PokerStars EPT Warsaw Main Event | 2008 PokerStars.net EPT Polish Open

03-15-2008 22:45 UTC+2

Game On

[user38449]

The players have returned from break and the cards are back in the air!

Level: 25

Blinds: 20,000/40,000

Ante: 4,000

03-15-2008 22:32 UTC+2

The tournament clock has been paused while the three remaining players take a 15-minute break. Here are their chip counts at the break:

Mathias Viberg: 1,072,000
Ricardo Sousa: 458,000
Michael Schulze: 1,952,000

03-15-2008 22:27 UTC+2

Mathias Viberg Doubles Up

[user50492]

The last hand before the break, Mathias makes it 80,000 UTG and Ricardo pushes all in from the small blind after everyone else folds. Ricardo is dominated as Mathias holds A-K to Ricardo's A-9. The board comes 6-5-10-J-6 and the Swede doubles up.

Tags: Mathias Viberg Ricardo Sousa

03-15-2008 22:25 UTC+2

Shove, Call, No Help; Ouakhir Eliminated in 4th

[user50492]

Mehdi Ouakhir shoved all in from the small blind for nearly 300,000 a couple of hands after losing the pot to Ricardo. Michael Schulze called straightaway and the look on Mehdi's face said it all. He had been well and truly caught as he had {Q-Diamonds}

and Michael had {10-Clubs}

. The board was dealt out {8-Clubs}

and Mehdi Ouakhir was eliminated in fourth place earning $236,586.

Tags: Mehdi Ouakhir Michael Schulze

03-15-2008 22:20 UTC+2

Sousa Doubles Through Ouakhir

[user38449]

Mehdi Ouakhir made it 100,000 to go from the button, prompting Michael Schulze to fold his small blind. The action then fell to Ricardo "Rico Suave" Sousa who moved all in from the big blind -- a total bet worth 521,000. Mehdi asked for a count and then went into the tank for a moment before saying, "OK . . . I make a sick call," as he slid the required chips into the middle.

Neither player was overly happy about their hand as tournament emcee Lee Jones had to prompt them to flip their cards over:

Mehdi: {Q-Hearts}

Sousa:

The board filled out {K-Diamonds}

in favor of the self-proclaimed "luckiest guy on the EPT," who stood up out of his chair after the river and had all kinds of things to say: "I never lose, man! That was a bad call...you know you're gonna lose!"

Ricardo surged past the one million mark in chips, while Mehdi dropped to approximately 250,000.

03-15-2008 22:15 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

[user50492]

The latest counts nearing the end of level 24 are:

Ricardo Sousa 405,000
Mathias Viberg 522,000
Medhi Ouakhir 750,000
Michael Schulze 1,740,000

03-15-2008 22:13 UTC+2

Ricardo Getting Bullied

[user50492]

Ricardo may be eating his early words of confidence. In the last five hands he has been pushed off three pots after raising pre-flop.

The first time, he made it 80,000 and Mehdi called from the big blind. The flop came down {9-Clubs}

and Mehdi bet 100,000. Ricardo folded.

The very next hand, Ricardo made it 85,000 and Matthias moved all in for 435,000, forcing Ricardp to fold again.

In contrast, Michael Schulze was allowed to raise twice in a row the next two hands and get through uncontested.

After that, Ricardo made it 85,000 again and found Mehdi pushing all in from the big blind, and again Ricardo did not have a hand to call. Ricardo is now back down to 405,000 and the short stack again.

Tags: Mathias Viberg Mehdi Ouakhir Michael Schulze Ricardo Sousa

03-15-2008 21:58 UTC+2

Rico Suave

[user38449]

Facing a 100,000 bet from Mehdi Ouakhir and a call from Michael Schulze, Ricardo Sousa coolly moved all in over the top, making it a total of 423,000 to go. Sousa's squeeze play worked without a hitch, forcing both of his opponents out of the hand and Sousa added an easy 200,000 in chips to his growing stack.

One hand later, Ricardo got involved again, raising 90,000 pre-flop from the button. Mehdi made the call and saw a flop of {2-Spades}

. A quick check, then a bet from Sousa and a fold from Mehdi saw the end of that hand, and just like that, Ricardo has practically doubled up. He's now sitting with right around 750,000 in chips.

Tags: Ricardo Sousa

03-15-2008 21:43 UTC+2

Great Call, Cruel River; Oman Eliminated in 5th

[user50492]

Michael Schulze raises to 80,000 pre-flop and Christian Öman calls from the big blind.

The flop is {Q-Hearts}

and both check. When the {9-Hearts}

hits the turn Christian checks again and Michael moves all in with a dramatic wave of his hand. Michael has Christian well covered; in reality it is a 330,000 bet as that is what Christian has left. After a good dwell up, Christian makes a brilliant call.

Christian: {K-Diamonds}

Michael:

Neither player has a heart so Michael has two nines and three aces to hit or he is doubling up the brave Swede.

The river is a heartbreaking {9-Clubs}

and Christian Öman is cruelly eliminated in fifth place earning $192,423.

Michael Schulze has nearly two million in chips after the pot.

Tags: Christian Öman Michael Schulze