€25,000 NL Hold'em I | 2024 PokerStars EPT Paris

02-17-2024 00:43 UTC+2

Malinov Senses a Four is Coming

David Salituro

Level 15 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Atanas Malinov moved all in for 90,000 from the cutoff and Mike Watson called from the big blind.

Atanas Malinov: A♥Q♣
Mike Watson: A♠4♦

Malinov was in a dominating position to double up and stood up from his seat to await the flop, which came J♦3♣7♦. The turn, though, was the 4♠ and Malinov flung his arm in the air in frustration as Watson pulled into the lead.

The river was the 9♠ and Watson sent Malinov to the rail.

"He knew it," Niklas Astedt said following the hand.

"I'm never standing there," Alex Kulev added.

"Maybe with the ace-four, I'm like, I'm never getting there. But never with the best hand," Astedt said.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mike Watson	450,000 120,000	120,000

Atanas Malinov	Busted

Tags: Atanas Malinov Mike Watson

02-17-2024 00:33 UTC+2

Lonis Picks Off Grafton With a Bigger Pair

David Salituro

Level 15 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

PokerStars photographers quickly picked up their cameras and surrounded the table as Sam Grafton announced he was all in from the hijack. Jesse Lonis called in the cutoff.

Sam Grafton: 5♥5♠
Jesse Lonis: J♣J♠

Grafton was dominated by Lonis' jacks as the board ran out K♦7♦9♦8♣10♠ to secure the pot for Lonis. The stacks were counted down and Lonis had 180,000 remaining. He barely had Grafton covered, sending the PokerStars Team Pro to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jesse Lonis	360,000 138,000	138,000

Sam Grafton	Busted

Tags: Jesse Lonis Sam Grafton

02-17-2024 00:23 UTC+2

Thorel Outdraws O'Dwyer on the Turn

David Salituro

Level 15 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

On the first hand back from break, Steve O'Dwyer moved all in for 48,000 in the hijack and Jean-Noel Thorel called in the cutoff. Sam Grafton used a time bank before he also called in the big blind.

Thorel and Grafton checked the 8♦5♥2♠ flop and Thorel bet 75,000 on the 10♦ turn, forcing Grafton from the pot. Thorel opened up A♣10♠ for a pair of tens, while O'Dwyer had A♥2♥.

The river was the 3♥ and O'Dwyer was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jean-Noel Thorel	650,000 72,000	72,000
Sam Grafton	180,000 -63,000	-63,000

Steve O'Dwyer	Busted

Tags: Jean-Noel Thorel Sam Grafton Steve O'Dwyer

02-16-2024 23:58 UTC+2

Ponakovs Leaves Boivin With Crumbs; Mateos Finishes the Job

David Salituro

Level 14 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Thomas Boivin raised to 20,000 in early position before Aleksejs Ponakovs three-bet to 49,000 in the hijack. Boivin moved all in and Ponakovs snap-called.

Aleksejs Ponakovs: K♦K♥
Thomas Boivin: 9♦9♣

Ponakovs had woken up with kings and no miracles arrived for Boivin on the 6♣10♥4♥Q♦7♦ board. The stacks were counted down and Ponakovs had 331,000 remaining. Boivin had him covered by just 20,000 and handed over most of his stack.

Boivin moved all in the next hand, Adrian Mateos reraised to 37,000, and the rest of the table folded.

Thomas Boivin: 2♥2♠
Adrian Mateos: J♠J♦

Boivin had run into yet another bigger pair as the board ran out 3♠3♦10♦Q♥8♣ to send him to the exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aleksejs Ponakovs	670,000 425,000	425,000
Adrian Mateos	660,000 -40,000	-40,000

Thomas Boivin	Busted

Tags: Adrian Mateos Aleksejs Ponakovs Thomas Boivin

02-16-2024 23:49 UTC+2

Kaverman Gets It In

Frank Visser

Level 14 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Byron Kaverman raised to 42,000 from the hijack, leaving himself only 5,000 behind, and Thomas Boivin made the call from the button.

The 8♦9♦3♦ flop was then checked by both players before Boivin put Kaverman all in on the 2♠ turn, with the latter check-calling.

Byron Kaverman: Q♣J♦
Thomas Boivin: A♦7♠

Kaverman still had a few outs he could hit, but the 5♠ river was not one of them and he swiftly vacated the tournament area.

Player	Chips	Progress
Thomas Boivin	359,000 267,000	267,000
Byron Kaverman	Busted

02-16-2024 23:28 UTC+2

Kulev Wins a Classic Flip; Kisacikoglu Busts Kuznetsov

David Salituro

Level 13 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Alex Kulev raised to 16,000 on the button before Byron Kaverman three-bet to 105,000 in the small blind. Stephen Chidwick then moved all in and Kulev called for 103,000. Kaverman burned through several time banks as he tanked for more than a minute before folding.

