Main Event
Day 4 Completed
2010 PokerStars.com EPT Tallinn
Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2010 PokerStars.com EPT Tallinn
Buy-in
€4,000
Prize Pool
€1,596,000
Entries
420
Level
29
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
10,000
Mattern Looking Good for 2nd EPT Title as He Leads the Field into the Final
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An awful lot of previous EPT winners played this tournament, but Team PokerStars Pro Arnaud Mattern was the only one to make it as far as the final 25. Mattern started the day off well, eliminating two players in quick succession in the first level of play, and when the dust settled on Day 4 Mattern had worked his way right to the top of the chip counts. He is the man to beat going into tomorrow's final. If he wins, he will be the first man in EPT history to have two EPT titles to his name - and the €400,000 first prize is nothing to sneer at either.
A fair few familiar faces made it to the penultimate day, among them Mattern's fellow Team PokerStars Pro Ivan Demidov. Demidov was among the very earliest casualties when his 
could not hold against young Russian live qualifier Konstantin Bilyauer's 
, and Demidov took home 22nd place money.
Konstantin Bilyauer in fact spent much of the day in the chip leader spot after calling a massive bluff from Day 1 chip leader Perica Bukara to eliminate the Serbian in 14th place. Bukara went all in with just a gutshot draw but Bilyauer called with trip sevens which improved to a full house to give him the chip lead and a quarter of the chips in play. Bilyauer is playing only his second ever live tournament this week, and whatever happens at tomorrow's final table, it will be a most impressive first cash. After Mattern and online qualifier Kevin Stani (who enjoyed an impressive finish in this year's WSOP Main Event), Bilyauer is in possession of the next-biggest stack going into the final table, and he has already shown that he knows what to do with it.
Mattern, Stani and Bilyauer have three quarters of the chips in play between them, but the blinds are getting big and this is by no means a done deal for anyone. Among the shorter stacks progressing to the final are Steven van Zadelhoff, a popular Dutch pro with almost $700,000 in tournament winnings to his name, and Italian veteran Nicolo Calia, who cashed four times in EPT Season 6 and went deep into the money in this year's WSOP Main Event.
Whichever way this goes, it promises to be a treat of a final table. We'll be back here from noon EEST when we'll be playing right down to a winner; join us back here then.
Final Table Seat Assignments & Chip Counts
Seat 1: Konstantin Bilyauer - 2,498,000
Seat 2: Steven van Zadelhoff - 805,000
Seat 3: Kevin Stani - 2,586,000
Seat 4: Nicolo Calia - 637,000
Seat 5: Bassam Elnajjar - 744,000
Seat 6: Dmitry Vitkind - 502,000
Seat 7: Arnaud Mattern - 3,720,000
Seat 8: Mikko Jaatinen - 1,166,000
Jonathan Weekes Eliminated in 9th Place (€25,000)
Jonathan Weekes had a massive chip lead at the end of Day 2, but he found himself at the back of the pack by the time the final table bubble approached. Still, he kept himself afloat as long as possible looking for the perfect spot. But this turned out not to be it.
Action folded to Arnaud Mattern in the small blind, and he raised to 105,000. Weekes knew exactly what range he was looking for, peaked at his hand, and quickly moved all in for around 750,000. But Arnaud had also found what he was looking for and said "call" before Weekes chips were even in the middle. Weekes knew that was really bad news.
Weekes: 
Mattern: 
For the third time in two days, Mattern held 
with a chance to knock out a dominated player. And for the third time, he hit a queen. The flop came 
, leaving Weekes with just a runner-runner draw. The 
turn kept him alive with straight outs, but the river fell the 
. Weekes certainly gained some respect this week, but he'll have to wait for another shot at an EPT final table.
Mattern, on the other hand, picked up a large chip lead to take with him into his third EPT final table.
I'm Still Stani-ing Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Konstantin Bilyauer raised to 100,000 from late position and Kevin Stani, who had been quiet since Arnaud Mattern 3-bet him off a hand, reraised all-in for 1,251,000. Bilyauer thought for about a minute then called, which instantly brought a rush of people around the table.
Stani: 
Bilyauer: 
A classic race for Stani to stay in the tournament and the board came 
meaning Stani doubled up to about 2,600,000 in chips. Bilyauer dropped to 2,350,000 and Mattern retook the chip lead. This final bubble will last a little longer yet.
Mattern Clashes Minorly with Bilyauer
Team PokerStars Pro Arnaud Mattern, who is, as we have repeatedly mentioned, aiming for unprecedented EPT title number two here in Tallinn, opened for 95,000 in mid position. On the button, chip leader Konstantin Bilyauer called. The assembled railers and media seemed to collectively hold their breath, and those who were inside the rail and thus able to do so took a step forward, closer to the table.
However, that collective breath would not have to be held for long. Mattern checked the 
flop, and when Bilyauer bet 180,000, Mattern folded.
There hadn't been much in it between these two before the hand, but with that Bilyauer once again took a fairly clear lead, holding 3.6 million to Mattern's 3.1 million. The two of them have over half the chips in play between them.
Van Zadelhoff Doubles Through Chip Leader
It folded around to Konstantin Bilyauer in the small blind who peeked at his hole cards and then softly announced all in. In the big blind, Steven van Zadelhoff looked at his own cards, and then, rather more loudly, announced, "I call."
Bilyauer: 
Van Zadelhoff: 
Board: 
Van Zadelhoff's all-in call was for 502,000, and he he doubled up to a shade over a million. Bilyauer dropped back to 3.4 million, but that's still enough for the lead right now.
More For Mattern
Ahh, the power of the 'official' final table bubble. Arnaud Mattern just used that to help apply a little extra pressure after Kevin Stani raised to 100,000 from late position.
Mattern got a count of Stani's remaining 1.1 million stack before 3-betting to 255,000 out of the big blind. Stani thought long and hard through complete silence from the watching players, media and public before eventually releasing his hand.
Misdeal Saves Van Zadelhoff?
A hand was dealt out until, having given each player two cards, the dealer realised she had accidentally dealt to the button first. Bassam Elnajjar was furious, turning over while Konstantin Bilyauer laugh loudly, he had !
But if the hand had been dealt properly, it would've been Dmitry Vitkind picking up aces with Steven van Zadelhoff getting the queens which may well have seen the short-stacked Dutchman going broke.
Level: 25
Blinds: 20,000/40,000
Ante: 4,000
From the Vit-Kindness of Elnajjar's Heart
Bassam Elnajjar opened for 92,000 and to his immediate left, Dmitry Vitkind quickly but very calmly pushed his last 293,000 across the line. It folded back around to Elnajjar who made the call relatively swiftly, and they were on their backs.
Vitkind: 
Elnajjar: 
Board: 
Elnajjar picked up an inside straight draw on the turn but it didn't come in on the river and Vitkind's pair of jacks was good enough for a double up to around 680,000. Elnajjar dropped to 820,000, and we continue nine-handed.