Despite regular attempts to eliminate him, former Deauville champion Lucien Cohen plays on in the main event. He’s a divisive figure, but at what stage do we start considering him a contender? The PokerStars Blog takes a closer look.
Zimnan Ziyard seemed to be in the zone for a lot of this tournament and many observers were predicting a deep EPT run once again for the former champion. It's not to be after a very bad passage of play that's left him feeling, "Destroyed" as he described it and on the rail.
He shoved the last of his chips in from the small blind with and the big blind called with . Both players flopped open-ended straight draws on the J-T-X flop and the turn brought about a second club giving Ziyard flush outs. He made a pair on the nine river but the card made his opponent a winning straight.
With about 45,000 in the middle and the board showing , Jean-Jacques Zeitoun fired a bet of 30,500 from the cutoff seat and Remi Castaignon called from the button. Both then checked the turn.
The river brought the and another check from Zeitoun, and after a bit of a pause Castaignon bet 80,000. Zeitoun tanked for several minutes at that bet, pointing at the board as if to count his way through the steps of the hand. Finally he folded his hand face up — — and Castaignon collected the chips.
Ireland's Fergal Cawley has just been sent to the rail after he lost a crucial coinflip in a hand with Kristijonas Andrulis.
A raise from Andrulis was greeted with an all-in bet from Cawley and a call from Andrulis. Cawley held the and was up against the of Andrulis. A board reading sealed Cawley's fate and he was eliminated.
Gaetano Dell'Aera's tournament has come to an abrupt end at the hands of Cyril Andre.
The chips went into the middle preflop, the short-stacked Dell'Aera holding and needing some help to best the of his opponent. That help never arrived as the board ran out and Andre keeps in touching distance of the front runners.
Sam Grafton opened to 12,500 from the hijack seat of his six-handed table and his only customer was Mathew Frankland in the big blind, who called.
The flop saw Frankland check-call a 16,000 continuation bet from Grafton, leading the dealer to bring the into play. Frankand checked again and this time Grafton checked behind.
Frankland also checked the arrival of the on the river and when Grafton checked behind the cards were revealed.
Frankland:
Grafton:
"Is that a good hand then?" asked Grafton, "Someone get me a hand ranking chart please?!"
More banter between the two ensued. "I played it perfectly," claimed Grafton, "I bet when I was ahead and checked when I was behind."
"I can't argue with that," replied Frankland as he added to his 550,000 stack.
and the big blind called with 
. Both players flopped open-ended straight draws on the J-T-X flop and the turn brought about a second club giving Ziyard flush outs. He made a pair on the nine river but the card made his opponent a winning straight.
, Jean-Jacques Zeitoun fired a bet of 30,500 from the cutoff seat and Remi Castaignon called from the button. Both then checked the 
turn.
— and Castaignon collected the chips.
and was up against the 
sealed Cawley's fate and he was eliminated.
