There are some serious chip stacks starting to develop over on table three and Portuguese Poker Player, Paulino Subtil, is leading the group with 85,000. Bruno Launais and Ludovic Lacay are hot on his trail and were recently involved in these few hands.
Launais, who finished 8th at EPT Vienna a few short months ago, raised to 350 on the button and fellow countryman Ludovic Lacay called in the small blind. The big blind folded leaving the both of them to see a flop.
The flop was and Lacay check-called a bet of 1,100 from Launais before they both checked a turn. The river was the and Lacay changed tact and bet 2,100 and Launais folded.
In the next hand Launais bet 350 from the cut-off and Pedro Mendes Muller called in the big blind. The flop was and Muller bet straight into Launais making it 800 to play. Launais was unfazed though and raised to 2,600 and Muller laid down his hand.
When Jake Cody won EPT Deauville in 2010, it kick started what would be a fantastic year for the 22-year-old. Cody is now the most famous face to come out of Rochdale since Lisa Stansfield.
He is currently sat on 22,000 chips after a few little tussles with Frenchman Pierre Lelandais. Firstly, Lelandais raised to isolate an early position limper when he made it 1,625 to play from the cut-off and Cody made the three-bet on the button. We are not sure how much he made it but the presence of the 5k grey chip was enough to force the Frenchman to fold.
Then, in almost identical hand, Cody again three-bet Lelandais in position. I say, almost identical, because this time Lelandais four-bet forcing the fold from Cody. Lelandais showed a just to prove a point to the young champion that he wasn't going to allow him push him around.
There was over 25,000 in the pot when we arrived - meaning that around half of big blind Tim Kahlmeyer's stack had already found its way into the middle - and Alfred Nader in the small blind was betting out around 50,000 to very definitely cover him. Kahlmeyer had been tanking up for some time already when we got there. "If you show a bluff I will hate myself for the rest of my life," was his eventual bold statement.
Still Kahlmeyer tanked, and eventually the clock was called. In due time Kahlmeyer did in fact call all in - and was not condemned to a lifetime of bitter self-loathing, as Nader turned over for two pair. Kahlmeyer mucked and left, while Nader upped his stack to almost 90,000.
We caught up with Matthias De Meulder betting out 3,200 on the turn of a board. A few seats to his left, Leo Laslandes made the call.
The river came down the and this time de Meulder bet 22,000 to cover. Laslandes thought about it for a while and eventually called all in for his last 13,500 - but promptly mucked and left the table when De Meulder turned over for top set.
De Meulder waited for a respectful period after Laslandes' exit before giggling over his good fortune. He's up to around 55,000.
Mihai Manole, still residing on the Table Of Doom, is up to 37,000 after calling a roughly 3,000 bet from Alexander Korsik on the river of a board. Korsik turned over for a rivered two pair, but Manole was holding for trips and took the pot.
"I need to stop talking about it," said Praz Bansi over the fact he has never even cashed in an EPT. "You know 'The Grinder' thought he was cursed at the World Series and look at the year he just had...I just need to keep grinding."
Soon after Bansi was check-raising a 1,050 bet to 3,100 on a flop to pick up another pot, still a long way to go.
We are fast approaching the end of level 4. This is the midway point of Day 1a or to borrow a phrase from soccer, it is half time.
One person playing today who usually looks forward to half time more than most is former French National Soccer coach Raymond Domenech. Domenech is sat on 23,000 and does not look like a happy man. Perhaps he will throw some cups of tea over the players during the break - just like old times?
button in Safari
and Lacay check-called a bet of 1,100 from Launais before they both checked a 
turn. The river was the 
and Lacay changed tact and bet 2,100 and Launais folded.
and Muller bet straight into Launais making it 800 to play. Launais was unfazed though and raised to 2,600 and Muller laid down his hand.
just to prove a point to the young champion that he wasn't going to allow him push him around.
for two pair. Kahlmeyer mucked and left, while Nader upped his stack to almost 90,000.
board. A few seats to his left, Leo Laslandes made the call.
and this time de Meulder bet 22,000 to cover. Laslandes thought about it for a while and eventually called all in for his last 13,500 - but promptly mucked and left the table when De Meulder turned over 
for top set.
board. Korsik turned over 
for a rivered two pair, but Manole was holding 
for trips and took the pot.
