7.57pm: Break time
The players are taking a break with half the field now going to dinner. Join us in a new post shortly.
7.55pm: Katchalov catching up
Eugene Katchalov was down to less than 20,000 earlier today but now he sits with more than 135,000, having just taken another pot, this one against Marina Latorre.
The board was already showing Jâ™ 7♦ 6♣ Q♥ 10â™ with 25,000 in the middle when Latorre bet 14,500 from the small blind. Katchalov was in the big and looking confused, seemed to call just out of curiosity. It was a good decisions, his 6♦ 6♥ beating Latorre’s 7♥ 10♥ . – SB
7.49pm: Veldhuis is going to smash you in the face
That’s a message out to Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier who he’ll be fighting on 22 November.
7.47pm: Selbst stacks another
“It’s what she does best,” said Kevin MacPhee of Vanessa Selbst as she raked in another large pot.
Selbst had three-bet from the big blind after a raise from Andrea Carini in middle position., who flatted the re-raise. Selbst sat and studied the J♠6♦ 8♣ flop before leading 17,400 into it. Carini moved all-in for around 70,000 and Selbst quickly made the call.
Carini: A♥ A♣
Selbst: 8♥ 6â™
Big flop for Selbst with two-pair punishing the trapping ways of Carini. The board blanked out 4♥ 7♥ as Selbst chipped up to 270,000. Kevin MacPhee isn’t doing too bad himself, he’s got 190,000 and is sat two seats to the left of Selbst.– RD
7.38pm: Snippets of info
1. Czech PokerStars player Ondrej Vinklarek is up to 300,000.
2. Jen Harman passed on the turn of a 10♦ 5♦ J♣ 6♥ board to drop down to 75,000 – below the 94,000 average.
3. Sorel Mizzi is out.
4. Reigning champion Rupert Elder has doubled to 85,000 in what he classed as “calamitous circumstances.”
5. Jon Spinks gets kings in against queens for a 55,000 pot but loses to a queen on the river to slide down to 235,000.
Plenty of action as the first half of the dinner break draws near. — RD
7.35pm: Weisner down after marathon hand
In a hand that lasted about 15 minutes, Melanie Weiser has dropped down to around 145,000 after a hand against Fernando Cimaglia.
Cimaglia opened for 3,600 in early position what seems like days ago now. Weisner then raised to 8,700 in middle position. Cimaglia, who has a dusting of stubble, thought for a moment, then called. Weisner looked at her cards again and waited for the glop.
Flop Q♥ 7♠Q♣
Cimaglia checked and Weisner bet 9,300. Another pause followed before Cimaglia made the call. Weisner checked her cards again.
Turn 2♥
Now Cimaglia looked at his cards again, then checked. A long pause followed after which Weisner bet 30,400. Cimaglia, his stubble a little longer now, removed his glasses, furrowing his brow. He reached for some yellow chips, then put them down again, with about 120,000 left. Another long pause: call.
River 10♦
By now a large crowd had gathered. Cimaglia looked at the board, and then at Weisner, who was looking back at him. Then he declared “all-in,” curiously recoiling at his own words. Weisner asked for a count – 76,000 – then tanked.
“I was going to bet all-in,” she said, annoyed that Cimaglia had got there first. She then asked for a count again – still 76,000.
“Do you want a call?” asked Weisner.
“I don’t speak English,” said Cimaglia. Who does at a time like this?
“Will you show?” said Weisner. Then asked the dealer to translate. Cimaglia shook his head.
Weisner eventually passed.
“On the river if you check, I go all in,” she said. Cimaglia already knew this. He’s up to 180,000. – SB
7.32pm: Pandilica gifts chips to Bonkowski
Alin Pandilica has helped Tyler Bonkowski to get back on the right track after a badly time bluff.
The Romanian raised from the button and four-bet when Bonkowski three-bet from the big blind. The Canadian called to see a 9♥ 7♦ 4♣ flop where he check-called a 12,000 bet. Both players checked the J♣ turn to head to the 8♥ river. Bonkowski checked a third time and called quickly when his opponent bet 18,000.
Pandlica tabled Q♣ 2♣ for an air-ball, losing out to Bonkowski’s set with 9♣ 9♦ , who moved up to 190,000. — MC
7.20pm: Hold on a second…
Peter Dragar appears to be watching a blue movie on his iPad. It’s either that or just the bedroom scene from a film I’ve never seen. I wouldn’t want to be the player sat next to him at the moment. #uncomfortable — RD
7.10pm: Ayow must’ve had spinach for breakfast
Kevin Ayow is playing the rush as he knocked out two players in one hand to jump up to 430,000 chips.
He raised to 3,600 before Roberto Masullo shoved for 23,300 from the hijack and Mihaela Marculet did the same for 33,000 from the button. The Canadian took his time and called to create the three-way showdown.
