With a place at an EPT final table at stake it's understandable to see cagey play early on. The players on table 2 are feeling each other out and making considered decisions at every juncture.
It took a while to get a hand that made it to showdown, but when it did, chip leader Jason Tompkins lost some of his lead.
Michael Benvenuti raised to 48,000 from under the gun and was called by Imed Mahmoud on the button and Tompkins in the small blind.
All three checked the flop to head to the turn. The action checked to Mahmoud who bet 67,000, only called by Tompkins. Mahmoud bet 141,000 after the river came and Tompkins checked to him again. The Irishman called after some thought and mucked upon seeing his opponent's for trips.
There’s not much to see from the spectator gallery as play moves into the theatre at Casino Sanremo. But the players are ready to play down to a final table.
Charly Maracchione got his stack of 260,000 all in before the flop early on here in the day holding against an opponent's . The ace-king was able to hold and Maracchione was able to double up.
Welcome back to our live coverage of Season 9 of PokerStars.com EPT Sanremo Main Event. Yesterday's play saw 66 players return to the felt to battle it out for a spot among the top 24. These remaining 24 players will return today to play down to a final table of eight. The man with the best chance of getting there is Jason Tompkins who is bringing a stack of 2.423 million into play.
There were still many a recognizable name left in the field when play began yesterday. Their quest to glory, however, was cut short when their chips were forced to be shipped across the felt to other worthy competitors. Justin Bonomo, Roberto Romanello, David Vamplew, Alex Roumeliotis, and Mike Watson were among those to see their tournament come to an end on Day 4.
While those players were unable to make Day 5, other notable names were able to overcome the field and advance. Players returning today that are looking for a spot on the prestigious final table include Yevgeniy Timoshenko, Michael Benvenuti, Jason Lavallee, Thomas Gabriel, Ludovic Lacay, Micah Raskin, Matt Salsberg, the Day 3 and 4 chip leader, Inge Forsmo
Cards are soon to fly in the theater of the lavish Casino Sanremo. Be sure to stay tuned to our updates as we proceed along the path to an EPT final table!