€5,250 Championship Main Event Day 3 | 2008 PokerStars.com EPT - Prague

12-12-2008 20:01 UTC+2

Cirianni Doubles

[user76023]

The hands on the TV table are slow, but Francesco Cirianni has managed to double up. Having created a reraised pot preflop of 185,000 against Fredrik Nygard, they see a {J-Diamonds}

flop where Cirianni checks, Nygard bets 75,000, and Cirianni immediately moves in. Nygard calls after about a minute with {K-Diamonds}

only to see the Italian with the bullets {A-Hearts}

, which hold on a {4-Hearts}

turn and a {10-Diamonds}

river.

Cirianni is up to about 885,000.

12-12-2008 19:51 UTC+2

With the exception of the Sebastian Ruthenberg double-through, there has been little sign of a big pot. Play often seems to slow down when players are whittled down to nine, and this week appears to be no different. On the other hand, it only takes one aces-versus-kings hand to see us finish for the night.

12-12-2008 19:32 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

[user4144]

Following the early double-up, the updated chip counts for those two players are:

Alexiou Konstantinos -- 1,113,000
Sebastian Ruthenberg -- 381,000

12-12-2008 19:30 UTC+2

[Removed:198] Stays Alive

[user4144]

[Removed:197] must be a Bee Gees fan, as he's "stayin' alive" and doing whatever he can to make that final eight. On his last hand, he picked the perfect opportunity to push over the top of a raise, Raul Mestre making it 30,000, only for [Removed:198] to slide his entire stack of 177,000 across the line. Without too much delay, Mestre made the fold.

12-12-2008 19:29 UTC+2

Ruthenberg Kosts Alexiou

[user76023]

On the turn of a {Q-Diamonds}

Sebastian Ruthenberg check-raises all in against Alexiou Konstantinos, moving in for 158,000 on top of the Greek's 30,000 bet. With more chips than Harry Ramsden, Konstantinos makes the call with {K-Diamonds}

for a double-gutshot and Ruthenberg has {Q-Hearts}

for two pair. The river is the {A-Clubs}

and Ruthenberg clenches his fist as he doubles up.

Tags: Alexiou Kostantinos Sebastian Ruthenberg

12-12-2008 19:24 UTC+2

Current Chip Counts

[user4144]

Salvatore Bonavena -- 1,426,000
Alexiou Konstantinos -- 1,300,000
Fredrik Nygard -- 1,248,000
Francesco Cirianni -- 449,000
Raul Mestre -- 350,000
Andrew Alan Chen -- 267,000
Massimo Di Cicco -- 240,000
Sebastian Ruthenberg -- 187,000
[Removed:197] -- 179000

12-12-2008 19:07 UTC+2

And Then There Were Nine

[user4144]

There is currently a short break whilst players are collated onto just the one table. With nine remaining, we require just one exit before we can hit the bar, or if PokerNews management is reading, keep our computers on and carry on working.

12-12-2008 19:02 UTC+2

Rueing Ruthenberg's River; Jonathan Duhamel Eliminated in 10th Place (€42,800)

[user76023]

Sebastian Ruthenberg got his short stack in against Jonathan Duhamel with his {J-Spades}

in good shape against {7-Hearts}

, but the flop came out {K-Spades}

and Ruthenberg was in serious trouble. But additional outs came on the {8-Spades}

turn, giving him a little hope, which got there on the {Q-Spades}

river.

Duhamel was now crippled and put his remaing chips in with {A-Clubs}

against Nasr's {J-Clubs}

which spiked on a {9-Spades}

to leave us with nine players moving to one table.

12-12-2008 19:00 UTC+2

Drescher Disaster; Daniel Drescher Eliminated in 11th Place ($42,800)

[user76023]

Daniel Drescher just bubbles the final table going out in 11th place when his {A-?}

runs into Alexiou Kostantinos' {Q-?}

.

12-12-2008 18:56 UTC+2

Igor Gets The Hump; Igor Rejdovjan Eliminated in 12th Place (€30,400)

[user76023]

Igor Rejdovjan has been knocked out by Francesco Cirianni, the Slovakian raised to 42,000 and Cirianni reraises all in. A quick call.

Rejdovjan: {Q-Diamonds}

Cirianni:

Board:

Another one bites the dust.