Friday, 29th March 2024 00:18
Home / Uncategorized / EPT Warsaw: Mozdzen with the most at day two close

Like all good plans today’s one was simple: reach 56 players or play through five 75 minute levels. It turned out those two points almost coincided. Just 32 minutes remained on the clock when the 56th player Gianni Giaroni busted from EPT Warsaw, the last of today’s 92 eliminations.

Carter Phillips’s plan today was also simple. Take the massive chip lead accumulated on day one and wreak havoc until day’s end. He nearly made it, but tonight EPT Warsaw has another leader, the Canadian PokerStars qualifier Clayton Mozdzen.

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Tonight’s chip leader Clayton Mozdzen

Mozdzen knows exactly what it feels like to lead the field in an EPT; such was his position for much of day one on Tuesday before a bad spell sent him tumbling down the chip list just as Phillips began his tear to the top. But today the mojo swung back in Mozdzen’s favour, and with the same gusto that propelled Phillips it was Mozdzen surging to the lead while Phillips suffered some decisive blows.

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Carter Phillips

But that was by no means end of story for Phillips. His earlier misery had been foisted upon him by the Russian Anatoly Gurtovoy who seized the chip lead himself when he took chunks from Phillips in a pocket queens versus ace-king showdown. Gurtovoy then purloined more to further frustrate Phillips. But in a display of maturity belying his 20 years and 362 days, Phillips rallied, never allowing the setbacks to become permanent and closed the day in second place with 299,800. Still, chips he’d previously called his own stayed with Gurtovoy who had 247,000 at the close.

It’s been a good day for Canada with two more of the country’s poker sons having profitable days. Jeff Sarwer, who may or may not have already planned in his head the required moves needed to win on Sunday, had another solid day.

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Jeff Sarwer

At one point Sarwer topped the 300,000 mark before slumping slightly, closing the day on 225,000; while Sorel Mizzi, evidently comfortable at both the cyber and real world tables, bagged and tagged 99,500 tonight.

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Shaun Deeb

Others would fall into the category of “There or thereabouts.” Alexander Klimashin was never far from the front, closing on 275,000, the same amount as Piotr Kilinksi. PokerStars Passport winner Shaun Deeb bagged up 226,900, moving a step closer towards the business end of an EPT, while the Team PokerStars Pros Luca Pagano (71,000), Peter Eastgate (41,700) and Thierry van den Berg (26,700) will all return, albeit with some work to do. Day 1b leader Antony Lellouche will also be back but a bad day at the office left him with just 60,000. You can compare those to the rest on the full and official chip count page which has now been updated.

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Peter Eastgate

As usual the measure of success for those remaining was dependent of the defeat of others. Along the way some familiar faces were lost, among them the Team PokerStars Pros Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, local boy Marcin Horecki, Arnaud Mattern, Dario Minieri and Sebastian Ruthenberg. Scotty Nguyen also departed, joined on the rail by Ludovic Lacay, Vitaly Tolokonnikov, Davidi Kitai, Pascal Perrault and EPTLive’s very own Michelle Orpe.

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Dario Minieri

What they miss will be a run for the money on day three. We’re lucky enough to watch it up close. The next best thing is follow everything right here on the blog.

In the meantime brace yourself for that by recapping on all of the events of the day at the links below:

The middle bit
Level eight updates
Level nine updates
Level ten updates
Level 11 updates
Level 12 updates

As always you can find moving pictures from the video blog team at PokerStars.tv and all this in Polish and German on our sister blogs. Maybe you could tell us if they’re any good. Always on the money, Neil Stoddart provided today’s photos.

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Marcin Horecki on his way to the rail

That’s it from us after another day in Warsaw. An earlier finish than expected but the field already hints at a quality finish to this one at the weekend. Day three is next, starting tomorrow at 12.30pm local time. We’ll see you then.

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