EPT Polish Open Main Event | 2008 PokerStars.com EPT Warsaw

11-19-2008 19:47 UTC+2

Chip Counts at Dinner Break

[user25067]

Joao Barbosa 1,140,000
Nico Behling 707,000
Dario Minieri 267,000

11-19-2008 21:07 UTC+2

Delayed Return from Dinner Break

[user25067]

We hopped downstairs all fresh and ready to report-- only the players appear to have vanished! None of our final three are anywhere to be found at the moment (though Dario Minieri was recently sighted in the hotel restaurant). Though many in the media would like to start blinding them off, we'll remain in a holding pattern until they reappear.

11-19-2008 21:13 UTC+2

Players (Finally) Return from Dinner Break

[user25067]

The players have been located and are in their seats. Action is back underway.

Level: 22

Blinds: 8,000/16,000

Ante: 2,000

11-19-2008 21:37 UTC+2

Busy Start for Minieri

[user46392]

After a rather leisurely dinner break for our remaining finalists, during which time the trophies and a gigantic novelty check appeared on a pedestal in the tournament area, they arrived back at the table and settled down to the serious business at hand.

Unsurprisingly, it was short-stacked Dario Minieri who was getting jiggy early doors. The very first hand back, he raised to 48,000 from the button and took down the blinds for his troubles. The next hand, it was Nico Behling's turn to raise the button, and this time Minieri pushed from the small blind. Behling passed, and Minieri picked up a few more much-needed chips.

A couple of hands later, though, when Minieri raised to 48,000 from the button again, he was met by a reraise from Barbosa that would have put him all in. "I fold, you show?" pleaded Minieri. Silence from Barbosa. "You don't want to say anything?" A mere shrug. Minieri folded {A-Hearts}

face-up, and Barbosa rewarded by turning over pocket sixes.

Tags: Dario Minieri Joao Barbosa Nico Behling

11-19-2008 21:44 UTC+2

Dario Minieri Eliminated in 3rd Place (€123,162)

[user25067]

Joao Barbosa made a button raise to 44,000, Dario Minieri moved all in from the small blind for about 180,000 and Barbosa called.

Minieri: {7-Clubs}

Barbosa:

As the crowd surged around the table to watch the showdown, the flop came {Q-Clubs}

. Only a seven could save Dario. The turn, though was the {8-Diamonds}

, the river was the {4-Diamonds}

and a rather unhappy-looking Dario headed to the rail in third place. €123,162 should ease the blow a tad, but Minieri was clearly hoping for a win here.

Tags: Dario Minieri Joao Barbosa

11-19-2008 21:46 UTC+2

Heads-Up Chip Counts

[user25067]

Heads-up play has just kicked off between Nico Behling and Joao Barbosa. Here's how they stack up at the moment.

Joao Barbosa: 1,330,000
Nico Behling: 840,000

Tags: Joao Barbosa Nico Behling

11-19-2008 22:08 UTC+2

Tightly Does It

[user46392]

With the exit of the tiny Italian raising machine, play has become noticeably more cagey, mostly consisting of steals from the button, occasionally interspersed with a walk or a reraise from the big blind and a swift fold from the original raiser.

At one point Barbosa raised to 44,000 from the button and Behling reraised to 125,000, only for Barbosa to announce, "All in" -- but Behling folded instantly, and it was back to caginess for our heads-upsers.

Tags: Joao Barbosa Nico Behling