3.40pm: Heinzelman back in
Max Heinzelmann has dragged himself back into this three-handed fight. After defending his big blind from a 200,000 Xuan Liu button raise Heinzelmann led 180,000 into the 4♠5♣ 8♠flop. Liu made the call. Heinzelmann led a smallish 330,000 into the 2♥ turn and was raised by Liu to 885,000. Heinzelmann came back over the top for 1,605,000 and then shoved the A♥ river for 2,400,000. Liu sat for a short while mulling her options before passing.
Heinzelmann up to 6,415,000.
Liu down to 8,560,000
Elder still ahead on 14,560,000
That’s the end of the level and a 15-minute break. Join us in the new post then. — RD
3.32pm: Four-bet threat
Xuan Liu just four-bet Max Heinzelmann out of a pot, in a battle of the blinds. Heinzelmann passed after Liu made it 1,260,000 to play. – SB
3.30pm: All for one
On a flop of 7♦ 8♣ Aâ™ there was checking all the way from Rupert Elder in the small blind, Max Heinzelmann in the big blind and Xuan Liu on the button, for a turn card 2♥ . All three checked again for a K♦ river card before Elder took it down with a bet of 200,000. – SB
3.25pm: Elder lays a five-bet into Liu
Xuan Liu opened to 245,000 from the small blind and Elder three-bet to 625,000. Considering every hand three-handed has been three-bet it’s all fairly standard. Then Liu came back over the top for 1,525,000 and Elder pulled the trigger with a five-bet re-raise to 2,800,000.
Liu passed and Elder shot the rail and happy grin. — RD
3.15pm: Max Lykov eliminated in 4th place (€290,000)
Max Lykov departs in fourth place, despatched by Xuan Liu who got lucky on the turn.
Max Heinzelmann had opened the pot to 200,000 on the button before Xuan Liu three-bet 490,000 in the small blind before Max Lykov four-bet to 925,000 in the big blind, effectively committing himself. Heinzelmann passed before Liu moved all-in. Lykov called.
Lykov K♥ Kâ™
Liu 10♣ 10♦
The flop was fine for the Russian – 2â™ 3â™ 2♣ but the turn card 10♥ put an end to Lykov’s double-winner hopes. He left after a harmless 9♣ river, in fourth place, earning €290,000. – SB
3.04pm: The Maxes double
Max Lykov shoved 1,500,000 with pocket sixes and was called by Max Heinzelmann with pocket fours and held up. Lykov up to 3,260,000, Heinzelmann down to 2,280,000.
The next hand Heinzelmann managed to stop the rot after chipping up to 4,730,000 after open shoving Q♦ J♦ from the cut-off. Liu insta-called with A♣ K♦ but the young German caught the turn of a 4♥ 3â™ 6♣ Qâ™ 7♦ board to double back up. No one player is super short stacked. This looks like the toughest final EPT four I can remember. — RD
2.58pm: King high good
Xian Liu opened for 200,000 under-the-gun which Max Heinzelmann called from the big blind. The flop came Qâ™ 6♣ 9♣ and Liu bet another 250,000, which Heinzelmann called. Both checked the 2♦ turn for a 9♦ river and checked that all also. Liu won the hand with her K♦ 7♦ good to take the pot, Heinzelmann showing 8♣ 7♥ . – SB
2.55pm: Liu into second place
Xuan Liu is now just behind Rupert Elder with 11,320,000 after rivering Broadway against Max Heinzelmann. Liu had three-bet pre-flop from the button and had c-bet 530,000 into the A♥ J♣ 3♦ flop, which Heinzelmann had called in the cut-off.
The 9♦ turn was checked before Heinzelmann led 1,305,000 into the 10♣ river. Liu clicked it back to 2,610,000 and Heinzelmann made what looked like a very grudging call. Liu showed K♥ Qâ™ for the nuts. Heinzelmann drops to 4,200,000. — RD
2.44pm: De Vivo out in 5th place (€220,000)
Francesco de Vivo departs in fifth place, the third elimination in four hands. De Vivo was short stacked, and when he found Qâ™ 9♥ in the big blind when Xuan Liu raised all-in in the small blind he called. Liu turned over 4♦ J♥ but caught a card on the 2â™ 7â™ 4♥ flop. The A♣ turn and 5♣ river did nothing. De Vivo, the last Italian in the field, out in fifth place earning €220,000. – SB
2.42pm: Elder out in front, Manigrasso out in 6th (€170,000)
Rupert Elder is a huge chip leader with 12,345,000 after knocking out Massimilano Manigrasso in a cooler of a hand. Manigrasso four-bet shoved for 2,700,000 and was snap called by Elder.
