Updates from levels three and four 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.
Previous coverage: Ljubomir Josipovic leads on day 1a
Blinds:
Level 3: 100-200
Level 4: 150-300
4.35pm: It’s over
Well, this level is over anyway. There will now be a 15-minute intermission. Do not adjust your sets.
4.34pm: Don’t mess with ElkY
Victoor Mendicuti just learned a little lesson: It’s not wise to lock horns with Team PokerStars Pro ElkY. The Frenchman had bet 800 pre-flop, Mendicuti re-popped to 2,150 – only for ElkY to come back with 5,550 total. “How much do you have left?” asked Mendicuti. Around 33,000 was the answer, which was the same as his own stack. Call.
The flop came 4♣ 6♥ 7♠ and ElkY made it 6,600 – enough for Mendicuti to get out of the way.
4.29pm: Smolka takes one
Jan Smolka bets 1,500 on a 10♠ J♣ 7♦ flop and gets a call from the UK’s Julian Thew. Both checked the 2♣ turn, and Smolka fired out 2,000 on the A♦ flop. Thew did not look happy, but made the call regardless. Smolka had A♥ Q♦ for the rivered top pair, and that was enough.
4.27pm: Rousso rounded by chip leader
Chip leader Allan Baekke made it 800 to go from under-the-gun and then called Vanessa Rouuso’s re-raise to 2,000 from the big blind to see a 5♠ K♠ 9♦ flop. It was checked through to the Q♥ turn where Rousso’s 1,500 bet was called. The river 6♣ prompted Rousso to check again and then snap fold to Baekke’s 10,000 bet. A frustrated Rousso’s looked down upon her 8,000 stack with a bleak look across her face. Baekke meanwhile is up to 90,000.
4.20pm: Vamos!
On a board of 2♣ 4♠ 5♣ 8♣ Jorma Nuutinen is all-in for 23,600. Victoor Mendicuti is left with the decision and he’s taking his time, time enough for the clock to be called, and called it is. One minute.
It’s a big decision for Mendicuti who would be calling for his tournament life with just 11,000 behind. But as the countdown reaches six… five… four… Mendicuti called, turning over A♣ J♥ to Nuutinen’s 7♣ Q♣ . He’d need a club and got it on the river, a 3♣ .
Mendicuti immediately began yelling “yes!” several times followed by celebratory words I thought I recognised from Dora the Explorer episodes.
“Has it finished?” asked Ross Boatman on the next table, “can we go home now?”
No, and Mendicuti just extended his stay.
4.15pm: Players
Although we’re still waiting for official confirmation of the prize pool and payouts, we do have a confirmed number of runners. Today, 186 players showed up, which, when added to yesterday’s 136, makes a field of 322 for the inaugural EPT Vilamoura event.
4.10pm: Imposters
Matthew Nieberg has now decided to take on the Minieri/Eastgate/Rousso cabal – and he won. The flop was out — K♦ 7♥ 2♣ — and Minieri bet 4,100. Rousso called and then Nieberg also called. The turn was Q♥ and after Minieri and Rousso both checked, Nieberg bet 8,000. The other two got out the way. Eastgate’s contribution to this pot came as Rousso was pondering a call of the turn bet, when a solitary red chip trickled out of his stack and rolled into the pot. The sheepish World Champ flicked an apologetic glance to his tablemates and gathered it back. He then stopped chip tricks for a while.
The table captain, by the way, is Allan Baekke. The Dane has about 80,000, which comfortably covers everyone else, especially Eastgate who has less than 10,000. “Last longer?” Eastgate suggested to Baekke as he noticed him eyeing up his stack. “What are you laying me?” “Peanuts,” said Baekke.
4.05pm: No food for you
It’s becoming obvious that it’s unwise to argue with the waitresses here. Not just argue, but order things as they rush by with a full tray on their way somewhere else. Marcin Horecki just did and will likely pay the price. All he did was ask where his sprite and sandwich was and if she’d bring it soon. Alexander Dovzhenko asked the same and Johannes Strassmann tried to order something. Mistake. She left with a smile on her face, “it’s coming,” she said.
“I think she’s bluffing,” said Chris the dealer, to much merriment. They’ll wait and see.
Strassmann opened for 800 in middle position which the Frenchman Nicolas Levi called from the small blind. The saw a flop of 10♣ 6♣ Q♠ which prompted Strassmann to bet again, 1,225 this time which again Levi called. On the 4♦ turn both checked for a 9♦ river and checked that as well. Strassmann reluctantly turned over 9♥ 7♥ but Levi had him beat with 10♥ A♦ . Levi up to 38,000, Strassmann to 50,000.
Time for a drink?
4pm: Sarwer losing some
Jeff Sarwer got close to an EPT title in Warsaw just recently but saw a big chip lead disappear quickly for him to finish just shy of the final table in tenth spot. On a much smaller scale, I’ve just witnessed him go from 34,000 chips to 24,000 chips in two hands.
