2008 PokerStars.com EPT Barcelona Open

EPT Barcelona Open Main Event
Day: 3
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Event Info
2008 PokerStars.com EPT Barcelona Open
Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
k♣9♣
Prize
€1,361,000
Event Info
Buy-in
€8,000
Prize Pool
€4,952,000
Total Entries
619
Level Info
Level
29
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
10,000
Players Left 1 / 619
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Squeaky-Tight

Over two hours into nine-handed play, we still have yet to lose a player. The table has tightened up significantly, with no one thus far willing to make a move or take a big risk. Even three-betting machine Jason Mercier has been rather subdued, managing his big stack well and choosing his spots wisely. Perhaps the tightest player at the table, though has been the short stack, Fintan Gavin, who has made several open-shoves, but received no action, his opponents giving him the respect that his snug play has earned.

Here's how the chip counts are stacking up at the moment. You'll notice that things have evened out quite a bit, with most of the field bunched together around the 700,000-800,000 range:

Jason Mercier 1,054,000
Dren Ukella 862,000
Mikael Lundell 839,000
Martin Nielsen 784,000
Davidi Kitai 709,000
Sebastian Ruthenberg 670,000
Daniele Mazzia 570,000
Samuel Chartier 472,000
Fintan Gavin 370,000

Level: 25

Blinds: 15,000/30,000

Ante: 3,000

Chip Counts at the Break

Dren Ukella 1,003,000
Jason Mercier 885,000
Daniele Mazzia 768,000
Davidi Kitai 766,000
Mikael Lundell 758,000
Sebastian Ruthenberg 721,000
Samuel Chartier 607,000
Martin Nielsen 452,000
Fintan Gavin 385,000

Davidi Kitai Doubles Through Jason Mercier

Davidi Kitai
Davidi Kitai
Davidi Kitai moved all in for roughly 355,000. Action folded around to Jason Mercier on the button and he announced "all in" as well. The blinds got out of the way and the players showed:

Mercier: {A-?} {K-?}
Kitai: {9-?} {9-?}

The flop was dramatic, falling {K-Hearts} {9-Clubs} {8-Hearts}. Mercier hit top pair but was drawing thin. The {2-Diamonds} on the turn meant the pot belonged to Kitai and the river {5-Diamonds} was a mere formality.

Kitai doubled up to 775,000 on the hand, leaving Mercier with 894,000 chips.

Kitai Awakes

After playing few hands in the last couple of levels, Davidi Kitai suddenly awoke from his slumber to push all in from the big blind. The commentator said, "Martin [Nielsen] wasn't trapping," as he made the fold from the small blind.

Tags: Davidi Kitai

Business is Business

Jason Mercier opened the pot for a raise to 72,000. Next to act, Samuel Chartier, made it 140,000 to play. Action folded around back to Mercier and he grimaced as he reluctantly threw his hand away. Chartier mucked without showing and stacked the pot.

Mercier and Chartier have recently become friends and, according to EPT announcers, are actually splitting a hotel room for the tournament here in Barcelona. In fact the two have routinely been seen high-fiving and celebrating during the breaks. With €1,361,000 on the line, however, we can only assume that neither man is cutting the other any breaks on the felt.

Hang Tough

Fintan Gavin moved all in for just over 250,000 and took the blinds down uncontested. "Thought you'd call with any two," the Irishman said to the big blind's Jason Mercier. Either way, Gavin survived, and gave us a glimpse of what appeared to be a black king.

Tags: Fintan Gavin

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