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

11-19-2008 16:24 UTC+2

Current Chip Counts

[user46392]

Seat 1: Arnaud Mattern - 218,000
Seat 2: Ludovic Lacay - 331,000
Seat 3: Andrea Benelli - 157,000
Seat 5: Joao Barbosa - 180,000
Seat 6: Dario Minieri - 260,000
Seat 7: Nico Behling - 412,000
Seat 8: Sergey Shcherbatskiy - 418,000
Seat 9: Atanas Gueorguiev - 187,000

Level: 19

Blinds: 4,000/8,000

Ante: 1,000

11-19-2008 16:28 UTC+2

Ludovic Lacay Eliminated in 8th Place (€32,843)

[user25067]

Nico Behling opened the action with a raise to 17,000, Ludovic Lacay reraised to 56,000 from the big blind and Behling called.

The flop was {8-Hearts}

. Lacay led out for 75,000. After a bit of a think, Behling raised to 160,000. Lacay moved all in and Behling quickly called.

Lacay {A-Clubs}

Behling

Disaster for Lacay, his aces cracked by Behling's set of eights. No help for the Frenchman on the {4-Clubs}

turn or the {5-Spades}

river and he made a quiet exit in 8th place, earning €32,843 for his efforts.

Tags: Ludovic Lacay

11-19-2008 16:34 UTC+2

Nico Behling Seizes the Chip Lead

[user25067]

After eliminating Ludovic Lacay, Nico Behling is firmly in the driver's seat at this final table with over 730,000 in his stack, over 300,000 more than his closest competitor.

Tags: Nico Behling

11-19-2008 16:49 UTC+2

More Chips for Behling

[user46392]

An intriguing hand, eventually taken down by chip monster Nico Behling.

Sergey Shcherbatskiy limped in under the gun and it foled around to small blind Minieri, who also limped. Behling checked his big blind, and they saw a {Q-Hearts}

flop. It checked around to Shcherbatskiy who bet 20,000, but an unconvinced Minieri called instantly, and after a reasonable pause, Behling called too. All three checked the {4-Diamonds}

turn, and Minieri checked the {K-Clubs}

river too -- at which point Behling bet an unexpected 50,000, and both Shcherbatskiy and Minieri laid it down. Curious.

Tags: Dario Minieri Nico Behling Sergey Shcherbatskiy

11-19-2008 16:51 UTC+2

Behling V. Benelli

[user46392]

...And even more chips for Mr Nico "Chip Monster" Behling. Andrea Benelli raised to 22,500 under the gun and Behling asked for a count on Benelli's remaining chips -- it was around 130,000 -- before calling.

Benelli checked the {6-Hearts}

flop -- and then laid it down when Behling fired out 40,000.

Tags: Andrea Benelli Nico Behling

11-19-2008 16:52 UTC+2

Ban-Arnauds All Round!

[user46392]

Disturbingly, Arnaud Mattern has recently produced a plastic bag full of bananas, and has been slowly taking the bananas out, one by one, and laying them next to his chips on the table.

Tags: Arnaud Mattern bananas

11-19-2008 17:02 UTC+2

Andrea Benelli Eliminated in 7th Place (€45,746)

[user25067]

Andrea Benelli was just eliminated at the hands of Dario Minieri in a bit of Italian-on-Italian violence.

Benellil open-shoved for his remaining 111,000 and Minieri called on the button. It was a race situation, Benelli's {J-Spades}

up against Minieri's {A-Hearts}

.

The flop was a sweat-tastic {8-Clubs}

, Benelli's overpair still holding, but Minieri hot on his heels with two overs and the nut flush draw. Minieri hit that flush when the {3-Hearts}

arrived on the turn, rendering the river card, the {8-Spades}

, meaningless.

Benelli graciously shook his fellow countryman's hand on his way out and wished him good luck. He'll take home €45,746 for his finish here in Warsaw.

Down to 6.

Tags: Andrea Benelli

11-19-2008 17:05 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

[user25067]

It's a veritable United Nations of poker downstairs, with our six remaining players representing six different countries.

Nico Behling (Germany) 910,000
Dario Minieri (Italy) 355,000
Atanas Gueorguiev (Bulgaria) 260,000
Sergey Shcherbatskiy (Russia) 245,000
Arnaud Mattern (France) 230,000
Joao Barbosa (Portugal) 166,000

11-19-2008 17:30 UTC+2

Barbosa Doubles Through Minieri

[user46392]

Joao Barbosa raised to 22,000 in the hijack, only for Dario Minieri to make it 66,000 from the cutoff. Fold back around to Barbosa, and he announced all in for a total of 178,000. Minieri called with surprising speed.

Minieri: {A-Diamonds}