On the flop, Team PokerStars Pro Andre Akkari bet 525. Toby Lewis called, and the turn was the to pair the board. Akkari bet 1,250, and Lewis called again.
The completed the board on the river, and Akkari stayed on the gas with a bet of 2,100. Lewis mulled it over, then folded, and Akkari scooped the pot.
From early position, Kristijonas Andrulis raised to 450. Jack Salter reraised to 1,200 on the button, and Andrulis made the call to see the flop come down . Both players checked.
The turn was the , and Andrulis fired 1,550. Salter folded, and Andrulis won the pot.
On the next hand, Andrulis opened with a raise to 450 from under the gun. Stefan Kling called from the big blind, and the flop came down . Both players checked, then again checked on the turn card.
The completed the board on the river, and Kling bet 700. Andrulis folded, and Kling won the pot.
As we walk between the tables in the huge tournament room at Casino Barcelona, it’s not always possible to bring you huge hands clashing and fancy three-street bluffs. So here’s three nuggets to keep you going:
1. It’s not all iPads and smartphones these days. A few players have brought a good old fashioned book. Przemyslaw Piotrowski, for one, was spotted with Nikos Kazantzakis’s novel Zorba the Greek under his chair.
2. According to a tweet from Barny Boatman, “The word for 'range' is 'range', pronounced 'ran-gay'. Now you can explain your dodgy calls in Spanish, too.”
3. Do not try to bluff Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier. He will soul read you and call you down with ace high.
Ten years ago the first ever EPT main event was held right here in Barcelona. A field of 229 players took their seats, making Tour history as they did so, particularly one Swedish player Alexander Stevic who would be crowned the first ever EPT winner, as the PokerStars Blog reports.
Jevgenijs Selivanovs a Latvian live satellite qualifier, opened from first position for 450 and got calls from Dominik Nitsche, the German tournament pro, in late position and Kai Herold in the big blind. They saw a flop of which was checked to Nitsche who bet 750. Only Selivanovs called. The on the turn, Selivanovs checked and called a bet of 2,250 from Nitsche. When the completed the board Selivanovs changed tack and led out for 5,150. Nitsche didn’t like it and folded.
Selivanovs broke out in a grin and proceeded to tell Nitsche the number of hands that he had beaten. “I folded two pair.” Claimed Nitsche to much disbelief on the table who thought he was bluffing. “I had five six.” He continued, asking what Selivanovs had as he had told him. “Or I could be lying.” Nitsche finished.
Seth Berger fired a bet of 575 on the flop of into Romanian Luciana Manolea. Manolea made the call, and the dealer placed the out on the turn. After Berger bet 1,100, Manolea raised to 2,700. Berger called. The river was the , and both players checked.
Berger showed the for two pair, queens and eights, with an ace kicker. Manolea mucked her hand, and Berger won the pot.
A few more tables are breaking now as we lose some players, and one of them was the table containing fellow Team PokerStars Pros Jason Mercier and Leo Margets. It’s still early days, but it hasn’t been the best of starts for Mercier. Handed a rack for his chips he asked the floor, “Do we have to use one?” Yes was the answer and he filled up one column of the rack with his stack. From a start of 30,000 Mercier now has 24,100. Maybe the change of table will bring him better fortune.