2.31pm: That’s the break
Players are taking a 15 minute break.
2.30pm: Three way all in
Vicenzo Apicella first doubled, then tripled up. He open shoved for about 25,000 with 6♥ 8♥ which was called by Ruzicka with Q♥ Q♦ . The queens looked good until the river card on a board of 4♣ 2♣ 8♣ A♦ 8♠.
Then, Vitaly Grigoryev moved all-in for 63,000. Vojtech Ruzicka asked how much and then took a quick look across to Ronny Kaiser before calling in the cut off. Kaiser folded, as did the small blind. Apicella was in the big blind, nodded, and moved all-in for around 70,000. The cards were turned over:
Grigoryev: A♥ 7♥
Ruzicka: A♣ Jâ™
Apicella: K♠K♥
Ruzicka needed an ace to bust both of them. Instead, the kings held on a board of 5â™ 6♦ 4♥ J♥ 9♦ . Grigoryev was out, while Apicella moves up to a hard-to-believe-a-few-minutes-ago 250,000. – SB
2.28pm: Kelopuro piling on the pressure
Sami Kelopuro has been getting it quietly. Roland Norietis opened for 17,000 and was three-bet by Kelopuro to 44,000. Call.
Kelopuro fired 56,000 at the J♥ 10♣ 2â™ flop and 124,000 at the 3♥ turn. The second volley was enough to batter Norietis into submission. Not a word spoken by the Scoop main event champion, a stark contrast to his neighbour Jeff Sarwer. — RD
2.25pm: Epp over easy
Oleg Epp has doubled up. After Lari Sihvo opened to 16,000 from the button, Epp shoved for 91,000 from the small blind. Sihvo called with 4♠4♣ and Epp was racing with K♥ 10♠.
The flop hit Epp: A♣ Qâ™ K♣ . And although the A♦ turned, giving counterfeit outs to Sihvo, the 7♣ was a blank. It’s only a small hit to Sihvo, but a lifeline for Epp. — HS
2.20pm: Last call?
“My flight goes five o’clock,” said Kjartan Jonsson. “Maybe I’ll make it.”
Rumour is now fact and after that last hand with aces Jonsson was down to 78,000 and looking a cinch to make check-in. That was until he got his chips in against Konstantinov Aleksandr Valerevish who called him with 6♦ 6♥ . Jonsson showed Jâ™ 2â™ , but you sensed that the poker Gods had found a favourite and weren’t finished with the Icelander.
The board ran 7♥ A♣ 9♦ J♥ 7♣ doubling Jonsson. After taking a pot uncontested a few hands previous he’d ironically boasted about winning back one yellow chip. Now he has lots. He may yet make the flight, but not with these angels on his shoulders.
NOTE: The Iceland Air flight at 5pm is the last flight to Reykjavik tonight. – SB
2.15pm: Kaiser limps
Can that be correct? Did Ronny Kaiser just limp the cut-off? Yes. Yes he did and yet he still won the pot.
Italian Vicenzo Apicella made up the small blind for an additional 4,000 leaving himself with just 28,000 – all his yellow 5,000 chips now fitting in one hand. Vitaly Grigoryev checked his big blind. A 8,000 bet on the 8â™ J♥ 10♣ flop was enough for Kaiser to take the pot. Apicella due to bust or double shortly. — RD
2.10pm: “I’m going home.” Not yet
Lari Sihvo opened to 16,000 from early-position and Kjartan Jonsson raised to 48,000 from the button. Sihvo moved all in for 256,000 and Jonsson called straight away, offering his headphones to Sihvo and saying: “This is your going home song.” According to Jonsson, the song currently playing on his headphones was genuinely called “I’m Going Home” (perhaps it’s this one), but when the flop came 3â™ 9♦ A♣ , all Jonsson could add was “Oh no.”
The K♦ 7♣ came on turn and river and Sihvo was counting out his chips for the double up. He is now north of 500,000 as Jonsson looks like he might be getting that 5pm flight back to Iceland after all. — HS
2.07pm: Jedlicka busts to Sarwer
Jeff Sarwer’s had a good level, he’s now up to 501,000 after busting Lauri Meidla. The Estonian open shoved his final 90,000 and was called by Sarwer in the cut-off. The action folded round and the hands were turned on their backs.
Meidla: 4♣ 4♥
Sarwer: A♦ A♥
The board blanked out and Meidla leaves in 19th for €7,700.
