up to around 240,000 whilst Sidhu slips to about 265,000. --NW
3:59pm: It's a friendly game, despite the bubble
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
There's big money on the line right now, so you'd think the players would be unwilling to give away any free information. However, Tomas MacNamara is keeping it friendly.
He shoved on the button and it folded to Iliodoros Kamatakis in the big blind. He was seriously considering the call (or just looking for TV time) but seemed to talk himself out of it.
"Will you show one if I fold?" he asked MacNamara.
"Yep. I'll even let you pick which card."
"Oh yeah?!" said Kamatakis, happy with that response. He did indeed fold, picked his card, and the dealer flipped over the [ah]. Kamatakis smiled even wider.
Kamatakis has around 400,000, while MacNamara now has 82,000. --JS
3:54pm: Brito bounced near the bubble
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
Fernando Brito had less than five big blinds when returning from the break, and he soon got his last 22,500 in behind [Ts][Th]. Francisco Correia De Oliveira then reshoved behind him for 87,500, clearing the field, and when it came time to show Oliveira tabled [Ad][Js].
Brito was okay through the [Qh][5s][3d] flop and [2d] turn, but the [Ac] spiked on the river to Oliviera, and Brito hits the rail in 91st. Meanwhile Oliviera chips up to 121,500. --MH
3:44pm: Short-stacked on the bubble
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
During the break we got a closer look at who is in the danger zone -- "danger zone!" -- with just four eliminations left before the bubble bursts. --MH
| Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| Liv Boeree | UK | 75000 |
| Pierre Neuville | Belgium | 70000 |
| Przemyslaw Piotrowski | Poland | 65000 |
| Sadan Turker | UK | 62000 |
| Koray Aldemir | Germany | 50000 |
| Nikolay Tsanev | Bulgaria | 45000 |
| Guy Goosens | Belgium | 40000 |
| Fabrice Soulier | France | 31000 |
| Fabrice Halleux | Belgium | 27000 |
| Fernando Brito | Portugal | 24000 |
3:43pm: Level 17 begins
Level 17 - Blinds 2,500-5,000 (500 ante)
Players are back and play has resumed with 91 players left -- just four from the money. --MH
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3:25pm: Let's take another break
The remaining players are now taking their second 20-minute break of the day. --MH
3:24pm: The clock runs all the way down
Level 16 - Blinds 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
As my colleague Marc Convey just said in conversation, that level seemed to go pretty quickly. At least it did for some; I, on the other hand, spent what felt like most of it watching what was perhaps the longest hand of the tournament so far.
It started with a raise to 10,000 from Maria Lampropulos, which got a call from Anton Wigg in later position and Cornelis Van Gent out of the big blind.
The flop came [qc][ad][qd] and Van Gent checked to the raiser. Lampropulos put out a c-bet of 14,000, Wigg took his time in making the call, and Van Gent let it go.
The [jc] hit the board on the turn, making the hand possibilities even more interesting. Both players checked, but it took a while.
They went to the river, which was the [kh], yet another interesting card. Lampropulos checked (after a while) and Wigg shoved (after a while). He had the UK player covered, as she had roughly 80,000 behind.
Then Lampropulos started thinking. She did, after all, have a pretty huge decision on her hands.
Then she thought some more.
And some more.
The clock was eventually called, and not a second of it was wasted. It ticked all the way down and Lampropulos' hand was dead. Anton Wigg now has around 280,000. --JS
3:24pm: Fast and slow
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Frank Williams, Charles La Boissonnire, and Enrico Rudelitz all have around 300,000 on the same table and each is interested in profiting as much as possible from the bubble period. Williams just bet about 75,000 at a board of [5c][6h][as][4h][9s] and got La Boissonnire to fold.
As mentioned, that's the table that also features the short-stacked Guy Goossens, but they are seeing a lot of hands. Everyone continues to play quickly.
That's not necessarily the case across the room, where one or two players do appear to be slowing things down.
Stephen Malone, the one-time tournament chip leader, has a stack of about 48,000 now and clearly doesn't want to bubble. He has had the clock called on him at least once for taking a suspiciously long time for preflop decisions. He isn't complaining about that. Such is tournament poker. --HS
3:23pm: Baumann value bets herself
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Gaelle Baumman gave a look to the sky as if she wished she could live the last 10 seconds again, after her river bet was called by Joao Baumgarten.
She raised from under the gun and then emptied the clip on a [jd][4c][7s][td][qs] board. Baumgarten was in the cutoff and called the 12,000, 20,000, and 36,000 bets with [ts][th] for a turned set. Baumman's [kh][qh] was no good. --MC
Gaelle Baumman -- 150,000
Joao Baumgarten -- 290,000
3:22pm: Double double on the bubble
Level 16 - Blinds 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Still 91 left in the Main Event as the last two all-ins have been won by the shorter of the two stacks involved.
