Friday, 29th March 2024 14:10
Home / Uncategorized / EPT Vienna: Day 2, level 10 & 11 updates (800-1,600, 200 ante)
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3.01pm: Break time
Another level another break. Play restarts in 15 minutes.

3pm: Peteri peters out
It’s curtains for Gabor Peteri. He raised to 20,600 after an initial bet of 7,000 from Andrew McCrite. When he then moved all-in Peteri called, showing Q♣ Qâ™  . He was the shorter of the two stacks but was ahead of McCrite’s 10♣ 10â™  . But not for long.

The board ran 4â™  2♣ 4♥ 10♥ 7♦ . McCrite allowed himself a quick clap when the turn hit, a card that send Peteri home. – SB

2.56pm: EPT Rules
It’s a feature of the various interpretation of the rules that what passes for truth in one country, might not in another. Jeff Williams just found this out but still managed to win the pot to move to 170k.

He raised from early position before his neighbour three-bet and a player on the button called. Williams went to four-bet but put his chips into the middle in two separate motions even though his hand was over the line at all times. In America this would’ve been fine but on the EPT the bet has to take place with one motion.

The first amount of chips he dropped was just enough for a min-raise though, less than he intended to raise. Both players called but folded when Williams bet on the turn after all three checked the flop. Williams looked bemused but accepted the decision. — MC

2.54pm: Suharto sent packing
Team PokerStars Pro Darus Suharto has just been eliminated. I missed the exit hand but he was kind enough to tell me what happened. Lubomir Kudlicka had raised to 4,100 under-the-gun. Mark Radoja made it 10,500 from late position and then Suharto moved all-in for his last 40,000 holding pocket queens. Kudlicka folded, but Radoja made the call with ace-king and turned a king to eliminate the Canadian. — NW

2.51pm: Chess match?
In what sounds like a chess grandmaster play off, it’s Prokopp vs. Dimitrios.

Karonis Dimitrios opened the pot from the cut-off with a raise to 4,200 and Patrick Prokopp made it 11,000 from the big blind. Dimitrios sat for some time and moved his rook to e4 four-bet to 19,000. Prokopp passed and the Greek raked in a pot to take him up to 150,000. — RD

2.47pm: Nacho had a Felsing
Team PokerStars Pro Nacho Barbero is up to 147,000 after getting a surprising fold from Moritz Felsing.

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Jose “Nacho” Barbero

The board read 3â™  8♣ A♥ 10♦ and 23,000 had made it into the middle. Nacho checked from the small blind to face an 11,000 bet. He asked how much his opponent had back and when found out it was 18,000 he raised enough to put him all in. Barbero’s opponent thought for a while before folding A♦ Q♦ face-up. — MC

* Note: This hand previously stated that Jose Barbero had won his hand against Moritz Felsing. This is incorrect and Felsing was not involved in this hand.

2.40pm: And out walks an easy final day wrap
After what would count as a spirited defence, former EPT Vienna champion Pascal Perrault is out. Like a good champion there was no fuss, just the dignified acknowledgement of defeat and a purposeful walk to the door. Having been down to one out last night, it was not to be for the Frenchman. There will be a new Vienna champion. The king is dead. Long live the king. – SB

2.34pm: Italian Sphinx
When Giuseppe Pantaleo three-bet all-in on a 8♥ J♣ 9â™  flop for 25,000, he sat rock solid without blinking for a good minute or so. Wasi Akhund had check-raised Pantaleo’s 3,400 c-bet to 8,200 before Pantaleo moved all-in, and the Italian was left waiting to see if he was going to get called.

From where I was stood I swear he didn’t blink once or even move a jot during the stare down. Whether he wanted a call or not we don’t know as Akhund decided to pass. Pantaleo has dragged himself back up to 35,000. — RD

2.25pm: On yer trike
Atanas Gueorguiev, who sounds like he’s possibly Tony G’s long lost Bulgarian cousin, just got the better of Stephen Chidwick.

