We have our final table!

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EPT Update No. 50

It has taken some time, but we are finally down to the final eight players. For a moment, it looked like Alexander Stevic might be the unfortunate bubble boy. He reraised Brandon's 20,000 raise to 60,000, with just 58,000 behind. So, when Brandon came over the top, it seemed like a no-brainer call - but the young Swede folded! And he got rewarded for this courageous fold, because five minutes later someone else would bust out. Jani Sointula reraised all-in from the big blind to 75,000 total, knowing that Kevin Seeger's 20,000 late-position raise may well be a steal, but it was not. Jari's AJ was in trouble against Kevin's pocket queens, and in the end the best hand held up. We've got our final eight players for tomorrow!

Brandon Schaefer 488,500 (chip leader)
Romain Feriolo 475,000
Rob Hollink 384,000
Kevin Seeger 364,500
Abdulaziz Abdulaziz 181,000
Ben Grundy 90,500
Mikhail Ustinov 68,500
Alexander Stevic 57,500

That's about it for today, guys. We've got an exciting final table ahead of us tomorrow - with lots of money at stake! There will be a redraw for seats of course, and things will start from 5 p.m. local time. From Monte Carlo, I say: Good night - see you all tomorrow.

9. Jani Sointula €39,300

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EPT Update No. 49

Romain Feriolo has just won a very strange pot against Kevin Seeger. Romain had raised to 22,000, and then Kevin had reraised him 28,000 more. Now, Romain had to think for a very long time before calling. Now, when the flop came J72 with two clubs, Romain who was first to act once again started to think for an unusually long time. When the clock was called on him, he then suddenly fired 75,000 into the pot, and Kevin folded his kings face-up, thinking Romain was putting up a show with aces. Romain then showed his hand though - a miserable king-queen, for no pair, no draw for an almost certain loser!

Just a few moments later, we almost had our last hand of the night, but Jani's QQ held up against the ace-queen of Abdulaziz. Jani is now still alive with slightly more than 100K.

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EPT Update No. 48

Down to 9! We have lost Michael Luber, who raised all-in to 50,000 from the small blind with a random hand, and found Alexander Stevic in the big blind with a premium one (AK). In the meantime, Isabelle Mercier has doubled through to 120,000 with 99 in the big blind against the A5 button raise from the same Michael. After he had lost to Isabelle, he could not afford to wait, and then was busted out shortly. And with all players now on one table, Isabelle then suffered a beat when it mattered most for her. All-in on the flop A32 rainbow with ace-jack against Romain's ace-ten of clubs, Romain caught runner-runner clubs for the backdoor nut flush, and the elegant Canadian is out.

11. Michael Luber €23,900
10. Isabelle Mercier €23,900

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EPT Update No. 47

We are down to 11. Right after Martin Knape busted out, Antony Lellouche was unlucky to lose an important pot against Isabelle Mercier. She decided to make a move with 8d 6d and got called by Antony's K9. Isabelle flopped both a pair of sixes and a flush draw, a great flop against Lellouche's king-high, but a king on the turn meant Isabelle needed help. She got that by catching a six on the river, giving her some breathing room with 70,000. Antony was now shortstacked though and after he escaped once by making a split pot (flush on the board with five spades, no one having a straight), he couldn't escape a second time. Raising all-in to 19,000 on the button with K6, Romain called him with an AT and that held up.

13. Martin Knape €19,800
12. Antony Lellouche €23,900



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EPT Update No. 46

Kevin Seeger has just won a massive pot! He made a move before the flop with the king-queen of hearts, but he had picked the wrong opponent as Martin Wendt had him dominated with the ace-king. But then the flop: 973 all hearts, making Wendt drawing dead - and giving the person who had put the money in as a big dog, a pot of no less than 360,000! Now Martin had just 4,000 left, and he lost that on one of the immediate next hands. Down to 13 players, with now a very big stack, Kevin Seeger, who is sitting immediately next to the other big stack: the stack of Rob Hollink. Fortunately for the Chief, he's got position on Seeger - and in the previous days we have seen that playing against Rob out of position is not the best place to be in. Either way, we have lost Martin, with a mountain of chips on just one side of the table.

