Friday, 29th March 2024 13:35
Home / Uncategorized / EPT Barcelona: Day 2, level 13-15 (1,500-3,000, 300)
ept-thumb-promo.jpg

9.30pm: All over
Play is over and players are bagging and tagging. We’ll have a full wrap with you just as soon as Stephen Bartley can finish typing it. Full, official chip counts will be with you as soon as possible. — SY

9.10pm: Four more hands
Four more hands have been announced until the end of play. Tournament clock stopped, the pole position is open for a late charge. — RD

9.05pm: Sonelin edges ahead of Reinkemeier
David Sonelin and Tobias Reinkemeier are two players that we have seen a lot of on the EPT. Reinkemeier has scored $1,570,657 on the EPT circuit, Sonelin a more conservative, but still juicy, $112,935.

Induced by a gathering crowd around their table I arrived to see Reinkemeier lead 20,500 into a 5♣ 9â™  9♣ A♥ board. Sonelin made the call. The German bet a larger 42,000 at the 6â™  river and Sonelin didn’t think for too long before making the call.

Reinkemeier: 7♣ 6♣
Sonelin: A♠ J♦

That puts Sonelin up to 390,000 and Reinkemeier down to 280,000. — RD

8.50pm: Ramdin gets his man
Victor Ramdin has been needling Sam El Sayed for some time, more or less describing him as a whale. He was even offering him generous odds on a last-longer bet. If it was his intention all along to wind El Sayed up more than one of his native Swiss watches, then it worked. Ramdin just got his man.

It was folded to El Sayed on the button who made it 7,100. Ramdin, in the big blind, made it 21,900 and the Swiss called. The flop was 5♦ 10â™  2♥ and Ramdin tossed in 20,000 – El Sayed announced he was all-in, for around 60,000, and Ramdin called immediately.

Ramdin: A♥ A♠
El Sayed: Kâ™  5â™ 

Ramdin had set the trap and sprung it at the most opportune moment. The turn was 3♣ and the 9♦ fell on the river, sending the pot to Ramdin, who now has 240,000. El Sayed’s colourful tournament was over. — SY

victor_ramdin_barcelona_2.JPG

Happy: Victor Ramdin

8,42pm: Pettersson chipped up
Toni Pettersson has just taken a bite out of Ali Amelipour to chip up to 550,000. Dmitry Gromov had opened from early position to 6,200 and had been three-bet to 15,500 by Pettersson. Amelipour called in the cut-off.

Pettersson c-bet 18,600 into the 3â™  9♥ 10â™  flop and only Amelipour called. The Finn fired another barrel with a 28,500 bet into the 10♦ turn. Call. A final volley of 28,600 was leveled at the Aâ™  river. Amelipour called again and was shown A♣ 5♦ . He couldn’t beat it and mucked. — RD

8.35pm: Zaytsev looking dangerous
Evgeny Zaytsev has doubled up to 380,000 at the expense of Brian Yoon. We did not catch the action, but as the chips were being shipped over, the board read 5-3-2-J-3 and Zaytsev’s pocket queens were proudly on display. That sent Yoon down to 130,000. — SY

8.25pm: Oh no! Oh yes!
Dmitrij Fadeev was all-in with K♦ K♣ against Marvin Rettenmaier’s A♣ K♥ . The flop was 5♦ 8♦ 4♦ , and when the A♦ came on the turn Fadeev feared the worst, then realised he had made the nut flush. The river was 4â™  . Rettenmaier is down to 55,000, Fadeev up to 365,000. — SY

8.15pm: One more push
Cards are in the air for the last level of the day, with blinds at 1,500-3,000-300. Can anyone catch Saar Wilf? — SY

8pm: Movers and shakers at the break
Some of the players that have caught our eye while pushing their way the field are noted below. Martin Schleich is a current shoe-in for the ‘Get it quietly’ award. The Day 1A chip leader is sat in seat one of his table, keeping his big chips in ten-high stacks and barely saying a word – just slowly and steadily winning chips.

Saar Wilf – 760,000
Vanessa Selbst – 425,000
Martin Schleich – 400,000
Guilluame Darcourt – 360,000
Chris Moorman – 280,000
Sam El Sayed – 260,000

Plenty of other stacks out there and the bubble now appearing on the horizon with 162 players left, 120 get paid.

It’s a 15 minute break now. — RD

7.55pm: Moorman looming large
If you’re at his table, Chris Moorman is not a player you want to see accumulating chips. Unfortunately for those sat around him, that’s exactly what the Brit is doing. This hand saw him ease up to 250,000.