“No-one else wanted to come along,” said Sarwer, a little regretful that Jani Sointula hasn’t decided to try an isolation shove. — RD
2.05pm: Bye bye Bansi
Praz Bansi has bade the EPT Tallinn main event farewell. Bansi, a double bracelet winner, seemingly was unable to get out of second gear at any stage of the tournament but forced his way into the money.
His departure was caused by two hands. In the first he opened for 16,000 from middle position before Raigo Aasmaa shoved from the cut off for 138,000. Bansi said “I’ve had enough,” and called the all-in, turning over A♦ Q♦ . Aasmaa had Jâ™ J♦ which survived the 7♥ 6♦ K♣ 3♦ 10â™ board.
This doubled Aasmaa and left Bansi with 8,000, which was taken away from him in the very next hand which he played from the big blind, sans ante.
Konstantinov Aleksandr Valerevish raised from the cut off, taking it heads up with Bansi who turned over 4♥ 2♣ . Valerevish showed 2♥ 2â™ and flopped a set on the K♣ 10♦ 2♦ J♣ 3♣ board, sending Bansi to the rail. – SB
2pm: Subbotin sunk with attack from the blind side
Andrey Subbotin has spent the first two hours today trying to get anything past the two men to his ;eft, the tournament leading Ronny Kaiser and Grzegorz Cichocki. Little did he know that he assassin was actually sitting to his right, on the blind side. Vojtech Ruzicka has just dispatched him to the rail.
Ruzicka raised from the cut off and Subbotin called on the button. And although they kept it pretty cagey through a flop of 10♥ 6♦ 5♠and a turn of 6♥ , it all went in on a 10♠river.
Ruzicka’s 10-7 had become trips and Subbotin mucked and marched. — HS
1.45pm: The end of the tournament? No.
The way this pot played out, it seemed as thought we could be crowing an EPT Tallinn champion a day early. The battle between Ronny Kaiser and Grzegorz Cichocki suddenly got to the “All in”, “Call” stage, with Kaiser covering Cichocki. There was a hint of anti-climax when they both rolled over the same hand for the chopped pot.
It started with Andrey Subbotin raising to 17,000 from the hijack, attracting Kaiser (cut off) and Cichocki (button) along. They took a 8♦ 3♠9♣ flop, at which Subbotin bet 31,000. Kaiser and Cichocki called again.
The turn was Qâ™ , which Subbotin checked. Kaiser bet 80,000 and Cichocki called. Subbotin seemed to want to call too, but thought better of it and laid down whatever he had.
The river was A♦ and Kaiser reached for a tower of the new, blue 10,000-denomination chip. His bet was 290,000 and Cichocki pretty quickly announced that he was all in for close to 800,000. Almost as quickly Kaiser called, and that’s when it really seemed likely that this was a tournament-definining moment.
As it was, they both flipped off suit jack-tens for the turned straight. King-jack would have been a different story. — HS
1.40pm: Flight or fight
Vicenzo Apicella just moved all in for 90,000 but got no takers. Meanwhile on table three, Praz Bansi was in action, opening in early position for 16,000. His opponent was by now obvious. Kjartan Bergur Jonsson has moved on to Guns n’ Roses now, and a third beer. Rumour has it that Jonsson has a 5pm flight to catch and wants to either chip up or bust before them, a real flight or fight scenario. But, as Rick Dacey pointed out, with the beer he’s getting down him, even if he has to get a flight they’re not going to let him on anyway.
That said he’s playing like a man without obligations, and he re-raised behind Bansi, making it 38,000 from the big blind. Bansi paused, twiddling two yellow chips, before eventually folding. Jonsson allowed him to pick one card, a Q♥ .
“Probably a good fold,” said Jonsson. – SB
1.32pm: Jedlicka busts to Sarwer
Stefan Jedlicka had just under 100,000 when he shoved his stack from the button into Jeff Sarwer’s big blind. The Canadian made the call for a large chunk of his stack with K♦ Q♦ and was shown Aâ™ 3â™ .
The window card wasn’t good 7â™ for Sarwer but the rest of the board was: 2♦ 8♦ 7♦ J♦ . Sarwer up to just over 300,000.
“Always a call, no?” asked Sarwer to Jani Sointula.
“Yes,” replied the straight talking Finn.
“Didn’t expect to see an ace though,” said Sarwer, hinting that Jedlicka would have been shoving wide. — RD
1.25pm: All in from the off
An all-in from the off in level 19 and a double up for Arvi Vainionkulma who shoved pre-flop with K♦ 10♥ and was called by Andrey Subbotin with A♥ Q♦ . The board ran K♥ 7♦ 9♠3♦ 5♥ to send the chips to Vainionkulma, who moves up to around 260,000.
