2.40pm: Break time
That’s the end of the level. Players are now on a 15 minute break.
2.35pm: Reinkemeier continues to roll
On a flop of 3♥ 3♦ 9♥ Dori Yacoub bet 80,000 and Reinkemeier check called for a 7♣ turn. Reinkemeier checked again before Yacoub bet 142,000. Again Reinkemeier called for a K♣ river. Reinkemeier checked once more. Yacoub tried 230,000 this time but Reinkemeier wasn’t convinced. He called, showing 8♣ 8♥ to take the pot. Yacoub showed A♣ Q♣ . – SB
2.25pm: Sorel Mizzi, eliminated in sixth place
Tobias Reinkemeier opened for 45,000 before Sorel Mizzi moved all-in for 339,000. Reinkemeier didn’t take long to call, showing A♣ Q♥ . Mizzi was behind with A♠ 8♦ . The board came 2♠ 3♦ 4♦ Q♠ J♦ .
Mizzi, who has had an amazing year so far, this being his ninth final table (he won four of them), departs in sixth place for €143,400.
Short stack Paul Berende, meanwhile, has moved up into fifth. He’s done it by playing a few more hands than Herve Costa did yesterday, but nonetheless, these have been the final tables for the short stacks. — SB
2.15pm: Marchese and Reinkemeier chop it
Tom Marchese raised to 47,000 and Tobias Reinkemeier called on the button. It was just those two again, going to a flop of 4♠ 7♠ 4♣ . Marchese bet 47,000, Reinkemeier called. The turn was K♦ , which they both checked, and they also checked the Q♣ river. But they chopped this one after Marchese showed A♣ 10♠ and Reinkemeier was playing A♥ J♦ . — HS
2.10pm: Busquet moves on up
Olivier Busquet raised to 45,000 and Dori Yacoub called on the button. This was a pattern establish over the past two days. The flop came K♣ 5♥ 3♥ and they both checked, but then Busquet bet 65,000 at the 4♥ turn. Yacoub called. The river was 9♠ and this time Yacoub folded to Busquet’s 125,000 bet. — HS
2.05pm: Showdown
On a flop of 5♥ 3♥ K♥ Dori Yacoub checked in the small blind and Tom Marchese made it 35,000 from the big. Yacoub called for a 5♦ turn. Marchese bet another 110,000 which Yacoub called for a 2♥ river. Both checked, Marchese taking the pot when he showed 8♣ 5♠ to Yacoub’s 6♦ 7♥ . — SB
2pm: Reinkemeier show continues; Bari busts in seventh, winning €109,900
Tobias Reinkemeier got involved in three consecutive pots – and won them all, eliminating Allen Bari in the last one. Here’s how this little series played out:
First up, Reinkemeier three bet Tom Marchese after the American had raised to 47,000. Marchese folded. Then Reinkemeier raised to 45,000 pre-flop, was called by Olivier Busquet, but then fired a continuation bet on the 4♥ 4♦ 2♣ flop. Busquet got out the way.
And then the big one. Reinkemeier opened for 45,000 and Bari three-bet to 98,000. All of a sudden all the money was in the middle: Bari’s total stack of about 560,000 more was up against Reinkemeier’s much larger one.
And Reinkemeier also had the goods. It was K♦ K♠ for the German against Bari’s A♦ K♥ . The flop came 6♠ 4♦ 2♥ 6♠ 7♣ and the absence of the ace meant Bari went bust.
Reinkemeier, on his second high roller final table of the year, is the new chip leader here. — HS
1.49pm: Score draw
Allen Bari opened for 42,000 and Sorel Mizzi moved all-in for 375,000. Bari called but each had the same: A♦ Q♣ for Mizzi, A♥ Q♥ for Bari. No cruelty on the board of 4♣ 5♥ Q♦ 7♣ J♣ . Split pot. — SB
1.45pm: Marchese v Mizzi
After Sorel Mizzi raised to 45,000, he picked up both the blinds, namely Dori Yacoub in the small blind and Tom Marchese in the big. Those three all checked the Q♦ A♥ A♣ flop and then both Yacoub and Marchese checked the 4♠ turn. Mizzi, however, bet 60,000, which only Marchese called, taking them to a 7♠ river.