First Luke Reeves doubled through Bart Lybaert with [Kd][Ks] against [Th][Td]. Reeves was all in for 120,000 exactly and held on the [3d][6c][8s][2c][2s] board to knock Lybaert down to 76,000.
Across the room James Akenhead was all in for his final 84,000 with pocket jacks and looking to hold against Scott Margereson's [As][Qs]. The [7d][Js][2s] flop might have given Akenhead a set but Margereson now had a flush draw. The [8c] turn and [5c] river bricked off though and Akenhead, who cashed in the UKIPT Main Event earlier this week, survived.
It was only a small dent to Margereson's stack as he's still got 460,000. --NW
3:19pm: Goossens relaxed, sated, and still in
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Guy Goossens was also identified earlier on as a player at risk of pre-bubble elimination. But if he is feeling any pressure, he certainly isn't showing it. He has his studded slip-on shoes slipped off beneath the table and is enjoying a feast of slabs of roast meat piled on a tray of fries slathered in mayonnaise. And he really is enjoying it, relishing every mouthful.
What's more, Goossens doesn't appear to have allowed his short stack to alter his game and he's still seeing flops if he wants to.
Frank Williams, one seat to Goossens's left, opened from under the gun and, after it folded around to Goossens's big blind, the Belgian called. Goossens said he checked blind, mainly apparently so he could continue his lunch, before the [2s][jc][8s] flopped.
Williams bet 8,000 and Goossens folded.
Next hand: Enrico Rudelitz raised from the button, making it 7,500. Goossens called from the small blind but Williams, now in the big blind, raised to 23,000. Rudelitz four bet to 84,000 and that sent Goossens back to the meat and chips.
Williams also folded. Goossens remains in peril, but doesn't seem to want to go anywhere, at least until after dessert. --HS
3:16pm: Another look at chip counts on the bubble
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Christopher Kruk is still the big leader with 645,000, although Scott Margereson continues to have a good day and is now up to 600,000.
Others moving up include Tim Adams (up 60K). Meanwhile there have been drops for the likes of Tudor Purice (down 90K), Mike McDonald (down 50K) and James Akenhead (down 90K). Get updated chip counts here. --SB
3:15pm: McDonald bubble bluffing
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
The bubble period is a great time to apply pressure and pick up cheap pots, especially if you have a big stack. Word of warning though: try not to bluff opponents holding the nuts. Mike McDonald just found that out the hard way.
He raised to 11,000 from the small blind and Pierre Calamusa defended his big blind to see a [kc][2c][3s] flop. McDonald continued for 11,000 and Calamusa called to the [jh] turn where both players checked. The [ah] completed the board and McDonald checked to Calamusa who bet 28,000. The Canadian then check-raised all in with six-three but Calamusa snap called for his remaining 120,500 with [qc][th] for the nut straight. --MC
Mike McDonald - 290,000
Pierre Calamusa - 280,000
3:11pm: Tsanev short, shoves
Level 16 - Blinds 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Nikolay Tsanev is one of the short stacks and he moved all in for 34,500 from early position. Both Maria Lampropulos and Iliodoros Kamatakis looked interested but ultimately Tsanev got it through.
He showed [Ah][Ad] as he took the pot. Having added 29% to his stack without going to showdown, the question was Tsanev better off just picking up the blinds and antes or would he have preferred a call and a ~10-20% chance of being outdrawn? --NW
3:05pm: Moorman poorman
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Chris Moorman, identified below as among the players most at risk during this tricky pre-bubble period, does indeed now find himself among the departed. Scott Margereson played executioner, with [ad][jc] to Moorman's [ac][4c].
They got it in preflop, with Moorman in the big blind and shoving over Margereson's under-the-gun raise. The board ran [3c][as][js][9s][8h] and Moorman heads home.
Last weekend, Moorman became the first player to pass $13 million in tracked online tournament winnings, so he's doing okay. He'll get over this one. Margereson, meanwhile, is up among the leaders with around 610,000. --HS
3:00 pm: Thorel falls to fellow Frenchman
Level 16 - Blinds 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Table neighbours and fellow countrymen Jean-Noel Thorel and Antoine Saout just tangled in a pot that would see Thorel felted.
He opened to 9,000 from the small blind and Saout made it 26,000 to go. That bet was called and the two saw a flop containing the [3c][tc][js]. Thorel opted to move his 80,000 stack into the middle, which was a pretty easy call for Saout with the [td][ts] for middle set.
Thorel had an up-and-down straight draw with the [qs][ks], so the [2c] turn was a disappointment. The [qc] on the river gave him a useless two pair, and Thorel was gone just five spots from the money. 92 players remain, with 87 paid.
Meanwhile, Antoine Saout now has 350,000. --JS
2:55pm: Just trying to survive
Level 16 - Blinds 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
We're five eliminations away from the bubble and six from being in the money. The players below are those most at risk of filling one of those six unwanted positions:
Guy Goossens -- 65,000
Rhys Jones -- 63,000
Felix Lambertz -- 58,000
Chris Moorman -- 57,000
Stephen Malone -- 54,500
Mazin Khoury -- 48,500
Fabrice Halleux -- 45,500
Fabrice Soulier -- 44,000
Fernando Brito -- 35,000
As you can see no one is super short and there are no players below the 10-big blind mark save Brito. What's more lots of those with short stacks are very experienced players and will know the value of their stack at this point.
