And with that, we have our final table for the WPT here in Cyprus and although Erik Cajelais started today as the chip leader, he never really got going enough to increase his stack and ended up becoming our final table bubble when he lost a flip against Marvin Rettenmaier. However, it's Israeli Ran Azor who, managed to win the Merit Middle East Poker Championship 2011 in this very hotel last year, will be going into the final table as the chip leader, having had a yo-yo session
The German led a charmed life today, winning crucial pots with against the of Ran Azor for his tournament life. Later on he also managed to knock out Wahlid Bou Habib with against for a million plus chip pot. All in all, it still leaves Rettenmaier handily placed to become the first ever back to back WPT champion which would be a stunning achievement.
Joseph El Khoury is the short stack, while Victor Paraschiv, Kiryl Radzivonau and Artur Voskanyan all held the chip lead at some point during today, so we're expecting a real battle tomorrow.
The final table will start at 1pm and there will be a live stream featuring commentary from the legendary Jesse May. We'll see you then!
Walid Bou Habib has become our eighth place finisher in rather cruel circumstances too.
A preflop raising war resulted in Bou Habib being all-in with against Marvin Rettenmaier's . Bou Habib stood from his chair as soon as the flop was dealt and when you see it, it is easy to see why. The flop was almost perfect for Rettenmaier and when the turn and river were the and respectively, it was game over for Bou Habib.
Gilboa Yossi's tournament has just come to an abrupt end when he moved all-in straight into an overpair held by Romania's Victor Paraschiv.
Yossi was all-in and at risk of elimination with and Paraschiv held . By the river the board read . Paraschiv was delighted to win the pot and with Yossi's elimination were are just two bust outs from our official final table.
Victor Paraschiv raised to 48,000 preflop before Kemal Sevevi made it 148,000 two seats round. Next to him Kiryl Radzivonau then moved all in, everyone else folded except Sevevi who calld off his stack.
Just moments after writing about Sam El Sayed doubling up, he has been eliminated.
His chips went into the middle with El Sayed holding and Kiryl Radzivonau holding . It was a dream flop for Radzinovau, but a nightmare one for El Sayed, as it came down . This was followed by the turn and the river and we are down to 10 in the Main Event.
Hüsnü Sincar moved all in from UTG for just over 200,000 and it was folded around to Walid Bou Habib in the small blind who flat-called but Erik Cajelais folded in the big blind.
Sincar:
Habib:
The board came and Sincar, who had been chip leader at various parts of Days 1 and 2, goes out in 13th position
Aram Vartevaniyn opened to 25,000 preflop before [Removed:2] made it 55,000 in the seat next to him, Vartevaniyn quickly pushed, Maksoud instantly called - it was all very simple.
Vartevaniyn:
Maksoud:
Another ace-king versus aces battle and after the board came we were down to 13 players.
Marvin Rettenmaier has just sent Robert Mizrachi to the rail and that means Mizrachi will not be following in Matt Waxman's footsteps and becoming an American winner of a European-based World Poker Tour event.
The chips went into the middle with Mizrachi holding to Rettenmaier's and when the five community cards were fanned onto the felt they read and Rettenmaier had made a flush.
Mizrachi is gone and we are down to 14 in the Main Event.
Andrey Shatilov has been eliminated in the space of two hands; btoh against [Removed:2].
The first saw Shatilov open to 20,000 UTG+1 and after Robert Mizrachi folded [Removed:2] three-bet to 45,000. The action passed back to Shatilov and he four-bet to 83,000 and 90-seconds later Maksoud five-bet to 125,000. This was enough to get the job done because Shatilov folded and was shown for his troubled.
The very next hand Shatilov opened to 20,000 once again and Maksoud three-bet to 45,000. Shatilov made it 87,000 to play and Maksoud four-bet to 87,000. With the action back on Shatilov he made it 139,000 (we're not making this up, honest), Maksoud shoved and Shatilov snap-called.
Shatilov:
Maksoud:
By the river the board read and although the ace alone would have been enough to win the hand for Maksoud, it also completed a spade flush and with that Shatilov was eliminated.
Victor Paraschiv opened to 21,000 from UTG before Walid Bou Habib made it 46,000 in middle position. Tolga Demirel cold-called from the big blind and Paraschiv tanked before electing to let his hand go.
The flop was and Demirel check-called a bet of 38,000 from Habib to see the on the turn. Demirel thought for two minutes before leading out for 96,000 and Habib instantly moved all in. Demirel thought again for about 30 seconds before making the call.
Demirel:
Habib:
Habib's cheeky three-bet had paid big divdends, especially when the came on the river and Demirel was eliminated. Habib is a big chip leader now.
![[user76023]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
against the 
of Ran Azor for his tournament life. Later on he also managed to knock out Wahlid Bou Habib with 
against 
for a million plus chip pot. All in all, it still leaves Rettenmaier handily placed to become the first ever back to back WPT champion which would be a stunning achievement.
against Marvin Rettenmaier's 
. Bou Habib stood from his chair as soon as the flop was dealt and when you see it, it is easy to see why. The 
and 
respectively, it was game over for Bou Habib.
. By the river the board read 
. Paraschiv was delighted to win the pot and with Yossi's elimination were are just two bust outs from our official final table.
and Sevevi went out in 10th place.
. It was a dream flop for Radzinovau, but a nightmare one for El Sayed, as it came down 
. This was followed by the 
turn and the 
and Sincar, who had been chip leader at various parts of Days 1 and 2, goes out in 13th position
we were down to 13 players.
and when the five community cards were fanned onto the felt they read 
and Demirel check-called a bet of 38,000 from Habib to see the 
