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Home / Uncategorized / EPT Berlin: Day 5, levels 30, 31 and 32 updates (100,000-200,000)
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10.15pm: Break time, again
Another break for the players. Play restarts in 15 minutes.

10.10pm: Another hand
On a board of Q♣ 10♣ J♠ 6♥ A♥ Kevin MacPhee made it 1,220,000 and Ilari called. MacPhee took the pot showing J♣ , another hand that almost passes like it was played in an empty room. MacPhee scooped the pot, Tahkokallio giggled a bit.

10.03pm: Tricky Ilari
Ilari Tahkokallio played a tricky hand that went in his favour. He limped in and then called Kevin MacPhee’s raise to 625,000. The flop came 4♣ A♣ 2♥ and MacPhee led out for 750,000 but quickly laid it down when the Finn raised. –MC

9.55pm: Hand 232 of the final table
And it saw Ilari Tahkokallio fall below 10million for the first time in a while. He raised to 450,000 pre-flop and Kevin MacPhee called. Both checked the 4♥ 7♦ 10♣ flop, but on the 2♠ turn MacPhee made it 575,000. Call. On the 10♥ river MacPhee made it 950,000 and again got a call. [j][7] for MacPhee, and that was good against the king from Tahkokallio.

9.45pm: Two monsters
This one was like the dinosaur fight scene in a Doug McClure movie. On a flop of K♠ Q♦ 5♦ both checked for a 9♠ turn. Tahkokallio then made it 525,000 which MacPhee called for a 9♥ on the river. Both checked. Tahkokallio confessed to six-high. MacPhee had that smashed with ten-high.

9.33pm: MacPhee emptied the clip
Kevin MacPhee has stretched his lead out once again. The players saw a 8♣ 8♥ 10â™  flop where MacPhee bet 525,000. Ilari Tahkokallio made the call and then called MacPhee’s 1,220,000 bet on the J♣ turn. The river came 7♣ and MacPhee fired a third bullet with a 2 million bet. Tahkokallio called but mucked upon seeing MacPhee’s [9][7] for a turned straight. –MC

9.25pm: Takhokallio gives back lead
On a flop of 7♠ 7♣ 6♣ both checked for a Q♥ on the turn. Tahkokallio checked and MacPhee bet 525,000 only to be check-raised to 1,450,000. MacPhee called for a Q♥ and a pot that was now worth 3,800,000. The river came J♠ and both checked, MacPhee taking the pot when Tahkokallio folded an open ended straight draw.

9.22pm: Tahkokallio takes lead
For the first time in heads-up play Ilari Tahkokallio has taken the chip lead. He called a 525,000 bet from the American on the turn before betting 990,000 on the river. The final board read 6♣ 4♣ 3♥ 6â™  A♣ and MacPhee made the call. Tahkokallio tabled [a][4] for two-pair and the pot as MacPhee mucked. Tahkokallio now on 15.5 million to MacPhee’s 13million. –MC

9.17pm: Change of tactic
The first pre-flop three-bet in a long while just took place. It looked like a big pot was brewing but it didn’t quite happen. Kevin MacPhee raised to 450,000 and was quickly three-bet to 1,375,000. It looked as if MacPhee was gearing up for something but no, he folded. –MC

9.11pm: Pfff
A hand fizzles out with Tahkokallio showing a five, matching another on the flop to take a small pot.

9.01pm: Ace high takes it
Kevin MacPhee raised to 450,000 and Ilari Tahkokallio called. He then check-called MacPhee’s 525,000 bet on 3â™  10♦ 6â™  flop, then both checked the K♣ turn and 2♥ river. “Queen high,” announced MacPhee. “Ace high,” responded Tahkokallio triumphantly.

8.56pm: They’re back
Play restarts in the final of EPT Berlin. Two men enter, one will leave €1million richer. Here we go.

8.38pm: Break time
Well after a period of inactivity the level ends. Players now have a 15 minute break. Play resumes at 8.55pm.

8.34pm: Chips
Kevin MacPhee — 18,500,000
Ilari Tahkokallio — 9,900,00

8.25pm: Hold your fire lads
Nothing big, nothing to change the balance in favour of Kevin MacPhee. Small pots going both ways.

8.12pm: More for Tahkokallio
Ilari Tahkokallio takes down another pot when on a board of 8♠ 5♦ 9♦ Q♥ 4♣ he bet 655,000 with 1,700,000 already in the middle. MacPhee folded.

8pm: Tahkokallio doubles
Ilari Tahkokallio is right back in this after doubling-up to 12 million. Kevin MacPhee raised to 360,000 and was called for a 3♥ 2♦ 6♣ flop where both checked. No such checking on the Q♣ turn as MacPhee moved all-in when his 380,000 bet was raised by the Finn. Tahkokallio snap-called with 2♣ 2♥ for a set to MacPhee’s drawing K♣ 4♣ . The river blanked with 8♥ and it’s game on.

7.50pm: Small pot
A small pot is taken by Ilari Tahkokallio after a board of Q♦ 9♣ 10♠ is checked to the K♠ river. At this point Tahkokallio made it 450,000 and MacPhee passed.

7.45pm: Chip counts
Kevin MacPhee – 23,150,000
Ilari Tahkokallio – 5,320,000

7.40pm: Strangle hold for MacPhee
Kevin MacPhee has four times the chips of his opponent after the biggest pot of heads-up play so far. Ilari Tahkokallio led for 280,000 on the turn and was called. The board read 10♦ 6♦ 3♦ Qâ™  5â™  by the river and MacPhee bet 1,120,000 only to be raised to 2,670,000. He made the call and was happy to hear “Jack high” from the Finn. MacPhee tabled six-five for two-pair. –MC

7.35pm: More to MacPhee
Kevin MacPhee opened for 450,000 which Ilari Tahkokallio raised to 890,000. Not done, MacPhee made it 2,040,000 and Tahkokallio had to fold. MacPhee now up to 19,790,000.

