Pierre Neuville has been drawn to the left of Fabrizio Baldassari, who came second to James Bord at the last WSOPE to be held in London. The Italian just got the better of the Team PokerStars too, albeit in a small pot. The action was four way to a flop and Baldassari bet 450 when the action was checked to him on the button. Neuville was the only check-caller from the small blind. The turn was the and the Belgian gave up as he check-folded to a 850 bet.
James Mitchell is the house but down on chips. He had a stab on the flop in a three-way pot and was only called by the big blind. Both players checked the turn before Mitchell snap folded to an 1,150 bet on the river.
Mitchell's good friend James Dempsey is here too and we think he might've been skiing in the week break that was between EPT Madrid and here. His face is supporting a very orange glow (pictures to come). He's not the only player to have hit the slopes recently. There are a number of "Panda" faces in the crowd crowd today.
From under the gun the Team PokerStars Pro Alex Kravchenko makes it 275 to play but just as it looks like he is going to pick up the blinds the big blind leaps into life and three-bets to 925. Kravchenko wastes little time in taking back his original bet and replacing it with a single red 1,000 chip.
The dealer puts out the flop, a flop that the big blinds leads out for 800 and Kravchenko instantly calls. After burning a card the dealer places the out on the turn but our friend in the big blind does not seem too interested in its arrival because he taps the table and checks.
Sensing weakness, or perhaps because he has smashed the flop, Kravchenko sets the price to play at 1,500 and after 30 seconds or so deliberation his opponent folds and Kravchenko wins the pot.
Team PokerStars Pro PIerre Neuville fired out 800 on the turn of a board only to be check-raised to 2,600 by the small blind. Neuville thought for a moment before making the call and the board double paired on the river.
The small blind now led out for 6,600 and this caused Neuville a bit of concern - to the point where he actually took his sunglasses off (very serious move) and debated making a call for several minutes. Finally the Belgian folded and his opponent's hand went into the muck, remaining a mystery.
American pro McLean Karr sees the action fold to him and he opens the betting. Per Linde folds his small blind but the big blind tosses in the extra chips and it is heads-up to the flop. The big blind taps the table and checks and Karr opts to check behind.
The turn is the and the big blind checks for a second time but Karr has had enough of the passivity and he fires a bet of 325, a bet that his opponent calls. The fifth and final community card is the and the big blind taps the table for a third time. Karr reaches for chips and bet 925 and as soon as he has done his opponent leans back in his seat and lets out an audible sigh. After a brief pause he nonchalantly tosses in a red 1,000 chip and makes the call.
Karr turns over but it is second best as his opponent holds .
Joining the action on a board reading the big blind had lead for 700 into a pot containing 1,900 chips. Casey Kastle raises to 2,175 in the cutoff seat, whcih sends his sole opponents deep into the tank. After approximately two minutes he makes comes out of the tank and makes the call.
Kastle triumphantly flips over which is enough to win the pot as his opponent mucks his hand.
Riccardo D'Errico was all in for his last 12,500 with 21,400 already in the pot and the board reading . Raffaele Castro was his opponent, tanking for several minutes with the clock on him before he finally opted to muck face up.
D'Errico flashed the and scooped the pot to boost his own stack to about 35,000.
Per Linde defended in the big blind against a button raise from Sebastian Veghinas, the Swede check-calling a 600 bet on a flop of before both players checked the turn. Linde then led out for 1,000 on the river but quickly folded when Veghinas raised to 3,500.
Ladies and gentlemen we have lost our first player, Holland's Erik van den Berg.
Rocco Palumbo had opened to 450 from the cutoff and former EPT Prague champion Roberto Romanello flat-called from the button. The small blind then folded only for van den Berg to pump up the action and make it 1,450 to play. This was too much for Palumbo to call and he flicked his cards back to the dealer but Romanello liked the look of his hand and he put in a four-bet to 3,875. Van den Berg wasted no time at all in moving all in for around 12,000 and Romanello snap-called.
Romanello:
Van den Berg:
The flop came down gifting Romanello a set but van den berg was not out of it yet. The turn saw the Dutchman pick up a gutshot straight draw but it failed to materialise as the river was the and Romanello's full house crushed the Dutchman's mediocre hand.
You get some players where you have to guess what they might have in hand as their pre flop calling range is a 100% of their hand range. Mario Adinolfi is one of those players.
There was an early position raise to 350 and a three-bet to 850 from Fabrice Gouget in mid position. Adinolfi called from the small blind and this prompted three players at the table to chuckle. Adinolfi shrugged before he and both opponent's checked the flop.
The turn came and Adinolfi already had 800 chips ready to bet. The original raiser was the only caller, and he also called a 1,600 bet on the river. "Jack," said Adinolfi without revealing his hand and quickly mucked when his opponent tabled .
flop and Baldassari bet 450 when the action was checked to him on the button. Neuville was the only check-caller from the small blind. The turn was the 
and the Belgian gave up as he check-folded to a 850 bet.
flop in a three-way pot and was only called by the big blind. Both players checked the 
turn before Mitchell snap folded to an 1,150 bet on the 
flop, a flop that the big blinds leads out for 800 and Kravchenko instantly calls. After burning a card the dealer places the 
out on the turn but our friend in the big blind does not seem too interested in its arrival because he taps the table and checks.
board only to be check-raised to 2,600 by the small blind. Neuville thought for a moment before making the call and the board double paired on the 
river.
flop. The big blind taps the table and checks and Karr opts to check behind.
and the big blind taps the table for a third time. Karr reaches for chips and bet 925 and as soon as he has done his opponent leans back in his seat and lets out an audible sigh. After a brief pause he nonchalantly tosses in a red 1,000 chip and makes the call.
but it is second best as his opponent holds 
.
the big blind had lead for 700 into a pot containing 1,900 chips. Casey Kastle raises to 2,175 in the cutoff seat, whcih sends his sole opponents deep into the tank. After approximately two minutes he makes comes out of the tank and makes the call.
which is enough to win the pot as his opponent mucks his hand.
face up.
before both players checked the 
turn. Linde then led out for 1,000 on the
and Romanello's full house crushed the Dutchman's mediocre hand.
river. "Jack," said Adinolfi without revealing his hand and quickly mucked when his opponent tabled 
