"Longest hand in history" is probably a bit of an overstatement but this did go on a long time for a hand that did not even make the river. The cutoff had opened preflop and Michael Martin (former EPT London winner) had 3-bet to 1,200 only for the cutoff to 4-bet to 2,750 after a couple of minutes dwell.
It was Martin's turn to think and he also took his time in making the call to see a flop.The cutoff then thought for about 2 minutes more before checking and Martin again thought for a while before firing out 3,500.
A further amount of dwelling.
Finally the cutoff called to see the turn and again checked, slightly faster this time (which was a relief). Martin fired out 6,500 and we went back into the tank with the cutoff - the latter eventually having the clock called on him and he finally folded with about 30 seconds remaining.
Thorsten Schafer, fresh off his win of the €10,000 event in San Remo last month, has made a good start to his Day 1. The EPT regular has added a few thousand to his 30k starting stack, most recently calling a preflop raise to 425 on the button, then betting the threeway flop when it checked to him. One player called the 700 to see the turn, which both players checked. The double-pairing river saw a check-call of Schafer's 1,100 bet, but his opponent threw his hand (flashing the ) when Schafer showed .
With the board reading Mannig Loeser fired 3,500 after his opponent checked, the German getting a call from his opponent, sending the action to the river. Another check from his foe brought another bet from Loeser, this time it was 5,000 but he was quickly called.
Loeser showed for flopped two pair but his opponent turned over for a better two pair.
Among the late drifters-in have been Joe Hachem, Roland de Wolfe, Sandra Naujoks, James Akenhead and Salvatore Bonavena. Hachem joins the table of Per Linde and Vicky Coren (on which Linde just picked up a 2,000+ pot betting both a flop and a turn after raising under the gun).
One of a heavy peppering of prior EPT champions to grace Day 1b here in Madrid is Roberto Romanello. Having won his title wearing a hat covered in long hair (a bit like a colourful Buckingham Palace guard) and today sports a sort of Mickey Mouse-inspired crocheted thing reminiscent of Princess Leia's hair.
His headgear hasn't brought him early good fortune, though - he just lost a pot which involved a call-or-raise ruling. Three handed to a flop, Romanello raised an early position bettor's 1,000 lead to 2,100 on the button. Pass back to the 1k bettor, who threw in a 5,000 chip - the floor was called to determine whether this was a raise (as he said he intended) or a call.
It was determined as a call of Romanello's raise, and they got a cheaper turn than intended: . The turn was barely lying flat on the felt before the would-be flop raiser led out for 10,000. Romanello passed after a short dwell.
Vanessa Rousso is up to 55,000 after she set her opponent all in on the board with about 20,000 chips already in the middle. Her opponent ended up folding face up, a good fold?
Guillaume Darcourt is the most recent Level 3 elimination, taking a river defeat with good grace although a measure of surprise...
Darcourt had seen a three-way flop of , betting 1,250 and shedding neither opponent. On the turn, Darcourt bet 3,800, and Viktor 'Isildur1' Blom alone made the call. The river was the . Out bet Darcourt for the third time, 6,400. Blom raised to 15,000 (just under the remaining stack of his French opponent) and Darcourt made an unhappy face.
"I can't fold now," he said, "It would be a hero fold. And I'm not so famous for my hero folds..."
True enough, his final 15,800 total crossed the line and now it was Blom's turn to look uncomfortable.
"You have to call! Any cards you have, you can't fold," advised Darcourt. Blom agreed and threw in the extra.
"I have an eight," said Darcourt, showing .
"I have a better eight, sorry," Blom countered, showing and busting him out.
![[user76023]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop.The cutoff then thought for about 2 minutes more before checking and Martin again thought for a while before firing out 3,500.
turn and again checked, slightly faster this time (which was a relief). Martin fired out 6,500 and we went back into the tank with the cutoff - the latter eventually having the clock called on him and he finally folded with about 30 seconds remaining.
flop when it checked to him. One player called the 700 to see the 
turn, which both players checked. The 
double-pairing river saw a check-call of Schafer's 1,100 bet, but his opponent threw his hand (flashing the 
) when Schafer showed 
.
Mannig Loeser fired 3,500 after his opponent checked, the German getting a call from his opponent, sending the action to the 
for flopped two pair but his opponent turned over 
for a better two pair.
flop and a 
turn after raising under the gun).
and busting him out.