Thursday, 28th March 2024 11:43
Home / Uncategorized / EPT Barcelona: Final table, level 31-34 updates (120,000-240,000)
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3.22am: Martin Schleich wins EPT Barcelona and €850,000
Dragan Kostic out in 2nd for €532,000

And finally, it’s all over. After a marathon final table, Martin Schleich has beaten Dragan Kostic in heads-up play. Schleich had raised to 525,000 and, for the second time in a matter of five minutes, Kostic had shoved. This time, Schleich called.

Schleich: A9
Kostic: A7

The board ran Q25K9 to bring to a close a record-breaking tournament in Spain.

We’ll have a full wrap with you shortly, but in the meantime you can catch up with who won what on the payouts page. — SY

3.10am: Schleich gets it in
Martin Schleich is back in command with a 17,000,000 to 7,000,000 lead.

Schleich opened the button for 525,000 and was three-bet by Dragan Kostic out of the big blind to 1,550,000. The German came back over the top for 3,400,000 and Kostic made the call. There was 7,000,000 in the pot pre-flop…

Schleich made a curiously small c-bet of 1,500,000 on the 598 flop. Call. The A on the turn was checked by Kostic and Schleich quickly announced that he was all-in. Kostic mucked his hand. — RD

2.53am: Kostic on the up
Dragan Kostic is the player winning most of the pots in the early forays. Both players have made a single three-bet pre-flop which has won the hand. It doesn’t look like this will be settled by a pre-flop raising war with marginal hands. — RD

2.45am: This is the life
It’s our last night in Barcelona, 2.45 in the morning, and we’re still heads-up for the EPT title. We’ve even missed free booze on offer from Roberto Romanello, who won the €5,000 event a little earlier for €100,000.

You can cheer us up by sending comments. Or money. Or a bed. — SY

2.37am: First blood to Kostic
Michael Schleich made it 525,000 and Dragan Kostic called. Both checked the 233 flop, and on the 7 turn Kostic bet 850,000 and Schleich called. The river was 8 and again Schleich called a 850,000 bet. Kostic showed A7 to take the pot. — SY

2.33am: Heads up begins
The heads up is set to start with Martin Schleich in control with a two-to-one lead but with 100 big blinds in play there is still plenty of space for Kostic to mount a comeback.

Martin Schleich, 15,500,000
Dragan Kostic, 8,775,000

Play begins. — RD

2.26am: Eugene Katchalov out in 3rd for €315,000
Dreams of a Triple Crown winner here in Barcelona are over. Eugene Katchalov, the Team PokerStars Pro from Ukraine, has been knocked out in third place by Martin Schleich. Katchalov had shoved pre-flop with 77 for 3.3 million and Schleich called instantly with 99.

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Team PokerStars Pro Eugene Katchalov

Then something to get the blood moving a little quicker. As the dealer dealt the flop, the window card was 7, sending the media cheering (Katchalov would have been a popular winner), but as the dealer spread the rest of the 9 appeared along with the 3… sending the media groaning. Both players had flopped a set, and it left Katchalov with just one out. It did not come.

There is a short break before we start heads-up play. Here are the chips:

Martin Schleich: 15,500,000
Dragan Kostic: 8,775,000

We’ll be back shortly to see who will lift the EPT Barcelona trophy and get €850,000. — SY

2.18am: Katchalov busts, we’re heads up
Eugene Katchalov has just been knocked out to take the action heads up. Details of the brutal hand to come shortly. — RD

2.15am: Katchalov feeling the frustration
Katchalov is looking quite frustrated at the moment. He just check-called a 1,300,000 bet from Dragan Kostic on the river of a 8K454 board only to be shown 47. He has little over 3,000,000 left. — RD

2.10am: Stay alert
The odd hand is the only way to stave off sleep and to keep warm. The air conditioning, previously set to handle 500 people or so, is not adding a layer of frost to the 100 or so that remain.

In the meantime more pots pass by with pre-flop raises taking down the loot. Dragan Kostas opened for 500,000 which was called by both Martin Schleich and Eugene Katchalov for a flop of 2Q4. All three checked for a 8 turn. Schleich bet another 900,000 to take the pot. – SB

2.04am: Urgent appeal
Please send black coffee to media area at EPT Barcelona. Maybe some cake, too. — SY

2am: Katchalov all in….
Martin Schleich raised to 520,000 from the small blind and Eugene Katchalov moved all-in. Schleich folded. — SY

1.50am: Out of the trenches, boys
A whistle has blown and our three weary players have been sent over the top one more time. Three players remain with Eugene Katchalov the shortest stack:

Martin Schleich, 9,805,000
Eugene Katchalov, 5,710,000
Dragan Kostic, 8,755,000

Blinds and antes up. — RD

LEVEL UP: BLINDS 120,000-240,000, ANTE 30,000

1.37am: Break time
That’s the end of the level. Players are taking a 10 minute break.

1.35am: Disturbance in the force
A pot of some size upsets the calm. Dragan Kostic called from the small blind and Martin Schleich checked the big for a flop of 478. Kostic checked, Schleich bet 300 and Kostic raised to 900,000. Schleich called.

