2011 PokerStars.com EPT Loutraki

Main Event
Day: 5
Event Info

2011 PokerStars.com EPT Loutraki

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a7
Prize
€347,000
Event Info
Entries
336
Level Info
Level
32
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
20,000

ZZ Top: The Battle For Second Place

Zimnan Ziyard is thinking so hard we can hear his neural circuitry whirring away from the rail. At this moment it really does look like a battle for second spot between Hauke Heseding and John Taramas.

Here is the action from the last fifteen minutes:

- Taramas nervously moved his feet about and twiddled with the peak of his cap before moving all-in from the button for 440,000. Heseding was seated in the small blind and he made the cold call off a stack of around 2.1 million.

"Why was it such a tough decision?" Ziyard asked Heseding before moving all-in.

Heseding folded and Ziyard flipped over {6-Hearts} {2-Clubs} while Taramas flipped over {J-Clubs} {10-Hearts}. The board ran out {Q-Diamonds} {J-Spades} {10-Clubs} {5-Spades} {7-Clubs} and as Taramas doubled up, a large percentage of the rail were lauging at his decision to move all in with such a weak hand. Ziyard looked unpeturbed and knew exactly what he was doing.

"I just didn't want YOU to have those chips," Ziyard said to Heseding.

- Ziyard raised to 160,000 on the button and folded after Heseding moved all-in from the big blind.

- Ziyard moved all-in from the small blind and Taramas folded.

- Ziyard limped in the small blind and Taramas checked. The flop was {10-Spades} {7-Spades} {2-Diamonds} and both players checked. The turn was the {J-Hearts} and a 125,000 bet won the pot from Ziyard.

Player Chips Progress
Zimnan Ziyard gb
Zimnan Ziyard
EPT 1X Winner
6,900,000 -100,000
Hauke Heseding
Hauke Heseding
1,850,000 -450,000
John Taramas gr
John Taramas
1,150,000 750,000

Tags: Hauke HesedingJohn TaramasZimnan Ziyard

The ICM Battle

Well, well, well.

They dynamics are getting very interesting here three handed. Zimnan Ziyard is raising practically every hand and the other two are being forced to fold all the time. Ziyard is so dominant that he's raise/folding to John Taramas' short stack shoves with great odds purely so he can whittle down Hauke Heseding's stack even more.

Heseding is getting frustrated because he has to keep folding, but sooner or later something is going to have to give.

Player Chips Progress
Zimnan Ziyard gb
Zimnan Ziyard
EPT 1X Winner
7,000,000 700,000
Hauke Heseding
Hauke Heseding
2,300,000 -800,000
John Taramas gr
John Taramas
400,000 -400,000

Zimnan and Heseding Clash in a Huge Pot!

Zimnan Ziyard
Zimnan Ziyard

When the hand started Zimnan Ziyard and Hauke Heseding were almost neck and neck at the top of the chip counts with around 4.7 million each. John Taramas was way back in third place with only 800,000.

Heseding raised to 200,000 from the small blind and Zimnan Ziyard called in the big blind. The flop was {9-Spades} {9-Hearts} {9-Clubs}, Heseding bet 200,000 and Ziyard calmly called. The turn was the {3-Clubs} and Heseding once again wasted no time making his decision, and it was to bet for 400,000. Ziyard once again looked composed and made the call. Heading to the river we already had over 1 million in the pot when we saw the {2-Diamonds}. Heseding bet 850,000 and Ziyard made a verbal call before flipping over {A-Spades} {A-Diamonds} and the crowd couldn't believe their eyes. Heseding looked to the roof with a "wtf" expression before flipping over {Q-Hearts} {Q-Diamonds}!

Everyone was wondering how on earth nobody had gone broke, especially the most interested by-stander John Taramas!

The whole room then started talking about the hand. Was it played correctly? Should Ziyard have raised? At what point? Is the call correct on the river?

We love this game....

