Meanwhile Matt Affleck has been getting jiggy at the next table over - Haykel Cherif Vidal raised, but eventually folded to a shove from Affleck on the button. Affleck is up to almost 150,000 - still below average, but not by much.
Ruslan Prydryk opened for 15,000 in the hijack, but Rob Hollink made it 40,500 to go from the big blind. Prydryk gave it several minutes' worth of thought, but ultimately he folded. The first ever EPT Grand Final winner duly raked in the pot.
Level: 17
Blinds: 3,000/6,000
Ante: 500
This is the first time since the end of Day 1 that Dirk Richter has lost the chip lead. EPT Berlin winner Kevin MacPhee is now our vast chip leader, and in good shape to have a shot at becoming the first ever two-time EPT champion.
We are just two places off the money, and it's time to take a break. We will very soon have 80 happy people in here and two very unhappy ones. Please stand by.
Chaz Chattha, undisputed Grinder of the Tournament, has just 85,000 going into the first break (a stack he probably would have considered a high point most of yesterday). He was faced with a big decision just now, and his tortured throw-fold at the end of it showed the kind of pressure he was under.
Chattha had raised to 12k preflop, and Nicolas Babel had put in a little nibbling re-raise, to 22,500. This fold/push decision put him through the wringer; while Babel sat absolutely still and silent, Chattha mused, "Will you show me? No answer? I have pocket Tens. And it's bubble time as well...so sick!"
He passed, and will restart the next level in the same sort of shape chip-wise he's been in for many a level.
The board is showing 82 players but it almost had to be changed to 81 had it not been for a cruel ace on the river.
Guillaume Dacourt and Nikolay Losev entered a raising war that prompted Darcourt to ask how many chips his opponent add. The dealer counted his stack out and the answer given to Darcourt was 153,000.
"OK. I'm all in," announced Darcourt, causing Losev to rock back in his chair.
"How many you have," quizzed Losev in slightly broken English.
"I have you covered." said Darcourt firmly, but Losev wasn't so sure.
"He has you covered" informed the dealer.
After checking the television screen to see how many players were remaining, Losev made the call.
Darcourt: 
Losev: 
Darcourt was slightly in front but his lead was extended as the flop came down 
and went even further in front with the arrival of the 
on the turn. However, he went from hero to zero when the 
peeled off on the river, doubling Losev to over 320,000 chips!
Darcourt jumped out of his seat and spoke quickly and angrily in French, maybe saying something like "oops" or "damn and blast" before leaving the tournament floor for a much needed cigarette.
Dominik Nitsche's fortunes are changing - he's back up to 135,000 after finding aces and doubling through Jean Sami Souleiman's 
. Souleiman dropped to 200,000.
Not long after Felix Bleiker and Charles Chatter had entered a war of words, the former has been eliminated before anything more intersting could develop.
A preflop raising battle saw Bleiker at risk with 
against Nicolas Babel's 
and when the final board came down 
it was game over for Bleiker and Chattha couldn't help but smile to himself!
Andreas Berggren is another unfortunate Day 3 pre-money elimination. Returning with under the day 1 starting stack (30k) he was in full double-up-or-go-home mode (I saw him move in three times, and that's checking on his table once every 15 minutes). Once he managed the double, when Melanie Weisner had to give him a spin with 
having raised to 12,500. His 
stayed ahead (hitting a relaxing flop containing a Jack and two clubs), but within five minutes he was spotted heading towards the exit, and not the cash desk.
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