This bubble could take a while to burst. --NW
2:51pm: The latest from the leaderboard
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Looking at the always-moving chip counts, let's start with the obvious change, and that's at the top -- a big move for Christopher Kruk of Canada, who is now on 615,000. Kruk may have a snail for a card protector, but as of now we're regarding the symbolism as strictly ironic.
The other notable player moving in the right direction is Adrian Mateos (up 170K).
On the other side of the coin, Tudor Purice tangled with Mateos and lost a few (down 90K). Also slipping some are Orpen Kisacikoglu (down 90K), Mike McDonald (down 100K), Tim Adams (down 140K). Click here for updated chip counts. --SB
2:48pm: Mateos takes down five-way pot
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
EPT11 Grand Final champion Adrian Mateos is making his way up the leaderboard, partly thanks to having just now won a five-way pot.
Or Hadad opened to 8,500 from under the gun and picked up four callers en route to a [8c][7h][5d] flop. The action checked to Mateos in the cutoff and he bet 20,000. Mikhail Petrov, in the big blind, was the only caller and both went on to check the [8d] turn, heading straight to the [ad] river. That was invitation enough for Petrov to have a stab with his [ts][6d], but his 37,500-chip bluff was picked off by Mateos who had rivered a pair with [ah][6h]. --MC
Mikhail Petrov -- 298,000
Adrian Mateos -- 290,000
2:45pm: Kan can't call, Margereson takes it down
Level 16 - Blinds 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Raiden Kan limped from the under the gun, a play we don't see too often with most players opting to show aggression when they enter a pot.
Take Scott "Aggro Santos" Margereson, for example. When the other players at the table (including James Akenhead and Chris Moorman) folded, Margereson made it 14,000 on the button and the blinds folded. Kan made the call.
The flop came [2s][2c][9d], and Kan checked to the preflop aggresor. Margereson continued with a bet of 18,000 and Kan called once more.
The turn was the [qd] and Kan checked again, so we saw a bet of 42,000 for Margereson. Kan began talking out loud to himself, running through the hand. He eventually chose not to call, and Margereson's stack is now above the half-million mark. --JS
Scott Margereson -- 502,000
Raiden Kan -- 145,000
2:40pm: Main Event champion moving into contention
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Adrian Mateos has continued his upward trend today and now sits between 350,000 and 360,000. He was recently involved in a hand with Tudor Purice and Or Hadad that went all the way to the river.
The full board read as follows: [ac][ad][7h][js][7s]. (I saw them check the turn, but didn't see anything prior to that.) Then on the river, Mateos bet 10,000, Purice called, and Hadad raised to 28,000. Mateos's quick call persuaded Purice out of the way.
Hadad immediately nodded and confessed he had been at it with king high. He showed [kh][qs] and Mateos exposed [as][8s] to add to his stack. --HS
2:38pm: Kruk flips well, takes over the chip lead
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Christopher Kruk has leapt into the chip lead with 613,000 after winning a big flip versus Finnish pro Jussi Nevanlinna, who was eliminated.
The EPT Live cameras were in place to catch the action and, by the time we arrived, the chips were being passed to Kruk. The pot was worth over 600,000 and (apparently) involved Nevanlinna three-bet calling off his 297,000 to Kruk's cold four-bet shove for 303,000. Nevanlinna had pocket queens but couldn't stay ahead of Kruk's [ac][kc]. --MC
2:37pm: Seven still on for the double
Level 16 - Blinds 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
At the start of play there were eight EPT champions in with a shot of winning a second title. As reported below Steve O'Dwyer recently busted out, but the other seven are still alive and kicking:
Mike McDonald -- 380,000
Adrian Mateos -- 290,000
Liv Boeree -- 133,000
Ognyan Dimov -- 127,000
Dominik Panka -- 114,000
David Vamplew -- 110,000
Anton Wigg -- 103,000
McDonald and Mateos look like they'll coast through the bubble whilst the other five have between 25 and 35 big blinds. --NW
2:32pm: Decamps free to decamp wherever he chooses
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Florian Decamps returned to the smallest stack in the room today. He had only 25,000 to start. In the circumstances, he did pretty well to build it to about 60,000 and last slightly more than a level. But the ride is now over.
Decamps open-shoved from the cutoff and Iliodoros Kamatakis, with a stack close to 200,000 reshoved from the button, successfully isolating Decamps. Decamps showed [ah][6s] while Kamatakis had [ac][th].
The flop improved neither player. It came [kh][qs][5s] and the [tc] on the turn meant Decamps only now had outs to a chop. The [as] on the river did not help and he is free to decamp to a side event now.
