Friday, 29th March 2024 10:29
Home / Uncategorized / EPT Vilamoura Day 1B: Levels 5 & 6 updates (200-400, 50 ante)
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6.48pm: Break time
That’s the end of the level and the last 15 minute break of the day. Stand by for level seven.

6.45pm: Five-way action
A short stacked (12k) Jeff Sarwer raised to 800 from under-the-gun and was called in four spots before the flop came Qâ™  8♥ 9♦ . William Thorson was the first to commit more chips with 2,700 bet that was called by PokerStars Team Pro Nuno Coelho. Sarwer said “This is interesting” before folding.

The turn came J♣ prompting a check from both men to go to the 5â™  river. Thorson threw out one red 1,000 chip but soon faced a raise to 4,100. “It was coming at some point, I guess” said the Swede. “I flopped two-pair as well” he continued as he open folded 8♣ 9â™  .

Coelho slid his cards in to muck. He’s up to 62,000 now whereas Thorson is mororing along on 89,000. — MC

6.39pm: Pagano versus Mortensen
Carlos Mortensen had bet 5,000 into a 9♣ 5♥ J♣ flop only to face an all-in shove from Luca Pagano for 17,800. Mortensen sat, studied, thought and passed. Pagano is up to around 25,000. He’s never really got started but the Italian Team PokerStars Pro isn’t one to panic. — RD

6.36pm: Veldhuis: one up, one down
Lex Veldhuis has quiet some VPIP and here is just a snapshot of his actions at the table. First he opens a pot to 1,000 from middle position and is called by his neighbour Sorel Mizzi. A solitary 1,500 bet on the 10♦ J♣ 3♠ flop being enough to move Mizzi off his hand.

Next hand Veldhuis open-raised to 1,000 again. He was called in the small blind before getting squeezed by Manuel Mairer to 4,400. Veldhuis passed leaving himself on 37,000. — RD

6.30pm: Fear of folding
A flop of 8♥ 2♠ 6♦ and William Thorson and Jeff Sarwer were sparring. Thorson had bet and Sarwer called, each eying the other suspiciously. The turn came 9♣ and Thorson bet another 1,525. Sarwer lifted an eyebrow, causing Thorson to laugh, as the Canadian decided to muck his hand here.

“I hate folding too,” said Thorson with a grin as Sarwer winced. “I think you figured that out a long time ago.” — SB

6.22pm: Negreanu fails to sleep through cracked aces
Daniel Negranu is looking pretty tired right now and I thought he was actually asleep at the table with his head buried in the crook of his elbow. If he was he was always going to be woken up by the histrionics of Ivo Donev. The Austrian doesn’t exactly come across as the live and let live type. Karolis Grybauskas made it 1,050 from the cut-off and Donev three-bet to 3,600. Grybauskas four-bet to 10,000 and Donev instantly waved his hands over his chips as he announced: “All-in.” The Lithuanian didn’t look crazily happy with the situation but made the call for the rest of his stack (he started the hand with around 25,000). Donev slammed down A♦ A♣ triumphantly. His jubilation was short-lived as Grybauskas’ Q♥ Q♣ flopped a set and turned a boat on the Q♦ Jâ™  6♣ J♣ 3♥ .

Donev was not a happy bunny and expressed this as much in German waving his arms around in a manner one can only politely describe as enthusiastically. Grybauskas quietly raked in his chips and is up to 50,000. — RD

6.15pm: Sorel soaring
Sorel Mizzi has cemented his position at the top of the pile by winning a pot against his neighbour Daniel Ferreira. Mizzi opened the pot with a button raise to 1,000 before calling Ferreira’s 3,100 three-bet from the SB. The flop came A♦ 2♥ 2â™  and Mizzi called a 3,700 to see the Q♣ turn where he called a 6,125 bet after some thought. The river came A♥ and the Portuguese player didn’t have a third bullet in the chamber and checked, as did Mizzi. Ferraira could only table K♥ J♥ and lost out to Mizzi’s 10♥ 10♦ who’s now on 134,000 chips. –MC

