Main Event | 2010 EPT Deauville

01-25-2010 13:44 UTC+2

Eastgate Gaining Ground

[user140525]

So far Peter Eastgate has open shoved twice in the first orbit and taken down the blinds and antes each time. That's 130,000 this level, or about 1/8th of Eastgate's current stack.

He's no longer the short stack, having overtaken Claudius Secara by around 150,000.

Tags: Peter Eastgate

01-25-2010 13:44 UTC+2

Fratty Caught Out

[user46392]

Michael Fratty, the most local of our final tablists and therefore the most vocally supported, raised to 130,000 two hands in a row. The first time he got away with it. The second time Craig Bergeron asked how much Fratty had behind (answer: around 1.5 million) and then reraised to 305,000. Fratty thought about it for some time, and then called.

They saw a {2-Clubs}

flop, and Bergeron paused. Then he announced all in to cover Fratty. Another pause from Fratty - and eventually he folded.

Tags: Craig Bergeron Michael Fratty

01-25-2010 13:33 UTC+2

Cody Draws First Blood

[user140525]

Didn't take long to see out first flop, turn and river of the day. Stephane Albertini opened to 160,000, and Jake Cody took a flop with him.

Flop: {8-Clubs}

- Cody checked, Albertini bet 240,000, and Cody made the call.

Turn: {10-Diamonds}

- Check/check

River: {6-Hearts}

- Cody bet out 335,000, and after a minute in the tank, Albertini gave it up.

Tags: Jake Cody Stephane Albertini

01-25-2010 13:20 UTC+2

Eastgate Not Waiting Around

[user46392]

Peter Eastgate, our official short stack on less than 11 big blinds, wasted zero time in getting them all in the middle - but no-one was interested, and he picked up the hefty blinds and antes.

Tags: Peter Eastgate

01-25-2010 13:17 UTC+2

On Our Way

[user46392]

Let's get this final table party started!

There's just about 65 minutes left of this level. Shuffle up and deal.

Level: 27

Blinds: 30,000/60,000

Ante: 5,000

01-25-2010 13:02 UTC+2

Seat 8: Mike “Timex” McDonald, 20, Canada - PokerStars qualifier - 1,815,000 chips

[user66118]

In 2008, when he was 18 years old, Mike "Timex" McDonald became the youngest ever champion of an EPT Main Event, earning $1.4m as he won in Dortmund and also became the first Canadian champion on the European Poker Tour. In Deauville today, McDonald now stands a chance of becoming the first two-time champion in the tour's six-season history, on what will be his third EPT final table. A regular on the internet poker discussion forums, and a feared presence at the online tables, "Timex" has numerous five-figure successes in the major tournaments and more than $2 million in live winnings. He now divides his time almost 50-50 between the online and live game - and has recently found a new hunger. "I've felt a lot more motived by poker in the last six to eight months," he said. "I wasn't really feeling that motivated before." Be warned.

Bios courtesy of PokerStars

01-25-2010 13:01 UTC+2

Seat 7: Stephane Albertini, 28, Corsica - 3,555,000 chips

[user66118]

Albertini has been playing poker for the last 12 years or so, mainly in casinos and almost always cash rather than tournaments. He often comes along to EPTs but usually to play in the high stakes cash games that are are running at the same time as the tournaments. He has played in around six EPT main events but – until now – has never cashed. His best live tournament results have been in Marrakech in Morocco where he has cashed for sums around the €20,000 mark. He is being enthusiastically supported at EPT Deauville by a group of friends on the rail.

Bios courtesy of PokerStars

01-25-2010 13:00 UTC+2

Seat 6: Craig “HU4ROLLZ” Bergeron, 20, Michigan - PokerStars qualifier - 3,135,000

[user66118]

Bergeron held the chip lead for much of Day 3 and is currently in fourth place. Bergeron is an extremely well-known mid-stakes Multi Table Tournament and Sit and Go online player. His best result so far was sixth place in the PokerStars Sunday Million $215 last March for $40,000. He also came second in another online event in November for a further $40,000. In live events, Bergeron’s best result was winning the €2,000 event at EPT Dortmund last year. He qualified for EPT Deauville in a $22 Rebuy satellite on PokerStars.

Bios courtesy of PokerStars

01-25-2010 12:59 UTC+2

Seat 5: Peter Eastgate, 24, Denmark, Team PokerStars Pro - 695,000 chips

[user66118]

Peter Eastgate bludgeoned his way into the poker consciousness in the most dramatic fashion possible, scoring his first major success at the 2008 World Series Main Event. He became (at the time) the youngest ever champion by outlasting the inaugural November Nine, winning $9 million and the platinum bracelet. It was no fluke. Eastgate cashed in the Main Event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure the following January and then took down a $5,000 side event. He followed that by finishing second at the Main Event of EPT London in October last year, winning close to $850,000. This is his second EPT final table and his fifth in-the-money finish - and he's only 24-years-old.

Bios courtesy of PokerStars