When we started Day 3 of EPT Loutraki there were 100 players all hoping and praying that they would make it into the money. Back when the sun was shining it was Team PokerStars Pro Toni Judet who was leading the way with 288,200 chips and a certain Charalampos Kapernopoulos was not doing to badly with 174,900.
The action was hot and heavy in the first part of the day and we lost former EPT Champion Roberto Romanello and McLean Karr early doors. Romanello wasn't the only former EPT Champion plying his trade. A certain Rupert Elder was exerting his influence and he screamed into the chip lead holding over 700,000 at one point in the competition.
We then entered the bubble and it was burst in peculiar circumstances. Roman Makhlin, who we last saw cashing in EPT Barcelona in 2010, moved his last few chips into the middle and then did a runner! The expectant crowds flocked around the table but Makhlin was nowhere to be seen! He eventually returned to his seat to see his pocket kings cracked by the ace-king of Chris Lastiwka and Makhlin was christened the bubble boy.
As we headed into the final part of the day Charalampos Kapernopoulos won a monster pot while eliminating Kevin Macphee and at the same time confirmed himself as the chip leader.
38 players will return at 12.00 (CET) on Saturday where we will play down to a final table of eight players. Pokernews will bring you all of the action.
Final Standings
Kevin MacPhee has been eliminated from EPT Loutraki by the chip leader Charalampos Kapernopoulos.
MacPhee made a raise from early position, Mario Puccini called in middle position and Kapernopoulos also called in the big blind. The flop was , Kapernopoulos checked, MacPhee bet 28,000, Puccini called and Kapernopoulos check-raised to 60,000. MacPhee thought for a brief while before making the call and Puccini folded.
The turn was the and Kapernopoulos bet 60,000 and MacPhee made the call. The final card was the and no sooner had the card hit the felt Kapernopoulos moved all-in. MacPhee tanked for several minutes before calling and Kapernopoulos turned over for the full-house and a dejected looking MacPhee mucked his hand and headed for the exit.
Kapernopoulos moved up to one million chips and the only former EPT Champion left in the field is now Rupert Elder.
Only fifteen hands ago Andras Kovacs was down to 11,000 chips and he now has 410,000!
Grudi Grudev raised to 13,000 in the cutoff and Bret Williams called on the button. The small blind folded but Kovacs squeezed for 42,500 in the big blind. Grudev moved all-in for 260,000, Williams folded and Kovacs called.
Kevin Macphee opened with a raise from the button and Besiana Antoni moved all-in for her remaining ~30,000 stack. Macphee made the call and we had a showdown.
MacPhee
Antoni
Board:
MacPhee is now up to 370,000 and our last female competitor is out.
David Vamplew had moved all in on the river for a roughly pot-sized bet on the river of a for 69,500 and Kapernopoulos tanked for several minutes before finally making a call.
Vamplew, "You win....I guess," and he turned over but then the Greek chip leader flipped and Vamplew was a little shocked, "you took that long with top pair?"
Either way, Kapernopoulos increased his chip lead and just two former EPT champions (Rupert Elder and Kevin MacPhee) remain.
Our Day 1a chip leader is still hanging in there. He has just doubled up to 140,000 chips after his pocket sixes beat the pocket fives of Ioannis Papathanasioy in a race to the finish line.
Ioannis Taramas likes to take his time when he plays a pot...a lot of time!
He raised to 13,000 from under the gun and Toni Judet three-bet to 31,000 from the cutoff. Jose Maria Felices tank-folded in the big blind and Taramas made the call. Nobody broke sweat until the river, when on a board of Taramas bet 30,000 and after at least a three-minute think Judet folded his hand.