6.05pm: It’s all about the money
You can achieve anything with a borrowed pen and the back of an envelope; just ask tournament officials who have released news of the numbers we’re playing for in Vilamoura. Of the 384 players who began this event 56 will be paid. First prize will be €467,835 from a total prize pool of €1,862,400. Full details of all the payouts will appear on the payout page shortly. — SB

6pm: Williams still climbing
Team PokerStars Pro David Williams is now up to 62,000. He opened with a 1,000 bet and was called by Henri Kasper. Both checked the 3♦ 5♥ 7â™  flop, and on the 5â™  turn Kasper called Williams’ 1,775 bet. On the Q♥ river Williams fired out 3,500 and again he got a call from Kasper, who mucked when shown Q♦ 10♦ . — SY

5.57pm: Here’s ElkY
We lost ElkY from the tournament a little earlier this afternoon, but here he is chatting to our video team…

5.55pm: Regrets
Ricardo de Sousa, one of the most tanned looking people in the room, is no longer in the room after being eliminated by Sorel Mizzi.

Lex Veldhuis, to the right of Mizzi, opened for 1,000 before Mizzi raised to 3,300. De Sousa then announced all-in for less than 20,000 from early position. Veldhuis passed but Mizzi called showing 10♦ 10♣ to De Sousa’s A♥ K♣ .

The board ran 4â™  10♥ 4♥ 9♣ 4♣ , much to Veldhuis’s disappointment. Mizzi up to 95,000. — SB

LEVEL UP: BLINDS 200-400, ANTE 50

5.45pm: Thorson and Coelho playing, Terrazas and co chattering
As you read this hand try to imagine an underlay of rapid fire chatter from four Spaniards in their mother tongue courtesy of Santiago Terrazas and his railers. Thorson open-raised to 775 and was called by Nuno Coelho in late position. Coelho bet 1,225 into the 6â™  8♥ 10♣ flop and Thorson called. Both players checked the 9♥ turn before Thorson led 4,000 at the Q♥ river. Coelho pulled a face that said, I’m going to call but I think I’m behind. Indeed he was despite having the straight with 6♦ 7â™  . Thorson showed Aâ™  J♣ . — RD

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Team PokerStars Pro Nuno Coelho

5.40pm: Over to you, Ovidiu
And that’s the end of Claudio Ovidiu’s tournament. He opened for 800 from the button and found callers in Max Lykov in the small blind and Dominik Traeger in the big. On the flop of 2♦ 3♥ 3♦ Lykov checked and Traeger made it 1,500 to play. Ovidiu then moved all-in for 10,850. Lykov folded but Traeger called, showing A♦ 9♦ to Ovidiu’s 8â™  8♦

The turn Aâ™  and river 4♥ would send Ovidiu to the rail, although not before he’d bashed his metal card protector onto the table and dropped a badge on the floor. — SB

5.35pm: Nice read, nice laydown
The board was 10♥ 9â™  7♥ K♣ Q♣ and William Thorson was facing a 2,000 bet from Lothar Meier. “You have pocket jacks there?” asked Thorson, who muck [q][10] for two pair. Meier obliged by showing J♣ J♦ . — SY

5.30pm: Numbers
There were 203 entries today, which added to yesterday’s 181 starters makes a total EPT Vilamoura field of 384 – a new record for Portugal. With that, we expect the prize pool to be revealed fairly soon. — SY

5.28pm: Buonanno bullying
Antonio Buonanno is up to 75,000 after winning another small pot on a 6♥ 8♥ 10♥ 2â™  7â™  board. The Italian led a pot-sized 5,100 into Geir Trydal on the river. The Norwegian didn’t look like he wanted to let his hand go, but did after a couple of minutes in the tank. — RD

5.20pm: Sighing with rockets
Team PokerStars SportStar Fatima Moreira de Melo has dipped just below her starting stack after losing out to Dominik Trager of Germany. Three players made it to the 6♦ K♣ 6♣ flop but only De Melo called Trager’s 500 bet from first position. The turn came 3♣ and this time she called a 1,500 bet. The river came 7♣ and Trager let out a big sigh before checking. The Dutch hockey star checked too but mucked upon seeing her opponent’s A♣ Aâ™  . “You’re the one pulling the act? That’s so bad!” De Melo said with a chuckle at her opponent’s act on the river. — MC