Kamatakis has 260,000. --HS
2:29pm: O'Dwyer is outta here
Level 16 - Blinds 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
You know how everyone applauds and feels both happy and relieved when the bubble bursts in a tournament? I can only imagine that a similar scene has just happened in the heads of the 98 remaining players. For you see, the much-feared Steve O'Dwyer has just been eliminated.
Norwegian player Vebjorn Monstad -- who qualified for this event online on PokerStars -- limped on the button with [as][th] and Steve O'Dwyer shoved from the big blind for his last 45,000 with [kh][6h]. Monstad called.
The board ran out [js][9c][tc][8s][td], so when it was all said and done Monstad had trip tens and O'Dwyer has a free afternoon.
Vebjorn Monstad now has 186,000. --JS
2:21pm: Moorman doubles, still short
Level 16 - Blinds 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
A much needed double-up for Chris Moorman to tell you about, but the winningest player in online tournament history is still somewhat in the danger zone.
He moved all in for 33,000 with [Ac][Jh] and Orpen Kisacikoglu put him at risk with [Ad][8s]. The dominating ace stayed in front on the [2c][Js][6c][Th][Kc] board, and Moorman is up to 75,500 as a result though still has fewer than 20 big blinds. --NW
2:20pm: Clarke bullies sick Schillhabel
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Stefan Schillhabel, who is sick in the traditional sense today, paused coughing long enough to open to 9,000 from the hijack, and then call after Patrick Clarke three-bet to 23,500 from the button.
The two saw a flop of [js][4d][kh] and Schillhabel, through Strepsil breath, checked. Clarke bet 17,000 and Schillhabel called.
The turn was the [4s] and they both checked, which took them to the [2d] river. Schillhabel bet 35,000 and Clarke didn't wait too long before moving all in, a bet of 95,000 total.
Schillhabel got a count, but folded. He will soldier on with the sniffles and a stack of about 150,000. Clarke has 215,000. --HS
2:19pm: Sidhu likes Adams's apples
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Kuljinder Sidhu, the second-place finisher from the biggest ever €10k High Roller at EPT Barcelona earlier this season, has managed a double-up versus Timothy Adams.
Adams opened to 8,500 from early position and then made a considered call after Sidhu moved all in for 116,500 from the small blind.
Sidhu: [ac][kd]
Adams: [tc][th]
The board ran [2s][jh][as][jd][8s] to make Sidu two pair. Adams dropped to 75,000. --MC
2:13pm: Pole axed
Level 16 - Blinds 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Earlier this week Marcin Wydrowski cashed in the UKIPT Main Event, but he's missed out on a double Main Event cash as he just lost a race to Orpen Kisacikoglu to bust in 102nd place. The Pole open-shoved for around 70,000 with [4h][4d] and was racing against Kisacikoglu's [Ah][Kh].
It was score one for the overcards as the [Kc][Qd][7c][5d][6d] board favored the Turkish player and Kisacikoglu's stack is now up to 330,000. --NW
2:10pm: 100 players remain
Level 16 - Blinds 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
They are now 13 eliminations away from the money. --MH
2:09pm: Three-bet shoving time
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
With the big blind now 4,000, a stack of around 100,000 or less is about the perfect size to three-bet shove. Two examples to prove the point:
Benjamin Winsor opened from under the gun, making it 8,500 to play. Yiannis Liperis had about 65,000 and he shoved from one seat along. Fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, dwell, ask for count, fold.
One table along, Cornelis Van Gent opened to 9,000 from a stack of about 255,000. It folded to Anton Wigg in the small blind and he shoved, for about 120,000. Everyone folded again. --HS
2:05pm: Urbanovich hits to bust Heath
Level 16 - Blinds 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
I saw Ben Heath on his way out of the tournament room, so grabbed a quick word to find out how he was eliminated. He kindly ran me through his final hand.
"I opened to 10,000 from the hijack with pocket jacks, and Dzmitry shoved for 120,000 with ace queen off. I called and the flop came queen seven deuce."
Heath had 85,000 at the start of the hand, but no jack on the turn or river meant Heath now has nothing - aside from the whole afternoon off work. --JS
2:03pm: Chip count changes
Level 16 - Blinds: 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
These are the rough counts entering the new level after the break (remember it's in the nature of chip counts to change on every hand, so these are approximate).
The big winner in the last level was Tudor Purice, who knocked out Ismael Bojang to move up to 510,000 and the chip lead. Other big movers included Anthony Zinno (up 90K), Tim Adams (up 75K), James Akenhead (up 90K) and Scott Margereson, who is up to 420,000 having started the day on 191,000.
Others trending upward include Orpen Kisacikoglu (up 160K), Mike McDonald (up 70K) and for Jamie Staples (up 50K). Meanwhile there were drops for Gilles Bernies (down 55K). We also lost Pratyush Buddiga.