Ayow: 7♣ 7â™
Masullo: A♦ J♥
Marculet: Aâ™ Kâ™
The board ran 9♠8♥ [9]A♠7♦ . Marculet took the lead on the turn and looked all set for a near triple-up until that seven appeared on the river to hand the lot to Ayow.
The Canadian sat back in his chair and laughed whilst saying, “Just had a feeling I was going to win.”
“I think he must’ve eaten spinach for breakfast, like Popeye,” commented Govart Metaal. — MC
6.57pm: Sal Bon marches on
Team PokerStars Pro Salvatore Bonavena is grinding away with 72,000 having forced a fold from Claudio Piceci with a three-bet to 8,500. The Italian EPT winner is one of several players left in this 74th EPT main event with the chance to be the first to do the double. — RD
6.45pm: Mortensen sticking around
Carlos Mortensen lives on, moving all-in behind a bet of 2,500 from Melanie Weisner in middle position. Mortensen pushed his 23,000 forward and waited and the smiling Weisner said it was “super close”. She folded. – SB
6.42pm: Play on
Shiyan Fang, Duy Le Thanh, Claudio Rinaldi, Pavel Ion and Brian Roberts are among those that fell during that last level, a total of 290 players remain. We’ve lost almost 200 in the first three levels today.
Joseph Cheong has built up a large 290,000 stack partly thanks to his knockout of Nicolas Yunis. Scratch that, Yunis isn’t out but has lost a large chunk and is down to around 60,000. Cheong, third place finisher at the WSOP Main Event, will be a serious threat now he’s got some chips. — RD
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 800-1,600, ANTE 200
6.30pm: MacPhee approaching 200k
Kevin MacPhee is up to around 185,000 after sending a player to the rail. Salvatore Villari opened from middle position for 2,600 which MacPhee called in the cut off. Darlene Lee also called from the big blind.
The flop came 10♦ 4♥ 3♦ . Villari bet 5,100 which MacPhee then raised to 13,800, forcing out Lee. Villari tanked for a while, eventually announcing that he was all-in. MacPhee called at once, showing 4♣ 4♦ . A not very pleased Villari turned over Aâ™ A♦ and the river 6♣ . Villari banged the table, devastated and sulking. He was gone. MacPhee climbing. – SB
6.25pm: How did Ayow get so stacked?
Before that hand against Praz Bansi (see below), how did Kevin Ayow get so well chipped up?
“I started in the back room and knocked out two players. I got kings all-in against someone who then flopped an ace before I rivered Broadway. I then got queens in against sevens, he flopped a seven and I rivered a four flush. Basically I’ve got it in, been sucked out on and then re-sucked,” he explained just after stacking up that moster pile of chips.
Break time. — RD
6.20pm: Bansi busts in huge pot, Ayow claims chip lead
Pranz Bansi just busted in one of, if not, the biggest pot of the tournament so far. There seemed to have been an early position open that Kevin Ayow three-bet and Govert Metaal four-bet from the button, before Bansi five-bet to 27,700 from the button.
This is where we entered the fray and there was some confusion going on. We’re not sure if Ayow meant to call or raise but he was forced to min-raise to 37,300. Metaal moved out of the way and Bansi said, “I’ve had enough of this, I’m all-in.”
The action was back on the Canadian and it was another 74,100 on top to call. He called to set up the huge showdown:
Bansi: Kâ™ Jâ™
Ayow: 8♠8♥
The board ran 10♦ K♥ 8♦ 9♠2♦ to make Ayow a set.
“Good luck,” said Bansi before he headed out of the room in a hurry. Ayow is up to 375,000 chips. — MC
6.10pm: A less than hasty departure for Castelluccio
Sergio Castelluccio opened what would be his last hand in the EPT San Remo main event, making it 2,700 to play from under the gun. The action was folded around to Vanessa Selbst in the small blind who plonked in 100,000. The big blind passed leaving the next step in the hands of the Italian.
Castelluccio had by now got a reputation as a slow player, an impression adopted by one end of the table at least, and whether that’s a fair assessment or not he tanked again this time, a decision for his tournament life.
And so, after doing some arithmetic in his head, scratching his nose and looking at Selbst to see what she was doing (waiting), he called, showing K♣ Q♠. Selbst turned up J♥ J♠.
The board ran 2â™ 10♥ 10â™ 9♣ 5♣ sending the chips to Selbst and sending Castelluccio to the rail. “Bye,” he said merrily, and was gone, not hearing the grumble of some players in a hurry. – SB
5.58pm: Lex up, Duhamel out
Jonathan Duhamel has just been flipped out of the tournament but fellow Team PokerStars Pro Lex Vledhuis is up to 227,000.
The Dutchman had flatted king-queen from the small blind and check-called a low flop. An [8] on the turn was checked before a [7] it the river, which Veldhuis check-called again for 7,500 to beat [t][6]. Easy game they say… — RD
5.55pm: Kastle overrun
Casey Kastle’s day is finally over, after two and a half levels of clinging on.