Elsewhere Stuart Fox just moved all in behind an opening raise to 16,000 from Jeff Sarwer. Sarwer though about calling and said it was close, later saying he folded king-queen. – SB
1.20pm: Pictorial evidence
It’s all been about Ronny Kaiser today, but we know that words sometimes can’t quite relay the full story. How about this picture? Believe us now?
BLINDS UP. PLAYING 4,000-8,000 IN LEVEL 19
1.07pm: Break time
Players are taking a break, during which chips will be coloured up. Play restarts in 15 minutes. — SB
1.06pm: Magic Jonsson
More from the Kjartan Bergur Jonsson corner which is proving to be the most interesting part of the room right now as Jonsson gets into his second beer.
Jonsson opened for 14,500 which Sami Kelopuro called from the button, the first time the pair had clashed. The flop came 6♠8♦ Q♦
Jonsson was straight to his chips, nodding to his music and betting 28,000. Kelopuro called for the 2♣ turn which this time Jonsson checked.
In a reversal from previous hands 301 now checked, leaving it to Kelopuro to bet, 58,500 in total. Finally Jonsson put a hand down. – SB
1.05pm: Aces no good for Jonsson
Kjartan Bergur Jonnson has just had his aces cracked by Raigo Aasmaa to drop to 230,000 and is understandably a little annoyed about it.
“What a bull****,” said Jonsson as he counted out the 130,000 he had to pay Aasmaa.
The board read A♥ Q♥ 2♥ J♣ 7♥ for a rivered flush for the Estonian who had three-bet shoved all-in pre-flop. Jonsson had flopped a set but Aasmaa’s 5♥ 5♣ had the all important flush draw. — RD
1pm: One way traffic
The only player who can really damage Ronny Kaiser at the moment is his neighbour Grzegorz Cichocki. But the way it’s going so far, the chips are only moving in one direction, and that’s from Poland to Switzerland. Kaiser hust added another 200,000 chunk to his stack after this coup.
Andrey Subbotin opened to 13,000 from the cut off and Kaiser called on the button. That set up the squeeze from Cichocki in the small blind, and he made it 32,000. (He’s been making it 32,000 pretty much every hand.)
Subbotin thought better of tangling with the two biggest stacks in the room, and folded. But Kaiser called. They went to a 2♦ J♣ J♠flop. Cichocki bet 32,000 and Kaiser raised to 70,000. Cichocki called.
The turn was 4♥ , which they both checked. And the river was 6♦ . Cichocki checked again, but not so Kaiser. He bet 125,000. Cichocki dwelled for a while but eventually called. However Kaiser turned over 6♥ 6♠for the rivered full house which was, unsurprisingly, good enough.
Kaiser now moves close to two million. Cichocki has about 790,000. — HS
12.40pm: The Jonsson show
More almost belligerent raising from Kjartan Bergur Jonsson, who has nearly finished his first beer of the day, although technically speaking, and using a strict 24 hour clock, that may not be strictly true. He opened again from the hijack for 14,500 which Lari Sihvo called from the big blind for a flop of J♦ K♣ 9♠. Sihvo then checked to Jonsson who lumped in 23,500 more, which Sihvo called.
On the Q♣ turn both players checked before the J♠river card. Sihvo checked again and watched Jonsson assemble a clumsy looking 35,500. Clumsy it may have been but it was still too much for Sihvo, who passed.
Jonsson removed his headphones and sat up straight, blinking heavily while looking around, like he’d just emerged from a night in a tent. He started on 270,000, and is now up to around 350,000. – SB
12.35pm: Double up for Apicella
The last remaining Italian, Vicenzo Apicella, moved all in from early position for his last 72,500. It was folded to Vojtech Ruzicka in the small blind, who seemed to be pondering a marginal call. Eventually he did call and the big blind folded, but then it became evident that Ruzicka had primarily been pondering how to get his neighbour involved in the pot as well.
Ruzicka tabled Q♥ Q♣ . However, that wasn’t good enough. Apicella had found K♥ K♣ and the board blanked to double up the Italian. — HS
12.40pm: Partying +EV for Jonsson?
A number of the final 24 players attended the EPT Season 8 party last night but none so enthusiastically took part as Kjartan Bergur Jonnson. Throwing caution to the wind the Icelander started celebrating his EPT win a couple of nights early so much so that he’s nursing a not-so-good-morning beer right now.