Find updated chip counts here. --SB
1:55pm: No reward for Abou Risk
Level 16 - Blinds 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Just before the conclusion of the last level, Nick Abou Risk saw his EPT12 Dublin Main Event run cut short. His succinct summary:
Unfortunately bust #EPTDublin with AQ < AJ :(.
— Nick Abou Risk (@nickabourisk) February 17, 2016
There are 103 players left to begin Level 16. --MH
1:53pm: Level 16 begins
Level 16 - Blinds 2,000-4,000 (500 ante)
Blinds up. Antes up. Cards up in the air... and falling back down on the felt. Let's play some cards. --MH
Ready to sign up for PokerStars? Click here to get an account.
1:33pm: Break time
They've reached the end of the level and the first 20-minute break of the day. --MH
1:31pm: They will not be seeing Level 16
Level 15 - Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
The following players were all eliminated during the first level of play today: Ezequiel Lebed, Namir Mohamed, Miltiadis Kyriakides, Michail Karapanos, Diego Ventura, Nick Abou Risk, Pratyush Buddiga, Michael Wang, Alessio Casiraghi, Jarrod Rex, Davide Marchi, Zvi Stern, Moreten Jensen, Adrian Buckly. To think, they will never have the pleasure of posting a 4,000 big blind. --HS
1:30pm: Purice busts Bojang
Level 15 - Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
Tudor Purice has about 510,000 in chips, busting Ismael Bojang on the last hand before the break. It meant Purice spent the first few minutes of his break stacking up his recently-acquired wealth -- although Bojang did not quite have 100,000 at the end.
The hard facts about Bojang's elimination are that he had ace-king suited and Purice [jd][js]. Among the less-than-hard facts board had at least one jack on it (maybe actually two; the dealer swept it away it before I could write it down) but Bojang headed out regardless. --HS
1:29pm: Dubini's hand gets caught in the cookie jar by Mateos
Level 15 - Blinds 1,500-3,000 (300 ante)
All-around boss Adrian Mateos opened to 6,500 under the gun and it folded around to Richard Dubini in the big blind, who made the call.
Dubini, who won a €2,000 side event at EPT12 Barcelona last year, checked the [9d][th][9c] flop over to EPT12 Grand Final champ Mateos, and he decided to check, too.
The pair then saw the [8s] turn and Dubini made a bet of 6,700, which Mateos called. The river was the [5c] and now Dubini made it 21,500. It didn't take Mateos long to make the call, and Dubini was forced to show his [qs][4s] for pure air. Mateos had [ad][8d] for a pair of eights, which was good for the win.
Adrian Mateos has 120,000 now, while Dubini is down to 103,000. --JS
1:28pm: Finito
Level 15 - Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
Alex Goulder opened to 6,500 from under the gun and it folded to Michail Karapanos on the button. Karapanos, who won a satellite here this week to book his place in the Main Event, looked down at [ad][js], a stack of only about 40,000, and decided that now was his time. He moved it all over the line.
"I've got a pretty good hand here," Goulder said, after Steve O'Dwyer and Jude Ainsworth, in the blinds, both passed. Goulder eventually called and showed [as][qh].
The board ran [td][3s][kd][2c][9d]. "Finito," Karapanos said. He was not wrong. --HS
1:27pm: Urbanovich turns the best of it versus Goulder
Level 15 - Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
Alex Goulder doesn't have the best seat in house with Ben Heath and Dzmitry Urbanovich to his direct left. He also has Jude Ainsworth and Steve O'Dwyer at his table, but at least they're to his right.
Goulder opened from the button and called after Urbanovich three-bet him off the button. The flop spread [3h][jh][6s], and Urbanovich continued for 13,200. Goulder check-called before the [kd][ac] turn and river were checked down. Goulder opened [qd][jd] for third pair but lost out to Urbanovich's second pair with [kc][td]. --MC
Dzmitry Urbanovich -- 130,000
Alex Goulder -- 150,000
1:23pm: Ruzzi roasts Mohamed
Level 15 - Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
Matias Ruzzi and Namir Mohamed got involved in a slow-burner of a hand that suddenly grew more costly and eventually accounted for Mohamed's tournament life.
Ruzzi opened from early position, making it 6,000 to go, and Mohamed called from one seat to his left. Diego Ventura called from the big blind, too, but his participation was minimal thereafter.
The three saw a flop of [ah][5h][4c] and Ventura checked. Ruzzi bet 8,000 and Mohamed raised to 26,000. That was the end of it for Ventura. Ruzzi, however, called.
Both players checked the [7s] turn, but that, as it turned out, would be a mistake from Mohamed. The [7d] came on the river and Ruzzi bet 36,000.
Mohamed flicked a single chip over the line, which initially looked only like a call, but the dealer confirmed that he clearly heard Mohamed announce that he was all in before the action. The all-in bet stood.
Ruzzi now had reason to pause for a moment. Their stacks were roughly the same size. But Ruzzi knew he also had good reason to call. He had [qh][7h] and did indeed thump out a tower of chips.