Alex Kulev: Q♦Q♥
Stephen Chidwick: A♣K♦

The flop came Q♣9♠2♠ and Kulev made top set to take a big lead in the hand. The 2♥ turn improved him to a full house, and he secured the double up once the 5♥ fell on the river. Kaverman then admitted he saw one of Kulev's queens before the action. "The way you put it in, I assumed you had queens," Kaverman told him.

At the same time at another table, Nikita Kuznetsov was all in for his last 95,000 from the button and up against Orpen Kisacikoglu in the hijack.

Nikita Kuznetsov: K♦10♦
Orpen Kisacikoglu: K♥Q♦

Kisacikoglu had Kuznetsov dominated as the board ran out 8♥7♣5♣3♦4♦, sending Kuznetsov to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stephen Chidwick	330,000 -140,000	-140,000

Alex Kulev	320,000 195,000	195,000
Orpen Kisacikoglu	300,000 107,000	107,000
Byron Kaverman	80,000 -200,000	-200,000
Nikita Kuznetsov	Busted

Tags: Alex Kulev Byron Kaverman Nikita Kuznetsov Orpen Kisacikoglu Stephen Chidwick

02-16-2024 22:58 UTC+2

Chidwick Snaps Off Jozoff

David Salituro

Level 12 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Michael Jozoff moved all in for 60,000 from the button and Byron Kaverman gave up the small blind. Stephen Chidwick, though, instantly flipped over his cards and called.

Michael Jozoff: 10♦9♦
Stephen Chidwick: J♠J♦

"I think it's a fold, actually. He didn't say it," Jozoff joked as he watched the 5♠K♠K♣4♠10♠ seal his elimination.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stephen Chidwick	470,000 -10,000	-10,000

Michael Jozoff	Busted

Tags: Michael Jozoff Stephen Chidwick

02-16-2024 22:55 UTC+2

Watson Wins Big Flip

Frank Visser

Level 12 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Mike Watson raised to 13,000 from under the gun before Juan Pardo made it 37,000 to go from the hijack. The action folded back to Watson, who decided to put his opponent all in for 185,000 chips.

Pardo instantly called and both players tabled their cards.

Juan Pardo: A♣K♥
Mike Watson: 10♥10♣

Watson flopped a set on K♣10♠4♣, and the 5♥ turn eliminated all runner-runner possibilities for Pardo. The 3♥ river was dealt as a formality while Pardo said his goodbyes and headed to the exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mike Watson	530,000 290,000	290,000

Juan Pardo	Busted

Tags: Juan Pardo Mike Watson

02-16-2024 22:48 UTC+2

Thorel Spikes the River to Bust Bogdanov

David Salituro

Level 12 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Jean-Noel Thorel raised to 16,000 under the gun and Juan Pardo called on the button. Yulian Bogdanov then moved all in for 91,000 in the big blind, Thorel called, and Pardo folded.

Yulian Bogdanov: A♠Q♠
Jean-Noel Thorel: 9♣9♠

Bogdanov took the lead on the A♣5♣3♣ flop and the 8♦ turn left him one card away from a double up. The river, though, was the 6♣ and Thorel made a flush to win the pot and send Bogdanov to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jean-Noel Thorel	680,000 230,000	230,000
Juan Pardo	160,000 -30,000	-30,000
Yulian Bogdanov	Busted

Tags: Jean-Noel Thorel Juan Pardo Yulian Bogdanov

02-16-2024 22:44 UTC+2

Chidwick Holds On to Bust Troyanovskiy

David Salituro

Level 12 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Ben Heath limped in from early position, Vladimir Troyanovskiy limped the button, and Byron Kaverman came along from the small blind. Stephen Chidwick, though, moved all in from the big blind. Heath folded, Troyanovskiy called for his last 90,000, and Kaverman got out of the way.

Vladimir Troyanovskiy: K♥Q♣
Stephen Chidwick: A♦8♦

Chidwick hit top pair on the A♣K♠J♣, while Troyanovskiy made a pair and a straight draw. The J♦ turn was no help to Troyanovskiy, while Chidwick improved to a full house on the J♥ river to send Troyanovskiy to the rail.

Meanwhile, Santhosh Suvarna was also seen leaving the tournament area.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stephen Chidwick	290,000 120,000	120,000

Byron Kaverman	135,000 25,000	25,000
Ben Heath	80,000 -20,000	-20,000
Vladimir Troyanovskiy	Busted
Santhosh Suvarna	Busted

Tags: Ben Heath Byron Kaverman Stephen Chidwick Vladimir Troyanovskiy Santhosh Suvarna