Updates from day 3, level 19 of EPT Prague, brought to you by Stephen Bartley, Marc “The Conv” Convey, Howard Swains and Simon Young.
Latest selected chip counts are on the chip count page. The EPT tournament structure can be found on the EPT tournament structure page. Full details of the payout structure and prizewinners is on the payout structure and prizewinners page.
Blinds:
Level 19: 5,000-10,000 (1,000 ante)
7.40pm: Level up
And that, folks, is the end of the level. Just 29 players are left – and we’ll stop for the night when we reach 24.
7.40pm: De Korver a gonner
Pieter de Korver is out. Having lost a couple of huge pots to Eyal Avitan, he just lost his final pot to… Eyal Avitan.
On a turned board of Qâ™ 9♥ 7♣ 10♦ they got all in – de Korver for his last 280,000. He had A♦ A♣ but was aghast to see Avitan had turned two pair with 9â™ 10â™ . The K♦ river was no help. “Oh no!” yelled de Korver. “That’s so sick!”.
As a result, Avitan must be close to 2 million in chips!
7.35pm: Two-outer
Tero Huttula moved all in from first position for 170,000 and was snap-called by Gustav Ekerot in the big blind with J♥ J♦ . K♥ K♦ for the Fin but he was cruelly eliminated on the J♣ 2♦ 4♠10♦ 7♥ board.
7.30pm: Horecki crippled
Pocket jacks have dictated much of Marcin Horecki’s tournament story this week. He’s had them at several crucial times so far. Most recently though he’ll be cursing the sight of them: he was all in with that precise hand against Paulo Gomes’s ace-ten. An ace turned to double up Gomes and peg Horecki back to about 100,000.
7.25: Football?
You may think there is a slight ten-minute delay in these updates. This has nothing to do whatsoever with the live 2010 World Cup finals draw on right now in South Africa. Nothing at all. No. However, I can tell you England have been drawn in the same group as the USA, Slovenia and Algeria. Get in!
7.15pm: Avitan flying
Eyal Avitan has just won two big pots back-to-back to snatch the chip lead with 1.3 million chips.
First to feel his force was Dutch Team PokerStars Pro Pieter de Korver. Avitan raised from the cut-off and then called De Korver’s three-bet from the next seat. He then led into De Korver for 125,000 on the 2â™ Aâ™ Q♦ flop. Call. Both players then checked the 7♦ turn before Avitan bet 220,000 on the Kâ™ river. De Korver snap-called with A♣ K♦ but his opponent had rivered a straight with J♥ 10♥ .
De Korver started berating himself for the way he played the hand and Avitan celebrated with a similar amount of energy. The Dutchman down to 240,000 as a result.
The very next hand he knocked out Konstantin Maslak whilst holding pocket kings to the Russians pocket jacks. Must be nice.
7.10pm: Break one
With 32 players left, the tournament officials have called a brief halt to proceedings to break a table. There are now four eight-handed tables.
7.05pm: Another one out
As that hand below was playing out, Manuel Bevand was busy sending Dario Nittolo to the rail. All the money went in on a flop of 3♣ 5♥ Q♥ and no wonder, Bevand had 5♠5♣ for middle set, while Nittolo had K♥ 7♥ for a flush draw. The 6♦ 7♠on turn and river were good only for Bevand. Nittolo departs.
7pm: Thin about it
This hand took a long time, especially for a battle of the blinds that might have been over before it started. Kalle Niemi made it 25,000 from the small blind and Sven Eichelbaum called from the big blind. The flop came A♦ 8♣ K♥ and Niemi bet 26,000, which Eichelbaum raised to 75,000. Niemi called. The river was 5♦ and Niemi checked, Eichelbaum bet 55,000, and Niemi now moved all in for about 156,000 more.
Eichelbaum thought and thought and thought and thought and thought and thought. And thought. Then the clock was called and he folded.
6.57pm: Voitto Rintala’d
Hardly a surprise, Voitto Rintala’s chips went in on the next hand. Bruno Launais called and photographers got their elimination photos done early. Gustav Ekerot spoiled Launais’s plans though, raising to 100,000, forcing out Launais. Aâ™ Kâ™ for Ekerot, 8♣ 9â™ for Rintala who was busted on a 5♣ K♦ 5♦ 3â™ 10♥ board.
6.55pm: Lellouched
Voitto Rintala opened for 24,000. When the action reached Antony Lellouche he raised to 64,000 which prompted Rintala to move all in. Lellouche called, both almost evenly match, Rintala with the slight advantage. He’d need an ace though: A♥ 9♥ for the Finn, Q♥ Qâ™ for Lellouche. The board came: 6♦ Kâ™ J♦ 3♣ 10â™ and Lellouche doubled up to 420,000.
Situation critical for Rintala though, he’s left with around 20,000.
6.50pm: Toby Lewis speaks
I know that’s not a huge revelation, but hopefully this video will tell you few things you did not know about the PokerStars player from the UK…
Watch EPT 6 Prague: Toby Lewis on PokerStars.tv
6.45pm: The power of a big stack
Gustav Ekerot opened the pot by raising it up to 26,000 from second position and was only called by chip leader Juha Lauttamus two seats along. The flop brought 2♦ K♥ 3â™ and the young Swede bet 34,000 into the young Fin. Call. The turn brought a second king in the shape of Kâ™ prompting Ekerot to check. When you got more than a million chips you can afford a bet – and that’s exactly what Lauttamus did. 85,000 was the amount and it was enough to make Ekerot fold.
6.40pm: Aces will do
On a 2♣ K♣ K♥ 6♥ 4♣ board, Juha Lauttamus bets 60,000 (there’s around the same again in the middle already). Antony Lellouche has a good think, then lets his hand go. Probably just as well, as Lauttamus showed him Aâ™ A♥ .
6.35pm: A better 10
On a 6♦ 3â™ 10â™ flop, Sven Eichelbaum bets 13,000 and Jan Skampa calls. They see a Kâ™ flop, and after Eichelbaum checks, Skampa makes it 33,000. Call. To the 4â™ river, which is checked down. Eichelbaum shows Jâ™ 10♣ and that’s enough to beat Skampa’s 10♥ 7♦ .
6.30pm: Bevand and Habib
Manuel Bevand opened for 24,000 which was called by Michel Habib in the small blind for a flop of 2♦ 9♥ 2♥ . Habib then moved all-in for 150,000. Bevand called and was ahead, showing 8♥ 8♠. Habib could only show K♥ 6♥ and was eliminated after the 10♦ turn and 8♣ river. Bevand on 550,000 now.
6.25pm: Biting dust
It didn’t take long for the first elimination of the level. It was Elias Brussianos who bit the dust, and Boris Yanpolskiy at least made it swift. Yanpolskiy’s pocket nines flopped a set and turned quads to oust Brussianos and his meagre Aâ™ 10♦ .
6.20pm: Million man
The chip count page has been updated with the full counts from the end of the last level. A quick glance there (go on, glance!) shows that Juha Lauttamus is the first player past a million.
6.15pm: Hello again
And that can only mean one thing: yup, we’re back for level 19. N-n-n-n-nineteen.
How about a photo? Ok, then, here’s Marcin Horecki…
