![[user46392]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Freddy Darakjian got rather lucky when he check-raised all in on a 
flop holding nothing more than 
. Jordan Mitev made the call holding 
, and was not best pleased when Darakjian hit running cards - the 
and 
- to make a straight. Darakjian doubled to 240,000 and Mitev, reduced to little more than one big blind, busted two hands later with 
against 
.
Max Heinzelmann had opened preflop and called Georgios Manousos 3-bet to see a flop of 
. Heinzelmann checked and Manousos bet 24,000 before the EPT Berlin runner-up made it 74,000. Manousos called to see the turn where Heinzelmann now fired out 113,000 and again the Greek chip leader made the call to see the river.
Now Heinzelmann moved all-in for 281,500 and Manousos tanked for several minutes before counting out the call and pushing it forward. Heinzelmann turned over 
for the flopped set and rivered boat while the dealer turned over Manousos' 
which had attempted to float the flop check-raise.
Can Heinzelmann go one better than Berlin?
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,000,000 | 631,000 |
|
|
350,000 | -517,000 |
John Eames was sitting comfortably with over 200,000 chips and then in a blink of an eye he was booking his flight home.
Hand 1
Eames raised to 11,000 under the gun and Mads Wissing three-bet on the button making it 28,500 to play. The action folded around to Eames who moved all-in. It was a good show of strength but he couldn't have picked a worse time. Wissing was sat with 
and he made the call. Eames was looking for some hearts, an ace or a wheel with 
. Although the flop gave him a glimmer of hope it was only temporary and he was down to 120,000.
Board: 
Wissing ~ 290,000
Hand 2
Denis Pisarev raised with 
and Eames moved all-in for 120,000 holding 
. Just when Eames was expecting a quick double up Pisarev rivered an unlikely straight leaving Eames with mere dust (8k).
Board: 
Hands 3 & 4
Eames tripled up with the unlikely 
before losing the lot to Germano Martucci. Eames shoved with 
and was called by 
and that was that.
Robert Spada was the player who was the beneficiary of the bubble-three street-bluff, delivered by Ruben Visser earlier. That left Visser with a little over 100,000 chips and Spada has just taken the lot.
Spada raised to 10,000 and Visser and the big blind both called.
Flop: 
Spada bet 22,500, Visser raised it up to 49,500, the big blind folded, Spada jammed and Visser called.
Visser: 
Spada: 
There was no help on the turn or river for Visser and he was eliminated. Spada now has 580,000.
Xuan Liu has dropped back to 230,000, her 
no match for the all-in Erion Islamay's 
. Islamay doubled to 130,000.
EPT Berlin runner up Max Heinzelmann has picked up a big pot to put him at around 540,000. We didn't catch the action but the board read 
and Heinzelmann was turning over for a rivered two pair. Marco Fabbrini mucked and sighed in a manner that strongly suggested that he had been ahead until the river.
In front of Casey Kastle, there is a pen and a piece of paper. Among the things written on the paper are these gems:
"- MADRID I-NET
- HAIRCUT SHAVE OPTIONS
- TEETH CLEAN BIKRAM"
Next to the pen and paper, there is also a Chip Me Up patch, an EPT patch still in its wrapper, and a lollipop. Fascinating insights into the mind of Mr. Kastle.
After just eliminating Vanessa Selbst, Gianluca Benvenuto has just won another big pot and he is right in contention in this competition.
Rupert Elder raised to 95,000 in the hi-jack and Benvenuto three-bet from the small blind. The price was 33,000 and Elder paid it. The two of them shared a flop of 
and they both decided to check. The turn was the and Benvenuto check-called a 28,000 Elder bet. On the river, the dealer floated a from his hand and Benvenuto again checked. Elder put out a mouth-watering bet of 95,000 and after some consideration Benvenuto made the call and it was good.
Benvenuto:
Elder: 
Benvenuto ~ 660,000
Elder ~ 351,000
Last year's fifth place finisher Alexey Rybin is out after his 
turned out to be of little use against Francesco Nguyen's 
on a flop. The turn and river changed nothing, and Rybin knocked his chips over in disgust while Nguyen celebrated in a manner that can only be described as Italian. He's up to 280,000.
Kimmo Kurko just won a huge double up through David Vamplew, the Finn turning over a dominating to Vamplew's with the board giving Kurko the nuts when it came 
.
Kurko is up to 365,000 while Vamplew dropped to 170,000.
