A bit of back and forth for start-of-day chip leader Kevin MacPhee.
First the back - Nikolay Losev raised to 95,000 and Kevin MacPhee called behind to see a flop. Losev bet out 145,000 and after a moment or two of expressionless tanking, MacPhee folded.
And then the forth - Jan Bendik raised from the button and MacPhee shoved from the big blind. No call from the Slovakian, and MacPhee made his chips back.
The real damage to Ion Pavel's tournament was done by Roberto Nulli in a small to big blind confrontation which ended up spiralling out of control on the river. You can see why: Nulli limped preflop and Pavel called. Both players checked the flop. On the turn, Nulli quickly pushed forward a stack of 100k, about the size of the pot. Pavel thought for what was, for him, a short time, before making the call.
The river was still being positioned by the dealer when Nulli insta-shoved all in (around 500,000 due to some small previous wins). Pavel called and they were on their backs:
Ion Pavel:
Roberto Nulli:
This river was the killer for Pavel, not the subsequent tiny all in with which Peter Skripka picked off with his . Five per table now...
With only three more eliminations needed until we reach the final table and the more signficant sums of money, not that €30,000 isn't significant, the players seem to be playing very tightly.
However, Team PokerStars Pro Marcin Horecki went against this and found himself all in just now. Horecki opened to 86,000 and Jan Bendik, next to act, reraised to 201,000. The action folded back to Horecki, who moved all in for 648,000, prompting a quick fold from the Slovakian
A huge pot for ex-chip leader Peter Skripka put the brakes on the Italians' seemingly unstoppable rise. Roberto Nulli had raised preflop and picked up only Skripka. On the flop Skripka check-called Nulli's 50k. The turn was the and Skripka checked again, this time finding Nulli raising his 100k bet to 250k. While Nulli had bet instantly, it took him a little longer to make this call.
The river saw Skripka slowly push forward 200k on the river, snap-called by Nulli. Skripka showed down and Nulli hurled his hand into the muck with considerable force.
Meanwhile on the other table Roberto Romanello opened for 75,000 on the button and then called the push from sole remaining Team PokerStars Pro Marcin Horecki in the small blind.
Romanello:
Horecki:
Board:
"Wow, it's a funny old game, isn't it?" sighed Romanello as Horecki doubled up.
Roberto Nulli opened for 75,000 under the gun and Melanie Weisner shoved from the cutoff. In the small blind, Peter Skripka re-shoved - and in the big blind, Marco Leonzio called all in. Crikey.
Weisner actually attempted to turn her hand over at this point, but Nulli had a good bit of tanking left in him yet. Eventually he folded, though, and it was a three-way preflop showdown. "Oh my God," said Weisner when she saw what she was up against.
Weisner:
Skripka:
Leonzio:
Board:
"Si!" cried Leonzio, "Si! Grande!" He is our new chip leader on a massive 3.8 million. Weisner hit the rail, and Skripka looked as though he might throw up as he dropped to 2 million.
It folded around to Kevin MacPhee in the small blind who raised to 77,000. In the big blind, Roberto Romanello made it 225,000 to go. Back to MacPhee, who went all in - and then back to Romanello, who called.
MacPhee:
Romanello: dominating with
Board:
With two pair, ace kicker apiece, it was a very lucky escape for MacPhee. The chips were returned to their original owners - choppity chop.
![[user46392]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop. Losev bet out 145,000 and after a moment or two of expressionless tanking, MacPhee folded.
flop. On the 
turn, Nulli quickly pushed forward a stack of 100k, about the size of the pot. Pavel thought for what was, for him, a short time, before making the call.
river was still being positioned by the dealer when Nulli insta-shoved all in (around 500,000 due to some small previous wins). Pavel called and they were on their backs:
which Peter Skripka picked off with his 
. Five per table now...
flop Skripka check-called Nulli's 50k. The turn was the 
river saw Skripka slowly push forward 200k on the river, snap-called by Nulli. Skripka showed down 