With the board reading A♣ 9♥ K♣ 7♦ 10♥ Chidwick bet 7,500 into a pot of around 11,000. Gueorguiev mulled it over for a few seconds before flicking in the call. Chidwick showed Kâ™  10♦ but Gueorguiev with A♦ 7♣ had a better two pair. Chidwick still has over 100,000 — NW

2.15pm: Curse of the overnight chip leader
Overnight chip leader Laurence Houghton has not had a great start to Day 2. His stack is now less than 30% of what he started with as he’s down to around 50,000. The main beneficiary of his chips appears to be Nima Ahary. He’s seated to Houghton’s immediate left and is up to 193,500 having started the day on 75,900. — NW

2.10pm: Dwan Chopped in half
Tom Dwan has had a bad five minute period in which he’s lost over half his stack. Firstly he doubled-up Tarek-Karim Riester and his 28k stack, and then he did the same to Michael Eiler and his 48k stack on the very next hand.

Both times Dwan had over-cards; A♦ J♥ and A♦ K♣ , to his opponent’s pairs 7â™  7♦ and 3♥ 3♦ . He didn’t just lose both flips either. He was crushed in them as both player’s pairs turned into sets on their respective flops.

Dwan is down to 65,000 which is roughly where he started the day. – MC

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Topsy turvy day for Tommy D

2.04pm: Andrei One, Winchar nil
Cory Winchar opened for 4,500 in late position. When the action reached Andrei One he immediately raised to 12,700, sending the action back to Winchar who thought for a while before grabbing what he had left- about 30,000 – and pushing them forward. One wasted no time calling but both players seemed resigned to a split-pot, both showing ace-king.

Or were they (how’s that for telegraphing the result?)?

Crucially, while Winchar’s cards were unsuited, One’s were: hearts. And on a board of 7♦ 4♦ 4♥ 5♥ J♥ they would spell the end of Winchar’s day.

Winchar allowed himself a grin. “What can you do?” he said, getting up to leave. Meanwhile One is up to 180,000. – SB

1.55pm: Grim for Gruissem
I only saw the river action but with about 45,000 in the pot and a board of 10♦ Q♣ 5♣ 9♣ 9♦ Philipp Gruissem moved all-in for around a pot sized bet. Illia Kainov instantly called. Gruissem showed K♥ J♥ but Kainov had got there on the river with 10♠ 9♥ .

As Gruissem left the table he stopped to talk to Luke Schwartz who said: ‘When he called that quickly you’re good about zero percent of the time.’ — NW

1.52pm: Hruby really is merciless
I made the supposition earlier today that had Martin Hruby been a reigning monarch he would have been called “Hruby the Merciless”. That stands truer now just one blind level later. The Team PokerStars Pro is up to 270,000.

The exact specifics I can’t give you for three reasons; Hruby is tucked away in a difficult to reach area of the tournament room, I don’t speak Czech and Hruby doesn’t speak English. I can guess though. It probably involved him smashing bets into people until they knelt before him, swore allegiance to him and paid him chips in punitive taxes.

However he got them, he’s got a chunk. — RD

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“Kneel before your king!” – Martin Hruby holds the chip lead

1.40pm: Level 11 underway

1.32pm: Becker bounces back
To say that Boris Becker is fiercely competitive is a bit like saying that Daniel Negreanu is chatty. The big man never liked to lose and just because he’s swapped rackets and balls for cards and chips that has not changed. Becker was down to 28,000 – not a great amount at this point in tournament proceedings – when a three-bet came his way just before the break.

Michael Schürpf had opened the action to 2,800 from the hijack and he had been three-bet to 7,200 by Mihai Manole, fourth place finisher at EPT Barcelona in Season 6. Becker then shoved all-in over the top for 28,000 forcing Schürpf out of the pot. Manole eventually made the call with pocket sevens only to be shown 10♦ 10♣ by the Becker.

The K♣ 6♣ Aâ™  flop caused Schürpf to let out a loud groan, insinuating he would have hit and had just passed up on a juicy winning pot. The board blanked out for Becker to climb up to close to 60,000. — RD

1.23pm: Level up
That’s the end of level 10, players are now on a 15 minute break. — NW

1.20pm: Weigl set up nicely
Table one has seen a flurry of action in the opening level and it shows no sign of abating as Jens Weigl just doubled through Matthew Frankland.

The action was started by Stephen Chidwick who raised to 2,500 from the hijack. Next to act Weigl called before Frankland made it 7,000 total from the big blind.

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Stephen Chidwick

Both Chidwick and Weigl called and they three of them saw a flop of 7♦ 2♠ 9♦ . Frankland fired a continuation bet of 12,000 which was enough to force Chidwick out, but Weigl made the call. The turn was the Q♣ and Frankland slid out a column of yellow chips to set Weigl all-in for his last 40,000 and he swiftly called.

