€5,000 EPT Kyiv Main Event | 2009 PokerStars.net EPT Kyiv

08-23-2009 11:22 UTC+2

Seat 8: Vitaly Tolokonnikov (1,019,000)

Our third Russian among the final eight, Vitaly Tolokonnikov started playing poker just three-and-a-half years ago while a university student. Today he's a full-time poker pro, focusing primarily on no-limit hold'em and splitting his time between online and live play. In 2008, Tokokonnikov finished fifth in a 1,000 NLHE event at the WPT Spanish Championship in Barcelona, and he also cashed in a Russian Poker Tour event in May 2009, meaning today's final table is by far his best finish thus far.

Tags: Vitaly Tolokonnikov

Level: 23

Blinds: 12,000/24,000

Ante: 2,000

08-23-2009 11:24 UTC+2

Shuffle Up and Deal!

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Cards are in the air and the final table of our eight-handed EPT Kyiv Main Event is underway. There are 10 minutes left in the current level.

08-23-2009 11:27 UTC+2

Plichta Drags the First One

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On the first hand of play, Lucasz Plichta opened with a raise to 65,000, and he would find a caller in the form of big stack Maxim Lykov. The flop came out {2-Diamonds}

, and Plichta continued out with a bet of 74,000. After some wry glances across the felt, Lykov laid it down, sending the first pot of the day over to Plichta.

Tags: Lucasz Plichta Maxim Lykov

08-23-2009 11:28 UTC+2

No Action for Tent's Aces

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On the second hand of play, the table's short stack, Torsten Tent opened by pushing all in for 260,000 from middle position. The table folded around, a consequence that clearly displeased Tent, as he showed pocket aces, then dragged the blinds and antes.

08-23-2009 11:34 UTC+2

Three-Bet Fold

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Alexander Dovzhenko opened with a raise to 60,000 before Vadim Markushevshki bumped it up further to 155,000. Not one to call a re-raise light, Dovzhenko thought it best to fold to the first three-bet of the day.

Level: 24

Blinds: 15,000/30,000

Ante: 3,000

08-23-2009 11:46 UTC+2

Dovzhenko Draws Even

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With the action folded around to the blinds, Maxim Lykov raised it up to 85,000 from the small. In the big, Alexander Dovzhenko eventually made the call to see a heads-up flop.

It came out {K-Spades}

, and both players checked. Fourth street brought the {10-Clubs}

and a bet of 110,000 from Lykov. Without any delay, Dovzhenko put in the call.

The river came the {10-Spades}

, and Lykov quickly checked again. Dovzhenko stacked out 300,000 of his new orange T25,000 chips and flung them across the line messily. Lykov cut the calling chips out of his stack and gave his opponent a good long look. After a minute or so, he made the call to put Dovzhenko to the test.

The Ukrainian tabled {Q-Spades}

for the flush, and Lykov returned his cards to the muck. After that big exchange, the gap has been almost completely close between the two chip leaders.

Lykov - 2,112,000
Dovzhenko - 2,102,000

Tags: Alexander Dovzhenko Maxim Lykov

08-23-2009 11:52 UTC+2

Markushevski Squeezes

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For the second orbit in a row, Lucasz Plichta opened under the gun with a raise, 82,000 this time. All the way around on the button, Alexander Dovzhenko made the call before big blind Vadim Markushevski announced a re-raise. He fired 300,000 at the pot, drawing a quick fold from Plichta. Dovzhenko was squeezed, and he shook his head and folded his cards away as well.

Tags: Alexander Dovzhenko Lucasz Plichta Vadim Markushevski

08-23-2009 11:58 UTC+2

Ship it to Schaap

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Maxim Lykov -- as he has done several times already today -- opened with a raise, this time to 75,000 from middle position. It folded to Adrian Schaap in the big blind who called.

The flop came {8-Clubs}

, and Schaap fairly quickly moved all in for 381,000. Lykov folded his ace-queen face up.

"Good fold," said Schaap as he dragged the pot. "But not for me," he added with a smile. He's now at 570,000. Lykov has 1.955 million, almost dead even with Alexander Dovzhenko for the chip lead.

Tags: Adrian Schaap