8pm: Dinner break
After 14 levels players are now on dinner break. Play resumes at 9pm local time. — SB

7.50pm: De Korver on the rail
Pieter de Korver is out, moving in with Q♠ 10♥ against Michael Martin’s A♣ J♠ . The board ran 5♦ A♠ 5♠ 10♣ 6♠ to send the former Grand Final winner to the rail. – SB

7.42pm: Oh no for Arnaud
Arnaud Mattern, currently sitting opposite me booking a flight home, is out, sent to the rail – the press room – by Noah Boeken. 25 players remain. — SB

7.40pm: Bye bye Boeree
Liv Boeree is out, moving in against Roberto Romanello with A♦ J♠ . Romanello turned over K♠ K♦ and won the pot on a board of 8♥ 4♠ 6♦ 2♥ 2♠ . — SB

7.35pm: Jan Skampas on
Jan Skampa doubles up through Max Lykov, shoving for 40,000 with 10♠ 9♠ . Lykov called with A♣ 5♣ and the board came J♥ 10♦ 6♠ 6♦ 3♦ . Lykov paid off the former Prague champion, but still has 370,000. – SB

7.30pm: Stani out
Kevin Stani just moved all-in on a flop of 2♠ 5♦ 4♦ with around 100,000 in the middle. Will Fry mumbled something and called when Michael Tureniec called the clock. Stani showed K♦ 9♦ against Fry’s A♣ 4♣ .

The turn came 7♠ , the river 5♥ . Fry took the pot, moving up to more than 300,000, while Stani’s EPT season, which started with victory in Tallinn in the season opener, comes to an end. – SB

7.20pm: ElkY’s comeback continues
“What are you made of?” asked an incredulous Noah Boeken. The recipient of the question was one Monsieur Betrand Grospellier, aka ElkY. It’s a valid question. The rapid fire Frenchman was down to 4,500 a few turbo levels ago but is now up over his starting stack with 110,000. — RD

ElkY’s blood type? +EV

7.15pm: Romanello rumbles De Korver
Roberto Romanello doubles up to 200,000, getting his chips in with K♠ K♣ and getting called by Pieter de Korver with A♦ Q♣ . The board ran 2♦ J♣ 3♦ 5♠ J♠ to win the hand, leaving De Korver in trouble. — SB

7.10pm: Vamplew done
Vamplew out, sent to the rail by Rupert Elder.

7.05pm: Vamplew knocked back by Elder
David Vamplew opened for 5,000 in the hijack, which Rupert Elder called form the small blind for a flop of J♦ Q♥ 9♠ .

Elder then bet 9,000 which Vamplew called for a 5♣ turn card. Another 20,000 from Elder which again Vamplew called for a K♣ river card. Now Elder moved all-in for around 80,000. Vamplew thought for several minutes, pulling a variety of faces, before calling, showing A♠ Q♣ . Elder took the pot with A♦ 10♥ , taking his stack to around 250,000. – SB

6.50pm: Blinds 1,200-2,400, 200 ante: ElkY all-in
Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier moved all-in without any takers, then tried again and got a call from Jason Mercier, who turned over K♣ Q♠ to ElkY’s 8♥ 8♦ . “Surely it’s going to be a split pot,” joked one player, referring to the “run-good” reputations of both players.
The board ran A♠ 9♥ 2♥ 8♠ at which point Mercier paid off ElkY. The Frenchman, who had been down to less than 5,000, is now up to 80,000. – SB

6.45pm: Play resumes
Max Lykov is currently the player closest to that Champion of Champions final table with 420,000. — RD

Max Lykov, chip leader at the Champion of Champions

PokerStars Blog reporting team at EPT Madrid (in order of need of a clean shirt): Rick Dacey (sweating in the press hot box) and Stephen Bartley (carries spares and a portable coat hanger like that baddie in ‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’). Photos by Neil Stoddart.

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