Frankland said: ‘I can’t be ahead.’ He was right, Weigl held 7â™  7♥ and Frankland’s A♣ J♦ was drawing dead, rendering the 3♣ river irrelevant. — NW

1.10pm: The bribe didn’t work
Tom Dwan was involved in a hand with Charles Combes when a waitress interrupted them to take payment for drinks they had both ordered. Combes didn’t have any money so Dwan kindly paid for both their drinks. The point of this interruption was critical as Combes had just three-bet Thomas Leeb’s 3,300 raise up to 9,700 before Dwan four-bet to 25,400.

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Tom Dwan

If Dwan thought Combes was going to do him any favours because he got the drinks in then he was sorely mistaken, as he five-bet all-in after Leeb folded. Dwan smiled and muttered something about the drinks before folding as well. He’s still having a good day though and currently sits on 145k. — MC

1.05pm: Boom Boom back
The fortunes of Boris Becker may not be great right now, the tennis legend returning with just 30,400 chips, but he’s still plugging away, back up to 23,400 now after the blinds and antes claimed some more earlier on. Sadly, his countryman, and teacher Jan Heitmann, can’t say the same.

Heitmann pushed in the big blind for 20,500 with ace-ten and was called by a player who showed ace-jack. The board ran A♥ J♣ 4♦ 3♥ 5♦ to send Heitmann to the rail, or more accurately into a TV interview. — SB

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Boris Becker at EPT Vienna

12.58pm: Hruby the merciless
It would make a good title for a 13th Century king, Hruby the merciless. It also seems to work pretty well at the felt. Team PokerStars Pro Martin Hruby is up to 194,000 after beating up poor Jürgen Wenigwieser. The Czech pro fired 11,500 into the K♥ A♦ 7♣ flop; 21,500 when the 3♥ appeared and then put Wenigwieser’s remaining 75,000 all-in on the Qâ™  river. He would have ruled his kingdom with an iron glove. — RD

12.52pm: Cooler
I’d wandered over to table 10 where Daniel Negreanu and Fatima Moreira De Melo are sitting, side-by-side and having a good natter, when a huge pot developed between Tobias Reinkemeier and Yuriy Nesterenko.

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Fatima Moreira de Melo

A minimum raise pre-flop from Reinkemeier brought a call from Nesterenko and they took a flop of 9♦ A♣ Q♦ . The German then check-raised Nesterenko’s flop bet of 4,000 to 10,500. After a bit of a dwell Nesterenko threw out a few yellow chips and made it 39,000 total, Reinkemeier then moved all-in for not a lot more and Nesterenko called.

Reinkemeier: A♦ A♥
Nesterenko: K♦ J♦

Turn: 3♦
River: K♥

Nesterenko had Reinkemeier covered and it was an early day two exit for the EPT6 Monte Carlo High Roller winner. — NW

12.50pm: Much needed double for Stani
EPT Tallinn winner Kevin Stani was down to a bowl of rice but he’s up to 19,000 now after a much needed double-up. Lala Mihail-Christinel raised from the cut-off and called when Stani shoved from the SB. Showdown:

Stani: A♠ K♣
Mihail-Christinel: K♦ 10♦

The board ran 2♣ Kâ™  7♥ 4â™  2♦ to keep the Norwegian’s hopes alive. — MC

12.43pm: You’re crushed…
Frank Kasbergen opened the action from early position with a raise to 3,500 and was called by Nikita Malinovskiy in the cut-off. The action passed to Tom Dwan in the big blind who passed. Both players checked the innocuous looking 10♣ 5♠ 3♦ flop. But when the 8♣ appeared on the turn it, as a London football fan might, all went off. Kasbergen led 10,000 into the board leaving himself little behind. Malinovskiy dumped 30,000 across the line to put the Dutchman all-in, who obliged with the call.

Kasbergen: A♣ Q♣
Malinovskiy: 10♦ 10♥

Top set versus a flush draw, which, of course, got there. It had indeed gone off. Kasbergen raked in the pot looking slightly sheepish and yet relieved as he did so. — RD

12.40pm: Mixed British fortunes
EPT Deauville champion Jake Cody was just seen standing next to fellow Brit Jack Ellwood as the latter raked in a big pot. This meant he wasn’t at his table and therefore was out. He informed us that he jammed with king-queen but ran into an opponent holding pocket queens.

