The PokerNews live reporting team were tucked up in bed last night preparing for today's final, rather than attending the players party. Neil Stoddart went for us and this what he saw.
2012 PokerStars.com EPT Berlin
The players are being introduced one-by-one, so play should be underway very shortly.
This final is also being broadcast on PokerStars.TV (EPTLive.com) with hole cards face-up.
Level: 26
Blinds: 20,000/40,000
Ante: 5,000
The cards are in the air for the EPT Berlin Main Event final table.
"Just let me have some big hands early on and get some chips together. That'll help me relax and play my game," could've been the thoughts of some of our players coming in to today. Then [Removed:284] looked down and saw....
[Removed:287] opened from under the gun with 
and one-by-one each of his opponents folded.
On the third hand of the final table, Marc Wright opened to 85,000 with the 
to mix things up. César García reraised to 215,000 from the button with the 
and action folded back to Wright. He quickly gave it up and García won the pot.
Marc Wright raised from the under-the-gun plus one position with the 
to 85,000. Action moved over to Pratyush Buddiga in the hijack seat and he reraised to 180,000. In the small blind, Andrew Chen picked up the 
, but gave it up. Davidi Kitai folded from the big blind and then Wright quickly gave it up as well.
César García opened the betting with a min-raise to 80,000 from UTG+1 with 
and the action folds around to Bahadir Kilickeser in the big blind and he made the call. The flop came down 

and both players wasted little time in checking.
The turn brought the
into play and Kilickeser took an 80,000 sized stab at the pot but Garcia was going nowhere and he quickly called. The river was another overcard to Garcia's tens but he felt compelled to call the tiny 80,000 into 300,000 bet from Kilickeser and discovered he was good.
It's no accident that Davidi Kitai was chip leader coming in to today. He's just shown the class that got him there to extend his lead.
He raised from the button and called when Bahadir Kilickeser three-bet him from the small blind. The flop fell 

and Kilickeser led for 105,000. Call.
The turn was
and Kilickeser led for 250,000 only to fold when Kitai raised to 580,00.
The hands?
Kilickeser: 
for ace-high.
Kitai: 
for a pair and flush draw.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,240,000
545,000
|
545,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,985,000
655,000
|
655,000 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,240,000 | |
|
|
||
|
|
3,985,000 | |
|
|
3,700,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,970,000
95,000
|
95,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,925,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,835,000
350,000
|
350,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,370,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
|
1,295,000
245,000
|
245,000 |