Updates from level 12 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 | Level 11 updates
Blinds:
Level 11: 1,000-2,000 (200 ante)
6pm: Blacked out
All other players had already left the room for their break except for John Eames and Andy Black, who were locking horns on a queen high flop with two clubs. All the chips went in the middle; Eames holding king-queen to Black’s ace-nine of clubs. No club came but an ace fell on the river to bust Eames. That’s the break.
5.55pm: Lellouche destroys Mercier, enters chip leaders’ club
Jason Mercier is out, having, it’s fair to say, bluffed himself to the rail. It was a crazy hand against Antony Lellouche, and is worth putting into context. Mercier raised three hands on the spin, on button, cut-off and hijack. On the first two, his raise to 4,800 took the big blinds of Alexander Dovzhenko and Rob Yong but then he found Lellouche waiting to pounce.
Far from folding, Lellouche made it 11,600, Mercier made it 22,200, Lellouche made it 40,000 and Mercier moved all in, for what was about 175,000 total. Lellouche called instantly and showed K♣ K♥ to Mercier’s Q♣ J♦ . Anyone who has watched these two play would know they could have had absolutely anything in this spot, and this was pretty standard. Anyway, Mercier couldn’t find an outdraw despite a queen flopping. The full board was Qâ™ 2♦ 2♣ 4♣ A♥ and Lellouche now has close to 400,000.
5.50pm: Battle of the short stacks
Having moved all-in himself with no takers Allan Baekke just called the same move by António Martins who shoved for his last 6,700. Baekke obliged showing K♥ 7♦ to Martins’s Aâ™ 5♣ . The board ran: A♦ Q♦ 2♣ 5â™ K♦ . A double up for Martins. Baekke has less than 30,000.
5.45pm: Cry me a river
Nicolo Calia raised from under-the-gun before Dutch Team PokerStars Pro Ruben Visser three-bet from late position. Very quickly Calia moved all in for 80,000 and Visser snap called with K♣ Kâ™ . He was in great shape against Calia’s A♥ Q♦ and all was looking good with the first four cards 4♣ 4â™ 5♦ 9♦ but the cruel river fell A♦ to snatch the pot away from him. That sends him down to 125,000 now.
5.40pm: Visser caught with hand in the till
When they work, bluffs are highly satisfying. When you get caught out, they’re a little embarrassing. Ruben Visser opened with a 4,600 bet from the button, called by Guillaume Da Silva in the small blind. The two saw a 4♥ 10♣ 4♣ flop, Da Silva check-called Visser’s 6,400 bet. When the A♥ hit the turn, Da Silva called Visser’s 15,600 bet. On the Q♣ river Da Silva again checked, then went into the tank when Visser bet 35,600.
A call was for nearly all his chips, but he made it anyway. As soon as he did, Visser quietly said: “Jack high,” and mucked. Da Silva tabled 5♦ 5♥ for a superb call.
5.35pm: Sousa cuts off Abecassis on the button
A long hand just played out over six or seven minutes without any cards being seen. Rogerio Sousa opened for 7,000 in the cut off which Michel Abecassis on the button raised to 19,000. Eventually, and it was eventually, Sousa moved all-in for more than 100,000 getting a quick fold form the Abecassis. Sousa up to 130,000.
5.30pm: Wendt fills up to take chip lead
A big big pot goes to Martin Wendt, doubling up through Matthew Nieberg. There was betting all the way, led by Wendt and called by Nieberg, on a board that came out J♣ 10♦ 7â™ 10â™ 8♦ . Wendt’s river bet was 45,000 and Nieberg shoved all in, covering Wendt. Wendt said: “Well, if you have pocket tens then so be it. I call.” Nieberg responded, with some dismay: “You’ve got jacks?” Nieberg showed 10♣ 8♣ for the rivered boat, but was sent down the river when Wendt did indeed table J♥ J♦ for the bigger full house.
The all in was 154,000 and Wendt’s stack is now that of the chip leader: he is closing in on 400,000. Nieberg is cut down to about 75,000.
5.28pm: Bluffing with the best hand?
There were already a lot of chips in the pot and new PokerStars Team Pro Jude Ainsworth was heads up with Flavio Pinhota. The turn was out giving the board a Q♣ 5♣ Q♦ Q♠look. Ainsworth checked to face a 27,500 bet and after a think he moved all in for around 50,000 more. Pinhota then had his own think and folded. Ainsworth
then tabled A♣ 9♠and raked in the pot to make his stack worth 180,000.
5.15pm: Mercier takes a hit
With the board already showing 6♥ 8♠2♣ Q♠Luis Rodriguez had bet 22,900 with only Jason Mercier left to take him on. Mercier thought for a long time. While he did Rodriguez read a text message and bought a drink. Mercier folded, down to 140,000.
“What did you have?” said Jim Collopy to Rodriguez.
“Two cards,”replied Rodriguez.
5.10pm: Deeb done, Sarwer the slayer
Jeff Sarwer has just knocked out Shaun Deeb. There was an early position raise to 5,000 and Deeb called, also in early position. Sarwer defended his big blind with 8-9 and loved the flop: 7-10-J. All the money went in: Deeb had about 50,000 and A-J for top pair, top kicker. But Sarwer’s straight sent Deeb to the rail.
As previously mentioned, photography is not permitted inside Casino Vilamoura, but our artists were on hand to preserve the memory of Deeb’s bust-out.
And here’s what they really look like:
5.05pm: Sarwer the merciless
Jeff Sarwer opened for 4,800 and was called by Shaun Deeb for a flop of 8♦ 10♦ 7â™ . Both checked the flop and the Q♦ turn. On the 7♦ river Deeb made it 6,300 which Sarwer took his time over before calling. Deeb immediately said “you win” and turned over 9♥ A♥ . Sarwer showed 2♣ 2♥ .
“Have I beaten you in a showdown yet?” asked Deeb.
“Ever?” replied Sarwer.
“Ever…” said Deeb.
“Never…” replied Sarwer.
“Never…” said Deeb.
Deeb down to 60,000 while Sarwer is up to around 280,000.
5.00pm: Fate changed in an instant
A very strange hand just played out that saw the demise of Team PokerStars Pro Henrique Pinho but thing could have and maybe should have been very different for him. As the cards were being dealt out one of Pinho’s cards (a king) accidently turned over making it the burn card, as is the norm. The hand continued to play out as normal and before long Pinho was all in versus Marco Della Tommasina. Pinho tabled A♥ Kâ™ but was in big trouble against Tommasina’s A♣ A♦ and the board ran 9♥ K♦ 2â™ 3â™ 6♣ . It was a sickening end for Pinho as if his card hadn’t flipped over he would’ve had pocket kings and flopped a set to out-draw his aced up opponent.
4.50pm: Chips
The chip beavers are beavering and will bring you their wares within the next 15 minutes. Then we’ll put them on the chip count page. Matt Nieberg took a bit of a slide in the latter stages of the level, with Jesus Sanchez seeming to be the main beneficiary. It looks as though Ljubomir Josipovic, Ruben Visser and Pierre Neuville will still be right up there though. My, I can hardly contain my excitement.
4.50pm: Hard to believe?
Jeff Sarwer is up to 250,000 and just scooped another pot uncontested, turning over tens. “Come on, that’s the second best hand I’ve had all day!”
4.45pm: Play restarts
Two more levels to go as players return from the break to play level 12.
