2009 PokerStars.com EPT Prague

EPT Prague Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2009 PokerStars.com EPT Prague

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
jj
Prize
€682,000
Event Info
Buy-in
€5,000
Prize Pool
€2,842,100
Entries
586
Level Info
Level
32
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
25,000

One Man Not Melted By Naujoks' Gaze

Sandra Naujoks
Sandra Naujoks
Team PokerStars Pro Ben Kang made a small raise to open the pot, and he was called by two players, including another Team Pro, Sandra Naujoks in the big blind.

The flop rolled out {8-Clubs} {6-Spades} {9-Spades}, and Naujoks led out with a bet of 1,000. That was enough to fold Kang out of the way, but the third player matched her with a call. The turn came the {2-Clubs}, and Naujoks check-called a bet of 2,400 this time. On the river, the {2-Spades} paired the board and drew another check from her. The man at the other end of the table slung 9,000 chips into the pot, and Naujoks shook her head and folded.

It's not much of a hand, but it's a fine excuse to post a picture of Ms. Naujoks. It's also a fine time to tell you that she still has about 78,000 chips in front of her, despite that small setback.

Tags: Sandra Naujoks

Team Pro on Team Pro Action

Pokerstars Team Pro: Netherlands Joep van den Bijgaart check-called 700 from Pokerstars Team Pro: UK JP Kelly on a {6-Spades} {8-Hearts} {10-Spades} flop; all good. Van den Bijgaart checked the {K-Hearts} turn too - but this time when Kelly bet 1,400 he laid it down.

UK 1, Netherlands 1.

The Skirmish of the Team PokerStars Pros

JP Kelly seemed surprised when the table folded around to him in late position, and he didn't seem to know what else to do besides come in raising. He made it 800 to play, and he found action from his fellow Team PokerStars Pro, Joep van den Bijgaart.

Heads up then, the flop came out {10-Spades} {8-Spades} {Q-Hearts}, and both players checked to the {7-Spades} on the turn. Van den Bijgart led out with a small bet of 575, and Kelly quickly called. The river brought the {8-Diamonds} and another bet from van den Bijgaart. He flicked out 1,500, and Kelly tanked for a long time before making the call. He couldn't beat his opponent's {A-Clubs} {Q-Clubs}, and van den Bijgaart takes the pot in the most action we've seen in quite some time at the Table of Instantaneous Death.

Bring back Shaun Deeb.

Tags: Joep van den BijgaartJP Kelly

Level: 4

Blinds: 150/300

Ante: 0

Gork Attack

Marc Gork
Marc Gork
We figured we'd keep an eye on Marc Gork (as he looks suspiciously similar to Dutch pro Michiel Brummelhuis), and we caught up with him as he played a pot. On a turn showing {9-Hearts} {K-Clubs} {5-Diamonds} {5-Diamonds}, his opponent led out with a near-pot-sized bet of 6,300. After shuffling the calling chips for quite some time, Gork slid them into the middle.

The river came the {3-Diamonds}, and the aggressor checked. Gork -- who's now donned a full fur ushanka since this photo was taken -- checked behind. "Ace high," said his opponent. Gork pulled out one of his earphones to get a better listen as the player repeated, "Ace high." Gork tabled {6-Hearts} {6-Spades}, good enough to drag a nice pot. He's up to about 48,000 after that one.

Tags: Marc Gork

How Many Chips Do They Have?

Almira Skripchenko - 8,000
Georgios Kapalas - 49,000
Cristiano Blanco - 41,000
Ville Haavisto - 26,000
Sandra Naujoks - 46,000
Ben Kang - 15,000
Atanas Gueorguiev - 29,000
Pierre Neuville - 26,000
Daniel Drescher - 35,000
JP Kelly - 32,000
Julian Thew - 26,000
Joep can den Bijgaart - 38,000
Anthony Roux - 64,000
Nicolas Levi - 16,300
Oleh Okhotskyi - 80,000
Arnaud Mattern - 59,000
Thomas Bichon - 15,000
Marcin Horecki - 56,000
Richard Grace - 19,000

Suffering at the Table of Prolonged Agony

Of the four notable folks at the aforementioned Table of Prolonged Agony, only Jan Skampa has managed to get above his starting stack. Here's what the stacks look like:

Jan Skampa - 35,000
Stuart Rutter - 17,000
Pieter de Korver - 16,000
Michael Keiner - 18,500

Rintala Picks Up a Pot

Voitto Rintala
Voitto Rintala
Cat-eye-contact-lens-sporting, Christian-heavy-metal-playing Finn Voitto Rintala bet in position on the turn of a {K-Spades} {Q-Hearts} {10-Hearts} {Q-Diamonds} board; his opponent, who had checked from the big blind position, raised. Call.

Come the {J-Diamonds} river, Mr. Big Blind checked. Rintala bet - and to Rintala's apparent relief, Mr. Big Blind passed, showing {J-?} {9-?} for bottom straight. Mr. Rintala is back above his starting stack, on 31,000.

Tags: Voitto Rintala

Deeb's Details

Shaun Deeb
Shaun Deeb
Here's how Shaun Deeb's elimination went down just before the break:

First in from the button, Martial Blangenwitsch opened with a raise to 525. Deeb came along from the big blind to see a flop of {5-Hearts} {Q-Clubs} {5-Diamonds}. Both players checked, and the turn brought the {K-Diamonds}. Deeb led out with a bet of 625, and Blangenwitsch raised to 1,675. The American three-bet it back up to 4,300, and Blangenwitsch promptly re-raised to 8,300 total. Sure enough, a five-bet shove came from his opponent, and Blangenwitsch couldn't have called any faster with {A-Spades} {5-Clubs}.

Deeb tabled {J-Diamonds} {10-Spades} for the draw, but the top half of his open-ender was counterfeited by his opponent's ace. Looking for only a nine to stay alive, Deeb could not pull one as the river was a blank {J-Hearts}.

That's it for the PokerStars Passport winner who says he's done with tournament poker following the PCA next month. You can read the story from the Nightly Turbo here.

Tags: Shaun Deeb