There was a standard raise from the cut-off, which Moorman called from the small blind. The flop came 3♠ 4♣ A♦ and Moorman check-called the 7,700 continuation bet. Both then checked the 6♠ turn, but on the 2♣ river, Moorman put out 15,500 and his opponent folded instantly.

Moorman, who has a fearsome online reputation, has also accumulated live winnings of more than $1.3 million, which included a third place in the WSOP $2,500 No Limit Six-handed event this summer. — SY

7.50pm: Selbst up again
Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Selbst is now on around 425,000 and looking at ease with life at her table. — SY

7.45pm: Hopkins doubles
Craig Hopkins just took a chunk of chips from Leo Fernandez.

Hopkins opened for 5,200 which was called by the players next to Fernandez before the Team PokerStars Pro raised to 16,500. Hopkins then shoved for 75,500 more which Fernandez called.

Hopkins showed pocket aces against Fernandez’s ace-king. The board ran Q♦ 6♣ 10♦ 9â™  8♦ to take Hopkins beyond the 150,000 mark. Fernandez drops to 105,000.

7.35pm: Ramdin doubles
Victor Ramdin has doubled through Sam El Sayed getting it in pre-flop with [a][t] to [j][t] to chip up to 60,000. This also acted as a catalyst for some machismo muscle flexing after Ramdin, with the aid of Sam Razavi, accused El Sayed of being a whale.

“If you give me ten to one I’ll bet that I outlast you in this tournament,” said Ramdin stacking up his chips.

“Three to one,” said El Sayed with a couple of hundred thousand chips in front of him.

“HA!” exploded Sam Razavi.

“Six to one. I’ll take it,” said Ramdin.

El Sayed refused.

“Okay, I’ll take five to one that he outlasts you for €1,000,” said Razavi.

If it’s their intention to get El Sayed steaming it may just well be working. Razavi doubled shortly after, not through El Sayed however, but through Dacourt who called his Aâ™  10â™  button shove with 8♥ 6♥ . Razavi on 70,000. — RD

ept barcelona_day 2_sam el sayed.jpg

Sam El Sayed: whale or shark?

7.25pm: Monster pot for Wilf
Saar Wilf appeared on our chip counts list an hour or two ago with a 340,000 stack, a chip lead contesting amount. The Israeli has converted that into a 760,000 stack after turning the nuts on a 3â™  7♣ K♣ 6♣ 4♦ board and getting it all-in against Victor Ghenadi on the river. Ghenadi had led 70,000 and Wilf moved it in. Call. Wilf showed A♣ 5♣ for the nuts. — RD

7.20pm: Apostolos doubles, Kenney departs
Matthias De Meulder just lost some to Chatzopoulos Apostolos, calling Apostolos’s all in for 23,000. De Meulder showed 9♦ 9♣ to 1405’s 6♦ 6â™  .
The board came 8♣ 5♦ 10♥ 6♥ K♠ to double up Apostolos.

Elsewhere Sam el Sayed just eliminated Bryn Kenney on a board of 5♣ 7♥ 4â™  6♣ 4♦ . Calling El Sayed’s bet, but mucking as soon as El Sayed showed 4♦ Q♦ . Kenney wasn’t happy and left immediately. El Sayed up to 320,000.

There are approximately 189 players remaining leaving us, give or take, 70 places off the money. – SB

7.15pm: Moorman retires Azor
“I’ll retire from poker,” said Ran Azor. He repeated the statement for added emphasis.

The Spaniard’s A♦ A♣ lay on its back after having his short stacked shove called all-in by Moorman with 6♣ 2♣ . The flop was a safe 3â™  8â™  3♥ . The turn brought two outs with the 2â™  . The river was one of those two, the 2♥ .

“I retire from poker,” said Azor, who rose to his feet obviously annoyed.

He may have cursed himself. When Moorman made the call he had performed a bit of a slowroll, asking, “You got a pair?”

Moorman up to 180,000. — RD

ept barcelona_day 2_chris moorman.jpg

Chris Moorman awkwardly cracking aces

7.10pm: End of the road
Nicolas Satletti has not featured on the PokerStars Blog so far in Barcelona, and sadly his first appearance will also be his last. He’s out. He open-pushed from early position for 32,300 with J♣ J♦ but was looked up by Gheorghe Sandulescu holding Aâ™  K♥ .

