Vilamoura Championship Main Event Day 1a | 2009 PokerStars.com EPT Vilamoura

11-17-2009 17:42 UTC

Ace on the Flop Not Enough for Galic

[user66118]

Joao Barbosa opened the pot with a raise from late position, and Dragan Galic moved all in for less than 3,000 from the button. Barbosa called the extra bit to put Galic at risk, turning over {Q-Diamonds}

. The Croatian Sensation was in good shape to double up, tabling {A-?}

.

The news would get better too; the dealer ran out a flop of {2-Spades}

to give Galic a healthy lead in the hand. Then the news would get worse, much worse. The {Q-Clubs}

hit the turn to give Barbosa his pair and two outs for the knockout. And sure enough, he found the {Q-Spades}

on the river to make the unlikely trips and send Galic to the rail.

"Wow. Two queens!" said Galic as he headed off, more shocked than upset.

Tags: Dragan Galic Joao Barbosa

11-17-2009 17:48 UTC

German Fortunes

[user46392]

Good fortune

Daniel Drescher - our current chip leader on 95,000

Misfortune

Jan Collado - out

11-17-2009 17:52 UTC

Boatman Back Up

[user46392]

Barny Boatman checked the {J-Diamonds}

flop and then raised to a bet from his opponent. Mr. Opponent pushed, Boatman called all in, and it was an easy double-up back to his 30,000 starting stack for Boatman.

Boatman: {9-Diamonds}

for the straight
Mr. Opponent: {K-Clubs}

for top pair

Turn: {A-Hearts}

River:

Tags: Barny Boatman

Level: 6

Blinds: 200/400

Ante: 50

11-17-2009 18:00 UTC

Heavy Action Preflop

[user66118]

A player in the cutoff seat opened the pot with a raise to 850, and PokerStars qualifier Antonio Buonanno three-bet from the small blind. He made it 2,500 to play, but his opponent wasn't done yet. The cutoff stuck in a four-bet to 8,200, and Buonanno came right back with a five-bet to 15,900. His opponent seemed to get the message this time, and he finally laid his non-aces down.

At an adjacent table, some significant preflop action was developing as well. Under the gun, big stack Jason Lavallee opened to 725, and he found two initial callers. The decision came to big blind Piergiorgio Dancona, and he announced a re-raise to 3,800. Lavallee wasn't having any of it; he stuck in another raise to 8,000 straight, and this time Dancona and the rest of the dabblers ran for cover.

11-17-2009 18:15 UTC

Grace Wins Pot Against Sarlo

[user46392]

More Grace-on-Sarlo action, as Giuseppe Sarlo raised to 900 in the hijack and Richard Grace made it 2,600 from the button. Some vague squirming from Sarlo later, and he folded. Grace comes out on top this time.

Tags: Giuseppe Sarlo Richard Grace

11-17-2009 18:23 UTC

A Unfortunate Mattern of Events

[user66118]

Arnaud Mattern has had a rough go with Piergiorgio Dancona today. In a pot very early on, Dancona floated Mattern on the flop before picking up an open-ended-straight-flush draw on the turn. Mattern gave up on the river, and Dancona made a bet to take it down, showing the bluff as he scooped the pot.

A few minutes ago, Dancona got Mattern again with another float. Arnaud held {5-Spades}

, and he bet on an A-T-5 flop. Dancona called, and both players checked when a second five hit the turn, Mattern trying to induce a bluff. A jack hit the river, and Mattern bet-called after big raise from Dancona. The Italian turned over K-Q for the unlikey straight, and Mattern dropped another pot.

And Dancona would deliver Mattern's final blow as well. The French pro opened to 1,075, and Dancona three-bet to 3,600. Mattern then four-bet to 10,800, and Dancona shoved over the top. Mattern instantly called for his last ~33,000 total with two kings, and he was poised to double up through the pocket queens on the other end of the table. Fate's folly struck though, and Mattern could not escape a third queen on board.

After a rough half-day, Mattern is outta here.

Tags: Arnaud Mattern

11-17-2009 18:32 UTC

No Quarter from Mercier

[user46392]

Jason Mercier has been storming ahead and utilizing his big stack to stomp all over the rest of his table. Up to around 75,000, he was last spotted cheerfully reraising out of the big blind to cover his opponent. Said hapless opponent passed.

Tags: Jason Mercier

11-17-2009 18:38 UTC

Josipovic Doubles Up an Opponent; Remains Table Big Stack

[user46392]

A preflop raising war saw the gent on the button all in and Ljubomir Josipovic in the small blind calling.

Josipovic: {A-Diamonds}

Button Man: dominating with {A-Hearts}

Board:

and thus lacking any nasty surprises.

Josipovic is still one of today's high fliers though, on roughly 85,000.

11-17-2009 18:44 UTC

Assorted Stack Watch

[user46392]

Richard Grace - 40,000
Katja Thater - 24,000
Martin Wendt - 40,000
David Rawnsley - 23,500
Guillaume de la Gorce - 68,000
Maria Maceiras - 60,000
Martin Kabrhel - 60,000
Ricardo Sousa - 33,000
Jasper Wetemans - 36,000
[Removed:13] - 85,000
Michel Abecassis - 33,000