The turn came J. Kostas checked again and Schleich made it 1,500,000 to play. Kostas asked for a count, then called.

The river came 3. Kostas checked one last time and Schleich moved all-in. Kostas passed. Schleich looked pleased with himself. – SB

1.17am: Schleich doubles through Kostic
Dragan Kostic opened the small blind for 450,000 and Martin Schleich moved all-in for 4,525,000. Call.

Schleich: A5
Kostic: AQ

The board ran out 1010825. All three players are close to the eight million average now. Schleich up to 9,000,000. Kostic down to 7,000,000. — RD

1.10am: Fatigue
No change, with players looking visibly tired at the table – Eugene Katchalov getting caught yawning on TV.

1.05am: Double up for Katchalov
Martin Schleich made it 500,000 from the small blind and Eugene Katchalov called. The flop was 68A and Katchalov called Schleich’s 400,000 bet. On the Q turn, Schleich bet another 800,000, only for Katchalov to move all-in for 2,885,000. Schleich called.

Schleich: AK
Katchalov: Q8

The turn was 4 and Katchalov rocketed up to 7.5 million, leaving Schleich with 4.2 million. Dragan Kostic, meanwhile, sits with 11 million. — SY

12.55am: Katchalov slipping
Eugene Katchalov is now the player looking in trouble. The Team PokerStars Pro is down to 3,600,000 after folding to a third barrel from Dragan Kostic on a 72KA6 board. Kostic had bet 250,000 on the flop, 550,00 on the turn and 1,450,000 on the river. Katchalov check-called until the river then passed.

Kostic now chip leader, past 10,000,000. — RD

12.48am: Kostic on the flop
Another dry spell , broken only by Dragan Kostic betting 1,700,000 on a flop of 52J to win a pot. Still no sign of anything pivotal happening. — SB

12.35am: One for Schleich, one for Kostic
The board read 5A6A and Martin Schleich’s 275,000 bet was called by Dragan Kostic. On the 3 river, Kostic checked, then folded when Schleich bet a weighty 1,375,000.

A few hands later, Schleich raised to 400,000, Eugene Katchalov re-raised to 1.1 million, only for Kostic to move all-in for 4 million. The others folded quickly. — SY

12.20am: Play resumes
We’re back into the three-handed action. — RD

12.01am: Good morning
That is all. — SY

12am: The break is here, Spanish hopes fading
The last level has been a slow one but the overall trend has been for Dragan Kostic’s stack to slowly dwindle. The Spaniard’s stack has faded to 5,300,000 and with it the hopes for a first Spanish EPT champion. Katchalov up over 8,300,000, Martin Schleich has around 10,700,000. — RD

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Spanish hopes rest on this man, Draga Kostic

11.50pm: Three to the flop
Dragan Kostic bet 350,000 and got calls from Martin Schleich and Eugene Katchalov. All three of them checked the JAQ flop and on the 3 turn Schleich made it 575,000 only for Katchalov to re-raise to 1,250,000. Kostic folded and Schleic followed suit. — SY

11.45pm: Out of the ordinary
After a few raise and takes and the first flop for while – missed by me because I was talking to someone about how few flops there had been – a pot of some size.
Dragan Kostic opened for 360,000 which Martin Schleich raised to 950,000. Kostas called.

The flop came 684 and Schleich bet another 675,000, launching it in as if shoo-ing a cat. Kostas called again and got a Q turn card in return.
Schleich checked and Kostas bet 1,575,000. Schleich had an answer to this and moved all-in. Kostic tanked, then folded. – SB

11.30pm: Nothing to see here
Quiet period. No big pots, no substantial chip movement. Nothing more to be said. — SY

11.15pm: The master of defensive poker
Martin Schleich appears to be trying to master the art of defensive poker check-calling down Eugene Katchalov every chance he gets. It doesn’t look pretty but it does seem to be paying off, albeit slowly, at the moment.

Kostic has dribbled down to about 6,500,000, the other two on around 9,000,000. — RD

11.05pm: Nothing to report
Another passage of play with little to show for it. Eugene Katchalov wins a hand on a flop of JAQ, betting for force out Dragan Kostic. In the next Kostic raised pre-flop, with no takers, before Schleich won the next hand , betting on a flop of 639 against Kostic. A pre-flop raise by Katchalov? Fold, fold. – SB

11pm: Three hands, two flops
First hand Martin Schleich bet 325,000 and Dragan Kostic called. The flop was 46J and Kostic check-called Schleich’s 375,000 continuation bet. But on the 2 river, Kostic check-folded the meaty 975,000 bet from the German.

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Martin Schleich

Next hand, Kostic made it 360,000 and Eugene Katchalov called from the big blind. On the KQ3 flop, Katchalov checked then folded to a 360,000 bet.

Third hand saw our first pre-flop three-bet for some time. Schleich bet 325,000 and then folded when faced with a re-raise to 850,000 from Katchalov. The stacks are still pretty even. — SY

10.45pm: Play kicks off, three players remain
Dragan Kostic has edged into the lead after a blistering finish to the last level. That said, there’s not a huge amount of difference between any of the three, Eugene Katchalov narrowly in second. — RD

10.40pm: Barcelona retrospective
The video crew take a retrospective look at EPT Barcelona.

