We've just heard a bit of commotion from the featured table, so we scurried over to try and see what we could see. From our vantage point several tables away, we could only gather a few tidbits of information. Here are the facts, such that they are:
Juan Manuel Pastor has just doubled through Vanessa Selbst.
Pastor was very short on chips to begin the hand, perhaps under 40,000.
Selbst was not short on chips to begin the hand, sitting pretty with around 500,000.
Pastor's hand contained a ten and a paint card
Selbst's hand was also not a pocket pair.
There was a ten on the flop.
The turn was the and the river was the , and neither of those improved Selbst.
Selbst still has more chips than Pastor, and she brushed off the loss with barely a shrug. Her stack hardly shows the evidence of that double up she's just granted.
PokerStars qualifier Alan McIntyre will be happy to settle for whatever fate has to offer him now. We wrote earlier about how he was down to less than two big blinds yesterday.
His first aim today was to get into the money. Job done. Next aim? How about a double-up? Okay then!
He three-bet all-in for 37,000 from the small blind after a raise from Vytautas Milvydas on the button. Call.
Donnie Peters
Jeff Hakim looking glum in his black hoodie
Action folded to Mario Adinolfi on the button and he raised to 12,000. After Boris Becker folded in the small blind, Jeff Hakim moved all in from the big blind for 84,000. Adinolfi made the call and the two then went through the long several-minute process of waiting to expose their hands while all of the other tables finished. After all of the other hands were complete, the cards were revealed.
Adinolfi showed down the powerhouse . Hakim was all in holding the and was ahead, but Adinolfi was plenty live.
As the media, cameras and other players swarmed the table to get a glimpse of the action, the dealer spread the flop and Adinolfi took the lead with a pair of eights. Neither player held a club so that didn't matter unless the board ran out all clubs and caused a chopped pot.
The turn paired the board with the and now Hakim was left needing just an ace or a jack on the river to stay alive.
The river landed with the and Hakim struck out, missing the flop, turn and river. He failed to best the measly eight-four offsuit for Adinolfi and was sent to the rail in 121st place here at EPT Barcelona.
All of the remaining players are now on a short break while the tables are rebalanced and the tournament staff prepares for in-the-money eliminations. All remaining players are guaranteed a minimum payday of €8,000.
On the first hand of this hand-for-hand play, we had an all in and a call.
We joined the action just before the shove, walking up to see the dealer put the turn card down on a board. There was 44,500 in the pot already, and it was a heads-up battle of the blinds. Roger Tondeur was in the small, and he went ahead and shoved all in for 87,000. Manuel Chico was in the big blind, and he only considered the 2x-pot shove for a few moments before making the call. The players were instructed not to table their hands until all the other hands were complete and the television crew was in place. It was an eternal delay of at least five minutes before we got to see the cards, but the news was quite good for the at-risk Tondeur.
Showdown
Tondeur:
Chico:
Chico needed to find a four-out full house to burst this bubble, but the dealer would not oblige. The rivered, and Tondeur will get to stack a double up and coast into the money if he so chooses.
They all want some of these when one more player busts
The most tense period of a tournament is upon.
MEN! - 121 of you remain and only 120 of you will be paid today. Who will be the unlucky soul? Stayed tuned and we'll let you know. Hand-for-hand play is in progress.
Nikolay Poltaratskiy has survived the the soft side of the bubble to double up. He three-bet his 52,000 stack all-in over the the top of a Team PokerStars Pro Rino Mathis' late position open.
and the river was the 
, and neither of those improved Selbst.
to safely see the queens home.
. Hakim was all in holding the 
and was ahead, but Adinolfi was plenty live.
flop and Adinolfi took the lead with a pair of eights. Neither player held a club so that didn't matter unless the board ran out all clubs and caused a chopped pot.
and now Hakim was left needing just an ace or a jack on the river to stay alive.
and Hakim struck out, missing the flop, turn and river. He failed to best the measly eight-four offsuit for Adinolfi and was sent to the rail in 121st place here at 
board. There was 44,500 in the pot already, and it was a heads-up battle of the blinds. Roger Tondeur was in the small, and he went ahead and shoved all in for 87,000. Manuel Chico was in the big blind, and he only considered the 2x-pot shove for a few moments before making the call. The players were instructed not to table their hands until all the other hands were complete and the television crew was in place. It was an eternal delay of at least five minutes before we got to see the cards, but the news was quite good for the at-risk Tondeur.
rivered, and Tondeur will get to stack a double up and coast into the money if he so chooses.
.