The first hand saw him raise to 700 and then call three-bet from neighbor Diogo Borges to the value of 2,200. Both players checked the A♥ 10♣ 3♦ flop before Sarwer check-folded to 2,100 bet on the K♦ turn.
The next hand saw Sarwer raise to 700 again only for Borges to three-bet once more to 2,200. A player on the button called as did Sarwer. All three checked the 3♥ Q♣ 7♣ flop before Sarwer led out for 2,600 on the 7♠ turn. Only the button called to see the 4♣ river where he called a 3,000 bet from the Canadian. Sarwer tabled K♠ Q♠ but lost out to his opponent’s A♥ Q♥ .
3.48pm: Dario up
Minieri’s day is following a characteristic pattern. Having been down to 13,000 after the previous hand, he just doubled up again courtesy of Peter Eastgate.
Minieri made it 800 pre-flop, Vanessa Rousso called as did Eastgate. On the A♠ 4♥ 8♣ flop Minieri made it 1,525, called only by Eastgate. The Italian fired out 3,500 on the 6♠ turn, called gain by Eastgate. Finally, Minieri shoved for his last 7,500 or so on the 2♥ river. Call.
Minieri turned over A♣ A♥ for the flopped set. Eastgate mucked, and is now down to only 3,500.
Sometimes, Minieri really does have a hand. And when he does, his image usually allows him to be paid off.
3.45pm: Dario down
Dario Minieri loses a huge chunk, calling an all-in from Matthew Nieberg, a PokerStars qualifier from the UK, on the 4-8-10 flop. Nieberg was a mile ahead with a set of fours, and Minieri’s K-Q never had chance to catch up. That sent Minieri tumbling down to just 13,000.
3.40pm: Battle within the battle
Table four is a bloodbath, with Peter Eastgate, Dario Minieri and Allan Baekke all plying their usual brutal trade. Also there, however, are Konstantin Puchkov and Vanessa Rousso, neither of whom is in any way overawed, and who actually seem to be embroiled in their own personal duel. With only about 2,000 in the pot and a board of J♣ 10♦ Q♠ 4♦ exposed, only Rousso and Puchkov are still involved. There’s 4,000 on the table in front of Rousso but 11,000 in front of Puchov – it looks like a check-raise from the Russian. Rousso lets it go, saying: “Nine ten?” but Puchkov doesn’t answer.
Not long later there’s a multi-way pot, with Eastgate on the button, Puchov in the small blind, Minieri in the big and Rousso under-the-gun. They’re all involved when the flop is dealt: 10♦ 2♦ 7♥ Puchov leads for 1,000 and only Rousso calls. The both check the Q♠ turn and then Puckov bets 3,400 at the 4♦ river. Rousso calls and is shown K♦ 7♦ for the second-nut flush. Rousso mucks, but says she too had the flush: “That’s the first flush you’ve dealt me,” she says, “and it has to be flush over flush.”
3.35pm: No no Coelho
Charles Marques opened with a limp of 200 and just the Team PokerStars Pro Nuno Coelho in the small blind called. Paulo Nunes in the big blind checked his option for a flop of A♣ 8♣ K♠ . They all checked that for a turn card 8♠ . Coelho made it 500 which Nunes called. Marques passed before the 3♠ river card. Now Coelho checked. Nunes bet 1,150 and Coelho’s lower lip jumped up towards his nose. He’d eventually call but lose the pot to Nunes showing 3♥ 8♦ , good for a few “wows” from the table.
3.25pm: Gone to Seed
Portugal was a long way to travel for Huck Seed, and now he’s got to all the way back to the US empty-handed.
It all kicked off on a 4♦ Q♦ 5♥ flop, with the UK’s Rob Yong betting 2,000. Seed made it 7,000, then Yong fired back with 17,000 total.
That sent former World Champion Seed into the tank, and eventually he moved all in “reluctantly”, meaning Yong needed another 8,000 to call. And that he did:
Seed: 4♠ 5♠ for two pair
Yong: 10♦ J♦ for the flush draw
The 2♥ turn was nice for Seed, but the 6♦ was the proverbial dagger to the heart.
“I really did not like making the all-in,” said Seed to Yong as they shook hands. “Nice hand.”
Yong, who owns the Dusk Till Dawn poker club in Nottingham, where the new PokerStars UKIPT will visit in its first season, moves up to 60,000.
3.20pm: Bottom set good for Ruthenburg
The pot was about 25,000 and the five community cards were out: 2♦ A♠ J♣ K♣ Q♠ . Sebastian Ruthenberg moved all in for his last 8,925 and Eduardo Lopez made a reluctant call. Ruthenburg showed 2♣ 2♥ for the flopped bottom set and it was good. He’s back in the game with about 35,000.
