2013 PokerStars.com EPT Barcelona

€5,300 Main Event
Day: 5
Event Info

2013 PokerStars.com EPT Barcelona

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
55
Prize
€942,000
Event Info
Buy-in
€5,000
Prize Pool
€5,984,900
Entries
1,230
Level Info
Level
36
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
50,000

€5,300 Main Event

Day 5 Completed

Final Table Set: Tom “hitthehole” Middleton Leads for Third Day in a Row

Level 31 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante
Tom Middleton
Tom Middleton

On Friday, Day 5 of the EPT10 Barcelona Main Event kicked off at the Casino Barcelona with the remaining 24 players of a 1,234-player field returning to battle down to the final table of eight. After a long day of play, which included nearly two hours of nine-handed, the official final table was set.

Coming back tomorrow and leading the way is Tom “hitthehole” Middleton with a huge stack of 9.85 million. Kresten Nielsen is second on 7.3 million and Eduard Bhaggoe is the short stack with 1.615 million. Eighth place will pay €102,430, but all eyes will be on the first prize place of €1,067,000, the trophy (not to mention the SLYDE watch) and admittance to the exclusive club of EPT winners.

Middleton was the chip leader at the start of the day with a stack of 3,886,000, and although it looked bleak for him at one stage, he would go on to be not only the last UK player standing, but also the last participant in the Skrill Last Longer competition. He'll receive his €5,300 buy-in back for that achievement thanks to the EPT Season 10 official payment provider. What's more, Middleton earned the distinction of finishing with the chip lead for the third day in a row.

It was a long day for the players though, before the final table was set. Several players fell early, the first of which was Julian Thomas, a PokerStars player from Germany. He moved all in over the top of Middleton’s opening bet and got a call. Middleton looked fairly nonplussed when he found his {a-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds} was against the {a-Hearts}{7-Hearts} of Thomas, but poker can a cruel game as Thomas was about to find out. The board ran out {6-Hearts}{10-Hearts}{10-Clubs}{3-Spades}{6-Clubs} and Middleton’s full house cleaned Thomas out.

Next out was Jamila Von Perger who got all her chips in with {2-Hearts}{2-Clubs} against the {k-Diamonds}{k-Clubs} of Madis Muur. She could not repeat her Day 4 feat of spiking a two outer however, and she had to say goodbye. Further eliminations included Lukas Bergland (22nd), Florian-Dimitrie Duta (21st), Sergei Chantcev (20th) and Denis Pisarev (19th). From there, action slowed down a little bit, although there were a few double ups for the short stacks along the way, meaning the third level of the day finished with 17 players remaining.

Just after a break, Valentino Konakchiev shoved over the top of Niall Farrell’s open and was snapped off with {a-Diamonds}{q-Clubs}. Konakchiev held {k-Hearts}{q-Diamonds} and there was no drama as the board ran out {j-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds}{2-Spades}{4-Hearts}{4-Spades}. That meant the final 16 redrew for the final two tables.

Anaras Alekberovas finished fourth in Barcelona last year, and was looking to make back-to-back final tables. Unfortunately, the snappily dressed Lithuanian was to have a frustrating day, dwindling down to one of the shorter stacks before making a tremendous fight back only to have two hands send him to the rail in 13th for €58,980.

Just before 11:30 p.m. the unofficial final table of nine was set after Stefan Kolossow fell in tenth place. It happened when Kresten Nielsen raised to 200,000 from the button and Kolossow shoved for 1.79 million. Nielsen snapped him off with {a-Diamonds}{k-Diamonds} and with Kolossow holding {a-Clubs}{8-Spades}. The board ran out {2-Diamonds}{3-Clubs}{4-Hearts}{3-Diamonds}{9-Spades} and that was all she wrote for the German.

After the redraw it was Nielsen who led the way with 7.35 million, closely followed by Pasi Sormunen with 6.96 million. That said, Sormunen was to lose a succession of big pots to Middleton, who had position on the Finn. Finally, after nearly two hours of play it was Alejandro Perez who was eliminated when, having been left on a short stack, shoved with {q-}{j-} over Benoit Gury’s open. Gury, who was at one point down to 500,000, made the call and his {a-}{10-} held to set the official final table.

SeatPlayerCountyCount
1Andreas ChristoforouCyprus2,560,000
2Kimmo KurkoFinland2,265,000
3Pasi SormunenFinland3,070,000
4Tom Middleton*UK9,850,000
5Eduard BhaggoeNetherlands1,615,000
6Luca Fiorini*Italy4,610,000
7Kresten Nielsen*Denmark7,300,000
8Benoit GuryFrance5,610,000

*PokerStars Qualifier

The sixth and final day will kick off at 1:00 p.m. CET at the Casino Barcelona, though the live stream that we'll reporting off of is on a one-hour delay. Be sure to check PokerNews' live coverage then as we bring you all the action and eliminations from the tournament floor.

