Updates from level 11 of EPT Vilamoura, brought to you by Stephen Bartley, Marc Convey, Howard Swains and Simon Young.
Selected approximate chip counts, updated throughout the day, are available on the chip counts page. The EPT tournament structure can be found on the EPT tournament structure page. The full payout structure is on the payout structure page.
Previous coverage: Day 1a wrap | Day 1b wrap | Level 9 updates | Level ten updates
Blinds:
Level 11: 800-1,600 (200 ante)
Another level over
Another 75 minutes has passed us by. Break time.
4.30pm: The end of the world is nigh
That is what seemingly was happening by the look on Paulino Subtil’s face when he got the last of his chips in with pocket tens versus the ace-king of Michel Abecassis. Has anyone explained the term “coin flip” to him? Obviously not as he was up out of his chair cursing the heavens in Portuguese (assumption made there) before a flop had even been dealt. To be fair to him though he might have some sort of sixth sense as the killer ace fell on the river to seal his fate.
4.20pm: Little vs very little
On a flop of 6♣ 7â™ 9♥ Stefan Mattsson, Ross Boatman and Ricardo Sousa each checked for a 3♥ turn. Mattsson bet 3,200 forcing Boatman out but Sousa was harder to shake, calling for a 9♦ J♥ . Mattsson took it down though, showing Qâ™ 7♥ . He’s up to 45,000 while Sousa sits around the 60,000 mark.
4.15pm: Pagano put out of his misery
It’s been a tough – and relatively quiet – tournament for Luca Pagano. And now it’s over. Having never had many chips since early on day one, he just got his last 15,000-odd in pre-flop with A♥ 10♥ . André Moreira had Aâ™ K♥ and although Pagano picked up a straight draw on the turn (the first four cards were: 7♣ 5â™ 8♣ 9♣ , the river 2♥ wasn’t good enough and Pagano was out.
4.10pm: Look at me, I’m Shauny D
Gotta love Shaun Deeb. After Andre Santos raised from the cut off, Deeb re-raised to 10,300 from the button. It was folded back to Santos, who now made it 23,000, sending Deeb deep into thought. He peered at length at Santos, who did his best to hide his face behind his fist. But Deeb re-raised anyway, setting Santos all in. Santos folded and Deeb showed him the 4♦ to general chuckles.
4.07pm: Out of the Black
Ryan Franklin opened the pot from early position with a raise to 3,800 before Andy Black three-bet to 8,400 and Ruben Visser four-bet to 25,000. Franklin moved out of the way pretty quickly but Black moved all in for 52,000 and after a shrug of his shoulders Visser called with J♥ J♣ . Black had him dominated with A♥ A♠and the board ran K♣ 2♦ 6♦ Q♣ 8♣ . Black doubles to 115,000, Visser down a little to 245,000.
4.05pm: Mercier gets there
Jason Mercier, Marco Mattes and Robert Willis all get to the turn – 8♣ 8♥ A♥ 2â™ , and on the 7♥ river Mattes and Willis check and Team PokerStars Pro Mercier bets 10,600.
Mattes gives it up but Willis wants to take a look and calls. He’ll wish he hadn’t, as Mercier turned over K♥ 10♥ for the winning flush.
4.05pm: Pagano on the ropes
Luca Pagano has been struggling all day, never able to improve a stack that had taken an early hit. He’s been folding miserably for a couple of levels, but now finally seemed to have picked up something worth playing. He put out 4,100 but things are never easy, especially when Rumen Nanev decided this was the time for a re-raise, making it 15,000.
Down to only 20,000 or so, this was a critical moment for the Italian, but after a long time in the tank, he decided he could find a better spot, and folded.
4pm: No fear for Wendt
Big stack Matthew Nieberg opened with a raise and was only called by Martin Wendt in the small blind before a 3♣ Q♦ 7â™ flop came down. Wendt check-called a 5,800 bet before check-raising Neiberg’s 11,600 up to 40,000 after the 10â™ fell on the turn. It took a while but Nieberg let the pot go. He’s still big on 340,000 and Wendt’s not looking too shabby on 195,000.