3.15pm: Pinho on the up
Henrique Pinho took a pot of around 18,000 from Olga Kramarruko. Five cards were out: A♦ 7♦ A♣ 10♦ 5♣ when Pinho bet 5,000. Kramarruko called and was shown 8♦ 6♦ for the flush. Muck. Pinho moves up to around 40,000.
3.10pm: No members of this club
John Eames opened the pot with a raise to 525 from early position and was called by Carter Phillips and Joaquim Marques on the button before a 2♣ J♦ Q♣ flop was revealed. Eames continued with a 1,000 bet and only Marques called to see the 7♣ turn. 2,300 was Eames’ bet at this juncture and once again he was called. The 7♣ river slowed both folks down as they checked it through and Eames took the pot with 2♦ 2♠ for a set. Eames on 40,000.
3.05pm: Three-way all-in!
I walked by table eight just in time to see an all-in get not one, but two calls! After frantically getting my pen into action I noted the 8♠ 9♥ 10♠ flop. Spain’s David Garcia had moved all-in for his 40,000, called by short-stacked PokerStars qualifier Jacek Markowski from Germany for around 3,000, and also called by Isabel Carvalho from Portugal for around 27,000. All three went on their backs:
Markowski: 6♠ 7♠ for the flush draw and low straight
Garcia: Q♣ J♦ for the high straight
Carvalho: Q♥ [j] for the same straight
Markowski begged the dealer to put out another spade, but the 6♦ turn and 9♣ river didn’t help and he was packing his bag and exiting the tournament room.
Chop, chop for Garcia and Carvalho.
3pm: Pastor joins tricky table
The Johannes Strassman/Marcin Horecki/Alex Dovzencho/Oleksander Vaserfirer table just got a little bit worse – step foward Team PokerStars Pro Juan Manuel Pastor, who just joined after his own table broke.
He sat down in time to watch Dovzencho take a pot from Ireland’s Robert Willis. Dovzencho raised under the gun to 525 which Willis called from the big blind. He also called the Ukrainian’s 1,100 bet on the 6♣ 4♦ 2♥ flop, but then gave it up when Dovzencho bet 2,500 on the A♣ turn.
2.55pm: Danzer done
It’s never pleasant to ask players how they bust from tournaments, particularly when they’re as genial as George Danzer. But the German pro is now on the rail and he graciously filled in the details of his ousting. It was the old aces versus ace-nine, runner-runner nines on turn and river. Er, hold on. Really? Yep. Danzer had aces and couldn’t shift two opponents despite betting all the way. That left the ace-nine to hit runner-runner to knock him down to 4,000. The final chips went in on a king-jack board, when Danzer had Q-J. His opponent in that one had a king. It’s over for Danzer.
2.50pm: The hand of hell
Let me try and piece this together. It all came post-mortem, the death of Amadeu Lima De Carvalho and Aristidas Couto, with cards and chips all over the table and a board of Jack-Three-Ace-King-King. The following is just paraphrased from Andy Black and was put together like forensic experts might examine a crime scene a piece together the trail of events, with several people poring over notebooks and scraps of paper. This, your honour, is the full report.
In the cut off Couto, from Portugal, limped in the cut off with pocket queens – a point not lost later on Black. Black also limped on the button before Marco Dellatommasina from Italy raised to 1,100 from the small blind. Little did we know at this stage that he held pocket aces. De Carvalho, holding ace-queen in the big blind, raised again, making it 6,500 in total at which point Couto called.
Needless to say Black got out of the way just as Dellatommasina moved all in for around 28,000. His stack was nearly untouched because, as Black would later say, he hadn’t played a hand in two hours. But this all in just seemed to turn things up a notch. De Carvalho also shoved all-in, for slightly less than the Italian. Amazingly Couto wanted in too, also with less than Dellatommasina.
Then that board. Jack-Three-Ace-King-King. The aces held up and remarkably Dellatommasina tripled up to around 90,000 to the sound of natural shock and awe from the rail, and Andy Black who in typical fashion oversaw the divvying up of chips, the condolences, the congratulations and bewilderment.
“Did you see that?” he said. “Did you see that?”
De Carvalho and Couto certainly did. They’re out.
2.45pm: Trip aces for Thewy
Julian Thew limped from under-the-gun as did Simon Persson on the button before Kamlesh Melwani Nanakram raised to 700 from the big blind. Both players called to see the K♠ A♥ 5♠ flop where Persson bet 1,000 when checked to him. Only Thew called before leading out for 1,100 on the A♦ turn. Persson tried to take back the initiative with a raise to 3,500 but Thew called and then called a 4,600 bet from the Swede after the river fell 7♠ . It was a good call too as Persson revealed 9♥ 9♠ to Thew’s A♠ Q♣ . He’s up to 42,000 as a result.
2.30pm: They’re here
Players are returning from the break. Day 1b is well and truly underway…
Watch EPT6 Vilamoura Day 1B Intro on PokerStars.tv