The flop was a blow, coming A♣ 3♣ 9♣ , but at least it opened up a flush draw for Satletti. However, the Qâ™  turn and 5♦ river were neither a club nor a third jack. — SY

7.05pm: Ramdin’s king high is good
Victor Ramdin and Sam El Sayed got to the river on a board of 2♥ 6â™  5♥ 10♥ 5♣ , the last betting being a 3,000 bet from Ramdin being called on the turn. “King high,” announced Ramdin, exposing K♥ . “That’s good,” replied El Sayed. Goodness knows what he had. — SY

7pm: A Selbst vs. Swede stand off
A big hand just played out between Vanessa Selbst and Thomas Larsen.

The Swede had opened for 5,200 in middle position which Selbst then raised to 12,400 in the hijack. Larsen fired again, making it 19,600 (after some brief discussion about how much the amount should be). After much debate Selbst then composed herself and riffled her way to a decision, raising again to 52,400 in total. Larsen moved all-in.

Selbst seemed to realise this had always going to happen as he pushed 113,400 more into the middle.

“Why didn’t I just shove?” she asked herself, before asking the dealer how much it was to call.

Selbst pulled various faces for the five minutes she took to decide, at times frowning, other times grinning to herself, while all the while Larsen remained completely still. Selbst still had 350,000 behind but was having trouble letting go, and wasn’t put off by the 12 people standing around the table watching.

“Sorry guys,” she said, addressing the others at the table. She looked again, then passed, tapping the table, then she shook away the dust inside her head.

Larsen up to 225,000. – SB

6.50pm: Selbst looking impervious
Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Selbst is up to 360,000 and looking hard to budge. She’s looking incredibly comfortable. — RD

6.42pm: Deal
Play has resumed. Blinds are now 1,200-2,400 with a 300 ante. — SY

6.10pm: Break time
That’s the end of the level and the start of a 30 minute break before level 14. Play resumes at around 6.40pm. — SB

6.06pm: Kravchenko doubles (again)
You can’t break a man of steel. Team PokerStars Pro Alex Kravchenko has just doubled again, getting it in with K♣ 9â™  against pocket queens. The flop read J♥ 9♣ 9♦ but I’m not sure if it went in on the flop or before. Given that the Russian had just 22,500 it’s likely it was a pre-flop shove. Either way he’s up to 68,000 — RD

6.05pm: Rettenmaier sendss Cacho to the rail
On a flop of Q♣ 8♥ 2♥ Javier Cacho bet 18,000 which Marvin Rettenmaier then raised to 27,600. Cacho’s response was to move all-in for about 106,000, causing Rettenmaier to exhale loudly. Then he called, turning over Q♥ 10â™  to Cacho’s J♥ 5♥ .

The turn came 2♦ and the river 2â™  . No help for Cacho who was forced to wait a minute as the dealer confirmed that he had been the shorter stack. He’s out. Rettenmaier up to around 225,000. – SB

5.57pm: Darcourt taking no prisoners
Upon arrival at his current table some two levels ago Sam Razavi said that it was dangerous but potentially very juicy. I can see what he means.

Razavi opened from middle position to 4,700 and was called by big stacks Guilluame Darcourt and Sam El Sayed before Jefri Islam three-bet to 20,000 from the small blind. Razavi tank-folded while Darcourt and El Sayed made the call: more than 65,000 in the pot.

Islam led 20,500 into the 6♦ 8♥ 9â™  flop and Darcourt quickly announced he was all-in and pushed two stacks of 100,000 across the line. El Sayed passed and left Islam with a big question. His answer, slow as it was to be reached, was to pass. Darcourt up to 480,000. — RD

ept barcelona_day 2_sam razavi.jpg

Sam Razavi laughing despite having Darcourt to his left

5.55pm: Nice flop, sir
Liviu Catalin Toderita kicked this off with a raise to 4,500 which was smooth called by former EPT Vilamoura winner Antonio Matias and Harry Kaczka from the US. The flop was a pretty 9♦ A♦ A♥ , which was checked all round. On the K♠ turn, Toderita bet 6,000 and both players called. The river was 10♥ and again Toderita bet 6,000, and again Matias called. But now Kaczka raised to 27,500.

Toderita called, but Matias got out of the way. With that, Kaczka turned over A♣ 9♣ for the flopped full house. Toderita mucked, showing Aâ™  in disgust. That puts Kaczka on more than 130,000. — SY

5.50pm: Split ’em
The table featuring three Team PokerStars Pros sitting in a row –Leo Fernandez (170,000), Eugene Katchalov (160,000) and Alex Kravchenko (23,000)–has broken and the three of them have been dispersed around the room like seeds from a dandelion caught in the wind. Or something like that. — SY

5.48pm: Becker in moving pictures
See what the mighty Boris Becker has to say about playing in Barcelona.