Tags: Tom Middleton

Alejandro Perez Eliminated in 9th Place (€79,000)

Level 31 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante
Alejandro Perez Torres - 9th Place
Alejandro Perez Torres - 9th Place

After doubling Andreas Christoforou, Alejandro Perez was left on the short stack. Not long after, Benoit Gury opened and Perez shoved holding {q-}{j-}. Gury called with the {a-}{10-}, and while we don't know how the board ran out, we do know that Perez was eliminated on the hand, thus ending the hopes of a Spainard capturing an EPT title here in Barcelona.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Alejandro Perez es
Alejandro Perez
Busted

Tags: Alejandro PerezBenoit Gury

Technical Difficulties

Level 31 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante

We're having some technical difficulties in the media room which is hampering the live updates. Our access to the final table is limited, but we can confirm that the short stack, Andreas Christoforou, has just doubled through Alejandro Perez. We'll attempt to bring you updated counts as soon as possible.

Back Door Straight Draw

Level 31 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante

Pasi Sormunen made a big raise from the small blind to 380,000 and Middleton again made the call. A flop of {a-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds}{10-Clubs} and they both checked. {6-Clubs} on the turn and Sormunen bet 325,000 which was called by Middleton. The {7-Clubs} brought in all sorts of draws and Sormunen checked it. Middleton reached for chips and bet 750,000. Sormunen called and showed {a-Hearts}{q-Spades} and couldn’t believe Midleton got there with {a-}{9-Clubs}. Another one for Middleton.

Tags: Pasi SormunenTom Middleton

Finns Collide in the Blinds

Level 31 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante

Action folded to a short-stacked Kimmo Kurko in the small blind and he moved all in for 1.43 million. Pasi Sormunen asked for a count from the big even before looking at his cards, and once he got it and looked at his card, he call.

Sormunen: {5-Spades}{5-Clubs}
Kurko: {k-Spades}{3-Spades}

Sormunen had woken up with a legitimate hand, and it was in great shape against Kurko's one over. The {2-Spades}{10-Diamonds}{10-Clubs} flop wasn't anything special, but the {K-Diamonds} turn was! Kurko spiked his over to take the lead. The {J-Spades} river was of no consequence and Kurko doubled through his fellow countryman.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Pasi Sormunen fi
Pasi Sormunen
4,700,000
-1,200,000
-1,200,000
Profile photo of Kimmo Kurko fi
Kimmo Kurko
3,040,000
790,000
790,000

Tags: Pasi SormunenKimmo Kurko

"You Can Never Be Too Careful"

Level 31 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante

Pasi Sormunen opened for 250,000 from the cutoff only to have Tom Middleton three-bet to 700,000 from the button. The blinds folded, Sormunen called and then both players checked it down as the board ran out {7-Hearts}{3-Diamonds}{a-Hearts}{q-Clubs}{a-Spades}.

Sormunen confidently tabled the {q-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds} for two pair, but it was no good as Middleton revealed {k-}{q-} for the same two pair with a better kicker.

"You can never be too careful," Middleton explained as to why he didn't bet.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Tom Middleton gb
Tom Middleton
7,640,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
EPT Main Event Champion
EPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Pasi Sormunen fi
Pasi Sormunen
5,900,000
-800,000
-800,000

Tags: Pasi SormunenTom Middleton

Middleton Stations Sormunen

Level 31 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante

Pasi Sormunen opened for 285,000 from the small blind and Tom Middleton made the call from the big blind. They saw a flop of {a-Hearts}{7-Diamonds}{10-Clubs}. Sormunen continued for 180,000 and Middleton called. {5-Spades} on the turn, again Sormunen kept up the aggression for a 215,000 bet and got a call. The river was {3-Clubs} and Sormunen gave up, checking it over to Middleton who checked behind and waited for his opponent to turn over his cards {8-Hearts}{4-Diamonds}. Middleton had called two streets with {k-Clubs}{j-Diamonds} and he was good.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Tom Middleton gb
Tom Middleton
6,640,000
1,665,000
1,665,000
EPT Main Event Champion
EPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Pasi Sormunen fi
Pasi Sormunen
6,000,000
-960,000
-960,000

Tags: Pasi SormunenTom Middleton