14. Martin Wendt €19,800

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EPT Update No. 45

And indeed, Julian is out after all. Two pair on the flop looked quite alright (43 with a 543 flop), but on the turn Kevin Seeger's A5 outdrew him by making a bigger two pair, catching an ace.

15. Julian Gardner €19,800














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EPT Update No. 44

It could well become a long night, guys. The underdogs have stayed alive twice in a row, all-in against both a bigger stack and the better hand. Ben Grundy had AQo against Martin Wendts pocker kings and made top two pair (a 120,000 pot for the young man) and Jani Sointula had his entire stack in, under the gun with Ah 9h against Kevin Seeger's TT, only to catch the third heart on the river. And also on a third occasion, the all-in player won. Abdulaziz Abdulaziz had bullets and found Julian with jacks. All-in for 112,000, no surprises this time, and the man with the remarkable name now has almost 240,000, or over 10% of the total chips in play. Immediately after that, Julian had to go all-in with garbage as he had just a few chips left: and then his jack-nine offsuit made quad jacks! Still, he's got less than 40,000 and stays in immediate danger.

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EPT Update No. 43

Just before the next limit increase, Rob has won yet another important pot. Brandon Schaefer had stayed alive by winning one or two pots and was slowly starting to gain ground. But then he lost a pot when he raised to 12K, Rob reraised to 30K on the button, and Brandon called, but then had to check/fold on the flop. Not just has Rob still got 370,000 or so, he's also got two of his most dangerous opponents (Brandon and Isabelle) down to a 100,000- stack. Next level: 3,000-6,000 blinds, ante 500.

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EPT Update No. 42

And indeed, the probably biggest star in this EPT Grand Final is out! Gus Hansen had JJ, but Martin Wendt had a big hand as well (AK), and that was enough to send home the excellent and colorful Dane. Down to 15 now - seven more to go.

16. Gus Hansen €15,800




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EPT Update No. 41

On the 'normal' table, we have just lost Dennis Scott Bush, while at the televised table Gus Hansen is starting to run into trouble. He raised to 12,600, and when Abdulaziz reraised all-in for 35,900 more, Gus had to think for a while. He got the crowd laughing when he announced "Gee, I only got a nine high", but then decided to call with it! The hands: 98 of clubs for Gus, KQ of clubs for Abdulaziz, and that held up. And a few moments later, Gus called an under-the-gun raise from the same player, with Kevin Seeger also in, and then had to check/fold on the flop QJ4. Poker superstar Gus Hansen is now down to about 55,000, if I counted correctly.

17. Dennis Scott Bush €15,800

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EPT Update No. 40

Rob Hollink has just lost a decent-sized pot to Romain Feriolo, where in the end Rob had to fold against him. And that is the censored version. The uncensored version is that Romain made a very daring, if not close-to-suicidal semi-bluff raise on the turn, where he raised Rob all-in with nothing more than an open-ended straight draw and the bare nine of diamonds with three diamonds on the table, for just a nine-high flush draw! (It worked though, as Rob folded his A4 of spades for a currently better no-pair hand.) At the dinner break, the line-up for the two remaining tables and the chip counts look as follows:







Televised Table:

1. Martin Wendt 151,000
2. Kevin Seeger 192,000
3. Julian Gardner 121,000
4. Jani Sointula 47,000
5. Ben Grundy 89,000
6. Gus Hansen 126,000
7. Martin Knape 141,000
8. Abdulaziz Abdulaziz 45,000

' Normal' Table:

1. Dennis Scott Bush 60,000
2. Romain Feriolo 206,000
3. Michael Luber 95,000
4. Rob Hollink 350,000
5. Alexander Stevic 97,000
6. Isabelle Mercier 59,000
7. Antony Lellouche 61,000
8. Mikhail Ustinov 149,000
9. Brandon Schaefer 110,000

After dinner, blinds will resume at 2,000-4,000 with a 400 ante. We will play down until the final eight.