Jon Spinks finally topped the Kastle walls but only after a bizarre hand between Kastle and Massimiliano Forti.
Kastle had moved all-in for 4,500, or so Forti thought. Instead he’d kept 200 chips behind, too late for Forti not to show his A♦ 9♦ .
The floor was called and, after a brief discussion in Italian, the floor person said the hand should continue. So it did.
The flop came 3♦ 7♥ K♥ which both players checked. They did the same on the 6♦ turn before the 8♦ river. Kastle checked again but Forti wasn’t having any of it, and bet 4,700. This left Kastle the option of folding or calling, and the wry smile on his face suggested of the two folding would keep him in the tournament longer, albeit with two chips.
“I absolutely fold,” said Kastle.
After antes Kastle was left with a solitary black chip worth 100 in front of him for the next hand. Jon Spinks did the honours, turning over Qâ™ 10♣ to Kastle’s J♦ 10♦ .
The board ran 9â™ 8♦ 2♥ 3â™ 8â™ . Kastle was out. – SB
5.50pm: Teng after a dinner partner
Andrew Teng has busted and is after someone to join him for dinner.
“anyone else busto? wouldnt mind some lobster spaghetti right now” – @realandrewteng
Interested? — RD
5.47pm: Breaking tables
We’re down to just three tables at the backend of the tournament room with 322 player left from a starting Day 2 field of 482. One of those tables holds Irene Baroni (90,000), William Thorson (100,000) and Shaun Deeb (210,000). Kevin MacPhee is on one of the others and is up to 140,000 after getting [a][k] in against [a][7] when both players flopped two-pair.
It shouldn’t take long for those last three tables to break and talking of breaks, dinner will take place at the end of level 12. — RD
5.45pm: Duhamel done for
Reigning WSOP champion Jonathan Duhamel is out. The Team PokerStars Pro three-bet all-in from the big blind for his last 33,000. PokerStars qualifier Yorane Kerignard had raised from mid position and called the shove.
Kerignard: 9♥ 9â™
Duhamel: K♥ J♥
The board ran 7♣ 8♣ 5♣ Q♣ 10♥ . “Good luck boys and girls,” said the Canadian before he left. — MC
5.37pm: No Harman in bluffing
Jen Harman is up to 105,000 after bluffing Konstantinos Tsirakidis off a hand. Tsirakidis raised to 2,700 from under-the-gun and Harman was the only caller from two seats along.
The flop came down 7â™ 3â™ 7♦ and the man from Greece c-bet for 3,200. Harman looked to see how much her opponent had behind (17,000) and set him all-in. He tank-folded and was shown A♣ J♣ by the American. Way to knock a country when it’s down, Jen. — MC
5.30pm: Metaal vs. Bansi
On a flop of 10♣ A♠2♣ Praz Bansi bet 8,200 from the small blind. He was up against Govert Metaal, on the button, who called for a turn card A♥ . Both checked for a 10♦ river.
Now Bansi paused and then, with a customary flick of the wrist, tossed out a bet of 11,800, the chips coming googlie style out of the back of his wrist. He then said something to Metaal that I couldn’t hear.
Metaal paused for a few moments then called, showing K♣ 7♣ . Bansi mucked. He’s down to 90,000 while Metaal moves up to around 120,000. – SB
5.20pm: The Boeree bounce
Liv Boeree is up to 160,000. Francesco Zufferli opened for 2,200 in early position which was called by Theo Jorgensen. Hugo Loureira then raised to 16,700 which Boeree called. Zufferli did the same while Jorgensen passed.
The flop came J♥ 10â™ 2â™ which was checked for a 8♦ turn. Boeree bet 10,200 which was called before both players checked the 9♦ river. Boeree turned over J♣ Jâ™ to beat her opponent’s ace-king. -SB
5.18pm: Thorson into six figures
William Thorson has cracked the 100,000-chip mark for the first time. He was heads-up to the turn with a board that read 2♦ 2♠K♥ 5♠. He checked from the small blind to face a 3,600 bet from Pedro Piazuelo. He check-raised to 8,200 and was called.
The river fell as Qâ™ and Thorson led for 11,100. Piazuelo tank-called and mucked upon seeing the Swede’s 5♦ 5♥ for a turned full house. — MC
5.10pm: Who killed Kenney?
The answer to this question is Ondrej Vinklarek. We got to the table as the cards were on their backs and all the chips went if before the flop.
Kenney: 9♥ 9â™
Vinklarek: A♠K♥
The board ran 10â™ K♣ 6♦ Jâ™ A♥ and Kenney was all smiles in defeat. — MC
PokerStars Blog team in San Remo: Stephen Dacey, Marc Bartley and Rick Convey.
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