His flopped flush draw had improved invisibly to three-of-a-kind. And that was now better than Mohamed's [ad][kh]. Ruzzi had marginally more chips than Mohamed and so out went the latter.
Ruzzi now has about 240,000. --HS
1:20pm: Reeves wins classic race
Level 15 - Blinds 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
Although Luke Reeves just doubled up, he's still seething at being slow-rolled in a 250,000 pot sometime earlier in this tournament.
To the hand in question though, Reeves moved all in for 59,700 with [9c][9d] and Ian Hunter looked him up with [As][Kd].
The [Jd][7s][Qd] flop gave Hunter Broadway outs to go with his overcards. Then the [9s] turn reduced Hunter to just those straight outs, but he missed them on the [2h] river. That hand sees Reeves climb to 125,000 whilst Hunter slips to 38,000. --NW
1:22pm: Chip count changes
Level 15 - Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
The biggest movers during the early going today are Scott Margereson (up 225K), Tudor Purice (up 120K), Mikael Jean (up 100K), Mike McDonald (up 70K), and Gaelle Baumann (up 135K). Those dropping the most are Alex Difelice (down 150K), Jaime Staples (down 70K), and Jude Ainsworth (down 60K). Find selected counts here. --SB
1:18pm: Buddiga bounced, Allain ascends
Level 15 - Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
Adrien Allain has a stack approaching 400,000 after he eliminated Pratyush Buddiga in a four-bet pot.
Allain had three-bet an opponent to 17,000 from the cutoff before Buddiga four-bet all in for 93,000 from the button. The opening raiser folded to leave Allain to make a call.
Buddiga: [9s][9h]
Allain: [ah][jd]
The board ran [7d][jc][td][jh][Ts] to make Allain a full house, and Buddiga is out. --MC
1:14pm: Abou Risk at risk, but doubles
Level 15 - Blinds 1,500-3,000 (300 ante)
Nick Abou Risk has just secured a much needed double-up courtesy of EPT12 Prague ninth-place finisher Ivan Deyra.
Abou Risk shoved from under the gun for 28,300, and found one caller in Deyra. It was a race, as Abou Risk held [as][qc], while Deyra had the [8s][8c]. The [4s][9c][6c] flop was no help to Abou Risk, but the [ad] on the turn sure was. The [3c] changed nothing and Abou Risk now has 64,700. --JS
1:06pm: Purice wrecks Rex
Level 15 - Blinds 1,500-3,000 (300 ante)
Tudor Purice is up to 415,000 now after a stop-and-go play by PokerStars Qualifier Jarrod Rex went awry.
Before the flop there had been an open, a three-bet from Purice, and a call from Rex. The original raiser got out of the way and the two saw the [ah][kd][js] flop with about 45,000 in the middle. Both checked.
The turn came the [tc] and now Rex surprisingly decided to shove for 95,000 or about twice the pot. Purice somehow found a call with [ac][9s] -- which was way ahead of Rex's pocket sevens. The [9c] river gave Purice two pair and eliminated Rex from the Main Event. --JS
1:04pm: High-octane, thrill-ride, action-movie explosions
Level 15 - Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
I don't care what anyone says, the line-up of Steve O'Dwyer, Jude Ainsworth, Alex Goulder, Ben Heath, and Dzmitry Urbanovich is the most aggro, ruthless, and reckless seats 1 through 5 in any poker tournament ever. Just look at the action these guys are producing.
Hand 1: O'Dwyer opens to 6,000. Goulder three-bets to 11,600. Everyone folds, including O'Dwyer.
Hand 2: Heath opens the cutoff, making it 7,500 to play. Everyone folds.
Hand 3: Goulder opens to 6,300 from mid-position. Everyone folds.
Hand 4: Rodrigo Portaleoni opens the cutoff. O'Dwyer defends his big blind. The flop comes [8d][9d][td] and O'Dwyer check-folds to Portaleoni's 8,000 continuation bet.
Hand 5: Everyone folds to O'Dwyer's small blind. He completes. Ainsworth bets 11,500 total. O'Dwyer folds.
I know. Insane. Hold on to your hats! --HS
1:01pm: Mateos can't chop Hadad off
Level 15 - Blinds 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
From under the gun Or Hadad opened to 7,200 only for Adrian Mateos, winner of the EPT11 Grand Final Main Event, to three-bet to 18,500 from the hijack. Back on Hadad, he got a confirmation of the size of the bet and then called, leaving himself about 80,000 behind.
On the [4d][3s][6s] flop Hadad checked the action to Mateos and the Spaniard slid out enough chips to set Hadad all in. The Israeli took about 10 seconds before calling all in for his last 78,400.
Mateos: [5h][3h]
Hadad: [Jh][Jd]
Hadad couldn't sit still, springing up out of his seat and almost walking away from the table by the time the [9c] turn and [Td] river completed the board. He had to sit back down, though, as he was still in the tournament.