The prize schedule:

1. €635,000
2. €350,000
3. €178,000
4. €139,000
5. €118,000
6. €99,500
7. €79,500
8. €59,500
9. €39,300
10-12. €23,900
13-15. €19,800
16-18. €15,800
19-27. €11,900

Exit:

18. Eugene Katchakov €15,800

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EPT Update No. 39

Antony Lellouche has doubled up yet again, by winning with AK against QQ this time. The person with the queens, Eugene Katchalov, busted out shortly after that. And on the featured table, Alexander Stevic has been incredibly lucky to stay alive. When Martin Wendt moved all-in out of the big blind to shut out the limpers, the short-stacked Stevic called 30,000 more with an ace-jack offsuit. He was in bas shape against Wendt's ace-queen suited, but the board came 646, 5... jack. The winner of the first ever EPT event in Barcelona is still alive, with about 80,000 in chips now. We are down to two tables now, and will have a redraw for seats.

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EPT Update No. 38

Exits:
21. John Fanning €11,900
20. Kevin O'Connell €11,900
19. Jonathan Senn €11,900

Three more players out, and we're down to 18. Rob Hollink just keeps picking up pots at table 3, seated between Isabelle Mercier and Gus Hansen, and he holds a 395,000 stack now, close to 20% of the total chips in play. At table 1, Antony Lellouche has doubled up twice: with AK vs. KQ, and with 66 vs. AJ. On the televised table, Ben Grundy who looks so young that it's almost incredible to see him playing at this level, is holding his own very well with an about-average stack. The equally likeable Brandon Schaefer seems to be in control here, and JUlian Gardner is looking very strong as well. Blinds will stay at 1,500-3,000 and a 300 ante for thirty more minutes.

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EPT Update No. 37

We have just lost the short-stacked Barny Boatman, and also Martin Deknijff. Martin ran into the cowboys of Jani Sointula (for top full on a final board TT9K5 with four diamonds), the same Jani who had been the dentist yesterday of another famous star, Gus Hansen. Gus is still in though, and he is in fact in decent shape.

Exits:
23. Barny Boatman (UK) €11,900
22. Martin Deknijff (Sweden) €11,900

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EPT Update No. 36

Names & Chip Counts of the remaining players:

Table 1 (will be broken first):

1. Michael Luber 52,000
2. Martin Knape 60,000
3. Eugene Katchalov 46,000
4. -
5. Jani Sointula 98,000
6. Antony Lellouche 31,000
7. Martin Deknijff 65,000
8. Romain Feriolo 100,000

Table 2 (televised):

1. Ben Grundy 50,000
2. Martin Wendt 115,000
3. Julian Gardner 155,000
4. Kevin Seeger 164,000
5. Alexander Stevic 49,000
6. Barny Boatman 9,000
7. Brandon Schaefer 131,000
8. Kevin O'Connell 57,000

Table 3:

1. Dennis Scott Bush 97,000
2. Mikhail Ustinov 90,000
3. Jonathan Senn 47,000
4. Abdulaziz Abdulaziz 31,000
5. Isabelle Mercier 56,000
6. Rob Hollink 326,000
7. John Fanning 24,000
8. Gus Hansen 130,000

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EPT Update No. 35

Exits:

25. Harry Fitzpatrick, €11,900
24. Declan Barker, €11,900

The last hand on our featured table, Harry Fitzpatrick had tens that lost against Brandon's queens. Now that the redraw for seats have been done at 24 players (we've been playing the entire event eight-handed), I have gotten the chance for some random chip counts. They include:

Rob Hollink 326,000
Julian Gardner 180,000
Gus Hansen 130,000
Romain Feriolo 100,000
Martin Wendt 115,000
Mikhail Ustinov 90,000
Isabelle Mercier 56,000
Kevin Seeger 164,000
Brandon Schaefer 131,000

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EPT Update No. 34

Some more action. Alexander Stevic has doubled up with AQ vs. KQ against Barny Boatman. (Barny had reraised the button's raise by moving in with KQ, but ran into a better hand.) Stevic now is in decent shape again, but Barny doesn't seem to have many chips left. Down to 25:

Exits:

