The Fatal Bubble Hand
Level 18
: 3,000/6,000, 500 ante
Image of Christian Troger bubbling the EPT San Remo Main Event at the hands of Chris McClung.
2011 PokerStars.it EPT San Remo
Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2011 PokerStars.it EPT San Remo
Buy-in
€4,600
Prize Pool
€3,734,694
Entries
837
Level
32
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
20,000
Christian Troger Bubbles EPT San Remo
On the 
flop, Chris McClung bet 13,000 before Christian Troger raised to 26,000. McClung reraised to put him all in and Troger called to put his tournament life on the line.
Troger: 
McClung: 
The turn was the 
and river the 
, eliminating Troger from the tournament in 129th place and bursting the bubble here at EPT San Remo.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Weisner Endures the Tank
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
On the turn of a 
board, we picked up the action with a huge pot brewing. Mohamad Kowssarie bet 61,500 there, and Melanie Weisner spent a long, long soak in the tank. She had about 160,000 left, maybe a bit more, and it would be at least eight or ten minutes before she acted.
While she pondered, though, an absurd situation began to unfold around her. We were practically all alone behind the table when we walked up to the turn, but within a few minutes, dozens of spectators, media, and players had completely pressed themselves in around the table, completely encircling it and bantering with each other as they elbowed their way in for a sight line. A couple even stuck their video cameras directly in Weisner's face, and the chatter grew very loud for several minutes. It's really hard to put into words the scene that was unfolding, but it had to be hard to concentrate.
In the eight seat, Luca Falaschi was getting pretty upset at how long it was taking, and he became rather animated as he drew a "let's go" sign with his finger in the air. The amount of distraction around the table was frankly staggering, and there wasn't more than six inches of breathing room behind the players with now maybe 50-60 people all huddled in close.
After a few more minutes of fighting off the distractions, Weisner made the flat-call to see the last card. It was the , and the action went check-check.
Kowssarie tabled his airball 
, and Weisner's 
was the best hand.
We're still on the money bubble with 129 players left.
Huge Pot on the Bubble for MacPhee as Thorson Folds Flop
Level 18
: 3,000/6,000, 500 ante
Kevin MacPhee and William Thorson just played a massive hand that saw Thorson lose 233,000 in chips and MacPhee win a little bit more than that when you take into account the blinds and antes. All of which happened without going past the flop.
MacPhee opened with a raise to 8,500 and Thorson three-bet to 18,500. Play folded back around the table to MacPhee and he four-bet to 68,500 after some time. Thorson took his own time to think and then five-bet to 128,500 with 388,000 behind. MacPhee had a bit over 300,000 behind himself and tanked for a bit. He asked the dealer to pull in the bets, thought a bit more and then six-bet to 233,000. Thorson did the same, tanking and asking the dealer to pull the bets in to leave just the raise.
While Thorson was tanking preflop facing he six-bet, the tournament director came over the microphone and instructed all tables to complete the hand they were on and hold up. That meant the tournament was on the bubble and this massive pot here could cause the bubble to break.
After a couple minutes, Thorson flat-called the six-bet and the two went to the flop.
The flop came down 
and MacPhee immediately moved all in for 161,500 in chips. Thorson tanked while media, players and tournament staff all swarmed the table. None of the commotion stirred Thorson as he sat in the tank. Finally, Thorson elected to fold and MacPhee won the pot. Neither player showed.
MacPhee moved to 637,000 in chips while Thorson slipped to 283,500.
After the hand, MacPhee (@KevinMacPhee) on Twitter mentioned, "I had Rodney and Martin Luther," which could only mean he had two kings.
Deeb's Bubble Double
Under the gun, Shaun Deeb raised to 8,500, and Joseph Cheong shot him a glance and three-bet to 23,000 a couple seats over. Deeb had 75,500 left behind, and he shoved it all in. Cheong shrugged and made an indifferent call with 
, and Deeb's had him poised for a bubble double.
The board ran 
, and the wheel secures the pot for Deeb. "I even got there on the river," Cheong lamented as he cut out the debt from his stack and paid it off.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
600,000 | -75,000 |
|
178,000 | 79,000 |
Ianuszewicz Doubles Through Lewis
From the cutoff seat, Toby Lewis raised to 8,000. Stefan Ianuszewicz reraised to 17,000 on the button and action folded back to Lewis. He reraised all in. Ianuszewicz called all in for 96,000 total. Lewis had him covered by about 40,000.
Ianuszewicz: 
Lewis: 
The board ran out 
and Lewis sent over the chips to double up Ianuszewicz.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
200,000 | 49,500 |
|
40,000 | -82,000 |
Veldhuis Tangles with De Paz, Then Busts Paur
Team PokerStars Pro Lex Veldhuis was in action on the 
flop against Dario De Paz. De Paz was first and bet 16,000. Veldhuis raised to 50,000 and De Paz folded. Shortly after that, Veldhuis won even more chips.
Veldhuis opened to 8,000 from the hijack seat and De Paz called from the cutoff seat. Taylor Paur reraised all in for around 125,000 from the button and action folded back to Veldhuis. He reshoved and De Paz folded.
Veldhuis:
Paur:
The flop, turn and river ran out 
and Paur hit the rail. Veldhuis is now over half a million in chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
515,000 | 174,000 |
|
Busted |
Duthie Doubles
Table 10 is just ridiculous.
Seated next to each other, we just picked up a big pot between Team PokerStars Pros John Duthie and Vanessa Selbst. On the 
flop, Duthie check-called 12,000, and he check-called another 18,000 on the turn. The river came the , and Selbst put him to the test, sliding out a covering stack of yellow T5,000 chips. Duthie had been calling every street very quickly, and he called off his last 88,000 very quickly as well.
We think Selbst announced, "Straight," but we can't be sure. Whatever she had, it could not beat Duthie's 
, and the founder of the EPT has doubled back to prosperity average here in the early going.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
510,000 | -5,000 |
|
260,000 | 112,500 |
Johan Van Til Eliminated
Johan Van Til has been eliminated. First he ran 
into 
button versus small blind to leave him short. And then shoved the last few big blinds with 
and ran into kings.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
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Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
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