Marchese checked and Mizzi checked behind, which was probably the last thing Marchese wanted. The American showed A♠ 8♥ to win and Mizzi’s Q♥ 10♥ was done for. – HS
1.35pm: New blinds, three bet
This is a lot of fun; they’re really playing poker. Just after the tournament director announced the raise in the blinds, Tom Marchese opened to 47,000 and Olivier Busquet, in the big blind, three bet to 150,000. Marchese decided against pursuing that line. — HS
BLINDS UP TO 10,000-20,000 WITH A 2,000 ANTE
1.30pm: Busquet busy
Olivier Busquet opened for 35,000, Yacoub called and Sorel Mizzi raised to 138,000. Busquet wasn’t done and popped it up to 240,000. No response from Mizzi, except to pass. — SB
1.22pm: Mizzi starts, Reinkemeier finishes
Sorel Mizzi opens for 36,000 which Paul Berende and Tobias Reinkemeier in the big blind called. The flop came 3♣ 6♦ 4♦ . Reinkemeier checked and Mizzi bet another 42,000. Berende passed but Reinkemeier raised to 129,000, enough to win the pot. — SB
1.17pm: Marchese takes a small one
Tom Marchese, on the button, called Olivier Busquet’s 35,000 raise. The two of them went alone to a flop of A♠ 8♥ 8♦ , which they both checked. Marchese bet 46,000 on the turn of K♠ and Busquet gave up. — HS
1.12pm: On the flop
Tom Marchese opened for 50,000 which Dori Yacoub called for a 8♦ 7♦ 8♣ flop. Marchese bet 66,000 to take it down. — SB
1.10pm: Flashback
Ah well, they do know how to fold too. Paul Berende opened for a min raise from early position and got it through, then Tobias Reinkemeier raised from the button and that too was successful. Two hands, no flops? What is this, the main event? — HS
1.05pm: Yacoub in control
Allen Bari opened for 36,000 which was called by Dari Yacoub on the button. Tobias Reinkemeier called in the big blind for a flop of K♠ 2♣ 3♦ . Reinkemeier checked and Bari bet 60,000. Yacoub then raised to 158,000 forcing Reinkemeier to pass. Bari called though for a 8♣ on the turn. Bari checked, Yacoub made it 150,000 and Bari passed. Yacoub showed A♦ 5♦ and moves up to 1,419,000. — SB
1pm: Berende moves in
They really are relentless at this final table so far. On the second hand, Olivier Busquet opened from early position and Paul Berende, who had assumed short-stack duties in the absence of Friedrich, moved all in for his 293,000. Busquet folded. — HS
12.50pm: Michael Friedrich out in eighth, winning €81,300
There’s no delay with these high rollers. On the very first hand dealt, Michael Friedrich moved all in and although Dori Yacoub seemed as though he might want to take a shot, it was Allen Bari who actually said “Call”.
So Friedrich was looking at the earliest of baths, and it was looking pretty gloomy when the cards were exposed:
Bari: A♣ Q♥
Friedrich: A♦ 4♣
The flop, though, gave plenty of possibilities. It came 3♣ 5♣ 6♣ , which was an open-ended straight flush draw for Friedrich. The 2♥ turned, giving him the straight, but the 8♣ on the river filled the big flush for Bari.
All that drama meant Friedrich was sent packing and Bari moved up to 973,000. Six more hands are we’re done! — HS
12.45pm: The cast
Thomas Kremser is introducing the players. Here’s how they’ll line up:
Dori Yacoub, Lebanon — 1,199,000
Tom Marchese, USA — 909,000
Allen Bari, USA — 835,000
Tobias Reinkemeier , Germany — 826,000
Sorel Mizzi, Canada — 770,000
Olivier Busquet, USA — 666,000
Paul Berende, Netherlands — 327,000
Michael Friedrich, Switzerland — 112,000
12.40pm: About to start
The players are in position, the cameras are ready and the commentary team have finished their la-la-las. We’re minutes away from getting this last final table of the season under way. — SB
The finalists
PokerStars Blog reporting team in Monte Carlo (in order of flights home tomorrow):Stephen Bartley (10am), Howard Swains (cancelled).