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Fatima Moreira De Melo still smiling despite a drop in fortunes

5.18pm: ‘I knew it and I still bet it’…
Said William Thorson after he bet 1,200 on the river of a Jâ™  5â™  3♣ K♥ A♣ board. His opponent in the hand, Giacomo Maisto, made the call and scooped the pot as the Swede mucked. The Italian had opened the pot with a limp under-the-gun and then was the only caller to 1,025 Thorson raise. Then there was no more action un til Thorson’s miss-timed river bet. He won’t dwell on it too long as he’s going along well on 55,000 chips. — MC

5.15pm: Tripped by Trickett
Running good and playing good are a great combo but when other players make mistakes then you really know you’re going to get some chips. Sam Trickett is up to 90,000 now after an error from Pascal Hartmann of Germany. Trickett had raised under the gun to 800 and Hartmann had called on the button. The Brit continued his aggression on the 6♣ 3♣ 3♥ flop with a bet of 2,200. Hartmann tossed in 5,200 in the shape of one yellow 5,000 chip and two black 100 chips. He had meant to call but the multiple chips meant the action had to stand as a raise.

Trickett then moved in on Hartmann and the German called looking more than a little frustrated by his error. Hartmann showed pocket nines to Trickett’s Qâ™  Q♦ . Blank 2♦ 4♥ cards fell on the turn and river and Trickett raked in the pot. “Did he mean to raise?” asked Christophe de Meulder. When Trickett told him it had been a mistake de Meulder replied: “Pretty sick. It was an expensive mistake.” — RD

5.10pm: Checking to the river
Dani Vargas opened for 800 in the hi-jack which Daniel Negreanu called from the button. Andreas Van De Venne in the small blind also called for a 3♦ J♠ 5♣ flop. The action was checked to Negreanu who bet 1,500 which only Van De Venne called for a 4♦ turn. Check-check and a 9♣ on the river, where things petered out with more checking.

J♣ Q♥ for Van De Venne, who moves up to 46,000.

“A pair and a flush draw,” for Negreanu who is down slightly to 52,000. — SB

5.05pm: Rolling Romanello
Roberto Romanello just won a hand against William Reynolds and Ruben Visser. On a board reading 4♣ 6♥ 10♦ J♦ Romanello bet 1,075 which Reynolds folded to but Visser called for a K♥ river. Romanello bet another 1,150 which Visser passed to, leaving himself 16,000. Romanello on the other hand is up to 38,000. — SB

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Roberto Romanello looking particularly happy with himself

4.58pm: Terrazas enjoying his position
Santiago Terrazas has EPT Tallinn winner Kevin Stani and William Thorson on his right and seems to be happy getting involved in pots with them. He keeps stabbing when the others check and it seems to be largely working for him. In a four-way pot, involving Stani and Thorson, Terrazas fired 2,000 at the 2♦ 8â™  A♦ flop and only Stani made the call. A larger 6,000 on the K♦ turn was enough to push Stani out of the pot. — RD

4.52pm: Donev doubles
Ivo Donev has doubled up to around 35,000 after winning a race against Rafael Martinez. All the chips went in pre-flop and it was the Austrian chess champion at risk as the all-in player. He tabled A♥ K♥ to the Spaniard’s J♣ Jâ™  and the board ran out Qâ™  Kâ™  Q♦ 2♦ 3♦ . Two-pair good for Donev and Martinez was left very short and busted soon after. — MC

4.45pm: Back from the break
Players have returned from the break for level five, with blinds at 150-300 with a 25 ante.

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Lex Veldhuis

PokerStars Blog reporting team at EPT Vilamoura (in order of working cleanliness): Stephen Bartley (empty water bottle and sandwich wrapper), Simon Young (chewing gum packet, empty plastic bottle, coke can) Marc Convey (empty soup bowl, water bottle, can of coke), and Rick Dacey (three soup bowls, a can of coke, three napkins, a water bottle and a coffee stain). Photos by Neil Stoddart.

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