"That's the third time you've reraised me," he said pointing at Mateos. "Nice hand, you played it well," added Tudor Purice. Hadad has 200,000 now, while Mateos falls back to 97,000. --NW
12:59pm: Boeree delivers a knockout
Level 15 - Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
Liv Boeree's stack is about 80,000 bigger thanks to a hand against Davide Marchi. Marchi is now out.
I only really saw the aftermath, but it was pretty easy to put the pieces together. Boeree opened from early position, Marchi shoved from the small blind, and Boeree called.
Marchi's [qh][kc] was dominated by the Team PokerStars Pro's [ah][ks]. The board ran [5s][4h][5c][js][2s] and that was enough for Boeree. She has about 230,000 now. --HS
12:58pm: Saout makes his mark
Level 15 - Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
Antoine Saout's opening table broke and he was moved to Table 15 where he quickly made his mark by eliminating Gergely Bartos.
The Frenchman raised to 7,000 from under the gun and was called by Alexandre Meylan before Bartos squeezed all in for 25,000 from the button. Saout moved all in as well and managed to isolate Batos as Meylan open-folded pocket sevens.
Bartos's [ac][4c] was drawing thin against Saout's pocket sixes, and a six in the window gave the latter a winning set. He jumped up to 180,000, nearly twice what he started the day with. --MC
12:55pm: Petrangelo folds his queens preflop
Level 15 - Blinds 1,500-3,000 (300 ante)
Mikael Jean ended Day 2 with one of the room's biggest stacks, and he's already been putting it to good use so far today - even bullying high roller Nick Petrangelo into folding pocket queens face-up preflop.
The hand started with Jean opening to 8,100, before LAPT4 Uruguay champion Alex Komaromi from Uruguay three-bet on the button to 18,500. Petrangelo was in the big blind and decided to four-bet pocket queens to 48,500.
After only about 15 seconds thought, Jean decided to shove, having everyone at the table covered in terms of stack size. Komaromi was quick to give it up, and to be honest it didn't take Petrangelo all that long to fold his queens, showing the table.
"That was good against me!" said Komaromi with a smile.
Petrangelo now has 130,000, while Jean is up to 387,000. --JS
12:47pm: Ay caramba! Bart hits two pair
Level 15 - Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
Belgian pro Bart Lybaert has gotten off to a good start. Just now he had a hand in which he turned two pair and got value out of it, increasing his stack to 155,000.
Brian Ganon had raised to 6,000 off the button and Lybaert peeled from the big blind to see a [kc][3d][2c] flop. The action was checked to the [js] turn where Lybaert led for 9,000. Ganon called quickly, but would take a lot longer to call on the [9d] river when faced with a 21,300 bet. Lybaert opened [kd][jh] and Ganon mucked, dropping down to 125,000. --MC
12:44pm: None shall pass Baumann
Level 15 - Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
Gaelle Baumann is never intimidated. She is more than happy to do battle with anybody at the poker tables. Case in point, this hand, in which she pushed Sven Magirius out of a pot and took her stack to about double his.
Baumann opened from early position, making it 6,500 to play. Only Magirius, one seat to Baumann's left, was in any way interested and only enough to warrant a call.
The two of them went to a flop of [9d][jh][3d] and Baumann bet 7,600. Magirius called and they went to the [kc] on the turn. Baumann fired again, this time 12,500, but Magirius now tried to flex his muscles. He raised to 36,000.
Baumann called and they went to the river: [qc]. Baumann checked this time, which prompted a bet of 36,000 from Magirius. But if he thought Baumann's long pause was prelude to a sigh-fold, he was wrong. Baumann instead raised all in.
Baumann's check-raise was for about 150,000, which covered Magirius. And instead it was the German forced into the sigh-fold, preserving his tournament life.
He now has about 120,000 left, while Baumann has about 260,000. --HS
12:41pm: Boeree's barrels can't shake off Rudelitz
Level 15 - Blinds 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
Completing from the small blind is a trend that we've seen a lot in high buy-in events on the EPT this season, and that's exactly what Liv Boeree did when action folded to her. Enrico Rudelitz checked his option from a seat over, and the two of them saw a [5s][8h][Kd] flop hit the felt. Boeree then bet 3,000 and Rudelitz smooth-called.
On the [7d] turn Boeree reached for chips again, betting 8,500, and again Rudelitz stuck around. Both players checked the [As] river and Boeree announced that she had nine-high. Rudelitz could beat that, showing [Kc][3d] to claim the pot. He's up to 170,000 now while Boeree slips a little to 116,000. --NW
12:34pm: Akenhead makes Staples twitch
Level 15 - Blinds 1,500-3,000 (300 ante)
PokerStars Team PokerStars Pro Online member and Twitch sensation Jaime Staples spent all day yesterday on the feature table, and had a pretty solid day ending with 289,600 -- almost double the tournament average.
However, Day 3 hasn't begun quite as well for Staples as he's just lost a big pot to James Akenhead right before their table broke.
