Balazs Botond and Zachary Korik seem to like to play hands at the same time when we're walking between their tables.
Korik was busy playing, and defeating, Matthias De Meulder out of position. He was in the big blind peeled a button raise from the Team PokerStars Pro. De Meulder continued for 1,100 and and Korik check-called before both players checked the turn. The final card came and and Korik led for 1,825. Fold.
Meanwhile Botond had made it to the river of an board where he bet 10,000. It was a pot-sized bet his opponent, Philippe Narboni, had to consider calling out of his remaining 13,000 chips. He called ans mucked upon seeing Botond's for a straight.
Jinfeng Huo raised from middle position, Grzegorz Derkowski reraised from late position, and when it folded back Huo called, creating a pot of about 7,500.
The flop came and both players checked. The turn then brought the and a bet of 6,000 from Huo, leaving herself not much more than that behind. Derkowski waited about 30 seconds, then declared he was all in and Huo called.
Huo had , but Derkowski had her beat with . The river was the , and Huo hits the rail.
The big board is showing 250 players currently remain out of the 307 who started Day 1a.
Mat Frankland continues to climb up the leader board and is now armed with 75,000 chips.
We joined the hand over on Table 10 to see Kevin Allen sat in middle position with 2,525 worth of chips in front of him, considering what his best response to Frankland's 5,425 bet (from the button) should be. Allen eventually decided on a fold, to which a couple of players on the rail requested Frankland to "show a deuce!"
Allen said to Frankland, "You could show one good cards," to which Frankland responded, "I could show you two good cards!"
We asked "Franky" how the hand went down and he informed us there was a raise and a call in early position, Allen three-bet to 2,525 and Frankland four-bet to 5,425.
Okay, that may be a little too theatrical but the PokerStars Blog caught up with Liv Boeree to chat about the growth of ladies events at the EPT. Read what she had to say here.
Marc Inizan just now pushed his short stack of about 5,500 all in from middle position, and it folded around to Phu Phuoc Truong who called from the blinds, committing about a third of his chips to do so. Inizan quickly flipped over his , and Truong remained emotionless as he showed his .
The flop came and turn , giving Truong flush outs to steal the hand. But the river was the , and Inizan survives.
Sinel Anton opened to 650 preflop and Jonathan Duhamel came in with a three-bet to roughly 1,400 before it was passed back to the Romanian who decided to simply move all in for about 20,000. Duhamel had about 16,000 in total and took a couple of minutes before opting to call off his chips for his tournament life.
Anton:
Duhamel:
The board came a nineless and the Canadian Team PokerStars Pro was eliminated.
Patrick Schuhl has had a productive afternoon, having pushed his stack up well over 100,000 as we move through Level 5.
Just now Schuhl was in action again following an opponent's raise to 825 from early position. Schuhl called the raise from a couple of seats over, then Najib Kamand reraised to 2,575 from the hijack seat. It folded back to the original raiser who folded, but after a recheck of his cards Schuhl grabbed chips as if to reraise back, then called.
Kamand looked at Schuhl with a wry grin as the flop came . Schuhl checked, Kamand continued for 3,200, and Schuhl again rechecked his cards before calling. No grin came from Kamand that time. And when the fell on the turn and Schuhl bet 8,500, Kamand's expression had turned to one of quiet resolve as he tossed his hand away.
The cowboy-hat wearing Schuhl adds still more, and appears to be sporting the biggest stack in the room at the moment.
John Eames and Sebastien Comel both believed their trip kings were good in a hand that just took place, but they ultimately split the pot with each other.
It was Eames who opened the betting with a raise to 700 from UTG+1 and after Jonathan Duhamel folded, Yuri Guly, the next-to-act Comel and the 2012 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event runner-up Sergii Baranov all called — the latter being on the button. Team PokerStars Pro Marcin Horecki, in the big blind, also called.
The flop prompted everyone to check around to Comel who set the price to plat at 2,000. Baranov and Horecki folded in turn, but Eames called. When Gulyy folded the dealer got to work putting the on the turn.
Another Broadway card, and another heart at that, saw Eames check and it slowed down Comel who checked behind. The river appealed to Eames and he lead out for 3,200. Comel quickly called and the duo revealed their holdings.
Eames:
Comel:
The pot was chopped as both players held trip kings with a queen kicker.
turn. The final card came 
and and Korik led for 1,825. Fold.
for a straight.
and a bet of 6,000 from Huo, leaving herself not much more than that behind. Derkowski waited about 30 seconds, then declared he was all in and Huo called.
, but Derkowski had her beat with 
. The river was the 
, and Huo hits the rail.
, and Truong remained emotionless as he showed his 
.
and turn 
, giving Truong flush outs to steal the hand. But the river was the 
, and Inizan survives.
and the Canadian Team PokerStars Pro was eliminated.
flop prompted everyone to check around to Comel who set the price to plat at 2,000. Baranov and Horecki folded in turn, but Eames called. When Gulyy folded the dealer got to work putting the 
river appealed to Eames and he lead out for 3,200. Comel quickly called and the duo revealed their holdings.