2008 PokerStars.com EPT Warsaw

EPT Polish Open Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info

2008 PokerStars.com EPT Warsaw

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a10
Prize
€367,141
Event Info
Buy-in
€5,400
Prize Pool
€1,172,973
Entries
217
Level Info
Level
24
Blinds
12,000 / 24,000
Ante
3,000

Recent Eliminations

High-stakes PLO aficionado Markus Golser, WSOP-E bracelet winner Theo Jorgensen, and controversial online poker figure Josh "JJProdigy' Field have all recently exited the building.

Reversal of Fortune

When we last checked in with young Dario Minieri, he had just eliminated Ramzi Jelassi and had taken his micro stack up to a more workable 7,500. Twenty minutes and six flights of up-and-down the stairs from the media room to the casino floor later, the scarf-loving Italian was sitting on a rather hefty stack of 34,000.

Dario's first leap in chip count came when he landed on the good end of a coinflip, his {A-?} {10-?} flopping top pair against his opponent's {9-?} {9-?}. One more double-up and a few small pots later, he's good for second in chips, behind Roland de Wolfe, who has ground his stack up past 40,000-- all while enjoying a massage that has now past the six-hour mark.

Tags: Dario MinieriRoland de Wolfe

Germany vs. Sweden

Set-floppin' Sebastian
Set-floppin' Sebastian
On a flop of {9-Hearts} {5-Diamonds} {3-Clubs}, the big blind checked, Sebastian Ruthenberg bet 1,100, William Thorson called and the big blind folded. The turn brought the {10-Hearts}, which both players quickly checked, and on the {Q-Clubs} river, Ruthenberg fired out an additional 4,200. Thorson tanked for a short time before dribbling in a call and saw the bad news when Ruthenberg rolled over {9-Clubs} {9-Spades} for a set.

Ruthenberg is now on 23,000 while Thorson dips to 8,500.

Tags: Sebastian RuthenbergWilliam Thorson

The Ups, Downs, and Ups of Nicolas Levi

I tip my hat to you
I tip my hat to you
As I count the stack of the be-trilby'd one, he announces to me, "A ton." He looks down and counts his chips before qualifying his statement: "A small ton." The small 'ton' is in fact a below average, yet still manageable, 13,000.

I wander off for a moment and come back to find Levi doubling up an opponent, his {Q-Hearts} {Q-Spades} no good against the opponent's {3-Clubs} {3-Hearts} after the board came out {2-Clubs} {A-Hearts} {3-Spades} {9-Hearts} {9-Clubs}. "Not a ton any more," says Levi sadly, examining his remaining 6,000 in chips. "But plenty."

And in fact, he got his 'plenty' chips across the line in the very next hand, shoving from the button to an under the gun raise from Jonas Molander.

Molander: {A-Hearts} {Q-Spades}
Levi: {A-Clubs} {K-Hearts}

Board: an exciting-on-the-turn but ultimately surprise-free {6-Spades} {5-Hearts} {J-Hearts} {4-Hearts} {4-Diamonds}

Levi doubles back up to a ton (13,000 in the usual terminology).

Tags: Jonas MolanderNicolas Levi

Level: 6

Blinds: 150/300

Ante: 25

Hot in Herre

The Casino Poland Warsawza has quite an expansive poker area-- twenty some-odd tables with a few cash games running at the moment. Most of those tables are spread out on the main gaming floor. The ones being used for this tournament, however, are all packed into a tight back corner of the room for reasons passing understanding. The temperature in said corner is rising by the minute, despite a couple of portable air conditioners attempting to cool the area down.

It may be 39 degrees outside, but in here, players and media folks alike are rolling up their sleeves and chugging down water like it's Vegas in July.

Assorted Chip Counts

Penthouse:

Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier 45,000
Roland de Wolfe 37,000
Sebastian Ruthenberg 31,000

Outhouse:

Dario Minieri 7,000
Michael Martin OUT
Markus Golser OUT

Minieri Doubles Through Jelassi; Jelassi Can't Recover

The Wall Of Media materialized almost instantly and formed a solid barrier around Table Minieri/Jelassi as the table's namesakes clashed, Dario Minieri all in for his tournament life with his {K-Clubs} {Q-Hearts} dominating Ramzi Jelassi's {Q-Clubs} {8-Clubs}. A hairy flop and turn for Minieri:

Flop: {7-Clubs} {10-Spades} {6-Spades}

Minieri: "Wow."
Jelassi: "Sorry, Dario."

Turn: {3-Clubs}

Whistling noises from the Wall Of Media.

River: an absolute blank in the shape of the {4-Spades}.

Minieri doubled up to around 7,500; Jelassi meanwhile was down to a similarly sized 7,000 stack. Indeed Jelassi couldn't make a comeback and got his chips in with {10-?} {J-?} against an opponent's {A-?} {J-?} on a jack-high board a few hands later. Out he goes.

Tags: Dario MinieriRamzi Jelassi

Who's Afraid of De Wolfe?

Roland De Wolfe has knocked out an opponent who pushed from the big blind. De Wolfe, who'd either limped or raised small in early position, called the 3,500 push, and the coinflip situation turned into a pleasing win for De Wolfe as blank after blank on the board sent the hapless pusher to the rail.

De Wolfe: {5-Clubs} {5-Hearts}
Pusher: {A-Spades} {J-Clubs}

Board: {K-Spades} {8-Hearts} {9-Hearts} {6-Clubs} {8-Spades}

With that, De Wolfe's stack moves up towards the 30,000 mark.

Tags: Roland De Wolfe