Team PokerStars Pro Pius Heinz has been eliminated from the EPT Berlin main event in spectacular fashion.
He opened the betting with a raise to 1,600 only to see Ali Azabdaftar three-bet to 4,000. Bahadir Kilickeser then cold-called the three-bet then Heinz shoved for 21,000 in total. Azabdaftar then re-shoved for 70,000 and after tanking for a couple of minutes Kilickeser called off his last 51,000!
Azabdafter turned over and was nicely in front over everyone else because Kilickeser held and Heinz . The door card was the followed by and . The turn was the and the on the river gave Kilickeser quad kings, left Azabdafter with 20,000 and sent Heinz home for an early bath!
Vivtor Ramdin explained his exit over the course of two Tweets:
"It all started with him 4 betting me I flop top set jj on a j 10 2 flop 3 on turn and yes a hor K in the river to give HIM the nuts str"
Followed by: "Got in my last 30k with my qq only to run into kk # ontothenextone"
More cold news from Eugene Katchalov: "Ran my KK into AA into one of the only 2 people on the table who could bust me. I'm out. #EptBerlin."
Yet more bad news I'm afraid as Fatima Moreira de Melo busted when she rang pocket eights into an opponent's pocket tens.
This is where I should end with a tale of a cat being rescued from up a tree to make you feel a little cheerier about the world. But no, Christophe De Meulder also busted. No details I'm afraid.
The action folded around to Moritz Kranich in the hijack and he wasted little time in making it 1,700 to play. The American Gregory Gokey, on the button, three-bet to 4,200. Usually this would end the hand right there are at least see it contested one-on-one but not this time around because Davidi Kitai woke up in the big blind with and four-bet to a nice round 10,000.
This four-bet instantly folded out Kranich but Gokey moved all in for 28,300 and Kitai made the call to discover he was up against . The board ran out and Gokey doubled up.
From middle position, Narendra Banwari opened with a raise to 2,000. Action then folded to Spencer "Tex" Hudson in the big blind and he three-bet to 5,500 after a minute of thought. Banwari came back with some more aggression and cranked things up to 15,000 even. After a little bit of thought, Hudson made the call to see a flop.
The flop came down and Hudson checked. Banwari wasted little time in moving all in. Hudson removed his earbuds and requested a count.
"31,100," said the dealer.
After a few more moments of thought, Hudson called.
Banwari tabled the and Hudson the . Banwari was ahead with his tournament life on the line, but the the on the turn quickly swung things in the other direction. Banwari slammed his fist on the table in disgust as the dealer placed the on the river to end his tournament run.
Banwari picked up his tournament ID card and threw it sort of at the dealer. The tournament director happened to be standing right there when this happened and stopped Banwari while he was exiting to reprimand him for his actions. While Banwari made his exit in disgust, Hudson collected the pot and moved to over 100,000 in chips.
Jake Cody sat very quietly in his seat as his opponent, Sascha Brombacher, banged his fist of fury on the table and went into a rant (in German) after his elimination.
Brombacher opened the pot to 1,800 from early position and was called in one spot before Cody squeezed to 6,000 from the cut-off. Ali Azabdaftar was in the big blind and cold-called. Brombacher and the other player in the hand called also.
The flop was spread as and Brombacher reclaimed the initiative with a lead for 10,000. There was a fold before Cody jammed. Azabdaftar folded but kept hold of his cards until Brombacher called all-in, and he revealed he had !
"You folded Kings?" asked an astonished Brombacher as he revealed his holding of .
Cody opened for a flush draw that got there as the board ran out .
Brombacher's rant wasn't really aimed completely at Cody, he probably had a few words for Azabdaftar as if the Austrain had played it textbook style, Brombacher surely would've doubled-up.
The UK's Ross Loggie was in the UTG+1 seat and he opened to 1,700. His raise looked as if it was going to win him the blinds and antes, that was until Gianluca Marcucci made the call from the big blind so it was heads up to the flop.
Marucci checked, Loggie continued with a 2,800 bet and Marucci made the call. The on the turn completed a potential club flush draw and Marucci decided to represent it by taking a stab at the pot with a 4,200 bet. Loggie took one look at his opponent and didn't like what he saw because his cards ended up in the muck.
We have final player numbers for today but no officially-sanctioned prize pool yet. A total of 745 players from 51 countries entered EPT Berlin this season (502 today; 243 on Day 1a yesterday).
and was nicely in front over everyone else because Kilickeser held 
followed by 
and 
. The turn was the 
and the 
on the river gave Kilickeser quad kings, left Azabdafter with 20,000 and sent Heinz home for an early bath!
. The board ran out 
. Banwari was ahead with his tournament life on the line, but the the 
on the turn quickly swung things in the other direction. Banwari slammed his fist on the table in disgust as the dealer placed the 
on the river to end his tournament run.
.
for a flush draw that got there as the board ran out 
.
flop.