Ellwood on the other hand is up to 130k after more than doubling-up. Brian Green raised from early position before Pierre Neuville shoved from the button (ace-queen) and Ellwood re-shoved from the SB (pocket tens). Green called with ace-king but the board ran out in Ellwood’s favour. Neuville will have to settle for an early bath, with Cody (you know what I mean!). — MC

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Jake Cody won’t be bagging a second title (not in Austria anyway)

12.30pm: Lellouche crippled
Serial EPT casher Antony Lellouche will have trouble extending his resume as he’s down to less than 10k. He opened with a raise before his neighbour, Balazs Csermely, three-bet. Lellouche was having none of that and moved all-in with the mighty queen-six, but Csermely called all-in with pocket kings. Lellouche’s two under cards failed to improve enough and he now has his work cut out even more. — MC

12.25pm: No comeback for Visser
Team PokerStars Pro Ruben Visser is one of the early Day 2 casualties. He came back with only eight big blinds and despite getting a walk when he was the big blind, he busted the very next hand.

Stephen Chidwick opened to 2,500 from the button and Visser moved all-in from the small blind for just over 11,000. Chidwick called.

Visser: A♥ 5♥
Chidwick: K♦ 10♠

The board of K♣ 3♦ 2â™  9â™  8♣ sent Visser to the rail. Although Visser is out, table one (which won’t break all day) still contains two other Team PokerStars pros in the shape of Lex Veldhuis and Toni Judet. — NW

12.25pm: A moment’s silence
It’s an off-duty point of discussion among the PokerStars Bloggers. Just who among us has the best tournament record? Amid claims of minor cashes in the Friend’s House Poker Tour (FHPT), and some Papier-Mache event out in an outback or mountain somewhere, only two members of the Blog alumni have ever played an EPT event; Blog chief Simon Young and Howard Swains.

It was in Vienna back in season one, that Swains, the man who brought you “A round with…” was eliminated from his one and only EPT tournament, twenty minutes into Day 2; a story forcibly etched on to the minds of anyone careless enough to listen. The anniversary of that moment just passed.

During what was a moving tribute, play paused briefly and heads were bowed while an empty chair was ceremonially removed from the tournament room. A visibly shaken Thomas Kremser, supported by his wife Marina, said a few words. He then turned to embrace Pascal Perrault, winner all those years ago, who then gave an emotional address, reminding players that it was thanks to players like Howard Swains that players like him were so successful. Then two doves were released. Play resumed.*

Howard Swains, who busted on this day, season one, 2005.

*According to Stephen Bartley.

12.20pm: Welcome to Day 2
Nacho Barbero, with admirable understatement, details how his tournament is going in today’s “Welcome to Day 2” video, while the PokerStars Blog’s very own Rick Dacey gives a rundown on those players at the top of the chip counts with names he can pronounce.

12.15pm: Show me the money
The prize pool for EPT Vienna has been released. The winner on Sunday will walk away with €700,000 from a prize pool of €2,935,000. Full details available shortly.

12.05pm: Cards in the air
Play starts on Day 2. Here we go.

12pm: Welcome back for Day 2
We’re back for Day 2 of EPT Vienna with our remaining 278 players. Things change slightly today with the extenting of levels to 75 minutes from the 60 minutes players enjoyed from the Day 1s. The plan is to play six of them with no dinner break.

Laurence Houghton leads the way with over 190k and is aiming for his first EPT cash but he’ll also be dreaming of making it three EPTs in-a-row for folk from the Island in the North Sea.

Team PokerStars Pros still in the field include Martin Hruby (159k), Nacho Barbero (132k), Darus Suharto (109k), Sebastian Ruthenberg (103k), Toni Judet (99k), Pieter De Korver (57k), Daniel Negreanu (54k), Angel Guillen (45k), Lex Veldhuis (40k), Michael Keiner (37k), Jan Heitmann (14k) and Ruben Visser (9k)

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Laurence Houghton looking for his name on the leader board

PokerStars Blog reporting team (in order of when we passed our driving test): Marc Convey (1995 – 1st time), Stephen Bartley (1996 – 1st time), Rick Dacey (girlfriend drives him) and Nick Wright (Mum drives him).

Photographs (c) Neil Stoddart.

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