3.55pm: Take that
Eduardo Lopez opened for 3,800 from late position. Tome Moreira called on the button, as did Nicolas Levi from the big blind. The flop came 8♦ 9♣ 5♥ . Levi checked and Lopez made it 6,300. While Moreira folded Levi re-raised to 17,500 total which Lopez called for a 8♣ on the turn. Levi now made it 21,000 to play. Lopez looked once more at his cards before folding. The Frenchman now up to more than 120,000.
3.50pm: Collopy accounts for Pomerantsev
Sergey Pomerantsev found a decent spot to get it all in. Jim Collopy had raised on the button and Pomerantsev shoved from the small blind for around 30,000. Collopy called and showed A♥ 9♣ , which was behind Pomerantsev’s A♣ J♦ . But the nine turned and Pomerantsev hit the rail, leaving Collopy looking kind of sheepish, but saying: “I had an ace.” He also had Pomerantsev well, well covered and now has about 170,000.
3.45pm: Leaving hell behind; welcome to Hades
It doesn’t get any easier for Christophe Benzimra. The EPT Warsaw champion was moved from the table of fireworks featuring Jason Mercier, Johannes Strassmann and Pierre Neuville, but landed himself right in the middle of Antony Lellouche and Jim Collopy on a table also featuring Rob Yong and Alexander Dovzhenko. Nice.
3.42pm: Nice hit
Shaun Deeb opened for 3,800 from middle position. António Martins called from the big blind for a flop of 8♥ Q♣ Q♦ . Martins checked and Deeb made it another 3,200 to play. Too rich for Martins who passed leaving Deeb with the lost potential of his A♥ Q♥ and a stack now breaking the 100,000 mark.
3.39pm: Roll up, roll up if you want to go all in
Robert Willis started the action with an under-the-gun raise to 4,800 that was called by Jurien van Galen two seats along and Johannes Strassmann in the big blind before the flop came down 6♣ 9♠5♠. When checked to Willis he moved all in for 20,700 and was quickly called by Van Galen before Strassmann quickly moved all-in too for another 34,500. Van Galen shook his head and folded leaving the other two to battle it out.
Willis tabled 8â™ 8♥ to Strassman’s 10â™ 7â™ . The turn came 5♦ and river A♦ to see Willis’s hand hold and he’s now up to 80,000. Strassman low on 35,000 and so too Van Galen on 28,000.
3.37pm: Levi times it right
Nicolas Levi was down to 43,000 but found the perfect spot to get all of those in the middle with Kâ™ K♦ against Tome Moreira’s Aâ™ Q♣ . The flop came with the A♣ , but unfortunately for Moreira it also came with the K♣ and 4♥ . To rub it in further, Levi made quads on the K♥ turn, and the 6♦ counted for nothing.
Levi is back up to a healthy 87,000.
3.35pm: Baekke foiled
On a 10♠3♦ A♠8♦ board Allan Baekke made it 12,500, called by Jan Skampa. Baekke then made it 22,500 on the 2♦ turn after Skampa checked. That sent Skampa into the tank, and his response when he emerged was to move all in for around 80,000. Insta fold from the Dane.
3.25pm: End of the road
Team PokerStars Pro Rino Mathis is out. He lost half of his stack a short while ago, jacks against ace-king and now shoved with Q♦ Qâ™ . He got a caller in PokerStars qualifier Hugo Felix with A♣ K♣ . The board ran: K♥ 7♥ 8â™ 3â™ 3♦ . It’s all over for Mathis.
3.20pm: Pastor pasted
Juan Manuel Pastor’s day is done. It was pocket tens against the pocket queens of Luis Rodriguez. No help.
3.15pm: Chips
Our army of chip-counting oompa loompas did their stuff during the break and their findings will be on the chip count page momentarily.
It seems as though Matt Nieberg is our clear leader. A royal flush against a full house will do that.
3.10pm: Has play resumed yet?
Yes, play has resumed.
