£10,000 WSOPE Main Event | 2009 World Series of Poker Europe

10-01-2009 18:27 UTC+2

Ristola's Turn

[user46392]

Jason Mercier raised, and Markus Ristola shoved, just like that. Mercier folded with a sigh, and we have yet to witness any kind of bustage. Even a double-up would do right now to be honest.

Tags: Jason Mercier Markus Ristola

10-01-2009 18:27 UTC+2

A strange hand just played out, interesting despite the total lack of showdown or board... Chris Bjorin started it off by limping in the cutoff, which prompted small blind Praz Bansi to limp along. Then big blind Markus Ristola raised a further 160k. He probably wasn't looking for a reraise all-in from Bjorin, though, as he passed almost as quickly as Bansi when the option returned to him.

Tags: Chris Bjorin Markus Ristola Praz Bansi

10-01-2009 18:32 UTC+2

Shul's the Man

[user46392]

Barry Shulman's stack continues to climb -- he's just broken the 2 million mark.

He raised to 80,000 in mid position and called a cutoff reraise from Praz Bansi. It had all the makings of a very exciting hand -- but then both players proceeded to check down the {7-Hearts}

board. Shulman turned over {A-?}

, and it was enough to make Praz muck.

Tags: Barry Shulman Praz Bansi

10-01-2009 18:38 UTC+2

James Akenhead Eliminated in 9th Place (£66,533)

[user46298]

After so long with the all in moves both relatively frequent and uncalled, a big pot just started brewing with a Chris Bjorin preflop raise to 85k, got hotter with James Akenhead's moving all in for under 500k, and came to the boil as Daniel Negreanu reshoved over the top. Bjorin got out of the way (showing his mucked {A-?}

) and the two of them were on their backs:

Akenhead: {A-Spades}

Negreanu:

Akenhead could only watch as the board ran out an aceless {J-Diamonds}

sending him first to the rail out of the final table, having not really had a chance to show his stuff to his full ability today. He may be a little disappointed, but as one of the November Nine he gets to experience all the drama of a WSOP Main Final again in Vegas next month.

Tags: Daniel Negreanu James Akenhead

10-01-2009 18:39 UTC+2

Chip Counts at the Break

[user38449]

Seat 1: Barry Shulman - 2,037,000
Seat 2: Jason Mercier - 3,245,000
Seat 3: Praz Bansi - 654,000
Seat 4: Markus Ristola - 600,000
Seat 5: Chris Bjorin - 818,000
Seat 6: Empty
Seat 7: Daneil Negreanu - 1,578,000
Seat 8: Antoine Saout - 617,000
Seat 9: Matt Hawrilenko - 487,000

10-01-2009 18:39 UTC+2

20 Minute Break

[user46392]

Things have got so serious up here on final table that they're getting rid of the 1,000-denomination chips. Back soon, eight-handed.

Level: 25

Blinds: 20,000/40,000

Ante: 5,000

10-01-2009 19:06 UTC+2

Ristola-st Man Standing

[user46298]

A raise from Markus Ristola to 100k brought calls from both Chris Bjorin and Daniel Negreanu (both in position on him).

Their threeway flop: {A-Hearts}

Ristola bet 175k, and after a pause Bjorin passed and Negreanu did the same.

Meanwhile Ristola calmly chip threaded his way through the dwell period and picked up the nice 250k.

Tags: Daniel Negreanu Markus Ristola

10-01-2009 19:13 UTC+2

Ristola Gets Mysteriously Jiggy

[user46392]

Next hand, Markus Ristola raised again, and Daniel Negreanu called again. Then Barry Shulman called from the big blind too, shattering the illusion that time had merely got stuck on a loop, and we saw a flop.

All three players checked the {9-Hearts}

flop, and TD Jack Effel's microphone suddenly got very loud. "That was loud," he said into it, and he reverberated around the casino at high volume.

As Mr. Effel continued to deafen everyone saying, "Testing," repeatedly into his super-mega-high-volume mic, the players saw a {2-Diamonds}

turn and Ristola announced all in. Both players folded and Ristola took the pot, putting him up to 1,455,000.

Tags: Markus Ristola

10-01-2009 19:15 UTC+2

Shorter Stacks Take Turns Plunge-Taking

[user46298]

It seems the blinds have now reached a level where the shorter stacks (500-700k) are no longer comfortable. Action was predicted to come thick and fast in this 20k/40k level, and so far it really has. Just now it was Matt Hawrilenko's turn to move in twice (no caller). Expect the lower four stacks (him, Bjorin, Bansi and Saout) to be putting the bigger stacks to the double-me-or-bust-me test.

Tags: Matt Hawrilenko