27. Ryan Walters, Canada, €11,900
26. Bejamin Sprengers, US, €11,900

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EPT Update No. 33

We are in the money! As I have written before, Willie Tann is not afraid to get involved with pots against Rob Hollink, but playing the Chief out of position is a double-edged proposition. Despite having a fairly decent stack, Willie now exited on the bubble, and yet another big pot for the Dutchman. The hand went as follows. With king-ten in the small blind, Wille made a standard raise, and Rob called from the big blind with T5 of spades. Flop: T86. Willie bet 12,000, with Rob calling. When a five on the turn gave Rob two pair, and Willie felt he could not get away from his top pair / decent kicker (on the river, he check-called Rob's 50,000 bet), he would end up as player no. 28 in this event - not an enviable position. And while one might claim that Rob had simply gotten lucky by making two pair on the turn, it needs to be said that the money was very deep, and the facts that Rob was a) in position, and b) the chip leader all indicated that Willie should probably have practiced caution a bit more than he did. All in all, it was exciting poker action, and we're down to 27 - in the money, that is.

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EPT Update No. 32

A few moments before Marcel's exit, we must have lost the dangerous Robert Mizrachi as well. I told you before that at Rob Hollink's table, Kevin O'Connell had gotten the chip lead over Rob, now I am fairly certain that he had amassed these chips against the Master Classics Main Event winner Robert Mizrachi. And at the featured table, Brandon Schaefer has just made a massive step forward against the same Isabelle who just knocked out Marcel. Isabelle had aces this time, but Brandon with KQ had flopped a pair of kings plus flush draw. Isabelle made a pot-sized bet, Brandon moved in with Isabelle calling, and then improved by hitting a queen on the turn, and a queen on the river. A second story I heard (I was not there first hand) was that the flop was 642, meaning that Brandon had no pair yet, possibly just the flush draw, and that he improved by catching runner / runner queen. Either way, the EPT Deauville winner has a ton of chips now, and Isabelle has been severely crippled. 28 players left, one more and we're in the money. Once the redraw has been done, I will then also try to come up with an estimated chip count.

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EPT Update No. 31

Marcel is out! He held AQ against Isabelle's QQ. (Before the flop, Isabelle had raised from the small blind and Marcel had moved in.) A turn on the ace gave him an almost certain win with top pair and a flush draw, but a schock went through the crowd when the case queen appeared on the river. A pity for the Flying Fox, who has been fairly unlucky lately, but who certainly looked very strong this week.

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EPT Update No. 30

Just a few photos ago, you guys could see the friendly chat between Kevin O'Connell and Rob Hollink when play had just started - but that didn't stop them from getting into a major clash! Rob raises to 4K, Kevin reraises to 10, Rob reraises once more, and now it is Kevin who moves in! Rob calls with AKo, king of diamonds, Kevin showing two red queens. When the board cards are all diamonds, Rob's king-high flush takes the pot. He's got over 200,000 now, and has Kevin down to 35,000. (Kevin had won a big pot before, and had Rob covered.) The other Dutchman, Marcel Luske, is chipping away at the final table and is now back at 32,000 again. We've got 30 players left, just three more and we're in the money, and then there will also be another redraw for seats. The blinds now 1,000-2,000, with a 200 running ante.

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EPT Update No. 29

It has been decided to make table 2 the televised table, and with the beautiful Isabelle Mercier, the charismatic Marcel Luske and the talkative John Fanning this should not come as a sursprise. The players themselves seem to be pleased with it, as the atmosphere seems to be genuinely nice and friendly - somewhat in contrast with yesterday, when there was a lot of trash talk, needling and (in my view) excessive celebrating at the featured table. On table 4, Markus Golser has just run into trouble. With QQ in a raised and reraised pot, he was up against the Big Slick of Romain Feriolo, who had just been transferred from the televised table to this table 4. It was a transfer that proved to be expensive for Markus, who is down to about 22,000, with Romain being close to 135,000 now. We have lost Henry Terranova and also Eirik Mistereggen (the guy who busted out Luca Pagano yesterday), and we are down to 34. Blinds 800-1,600, ante 200.

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EPT Update No. 28

Welcome back from Monaco, guys. The sun is shining, the atmosphere is relaxed and we are ready to play some poker again. With 38 players left, we've got five tables. After the redraw, this comes down to:

Table 1

1. Howard Chow 11,800
2. Declan Barker 38,200
4. Antony Lellouche 57,100
5. Martin Knape 70,800
6. Martin Deknijff 56,100
7. Ryan Walters 26,400
8. Kevin Seeger 147,100

A good draw for chip leader Kevin Seeger, who's got two small stacks on his left.

