2009 PokerStars.net EPT Kyiv

€5,000 EPT Kyiv Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info

2009 PokerStars.net EPT Kyiv

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
49
Prize
€330,000
Event Info
Buy-in
€4,700
Prize Pool
€1,391,200
Entries
296
Level Info
Level
28
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
5,000

Big Action

A player in early position opened with a raise to 10,500, and Luca Falaschi called all in for his last 5,000 in the form of a single, lonely yellow chip. Next door, Oleksander Vaserfirer announced a re-raise to 35,000, and Alex Fitzgerald made the overcall in position. The initial raiser called as well to put a big preflop pot up for grabs in the most action we've seen in quite some time.

With three live players then, the flop came out {5-Clubs} {2-Spades} {2-Diamonds}. After a check from the raiser, Vaserfirer moved all in for 47,000, and Fitzgerald had that look in his eye as well. After a moment of thought, he too moved all in, committing his last 187,000 chips to the pot. That was enough to fold the raiser and end the betting action, so the cards were turned up:

Showdown
Falaschi: {A-Spades} {4-Hearts}
Vaserfirer: {K-Diamonds} {K-Clubs}
Fitzgerald: {Q-Diamonds} {Q-Hearts}

Falaschi was drawing slim with his naked ace, and Vaserfirer was poised for a big double up at the expense of Alex Fitzgerald. The turn brought the {9-Diamonds}, changing nothing. Falaschi would find salvation on the river, though, as a timely {A-Hearts} ripped off to improve him to the win, increasing his stack more than sixfold. He's "all the way" up to 31,500 now, moving Vaserfirer up to about 185,000 and Fitzgerald down to 140,000.

Great Escapes

After the bubble burst, we saw a series of all-in and call situations, though in each case the player with his tourney life on the line survived. A couple of examples...

Luca Falaschi had put all of his chips in the middle with {K-Clubs}{Q-Clubs} and was up against Alex Fitzgerald's {A-Diamonds}{J-Spades}. Didn't look good for Falaschi after a flop of {9-Spades}{2-Clubs}{A-Spades}. But the {Q-Spades} turn and {K-Hearts} river allowed the Italian to escape.

Over on Table 1, Michael Naletov was all in for his last 54,000 with {A-Hearts}{9-Hearts} against Maxim Lykov's {K-Spades}{8-Clubs}. The flop was {3-Spades}{5-Hearts}{3-Clubs}. The turn was the {8-Hearts}, and Lykov was ahead. But the {9-Hearts} popped out on the river and Naletov, too, had wriggled off the hook.

We continue to await our first cash.

Bubble: Burst!

boom goes the dynamite
boom goes the dynamite
Big stack bully Jonas Kronwitter opened the pot with a raise to 15,000 before Serguei Pomerantsev moved all in for his last 84,500. When the action came back around to Kronwitter, he quickly called to put Pomerantsev at risk squarely on the bubble.

The action was held for more than five minutes while the players waited for another all-in hand to be completed at the far table. That hand ended with the short stack dragging down the pot to stay alive, so it was double or nothing for Pomerantsev. As a hoard of media, spectators, and players crowded in around the table, the two finally flipped over their cards.

Showdown
Kronwitter: {J-Spades} {J-Hearts}
Pomerantsev: {A-Hearts} {Q-Hearts}

Disaster would strike the at-risk player as the dealer ran out a flop of {7-Diamonds} {J-Clubs} {9-Clubs}, prompting Pomerantsev to stand from his chair and begin to gather his belongings. The {5-Clubs} that hit the turn left him drawing dead, and the {10-Clubs} that filled out the board will be the last river card of his day.

With that, the remaining 40 players are now in the money! With another table breaking, we're down to five eight-handed tables. We'll play on until we break one more before bagging up to return with 32 players tomorrow.

Tags: Jonas KronwitterSerguei Pomerantsev

Bubble Play

Alex Fitzgerald
Alex Fitzgerald
Hand-for-hand play continues. We've seen a couple of all-in bets, but no calls.

Alex Fitzgerald was showing some aggression at his table just now. On a recent hand the table folded around to him and he open-raised to 100,000 from the small blind, forcing a fold from the BB.

On the next hand, the table again folded to Fitzgerald, on the button now, and he raised to 22,000. Kirill Boydachenko called from the big blind. The flop came {3-Diamonds}{8-Spades}{6-Hearts}. Boydachenko checked, Fitzgerald bet 16,500, and Boydachenko called. Both checked the {Q-Clubs} turn. The {10-Clubs} came on the river. This time Boydachenko bet 35,000, and Fitzgerald quickly called.

Boydachenko showed {Q-Hearts}{7-Clubs} for queens, and Fitzgerald shook his head dejectedly as he mucked. Fitzgerald has 195,000 now, while Boydachenko has 355,000.

Tags: Alex Fitzgerald

Level: 16

Blinds: 2,500/5,000

Ante: 500