Welcome to the PokerNews coverage of Day 3 of the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event. Yesterday's field of 230 players saw the combination of runners from Day 1a and Day 1b combine to battle for WSOP glory. At the end of the night only 77 players remained in the hunt for the WSOPE Main Event title. With the top 48 making money, it is almost certain that the field will cash today. The man currently closest to achieving that goal is Sergii Baranov who is sitting on a massive stack of 607,000.
The combination of the two starting fields saw the elimination of many notable names. Among those who were eliminated from Day 2 play were Joe Hachem, Isaac Haxton, Mohsin Charania, Scotty Nguyen, Phil Ivey, Chance Kornuth, Antonio Esfandiari, October Niners Greg Merson, Russell Thomas, and Jacob Balsiger, and start-of-the-day chip leader Michael Mizrachi.
While those saw their WSOPE Main Event come to an end, many of the game's biggest names are still in the hunt. Phil Hellmuth worked up a stack of 364,900 which is good for the fourth biggest stack in the room. Joseph Cheong (328,400) and Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier (326,700) were also able to breach the top ten in chips. Also returning for Day 3 are Daniel Negreanu (290,000), Dan Smith (274,500), October Niner Jesse Sylvia (209,000), last year's champion Elio Fox (201,300), Liv Boeree (140,800), Eugene Katchalov (123,900), Steve Dannenmann (65,000), Jean-Robert Bellande (50,300), and many more.
2012 WSOP Europe End-of-Day-2 Top Ten Counts
Place
Player
Count
1
Sergii Baranov
607,000
2
Axel Pergolizzi
419,400
3
Vladimir Troyanovskiy
375,100
4
Phil Hellmuth
364,900
5
Maxime Conte
342,300
6
Lifeng Chen
340,500
7
Huichen Kuo
339,950
8
Max Silver
333,600
9
Joseph Cheong
328,400
10
Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier
326,700
Cards will be in the air at 12:00 PM CET so be sure to stay tuned to all of our coverage as we play down and through the money bubble.
The exact preflop action was unknown, but Timothy Adams opened, Sergii Baranov called, then Lifeng Chen reraised on the button. Adams and Baranov both called to see the flop come out . After Adams and Baranov checked, Chen fired 33,000. Adams folded, but Baranov had other things in mind and check-raised to 66,000 after a minute of thought. Chen called.
On the turn, the paired the board. Baranov slid forward a tall stack of gray T5,000 chips for a bet of 105,000. Chen smeared his hand across his face in disgust, then folded.
"Fives good?" said Baranov as he turned over the to rub the bluff into Chen. When Chen saw the fives, he shook his head and couldn't believe it.
"What's wrong, you have no balls?" Baranov continued as the table laughed.
A few seconds later, Baranov added, "You know what we do in Ukraine? We eat soup... with brains... brains of our enemies. Just ask Eugene [Katchalov], he's from Ukraine and he knows."
We caught the action on a flop when Christopher Brammer checked from the big blind to Timothy Adams. Adams was in middle position and bet 9,300. Sergii Baranov, the tournament chip leader, raised to 21,000 from the cutoff.
The action was back on Brammer who decided to three-bet to 50,000.
"Crazy hand," Daniel Negreanu said to us as we watched Adams contemplate his move. Negreanu said Adams had raised pre flop and both Baranov and Brammer called. Adams finally kicked it in leaving Baranov with a decision.
"How much you have?" Baranov asked.
"I started the hand with around 250,000," Brammer replied.
"All in!" the Ukrainian announced quickly.
"Only?" Brammer said with a look of disgust on his face.
"No. I said all in!" Baranov said, after which Brammer got the message and quickly folded.
"Why not?" Baranov smiled at Brammer who seemed annoyed.
"Because I had nine-high!" Brammer sighed.
Brammer thought that Baranov said "Only" in a mocking matter when the Brit announced what his stack was. When it was cleared up that Baranov indeed said "all in" Brammer cooled down. Baranov seems to be in full control of Table 9, as he's miles ahead of the rest.
Lifeng Chen just took a very big hit after having to fold to a Kyle Julius river raise. Julius was kind enough to give us a quick summary of the hand, and this is what happened.
Julius raised from the button to 6,500 and Chen called from the small blind. The flop brought out and Chen checked to Julius who bet 7,500. Chen raised to 15,000 and Julius called.
On the turn the hit and Chen put out a 27,000-chip bet. Julius called once more.
The river brought the and Chen fired out a hefty bet of 50,000. Julius went into the tank for quite some time, and eventually raised to 120,000. Chen double-checked his cards before kicking them into the muck.
Julius immediately turned over , and showed the table he wasn't afraid to risk a lot of chips on a bluff.
Action folded to Joseph Cheong in the small blind and he put in a raise. Dan Smith was in the big blind and pushed back with a three-bet to 24,000, only to have Cheong four-bet to 69,000. Smith thought for a few moments before five-betting 118,000, and then snap-called off for nearly 300,000 when Cheong six-bet all in.
Showdown
Smith:
Cheong:
It was a classic flip, and the flop made things even more interesting as it gave Cheong a flush draw to go with his overs. As if things couldn't get more exciting, the dealer burned and turned the . "Oh wow," both players said almost in unison. Cheong had made his flush but Smith picked up a set and could still win the pot if the board paired on the river.