5.45pm: Becker controlling the base line
Boris Becker, the Team PokerStars SportStar, is up to 71,000 and threatening to run deep here in Barcelona. He just won another pot; I know this because he was busily stacking up the loot in little piles, looking every bit like a man who doesn’t want to give them up any time soon. — SY

5.40pm: Heinz sauced
Pius Heinz is out, sent to the rail by Vanessa Selbst. With the action folded to Selbst in the small blind, she looked down to find A♠ K♠ and raised to 5,400. Heinz looked down and found 6♥ 6♦ which looked pretty good for a stack of 36,000. He shoved and Selbst immediately called, sympathising with Heinz for his bad luck,

The board ran 9♣ 2â™  10â™  K♣ 4♦ . Heinz out, Selbst up to 350,000. – SB

5.35pm: Wahlbeck out
Team PokerStars Pro Ville Whalbeck has become the latest player to fall beneath the swings of Mario Adinolfi. The Italian’s ace-three beating Wahlbeck’s pocket nines all-in pre-flop at the TV table. — RD

5.30pm: Becker bounces back
“All-in,” said Boris Becker. The cameras of the world heard this in the same way that whales hear other whales in the ocean. They all rushed over.

Jose Luis Cordero Moreno (who you may remember wears red reading glasses that come apart at a hinge on the bridge) had opened the pot for 4,600 which Marvin Rettenmaier raised to 12,400 on the button. Becker then moved all-in from the small blind for a little less than 13,000.

The dealer tossed the red and black triangle, with the word “All-In” stamped on it, towards Becker. He grabbed it and placed it more neatly in front of his cards, acknowledging the absurdity of the thing with a grin. Then he waited.

boris_becker_ept8_bar_d2.jpg

Boris Becker in action

All saw the flop of 9♦ 8♣ 3â™  at which point Moreno check-folded to Rettenmaier’s bet of 6,200. Becker turned over A♥ 10♥ to Rettenmaier’s A♦ 2â™  . The turn came 5♥ [ and the river 6â™  . Becker lives on with 36,000. – SB

5.25pm: Darcourt on top but Ramdin pushing on
On a flop of 6♥ 7♠ 2♥ Guillaume Darcourt was taking on the might of Victor Ramdin. He did so by checking to him from the big blind and allowing the Team PokerStars Pro to bet 6,500 from his place in middle position. Then he called.

The turn came 2♣ and again Darcourt checked to Ramdin who bet another 17,000, leaving himself 36,000 behind. That was good enough with Darcourt folding, still on 420,000. Ramdin with more than 50,000. – SB

5.20pm: Adinolfi busts Barbero, bashes Rienkemeier and bounces Marsters
Rather than politely parcel up the details of how Mario Adinolfi built his big stack we’ll go straight to source. This Tweet update direct from the internet connected device of James Hartigan:

“@RickDacey @Eric_Ramsey He busted Nacho, won a big pot against Reinkemeier and has just busted @turnriva (QT>AQ). He now has 525k!”

That last player was Australian Tim Marsters. Adinolfi was good value at EPT Berlin where he finished 22nd, more of that to come here in Barcelona it seems. — RD

5.12pm: Adinolfi takes the chip lead
Mario Adinolfi is up to 500,000, or so we’ve been informed by EPT commentator James Hartigan. Adinolfi has already despatched Arnaud Mattern today (cracking his kings with ace-ten) and is a particular type of fearless player: if he likes his hand, he’ll go with it, hell or high water. Details (hopefully) coming from Hartigan who is watching Adinolfi’s progress on the TV feature table. — RD

4.55pm: Chip stack management
If you watched the PCA final table in 2008 you may remember Craig Hopkins who finished fifth. The Brit is grinding a 45,000 stack but is used to make the best out of limited resources; he’s the joint manager of amateur football team Heanor Town (who just recorded their 50th victory under Hopkins and joint manager Glenn Kirkwood, with a 3-1 away stuffing of Barrow Town no less).

Hopkins bagged $450,000 for that score and a whole heap of experience. Can he marshal his defences and strikers to get out of this predicament? We’ll see over the next couple of levels. The top 120 get paid. – RD

4.51pm: Have your say
Don’t forget, you can be part of today’s coverage by sending us your comments using the box bit at the bottom of this page. We’d be happy to hear form you.

4.50pm: Players return
Play is about to restart in level 13 with blinds at 1,000-2,000 with a 200 ante. There are 243 players form the original 811 remaining.

jonathan_duhamel_ept8_bar_d2.jpg

Jonathan Duhamel

PokerStars Blog reporting team in Barcelona: Simon Young, Rick Dacey and Stephen Bartley

Study Poker with Pokerstars Learn, practice with the PokerStars app