Player Chips Progress
Zimnan Ziyard gb
Zimnan Ziyard
EPT 1X Winner
6,300,000 2,100,000
Hauke Heseding
Hauke Heseding
3,100,000 -1,950,000
John Taramas gr
John Taramas
800,000 -200,000

Tags: John TaramasZimnan Ziyard

Back to Back Pots for Ziyard

Level 28 : 30,000/60,000, 5,000 ante

Hand 1

Hauke Heseding limped into the pot from the small blind and Zimnan Ziyard checked the big blind. The flop was {J-Spades} {5-Clubs} {2-Hearts} and Heseding bet 80,000 and Ziyard called. The turn was the {10-Spades} and Heseding bet again, this time for 160,000 and Ziyard called. The final card was the {A-Clubs} and both players checked and when the cards were turned over Ziyard won at showdown with {Q-Diamonds} {J-Diamonds}.

Hand 2

Zimnan Ziyard raised to 165,000 on the button and Hauke Heseding defended his big blind. The action stopped dead and both players checked down the board of {A-Clubs} {J-Spades} {6-Clubs} {4-Hearts} {7-Hearts} and Ziyard won with {Q-Hearts} {5-Hearts}.

Tags: Zimnan ZiyardHauke Heseding

Taramas Lives...Again

First hand back saw Zimnan Ziyard open to 225,000 from the button and John Taramas took his customary five minutes before pushing all in for around 450,000. Hauke Heseding folded and Ziyard was priced in for the call.

Ziyard: {7-Hearts}{4-Spades}
Taramas: {K-Hearts}{6-Hearts}

The board helped neither player coming {2-Hearts}{2-Spades}{3-Diamonds}{J-Diamonds}{2-Diamonds} and the Greeks cheered in celebration

Player Chips Progress
Zimnan Ziyard gb
Zimnan Ziyard
EPT 1X Winner
4,200,000 -445,000
John Taramas gr
John Taramas
1,000,000 550,000

Tags: John TaramasZimnan Ziyard

Level: 29

Blinds: 40,000/80,000

Ante: 10,000

Break Time

Level 28 : 30,000/60,000, 5,000 ante

We are three handed and the vultures are waiting for John Taramas to have a chip death. In the meantime we have a twenty-minute break.

Ziyard Hits Back in a Big Way

Three handed action!
Three handed action!

Zimnan Ziyard raised to 160,000 from the small blind and John Taramas made the call after five minutes of thinking. The flop was the {K-Diamonds}{3-Diamonds}{3-Spades} and Ziyard continued with a 175,000 bet which Taramas called after another few minutes of contemplation to see the {9-Spades}.

Ziyard now quickly checked and instantly Taramas shoved all in. Ziyard began to blink, "You haven't got king-nine have you? I guess I have to call..."

Ziyard flipped {A-Diamonds}{K-Hearts}, ahead of Taramas' {10-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds} - the latter needed a nine or diamond to survive. A slight pause and the river was the {Q-Clubs}, a huge double up for the Brit and Taramas has been left crippled.

Player Chips Progress
Hauke Heseding
Hauke Heseding
5,050,000 -350,000
Zimnan Ziyard gb
Zimnan Ziyard
EPT 1X Winner
4,645,000 1,645,000
John Taramas gr
John Taramas
450,000 -1,790,000

Tags: John TaramasZimnan Ziyard

Taramas Doubles Up (Again!)

Level 28 : 30,000/60,000, 5,000 ante

Zimnan Ziyard raised to 125,000 on the button and John Taramas moved all-in from the small blind and Ziyard folded. Then a few hands later Hauke Heseden raised to 120,000 on the button, Ziyard cold called in the small blind before Taramas moved all-in.

Heseden rose to his feet, "how much do you have?" He asked.

"Only 800,000," said Taramas.

The dealer carried out the count and the total amount was actually 1,100,000. Heseden sat back down looked at Ziyard and then said, "I call." Ziyard then thought for a minute before folding and we had another showdown between Taramas and Heseden.

Taramas{K-Hearts} {8-Hearts}
Heseden{A-Clubs} {7-Clubs}

Flop: {8-Spades} {6-Spades} {3-Clubs}

Yet again the player from Greece finds hit outs on the flop.

Turn: {6-Clubs}

Any club or ace would now eliminate Taramas.

River: {K-Spades}

"Three...three...that's three times you have beaten me now!" Remonstrated Heseden.

Tags: Hauke HesedingZimnan ZiyardJohn Taramas