Akenhead opened to 7,000 and Staples called on the button. The blinds folded and the two saw a flop of [3c][3h][7s], which Akenhead continued on for 9,500. Staples made the call once more and they went to the turn -- the [td]. Now the bet from Akenhead was 13,500, but again Staples went nowhere.
Another ten -- the [tc] -- landed on the river and Akenhead counted out a bet of 48,500 and slid it across the line. "That's a big bet," said Staples.
He thought for a minute and made the call, but mucked immediately when Akenhead flipped over his [th][jc] for a runner-runner full house. Akenhead now has 245,000, wile Staples has slipped to around 190,000. --JS
12:31pm: Urbanovich more than doubles up
Level 15 - Blinds 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
Beware, Dzmitry Urbanovich now has a stack that's almost average and as we know his poker skills are anything but.
He raised it up to 7,000 from under the gun and picked up four calls, including both blinds. On the [5d][4h][9d] flop the action checked to Vebjorn Monstad who bet 18,000. That got rid of Jude Ainsworth, Alex Goulder, and Ben Heath, but Urbanovich was not so quick to release. Instead he moved all in for 51,500 and Monstad called the extra.
Urbanovich: [Ac][9c] - top pair
Monstad: [Kd][Qd] - two overs and a flush draw
Monstad was actually a 53.74% favourite to win the hand, but it would be Urbanovich's hand that would improve on the [As] turn and [Ah] river, and the Polish pro survived. --NW
Dzmitry Urbanovich -- 141,200
Vebjorn Monstad -- 97,000
12:25pm: Dias the king of Dublin
Level 15 - Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
That's not quite true as Dublin is part of a republic, but Bernardo Dias is feeling king-like now after finding pocket kings to double up. The "president" of EPT Dublin doesn't get installed until Saturday anyway.
The high-rolling Christoph Vogelsang opened from under the gun with pocket queens and made a quick call after Dias moved all in for around 65,000 with his kings. The board ran out [8s][5d][ad][6h][5s] and Vogelsang quietly paid his dues and dropped to 189,000. --MC
12:20pm: Dzelinquent Dzmitry
Level 15 - Blinds 1,500-3,000 (300 ante)
At last the EPT11 Player of the Year has arrived -- only about 10 minutes after the start. That's everyone accounted for now, as Level 15 continues. --MH
12:19pm: Side-event crushers
It's not only about the Main Event here in Dublin this week and some big names and local heroes have been crushing the side-event schedule. Have a quick spin through our side-event review. --HS
12:13pm: Where's Urbanovich?
Level 15 - Blinds 1,500-3,000 (300 ante)
All I know is that if I were playing in an event with a €5,300 buy-in and €561,900 for first, I wouldn't want to turn up late for fear of missing a hand. I think most people feel that way.
Dzmitry Urbanovich is not like most people.
His bag is open and his chips are out (so the dealer can put his blinds in), but he's not yet arrived for Day 2. Funny thing is, I saw him at the hotel this morning up and about, so at least we know he's not forgotten to set his alarm.
Urbanovich might not like what he sees when he does eventually appear -- he's got what most people would consider a brutal table, hosting Steve O'Dwyer, Jude Ainsworth, Alex Goulder, and Ben Heath.
Then again, Urbanovich is not like most people.
We'll let you know when he shows! He starts the day with 67,000. --JS
12:09pm: Pezelj the first player out today
Level 15 - Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
Ivica Pezelj could only giggle at the flop he was faced with after moving all in and getting called.
Nikolaus Teichert had opened and made the call after Pezelj went all in for around 27,000 from the big blind with [kc][js]. Teichert opened [ts][9s] and hit the nuts on the [6s][7s][8c] flop. The board ran out [qc][qh], Pezelj is out, and Teichert's stack jumped up to 140,000. --MC
12:01pm: Cards in the air
Level 15 - Blinds 1,500-3,000 (400 ante)
Day 3 of the EPT Dublin Main Event has begun. The tournament now moves to 90-minute levels, with five levels scheduled to be played today.
With 127 players left, that means they are 40 eliminations away from the bubble bursting. A min-cash is €9,100, while all who remain continue to eye the €561,900 up top due to go to the winner. --MH
11:45am: Chasing Banic
Day 3 of the EPT Dublin Main Event begins at noon and all eyes will be on Croatia's Ivan Banic. He is the man to chase with 381,000 chips.
There's a spectacular chasing pack. Have a look at how they line up at the start of the day on the seat-draw page. --HS
Want to start your own EPT campaign? Sign up for PokerStars and start your journey. Click here to get an account.
Take a look at the official website of the EPT, with tournament schedule, news, results and accommodation details for the rest of the season.
Also all the schedule information is on the EPT App, which is available on both Android or IOS.
PokerStars Blog reporting team on the EPT12 Dublin Main Event: Stephen Bartley, Marc Convey, Martin Harris, Jack Stanton, Howard Swains and Nick Wright. Two days on the spin. Photography by Neil Stoddart. Follow the PokerStars Blog on Twitter: @PokerStarsBlog.
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