Thursday, 28th March 2024 09:44
Home / Uncategorized / EPT Berlin: MacPhee flying into final

After an unusual day in the Berlin Grand Hyatt it sure was good to get back to the poker. The usually uncomplicated task of turning 24 players into eight may have been delayed midstream, but when play resumed it was the usual feast of tournament poker, frustrating and thrilling in equal dollops, finishing peacefully just after eleven o’clock.

With just eight remaining an extended day was put to bed. Tucked in nicely tonight is chip leader Kevin MacPhee from the USA, while behind him Ketul Nathwani of the UK and Ilari Tahkokallio of Finland are his main rivals to the Berlin crown.

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Chip leader Kevin MacPhee

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Ketul Nathwani

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Ilari Tahkokallio

Their return tomorrow was locked in when Norman Kastner busted in ninth place a short time ago, his departure closing this particular chapter ahead of blank slate tomorrow, where a guaranteed €1 million will be won by one of these:

Kevin MacPhee, USA, PokerStars player, 6,070,000
Ketul Nathwani, UK, PokerStars player, 4,685,000
Ilari Tahkokallio, Finland, 3,940,000
Marc Inizan, France, 3,655,000
Marcel Koller, Switzerland, 3,590,000
Artur Wasek, Poland, 3,530,000
Marko Neumann, Germany, PokerStars qualifier, 2,185,000
Nico Behling, Germany, 960,000

The fortunes of Team PokerStars Pro today were carried by Johannes Strassmann and Jude Ainsworth. Strassmann, who made his eighth EPT cash, departed in 23rd place while Ainsworth, who seems to go deep whenever he plays cards, busted in 19th.

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Jude Ainsworth

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Johannes Strassmann

A complete record of the eliminations and payouts, including those of Theo Jorgensen, a dominant force yesterday, and Joao Barbosa, who chalked up another cash finish, can be found in full on the payouts page.

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Theo Jorgensen

In the meantime there’s nothing to beat an EPT at full speed to get the adrenaline whirring, and you can recap all of today’s action at the tables by clicking the links below.
Introduction and seat draw
Level 23, 24 and 25
Levels 26 and 27

For our foreign readers, who may have struggled to read this far down the page, there’s always the German, Swedish and Dutch blogs, but well done for getting this far anyway.

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Thomas Kremser straightening things out after an interruption to play

Our thanks to Neil Stoddart for all of today’s photography and to the EPT Live team who return in the usual fashion tomorrow broadcasting live action from start to finish, as well as a little Oscar news if we know James Hartigan. One last hat tip to the security guard Roman and all the staff of Grand Hyatt.

Right then. See you for the final table at noon tomorrow.

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