10.20pm: Level ends
The level comes to an end with a pots the peters out between Eugene Katchalov and Dragan Kostic. On a flop of 86Q Kostic bet 500,000, which Katchalov called for a turn card 2. Another 700,000 from Kostic won the hand. – SB

10.18pm: Kostic acid
The last few hands have been relatively small but have largely gone to Dragan Kostic who has either hit a run of cards or has switched gears; he’s getting a lot more bets in. Four pots on the bounce have pushed him over 8,000,000. Both Eugene Katchalov and Martin Schleich have been at the wrong end of the pots. — RD

10.10pm: Much ado about nothing
Three-handed play continues in small-ball fashion. The pattern is the button raises and picks up the blinds and antes, or gets a call and takes is with a continuation bet on the flop. Stand by, we’re due a big pot soon. — SY

10pm: Three way pots
Not much to talk about during the past five minutes. Martin Schleich took a small pot from Eugene Katchalov, Kostic talk a small three way pot on the flop and just now Katchalov won a hand that had a little more meat on it.

Katchalov opened for 250,000 from the button which both Schleich and Kostic called for a flop of JQ6. All three of them checked that for a J turn. This time Kostic bet 250,000, forcing Schleich out, but Katchalov called for a 9 river. When Kostic checked Katchalov bet 650,000 which gave Kostic pause for thought. Eventually he decided to call. Katchalov showed him AJ. Kostic tapped the table and mucked his cards. – SB

9.55pm: Katchalov groan
Eugene Katchalov opened the button for 250,000 and was called by Dragan Kostic in the small blind and Martin Schleich in the big blind.

Katchalov c-bet 400,000 into the AQJ flop and Schleich made the call after Kostic bowed out.

The 8 turn card was enough for Katchalov to bet a further 800,000, Schleich called again.

The river brought the straight with the 10 and both players checked. Showdown.

Katchalov: [a][t] for two pair
Schleicch: [a][9] for the low straight

Katchalov showed a rare flash of exasperation and looked to the heavens. Both players on around 9,600,000 now. Kostic trailing. — RD

9.45pm: Raul Mestre out in 4th for €244,000
The Spaniard had been all-in more times in the last few levels than anyone, and it was only a matter time before it ended badly for him.

Eugene Katchalov raised to 300,000 and Dragan Kostic called before the fatal shove from Mestre for 1,150,000. Katchalov then moved all-in himself for around nine million. It would have put Kostic all-in to call, but he folded.

Mestre: A5
Katchalov: 10Q

Katchalov was not a huge dog, and the flop of J88 added to his outs. One of those, the 9 duly came on the turn to fill his straight and Mestre was now drawing dead.

Mestre leaves with €244,000, while all three remaining players are now guaranteed at least €315,000. — SY

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Raul Mestre

9.40pm: Kostic all-in
Eugene Katchalov called in the small blind (rare) for 120,000 and Dragan Kostic checked his big blind for a flop of 289. Katchalov bet 160,000 which Kostic called, then another 320,000 on the 2 turn.

Kostic passed but was in action again on the next hand. Again Katchalov was first to bet, making it 250,000 which Kostic called before Raul Mestre moved all in for close to 3,000,000. Katchalov folded but Kostic, smiling slightly, decided to call, meaning he was now the player at risk.

Kostic turned over 77 to Mestre’s K9.

The board ran 85A83 and despite the Spanish railbirds calling for “Ass!” no ass came. Kostic doubled up. – SB

9.27pm: Mestre all-ins
Raul Mestre was all-in last hand after three-bet squeezing all-in over the top of a Martin Schleich raise/Dragan Kostic call.

That won him more than the 225,000 he’d lost the hand before when he opened the button for 225,000 and had been shgoved on by Eugene Katchalov in the blinds. — RD

9.20pm: Tomeu Gomila out in fifth place
After Eugene Katchalov took a pot from Martin Schleich, betting the turn on a board of A6107, Schleich just pulled that back from Tomeu Gomila, sending the Spaniard to the rail in the process, leaving four players in the main event.

Gomila opened for 250,000 from under the gun which Schleich raised to 675. Gomila’s response was to move all-in which Schleich called showing QQ and Gomila AK.
With the crowd on their feet the board came J82J9. No ace or king to save Gomila, who earns €185,000. The remaining four players are guaranteed €244,000. — SB

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Tomeu Gomila started the day with the chip lead

9.10pm: Back for more action
Players are returning to their seats and cards will be in the air shortly. Euegene Katchalov continues to dominate. Here are the current stacks:

Eugene Katchalov,8.7 million
Martin Schleich 5 million
Dragan Kostic, 4 million
Raul Mestre 3.5 million
Tomeu Gomila, 3 million

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Eugene Katchalov

PokerStars Blog reporting team (in order of indigestion from dinner): = 1st: Rick Dacey, Stephen Bartley and Simon Young

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