After he called a river bet, Fraser Macintyre got out of his chair and walked away a few yards before muttering to himself, "That's what I'm talking about!"
The pot started with a Ilan Boujenah raise to 48,000 from under the gun. This bet was called in two spots before Jason Duval three-bet to 142,000 from the small blind. Macintyre was the only caller from the button to see a flop appear.
Duval continued for 114,000 and the Brit called to the turn where he faced a 190,000 bet. Call. There was no slowing down Duval on the river as he fired a 285,000 third bullet. Macintyre took his time and called again. Duval sunk in his chair as he opened . Macintyre opened to continue his great day.
He's an interesting fellow today this Ricardo Ibañez. Earlier he snap-folded nines to a three-bet all in from Taylor Paur when it wouldn't have cost too much of his stack and now, he's just done this...
Ibañez had three-bet a Bruno Lopes open to 117,000 only for the French rapper to make it 250,000 but then the Spanish chip leader came back over the top with a five-bet to 617,000. Lopes tanked for about five minutes as the commentators speculated what they would do with queens in this spot, finally Lopes folded and Ibañez showed the !
Ibañez has got a big chip lead, approaching 3 million.
A bit late to the party, we just picked up a battle of the blinds between Andrei Stoenescu and Mike McDonald. We think Stoenescu was the bettor on the flop, but we didn't join up until the turn landed on the board. McDonald was the one doing the betting at that point, and Stoenescu check-called 99,000 to see the last card.
It was the . Stoenescu knocked the table again, and McDonald put him to the decision with a carefully chosen bet of 166,000. The Romanian spent a minute or two in the tank, then made a big (and correct) call. McDonald flashed his , then turned them right back face-down near the muck. Stoenescu rolled over , and his ace was good enough.
Ricardo Ibañez opened with a raise before Tristan Clemencon three-bet shoved for 183,000 total. The call came from the chip leader, and he was drawing live for the knockout.
Showdown
Ibañez:
Clemencon:
The flop hit both players, but it kept Clemencon in front with two to come. The turn card made things interesting though. The landed to add another eight outs to Ibañez draw, and he could catch any five, six, seven, or ten to get there.
River:
That's going to mark the end of Clemencon's day, run off to the rail in 11th place. That's good for €25,000, but it's left him just a couple spots short of a second career EPT final table.
Ilan Boujenah sure can bully opponents for a small man. He was one of two callers after Jason Duval raised to 50,000 from under the gun.
The flop came down and Boujenah was the first to add more chips, when he bet 77,000. Duval called and also check-called a 140,000 bet on the turn to head to the river. Boujenah bet 210,000 and his Canadian opponent admitted defeat by check-folding.
Mike McDonald opened with an under-the-gun raise, and Taylor Paur three-bet shoved from the blinds. It was 446,000 total, and McDonald made the call for about half his stack with a chance at the knockout.
Showdown
McDonald:
Paur:
Paur was in trouble, and he'd not be able to catch up. The board ran out . Paur is out in 13th place, and the comeback is on for McDonald. That knockout moves him up to around 1.4 million.
Frederik Jensen raised to 50,000 preflop and Fraser Macintyre made it 125,000 out of the blinds. Jensen moved all in and Macintyre snap-called, it was as simple as that.
Jensen: [TsT]
Macintyre:
Jensen was in trouble but the board helped him, coming and he doubled to just under a million.
Taylor Paur raised to 50,000 preflop and Mike McDonald moved all in for 390,000 behind him. Ricardo Ibañez then reraised all in to cover and Paur got out of the way. The final EPT champion was at risk.
McDonald:
Ibañez:
The board came and McDonald doubled up to the relative safety of 800,000
Juan Navarrate is the second shortest stack, and he found a spot to get it in there. The table folded around to his button, and he moved in for just about 330,000. The blinds let him off the hook.
Stealing the blinds and antes adds 57,000 chips to Navarrete's stack — a significant increase at this point. He was the chip leader back on Day 1b, but he's going to have to find some chips in a hurry if he's going to parlay that into a final table run today.
flop appear.
turn where he faced a 190,000 bet. Call. There was no slowing down Duval on the 
river as he fired a 285,000 third bullet. Macintyre took his time and called again. Duval sunk in his chair as he opened 
. Macintyre opened 
to continue his great day.
flop, but we didn't join up until the 
turn landed on the board. McDonald was the one doing the betting at that point, and Stoenescu check-called 99,000 to see the last card.
. Stoenescu knocked the table again, and McDonald put him to the decision with a carefully chosen bet of 166,000. The Romanian spent a minute or two in the tank, then made a big (and correct) call. McDonald flashed his 
, then turned them right back face-down near the muck. Stoenescu rolled over 
, and his ace was good enough.
flop hit both players, but it kept Clemencon in front with two to come. The turn card made things interesting though. The 
and Navarrete left the tournament, there's only one Spaniard left - but he's the chip leader.
turn to head to the 
. Paur is out in 13th place, and the comeback is on for McDonald. That knockout moves him up to around 1.4 million.
