Live updates from day two, level 11 of the EPT London High Roller event brought to you by Stephen Bartley, Howard Swains and Simon Young.
Click refresh to see the latest updates below. The up-to-date selected chip counts are on the chip count page.
Blinds: 1,500-3,000 (300 ante)
1.15pm: Joe Hachem eliminated
Team PokerStars Pro Joe Hachem is out. He got his short stack all in pre-flop from under-the-gun and it seems as though he was going to get it through. But Eugene Katchalov threw out the three or four yellow chips to cover Hachem’s 20,000-odd and tabled A♣ 2â™ . Hachem had Q♣ 10♥ and the flop had a deuce on it, as did the river. No queens or tens and Hachem is gone.
1.10pm: Thorson doubles
William Thorson was desperate for a double up and found a perfect spot against Bryn Kenney. The Swede had J♥ J♦ and got all in on the Jâ™ K♣ A♣ flop, a mile ahead of Kenney’s A♦ 4♥ . The 2♥ turn and Aâ™ river changed nothing and Thorson is up to 90,000.
Masaaki Kagawa continues his impressive rise. Now well over 100,000, he won a 60,000 pot against Ilari ‘Ziigmund’ Sahamies when his Aâ™ 2â™ rivered a straight on the 4♣ 10♥ 5♣ J♥ 3♣ board.
1.05pm: Fernandez firing
Team PokerStars PRO: Argentina Leo Fernandez doubled up through Michael Tureniec, putting him just under 100,000. All the chips went in pre-flop:
Fernandez: 10♣ 10♦
Tureniec: K♥ 9♣
The board ran a safe 8♥ 9♦ Q♠5♥ 10♥ for a nice set finish.
1pm: Vaeza on the charge again
Adolpho Vaeza has just claimed his first casualty of the day, putting paid to the prospects of Talal Shakerchi. They got it all in on a flop of 6â™ K♥ 10♣ , with Vaeza insta-calling Shakerchi’s all in – approximately 70,000 total. Shakerchi showed K♣ 8♣ , which was behing Vaeza’s K♦ Q♦ . The turn 4♥ and river A♣ were blanks. Down to 29.
12.50pm: Measured aggression
There’s been a deceptive degree of caginess amid the customary aggression, with what looks to be some big folding going on. On a board of K♦ 9♥ 2♣ 4♥ Qâ™ , Dario Minieri made a small bet into a pot of about 15,000 and Matt Glantz moved all in over the top, for about 50,000. Minieri folded.
On the neighbouring table, William Thorson called pre-flop from mid-position, something Thorson likes to do despite the text books insisting that raising or folding is the only way to go. Tony Bloom made up the small blind and Andrew Feldman checked his option. The flop was 8♥ J♥ 10♠and Bloom and Feldman checked. Thorson bet 6,600 and although Bloom got out the way quickly, Feldman had a decision.
Eventually he folded, flashing the Jâ™ at Thorson, clearly suspicious of something. “I didn’t like my kicker,” Feldman said.
“That was a good fold,” Thorson said, in return flashing what seemed to be the J♦ . Pick the bones out of that one.
12.45pm: Kravchenko gone
We don’t know how but Alex Kravchenko is the latest elimination. He was seen walking out of the tournament room, his seat and the place where he chips once were now empty.
12.40pm: New verb: to Mizzi
Sorel Mizzi made it 7,200 pre-flop from early position. It was the same opener, the same “How do you do?” he’d used on the two hands prior to this one. Only then he’d had no takers. This time he got action. Vicky Coren called, putting her chips in and then taking a last peek at her cards. Then Sargon Ruya raised to 23,000 in the cut off. Will Molson was on the button and disappeared into his hood. He went pink and might have wanted to call, but didn’t.
With the action back on Mizzi it was his turn to think things over. Mizzi conforms to poker playing youth. His Ed Hardy t-shirt looks like a Hubble telescope close-up and bits of it sparkle under the lights shining over from the nearby TV stage. His thinking done he moved all-in with pocket queens. Coren folded but Ruya called with his ace-ten. Showdown. The board ran out: 3♠Q♣ 10♠4♠10♣ . From behind Mizzi I heard him make a faint croaking noise. He was up, close to 170,000.
12.34pm: Dangerman Dario doubles
Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri is one person guaranteed not to sit back and wait for things to happen. He’s the type to make things happen. So it was no surprise to see him in early action today, doubling up through Matt Glantz.
They saw a Kâ™ A♥ 9♥ flop, and with around 14,000 in the middle already, all the chips suddenly flew in. The reason? Well both had a little something….
Minieri: K♥ 2♥ for second pair and nut flush draw
Glantz: 10♥ J♥ for a (worse) flush and gutshot draw
Minieri looked happy enough, and the 3♠turn was harmless, and 2♦ river a gift of two pair.
The diminutive Italian is now on more than 200,000 and will be a real threat. Glantz, however, falls below 100,000.
12.30pm: Ziigmund no show
After arriving four-and-a-half hours late yesterday, but bagging up the tournament chip lead at the end of the day, Ilari Sahamies has decided not to turn up on time today either. His bag is still untouched and we’re expecting Ziigmund sometime in the next five hours.
12.25pm: Molson on the up
Will Molson, who crippled Phil Ivey about this time yesterday to almost double his starting stack within the first 20 minutes, has stayed at that level throughout. He just took himself to about 110,000 on a flop of 9♣ 5♥ 3♠. He bet 15,200 and Vicky Coren and Adolpho Vaeza folded.
12.20pm: Mizzi doubles
“I’ve doubled up, Sammy,” said Sorel Mizzi to fellow short-stacked Sammy George. “I’m back in it.”
“That’s what I need. That’s what I need,” said a rueful George. The pair of them are on about 50,000 and will need to make some moves.
12.15pm: PokerStars corner
Four Team PokerStars Pros are sitting next to one another: Leo Fernandez, Dario Minieri, Alex Kravchenko and Humberto Brenes.
12.10pm: Opening salvoes
An early all-in, fired by Masaaki Kagawa on a flop of Q♠J♠4♣ . The long haired pro from Japan showed 10♠8♠, against the cropped head of Eric Cajelais who groaned slightly when he turned over his 7♠5♠. The 6♦ turn and J♦ river was good for Kagawa, a 67,200 double up. Cajelais knocked back down to 187,000.
12pm: Day two
It’s another splendid morning in London, so time to lock ouselves into the Kings Suite of London’s Hilton Metropole Hotel for day two of the £20,000 High Roller event at the EPT London festival.
There are 31 remaining players and their chip counts at the start of the day can be found in the usual place. Stay out of the white and into the red, etc, etc:
