Thursday, 28th March 2024 18:37
Home / Uncategorized / EPT12 Prague: That hand (as seen from the outer table)

What exactly do you do when there’s a four way all in on the other table?

Onur Unsal spotted it first, telling the others that four players were all in on the feature table. “Four!” he said again, to make sure there was no confusion. He stood up and whistled. It was a smart move. The English at this table was not everyone’s natural domain, but everyone could speak whistle.

slaven_popov_prague12_15dec15.jpgOnur Unsal with Popov in the foreground
Hossein Ensan could also speak Whoa. “Whoa” he said, and all agreed.

Inevitably no one could really resist getting up to watch events taking place a few feet away, even when there was a hand to be played on the outer table. Two players left, then O’Rourke, a short stack who couldn’t believe his luck, joined them. Meanwhile Unsal asked Slaven Popov how much he had after the Bulgarian raised. Popov folded and disappeared leaving only Popov and Ensan at the table.


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Ensan folded, perhaps realising that there were more important things going on that a raise a take hand. Pretty soon Popov the messenger was on his way back.

“Three busts!” he said, hardly believing it. “Three players!”

“Mama Mia,” said Ensan, again speaking a language everyone could understand.

“Chip leader!” said Olivier Ferrero, before speaking in French to countryman Ivan Deyra opposite. The dealer asked him to speak in English only, but everyone understood that this was a story no language barrier could hold back.

“Unbelievable” said Unsal again. “I’ve never seen anything…”

The floor man was waiting as the next hand, played half-heartedly, came to an end. Popov would now be moved to the feature table, that place of such devastation a few moments before.

“Good luck over there”, said Unsal, with touching consideration.

“Good luck mate,” added Ferrero with a thumbs-up.

Everyone knew what he meant.


Stephen Bartley is a staff writer for the PokerStars Blog.

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