Elder: K♠K♣
Manigrasso: Q♣ Q♦
Manigrasso takes home €170,000. That’s a second quick knockout. — RD
2.39pm: Costantino Russo out in seventh place
Costantino Russo moved all-in for his last 1,400,000 which Xuan Liu called, showing A♦ Q♠. Russo showed 9♥ 9♠.
The board ran J♥ 6♦ A♣ 3â™ 10â™ to send Russo to the rail, earning €125,000. – SB
2.35pm: De Vivo gets shorter
Massimiliano Manigrasso opened for 225,000 in middle position, getting a call from Francesco de Vivo on the button. The flop came J♦ Q♣ 4♦ and Manigrasso bet another 285,000, which De Vivo called for a 5â™ turn. Both checked for a 9♥ rover. More checking, Manigrasso showing Qâ™ 10â™ to take the pot. – SB
2.30pm: Russo moves in
Xuan Liu opened for 200,000 and Costantino Russo moved all-in from the small blind for over a million. Liu quickly passed. — RD
2.25pm: Elder puts in the four-bet
Rupert Elder opened the button for 200,000 and was called by Max Heinzelmann before Xuan Liu squeezed to 585,000 from the big blind. Elder came back over the top for 1,350,000 piling the pressure back onto Liu. The Canadian passed and drops to 5,400,000. — RD
2.24pm: New level action
Rupert Elder opened from middle position, but got no action. The same went for Massimiliano Manigrasso in the next hand when he moved all-in for 1,780,000 after a Max Heinzelmann bet of 200,000.
Francesco de Vivo was next to go all in, he took shoving behind a bet from Heinzelmann. No takers for him though. We play on. – SB
2.15pm: Play restarts
We’re into Level 29 with blinds of 50,000-100,000, with a 10,000 ante.
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 50,000-100,000, ANTE 10,000
2pm: End of the level
That’s break time. Play pauses for 15 minutes.
1.55pm: Greenstein doesn’t like Lyov’s shove
Barry Greenstein is now in the EPT Live commentary box and is confronted by a Max Lykov shove from the small blind into Rupert Elder. How many hands would you be shoving 25 big blinds from the small blind, Greenstein was asked. “None,” he replied.
That’s the beauty about poker, you can get two winning players who approach the game very differently. End of level and a 15 minute break. — RD
1.40pm: Small pots
Constanino Russo opened for 160,000 in the cut off before Max Lykov moved all-in from the small blind for about 1,700,000. Russo passed.
On the next hand Rupert Elder and Max Heinzelmann played a hand for the first time together, Heinzelmann taking the chips pre-flop, three-betting to 405,000 after Elder’s opening 160,000.
Lykov was soon in action again, raising to 160,000 from middle position but finding no takers. – SB
1.30pm: Rupert the Elder
Rupert Elder opened for 160,000 in middle position which Constantino Russo called from the big blind for a flop of 2â™ 2♣ Qâ™ . Both checked that for a 10♦ turn card. Russo checked to Elder to bet 160,000 which was again called. On the 9♥ river Russo kept up the checking, but folded to an Elder bet of 275,000. – SB
Rupert Elder
1.25pm: Spada out in 8th (€81,950)
The short stacked Roberto Spada moved his 550,000 across the line and Max Lykov moved all-in to isolate.
Spada: K♦ 3♣
Lykov: A♥ 9♦
The 10♦ 4â™ 7â™ Jâ™ 8â™ board blanked out for both players and Spada is the first player to bust from this final table. Spada started the day third in chips, it really didn’t go well for the Italian. Lykov has chipped up to 1,700,000. — RD
1.20pm: Action from Elder
Xuan Liu lays down a hand against Rupert Elder who three-bet her opener from the big blind. When she called for a flop K♦ Q♣ 10♥ Elder bet 325,000, good enough to take the pot. — SB
1.15pm: Lykov gets a fold, back over a million
Max Lykov picked up an important pot after shoving from the big blind for 965,000. Francesco De Vivo opened for 180,000 and Lykov insta-shoved. De Vivo passed and Lykov is up to around 1,150,000. — RD
1.05pm: Second double up for Liu
Xuan Liu gets her second double up, taking her stack to more than 5,000,000 after a battle of the blinds with Roberto Spada.