One glass to the good, Jonsson is not letting the exuberance of last night slow him down, if anything it’s getting him moving. Head bouncing, headphones leaking music Jonsson defended his big blind from a 12,000 Laris Sohvo raise. Sihvo c-bet 13,000 into the 7♦ 6♦ 7♣ flop. Jonsson in reply snatched at a pile of yellow 5,000 chips and slammed them forward for a 55,000 check-raise. Sihvo made the call.
The A♣ hit the turn and Jonsson wasted no time in announcing that he was all-in for around 200,000. As Sihvo sat riffling chips and looking at the board Jonsson lifted his beer and took a swig.
“It may be my last beer in Tallinn,” said Jonsson.
Sihvo eventually passed. Last orders is yet to be called on Jonsson, he’s up to 350,000. — RD
12.30pm: Vuolle’s adventure ends with €7,700 booty
The EPT Tallinn Adventure of Petri Vuolle is over as he becomes the latest player to fall at the hands of Ronny Kaiser. Vuolle shoved for his last 59,000 with Kâ™ 9♣ and was looked up by Kaiser and his K♦ Q♥ . Kaiser’s hand stayed good through flop, turn and river.
Vuolle, however, has no reason to feel dejected. He is the man who has parlayed a €2 investment through countless satellites, both on PokerStars and live here in Tallinn, to book his spot in his first major tournament.
He heads back to Finland with €7,700 at the end of a very profitable adventure indeed. — HS
12.20pm: Sodcasting
He may not realise it, but Kjartan Bergur Jonsson has been ‘sodcasting’ a lot in the main event – playing music loud enough for everyone to hear. It wasn’t actual sodcasting, it coming though his headphones, rather than being broadcast deliberately for everyone to hear. But Jonsson has his music turned up so loud that the noise comes through anyway. Yesterday something poppy, today something more classical.
Either way that, and the beer he’s drinking, has taken nothing away from his focus. He opened on the button for 14,500 which Johan Van Til called from the small blind for a flop of 5♦ 3â™ A♦ . He then checked to Jonsson who bet another 31,500. Van Til called without fuss for a 7♣ turn card before checking again. A final blast of 57,000 from Jonsson was enough to force Van Til to pass. – SB
12.15pm: Sihvo starts it, someone else finishes it
On table three Lari Sihvo min-raised two hands in a row, first getting a call from Konstantinov Aleksandr Valerevish and Kjartan Bergur Jonsson. On a board of 10â™ 8â™ Q♦ 5♦ Valerevish raised to force the others out. In the second Raigo Aasmaa moved all-in from the cut-off. Sihvo asked for a count – 123,500 in total – but passed. – SB
12.10pm: Graydon smashed by Kaiser, king gets richer
Look out: the world. Ronny Kaiser has just won another pot close to a million, knocking out Michael Graydon within the first orbit of the day. They got it all in pre-flop, Graydon with pocket kings, Kaiser with ace-king. But when you’re hot, you’re hot. Kaiser rivered a straight to send Graydon out in 24th and his entire 455,000 stack to Kaiser. — HS
12.05pm: At it straight away
No one ever really thought there would be a sedate opening to the day, but any doubt has already been laid to rest. On table two, it was folded to Ronny Kaiser on the button, who raised to 12,000. Grzegorz Cichocki, to his left in the small blind, three bet to 26,000 and Kaiser called. The flop was J♥ 5♣ 10♦ and Cichocki led for 33,000. Kaiser folded. It can be done.
On a neighbouring table, Stefan Jedlicka raised to 12,500 from early position, Jani Sointula three bet to 38,000 and that was enough. — HS
11.55am: Morning
Howdy everyone. It’s day four of EPT Tallinn, the day we trim a field of 24 to the eight that will constitute our final table. Progress has been remarkably smooth so far, slicing a field of 281 to the last three tables in barely 18 levels.
Today’s table draw is available by clicking that link, where you’ll find the new that the two tournament leaders, Ronny Kaiser and Grzegorz Cichocki sitting beside one another.
The two dominant stacks on table three are two of the internet’s most fearsome campaigners: Sami “Lars_Luzak” Kelopuro and Johan “busto_soon” Van Til. Neither looks like busting any time soon and are angling for their first EPT final table.
Play is due to begin at noon, so join us on the very stroke of ten past for the first action.
Reporting team in Tallinn: Stephen Bartley, Marc Convey, Rick Dacey and Howard Swains
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