€10,000 EPT Grand Final Main Event Day 1b | 2009 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final

Level: 5

Blinds: 150/300

Ante: 25

04-29-2009 17:50 UTC+3

As You Were

[user75032]

Cards are back in the air.

04-29-2009 17:40 UTC+3

Recently spotted heading into sunshine so bright you are liable to trip over your own feet upon reentry to the subdued lighting of the Casino is Thierry Van den Berg. His table, even without him, is plenty volatile, containing these players:

Benjamin Kang - 14,000
Ilari Sahamies - 29,600
Joe Hachem - 14,200
Will Fry - 48,600

Tags: Thierry van den berg

04-29-2009 17:36 UTC+3

Six Minute Dwell Attracts Press to Hansen like Moths to a Danish Lightbulb

[user46298]

In the longest, quietest, most unlikely to be clock-called dwell since the tournament began, Gus Hansen talked his way through a thorny river card/bet combo.

The river {6-Hearts}

finished off the {8-Spades}

board, and Hansen had bet 8k on the river. His opponent on the button then raised him to 19k. The 11k to make the call represented over a third of Hansen's remaining chips, and he tanked with aplomb.

"I could have the best hand...I can't beat 9-10... Random spades? Could have a nine..." so went his flow of murmured consideration. Into the hush of the room a player on the top rail made a huge Tarzan cry for some reason. As the minutes until the break ticked down, he finally, having attracted a ring of press three deep, made the call. His opponent showed {9-Clubs}

. He mucked.

Tags: Gus Hansen

04-29-2009 17:36 UTC+3

Watch Pokerstars.tv!

[user46392]

While you're here, why not check it out?

04-29-2009 17:35 UTC+3

Break Time

[user46392]

Hurrah for our 15 minutes in the sun, as it were.

04-29-2009 17:31 UTC+3

I Like Big Bets and I Cannot Lie

[user46392]

Phil Laak is up to 70,000 after winning an enormous pot, Rory Matthews making an enormous laydown in the process.

With around 40,000 in the pot by the river of the {A-Spades}

board, a massive and decidedly untidy pile of chips lay across the line in front of Laak, enough to easily cover Rory Matthews who had just 19,500 behind.

"I wish I hadn't hit," sighed Matthews, "Then I wouldn't have to make a decision."

"Well, I'm pot-committed," deadpanned Laak.

Eventually, Matthews passed -- showing {J-Clubs}

for the backdoor flush. Some uproar as Laak mucked and raked in the pot -- Dag Palovic thought the {J-Clubs}

belonged to Laak, and Will Kassouf claimed to have seen the {K-Clubs}

in Laak's hand. "Was that the king of clubs?" he asked, a little hysterical. "I don't know," lied Laak. "The king of clubs was right there," Kassouf refused to give up.

This went on for some time. "Don't gimme the bullshit, you know I slack off," Laak was saying some minutes later. "I like big bets on the river if I think it's gonna work or if I have the nuts."

"So which was it?" asked Kassouf.

"I always have the nuts."

Tags: Phil Laak

04-29-2009 17:28 UTC+3

Yodel-ay-hee-hoo?

[user75032]

A player just yodeled in the tournament room. It was an impressive yodel, lasting about fifteen to twenty seconds and hitting a few different notes. We're not sure why it happened, but it drew some scattered applause from the rail.

04-29-2009 17:26 UTC+3

(Michael) Binger Can't Get Anything Going

[user75032]

Checking in on Panorama Towers East -- the table of David Williams, Nenad Medic and Michael Binger -- shows that not much has changed in the last hour. Williams and Medic are still holding strong with roughly equal-sized stacks of 80,000, while Binger is just under the starting stack.

Binger and Williams were part of a five-way limped flop that came {7-Spades}

. When everyone checked, Binger tried to buy the pot with a bet of 2,500 on the {3-Clubs}

turn. He couldn't shake the button. Both men checked the {2-Clubs}

river, with the button player turning over {K-Diamonds}

to take the pot.

04-29-2009 17:20 UTC+3

Levi Keeps His Hat On

[user46392]

Young French trilby enthusiast Nicolas Levi is busto. He recounted the tale from the rail.

Turns out he was holding {K-?}

and saw a

flop with two hearts on it. He checked, he raised when the other guy bet, he called when the other guy pushed, and his opponent's {A-Hearts}

made a flush on the turn. At least he has a new hat though -- he goes through the trilbies at a rate of knots, leaving them in various hotels and airports around the world. "I'm keeping this one," he said. "I lost all my chips but I'm keeping my hat. I'm done with losing today." Good man.

Tags: Nicolas Levi