Xuan Liu
Liu opened for 215,000 in the small blind which Spada called from the big for a flop of 10♦ 9â™ 4♦ . Liu then bet 235,000 which Spada raised to 560,000. Liu then moved all-in which Spada soon called showing A♣ 10â™ to Liu’s K♣ K♦ . The turn came 3♥ , the river Kâ™ . Spada plunges down to 550,000. – SB
12.58pm: Double for De Vivo, then for Liu
Francesco De Vivo has just doubled through Xuan Liu after the Canadian opened to 160,000 from under-the-gun. De Vivo moved all-in, Liu called. Tens for De Vivo and pocket fives for Liu. The board blanked out to move De Vivo up to 1,700,000.
Francesco de Vivo
That put Liu down to 1,200,000 which all went in the very next hand from the big blind to a 205,000 open from Roberto Spada from under-the-gun. Spada snap called.
Liu: J♥ Jâ™
Spada: 10♦ 10♣
The board ran out 3♥ 9â™ 5♥ 6♦ Kâ™ for Liu to double up and see Spada’s decline continue. — RD
The final table in action
12.52pm: Heinzelmann strikes
Max Hinzelmann opened before Roberto Spada three bet to 445,000 in the cut off. Heinzelmann called for a flop of 4♣ Qâ™ 10♦ . Heinzelmann then checked to Spada who bet 865,000. Heinzelmann then raised to 2,125,000 sending Spada into the tank. No, not this time. He passes. A big pot for Heinzelmann, now up to 8,730,000. – SB
12.45pm: Lykov loses out to Manigrasso
Max Lykov opened to 120,000 and was called by Massimiliano Manigrasso, who check-called a 4♦ 7â™ 9♣ flop before leading 230,000 and winning the pot. — RD
12.38pm: A Heinzelmann pass
Roberto Spada takes a pot opened by Max Heinzelmann on a board of 7♦ 3â™ 2♣ . Spada showed Qâ™ Jâ™ to take it down. – SB
12.35pm: Liu lets loose
Chip leader Rupert Elder opened the button to 120,000 and Xuan Liu three-bet to 290,000. Elder passed and Liu picked up a small but important pot. — RD
12.28pm: Early pots
Uneventful start. Both Roberto Spada and Max Heinzelmann opened pots and swiped the blinds. — RD
The final table players
12.15pm: Cards in the air
Play has started at the final table.
12.12pm: Who’s that guy?
Check out the profiles of all the players on the Final Table Player Profiles page.
12.12pm: From the tournament floor
Gloria Balding introduces the final table of EPT San Remo.
12.10pm: Live feed
Oooo, you’re in for a treat today. Marc Convey, yes, he of the PokerStars blog, is leading EPT Live today. Reprising the Nick Wealthall/James Hartigan role, Convey will be showcasing the action and trying to keep David Tuckman from incorrectly calling the action. Be gentle with him. — RD
12pm: Seat draw reminder
There is no seat redraw today as the players return eight-handed to the final table following the elimination of Luigi Pignataro yesterday afternoon.
Seat 1. Francesco De Vivo, Italy – 1,090,000
Seat 2. Max Lykov, Russia, Team PokerStars Pro — 1,495,000
Seat 3. Rupert Elder, United Kingdom – 8,005,000
Seat 4. Max Heinzelmann, Germany – 7,885,000
Seat 5. Xuan Liu, Canada – 1,740,000
Seat 6. Roberto Spada, Italy, 4,775,000
Seat 7. Massimiliano Manigrasso, Italy – 1,980,000
Seat 8. Costantino Russo, Italy – 2,565,000
Play is due to start, well, now. Delays are inevitable when you get TV crews or poker players involved. Both? It’s a hiding to nothing. — RD
11.40am: Welcome to the final table
Welcome to the final table of the European Poker Tour main event in San Remo. A total of 987 players started this event, six days later just eight remain. They’re now arriving at Casino San Remo, making their way into the theatre to face off for a first prize of €930,000.
While we force coffee and carbohydrates down ahead of the start, read all about how these players got here by reading yesterday’s match report.
Just an ordinary day in San Remo