7.35pm: Tahkokallio some back
Ilari Tahkokallio has got some of those chip back. He raised pre-flop and was called before a 6♦ 5â™  5♦ came down. His c-bet of was raised by MacPhee but he stood firm and called to create a 3 million pot going to the 2♣ turn. MacPhee checked to face a 1.5 million pot. Fold. –MC

7.30pm: MacPhee takes one away
Ilari Tahkokallio raised to 360,000 and was called. The flop came 5♦ 4♠ 6♥ and his 440,000 bet was called by MacPhee before they both checked the 4♣ . MacPhee then led for 420,000 on the A♦ river. Job done as Tahkokallio folded.

7.20pm: Pot to MacPhee
On the flop of K♣ A♥ 7♥ Kevin MacPhee made it 320,000, called. The turn came a 5♣ . Both checked for a 10♠ river. Tahkokallio bet 410,000 which was called. Tahkokallio mucked his hand immediately, leaving the pot for MacPhee.

7.05pm: Marc Inizan eliminated in third place for €350,000
We’re heads-up. An action flop came down in a pot between Kevin MacPhee and Mark Inizan that resulted in Inizan being eliminated.

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Marc Inizan

MacPhee raised from the button and was called by Inizan for a 7♥ J♥ 8â™  flop. The Frenchman check-raised MacPhee’s 360,000 bet up to 890,000. MacPhee re-raised this to 1,760,000 and then snap-called Inizan’s shove.

MacPhee: 9â™  10â™  for the nuts.
Inizan: J♣ 10♣ for top pair and gutshot to the same straight.

The turn 4♥ and river Aâ™  changed nothing and we’re down to two players. — MC.

6.55pm: Take it Tahkokallio
Marc Inizan opened for 255,000 which was called by Ilari Tahkokallio for a flop of 5♣ 2♣ 2♥ . Tahkokallio checked to Inizan who bet 260,000, then folded when Tahkokallio raised to 680,000. — SB

6.50pm: Raising the C-bet
In addition to the habit for pretzels and doughnuts developed this week, there have been some other patterns appearing around the poker tables. The fashion for raising continuation bets has been very obvious, and Marc Inziman just gave a textbook example.

Kevin MacPhee opened pre-flop, Inizan called and the flop was 10♥ 5♠ 2♣ . Inizan checked, MacPhee bet 335,000 and Inizan made it 915,000. MacPheen folded.

6.45pm: MacPhee retakes leads after pre-flop fold
Kevin MacPhee is back in to the chip lead after folding pre-flop and letting Ilari Tahkokallio lose a chunk to Marc Inizan. A blind on blind limped pot brought a 4â™  Q♦ 7â™  flop where the Finn led for 150,000. Call. He then led for 320,000 on the Q♥ turn and 700,000 on the J♦ river. Inizan called both times and took the pot with jack-seven for two-pair. Tahkokallio could only show a king. –MC

5.31pm: Break
We’ve been taken completely by surprise by the announcement we are now on a one-hour dinner break, not least because we only just finished eating our fast-food. What are we going to do on a dinner break now?

Well, we could gaze at the chip stacks of the three players for starters…

Ilary Tahkokallio, 12,260,000
Kevin MacPhee, 10,850,000
Marc Inizan, 5,695,000

5.30pm: Artur Wasek eliminated in fourth place for €280,000
Artur Wasek is out in fourth place. Marc Inizan limped from under the gun and Artur Wasek moved all-in. Inizan called showing K♣ K♠ . Wasek winced, turning over Q♥ Q♦ . The flop brought some ooohs, 9♣ 10♦ J♣ . The but the 2♠ turn and 4♣ river sent Wasek to the rail in fourth place.

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Marc Inizan gets the good news…

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…Artur Wasek gets the bad

5.20pm: Pot to Tahkotallio
Kevin MacPhee opened for 270,000 which Ilari Tahkotallio raised to 720,000, forcing MacPhee to fold.

5.15pm: We have….
… indigestion.

5.10pm: The high life
The blog team has taken timely delivery of a Big Mac meal each with side order of a cheeseburger. We know how to live. — SY

5.05pm: Shoving
Tahkokallio bet before Marc Inizan moved all-in for a little more than 3,000,000. That’s enough of that, Tahkokallio folded. — SB

5pm: MacPhee takes back chip lead
MacPhee and Ilary Tahkokallio are trading the chip lead, and now it’s MacPhee’s turn to make the running. On this one raised to 270,000 and Tahkokallio called. On the 9♥ K♣ 6♦ flop Tahkokallio check-called MacPhee’s 360,000 bet. Both checked the 5♣ turn, and the on the river the man from Finland check-called MacPhee’s 880,000 bet.

MacPhee showed K♥ 4♥ and that was good enough. He’s now up to 11.7million, Tahkokallio is down to 10.9 million. — SY

4.50pm: Back
Yes we are back. There are four players remaining and the chip leader is now Ilari Tahkokallio, who has chipped his way passed Kevin MacPhee.

The full counts are as follows:

Ilari Tahkokallio – 12,545
Artur Wasek – 2,675
Kevin MacPhee – 10,060
Marc Inizan – 3,430

and you can follow their fluctuations on the chip count page.

Picture? A picture. This is Kevin MacPhee through some mesh.

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PokerStars blog reporting team (in order of something known only to us): Marc Convey, Simon Young, Howard Swains and Stephen Bartley.

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