Table 2

1. Isabelle Mercier 70,000
2. Marcel Luske 19,300
3. Romain Feriolo 103,100
4. John Fanning 58,000
5. Brandon Schaefer 36,000
6. Benjamin Sprengers 45,100
7. Harry Fitzpatrick 38,900
8. Dennis Scott Bush 95,800

Table 3

1. Barny Boatman 34,300
2. Michael Luber 48,700
3. Joseph Grech 14,000
4. Willie Tann 78,100
5. Rob Hollink 139,500
6. Kevin O'Connell 68,200
7. Eugene Katchalov 54,400
8. Robert Mizrachi 117,500

Again, we have Willie Tann and Rob Hollink at the same table; this time it is Rob who has position on Willie. But the large stack of dangerous Robert Mizrachi is sitting behind them both.

Table 4

1. Jani Sointula 79,900
2. Gus Hansen 23,000
3. Markus Golser 45,400
4. Mikhail Ustinov 70,900
5. Abdulaziz Abdulaziz 40,100
6. Jonathan Senn 32,700
7. Steve Stolzmann 27,800
8. Henry Terranova 11,700

Table 5

1. Ben Grundy 37,600
2. Eirik Mistereggen 40,600
3. Nathanael Kelly 6,600
4. Julian Gardner 98,800
5. Morten Jensen 26,100
6. Martin Wendt 73,100
8. Alexander Stevic 66,500

The chip leader of this table Julian Gardner won't be very pleased. He's got relatively small stacks to his right, and the two players who can seriously harm him to his left, Martin Wendt and Alexander Stevic.

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EPT Update No. 27

A few spectacular pots just before close. Marcel Luske lost a big pot, doubling up Isabelle. Isabelle first flatcalled a raise with pocket kings from the big blind, and then moved all-in when Marcel came over the top. Marcel's jacks got no improvement, and suddenly he is down to 20,000, while Isabelle has 70,000. And on another table, Gus Hansen had his personal dentist in Jani Sointula. On the first hand, he limp / reraised Hansen's button raise to make him throw away his cards, and on the second hand when Gus didn't throw away, Jani actually had the better hand: KK vs. AQ. The players, chip counts, and the seats for tomorrow, i.e. the redraw has been done already:

Ben Grundy 37,600 (tomorrow: table 5 / seat 1)
Ryan Walters 26,400 (1/7)
Isabelle Mercier 70,000 (2/1)
Eugene Katchalov 54,400 (3/7)
Steve Stolzmann 27,800 (4/7)
Abdulaziz Abdulaziz 40,100 (4/5)
Marcel Luske 19,300 (2/2)
Howard Chow 11,800 (1/1)

Dennis Scott Bush 95,800 (2/8)
Antony Lellouche 57,100 (1/4)
Julian Gardner 98,800 (5/4)
Martin Deknijff 56,100 (1/6)
Martin Wendt 73,100 (5/6)
Harry Fitzpatrick 38,900 (2/7)
Brandon Schaefer 36,000 (2/5)
Kevin Seeger 147,100 (1/8, chip leader)

Jani Sointula 79,900 (4/1)
Gus Hansen 23,000 (4/2)
Barny Boatman 34,300 (3/1)
Nathanael Kelly 6,600 (5/3)
Declan Barker 38,200 (1/2)
Ben Sprengers 45,100 (2/6)
Eirik Mistereggen 40,600 (5/2)
Henry Terranova 11,700 (4/8)

Jonathan Senn 32,700 (4/6)
Michael Luber 48,700 (3/2)
Rob Hollink 139,500 (3/5)
Kevin O'Donnell 63,200 (3/6)
Joseph Grech 14,000 (3/3)
Willie Tann 78,100 (3/4)
Neil Fanning 58,000 (2/4)

Romain Feriolo 103,100 (2/3)
Markus Golser 45,400 (4/3)
Alexander Stevic 66,500 (5/8)
Robert Mizrachi 117,500 (3/8)
Mikhail Ustinov 70,900 (4/4)
Martin Knape 70,500 (1/5)
Morten Jensen 26,100 (5/5)

38 players left in total.