Cheong barely had Smith covered, so essentially the next card would determine both of their fates. The dealer burned one last time and put down the . The board did not pair and it would be the last hand Smith would see in the 2012 WSOP Europe Main Event.
Paul Tedeschi and JC Alvarado each put in 62,000 preflop and saw a flop of . The former wasted little time in leading out for 62,000, Alvarado called, and the dealer burned and turned the . Tedeschi, who had 159,000 behind, moved all in and Alvarado snap-called.
Showdown
Tedeschi:
Alvarado:
Tedeschi slammed the table with his fist, apparently a popular celebration among Frenchman, when the river blanked. Alvarado counted out the chips to pay his opponent and was left with just 40,500 after the hand.
October Niner Jesse Sylvia moved all in for his last 45,500 and was called by 2010 November Niner Joseph Cheong. The crowd gathered around filled with media members and players eager to see if they made the money. The hands were revealed to find that Sylvia was in need of some help.
Sylvia:
Cheong:
The flop fell and Cheong retained his lead. It wouldn't be an exciting bubble hand without a sweat, however, and the on the turn did just that. Sylvia needed to catch a diamond or an ace to stay alive in the tournament. Unfortunately for Sylvia the came down on fifth street and he was forced to settle for the title of bubble boy.
On his way out, Sylvia was wished good luck in the WSOP Main Event Final Table by many players at his table. On the other hand, with this elimination, Cheong is now flirting with 800,000 in chips.
Action folded around French pro Paul Tedeschi on the button and he raised to 11,500. Daniel Negreanu then moved all in from the small blind for 81,000, the big folded, and Tedeschi made the call.
Showdown
Negreanu:
Tedeschi:
"The hand played itself," Negreanu explained as spectators surrounded the table. "Oh, it should have been a four," he went on to say when the flop fell . Wouldn't you know it, the appeared on the turn to deliver him an open-ended straight draw and a bunch of new outs. Unfortunately for Negreanu, the river was not what he needed. With that, Negreanu took his leave in 43rd place.
In the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event, a young man from New York by the name of Elio Fox outlasted a field of 593 players to win €1,400,000 and his first bracelet. Fox returned to Cannes this year looking to defend his title, and while he made a good run at it, that bid was just cut short.
In what would be his last hand, action folded around to Jason Mercier on the button and he raised to 10,000. Fox then moved all in for approximately 80,000 from the big blind and Mercier made the call.
Showdown
Mercier:
Fox:
Both players held an ace, but Mercier had the better kicker. That's what ended up making the difference as the board ran out and Fox followed up last year's win with a 39th-place finish for €21,250.
Vladimir Troyanovskiy opened for 17,000 from the hijack and received a call from Christopher Brammer in the cutoff. Joseph Cheong then three-bet to 64,000 from the small blind, Troyanovskiy four-bet to 128,000, Brammer folded, and Cheong five-bet all in. Troyanovskiy called off his remaining 120,000 and was in a dominating spot.
Showdown
Troyanovskiy:
Cheong:
Troyanovskiy seemed happy with the spot, but not after the flop gave Cheong a flush draw. Troyanovskiy stood from his chair and watched the dealer burn and turn the , a safe card. Troyanovskiy managed to avoid a diamond on the river as well, but unfortunately for him the spiked, giving Cheong trips and the win. Troyanovskiy was clearly disappointed and silently made his way to the payout desk in 27th place for €22,982.
. After Adams and Baranov checked, Chen fired 33,000. Adams folded, but Baranov had other things in mind and check-raised to 66,000 after a minute of thought. Chen called.
paired the board. Baranov slid forward a tall stack of gray T5,000 chips for a bet of 105,000. Chen smeared his hand across his face in disgust, then folded.
to rub the bluff into Chen. When Chen saw the fives, he shook his head and couldn't believe it.
flop when Christopher Brammer checked from the big blind to Timothy Adams. Adams was in middle position and bet 9,300. Sergii Baranov, the tournament chip leader, raised to 21,000 from the cutoff.
and Chen checked to Julius who bet 7,500. Chen raised to 15,000 and Julius called.
hit and Chen put out a 27,000-chip bet. Julius called once more.
and Chen fired out a hefty bet of 50,000. Julius went into the tank for quite some time, and eventually raised to 120,000. Chen double-checked his cards before kicking them into the muck.
, and showed the table he wasn't afraid to risk a lot of chips on a bluff.
flop made things even more interesting as it gave Cheong a flush draw to go with his overs. As if things couldn't get more exciting, the dealer burned and turned the 
. "Oh wow," both players said almost in unison. Cheong had made his flush but Smith picked up a set and could still win the pot if the board paired on the river.
. The board did not pair and it would be the last hand Smith would see in the 2012 WSOP Europe Main Event.
and Cheong retained his lead. It wouldn't be an exciting bubble hand without a sweat, however, and the 
on the turn did just that. Sylvia needed to catch a diamond or an ace to stay alive in the tournament. Unfortunately for Sylvia the 
. Wouldn't you know it, the 
appeared on the turn to deliver him an open-ended straight draw and a bunch of new outs. Unfortunately for Negreanu, the 
and Fox followed up last year's win with a 39th-place finish for €21,250.
spiked, giving Cheong trips and the win. Troyanovskiy was clearly disappointed and silently made his way to the payout desk in 27th place for €22,982.
