As you ready to follow heads-up play in the Main Event, read on the PokerStars blog how PCA Main Event winner Dominik Panka has confirmed his arrival as a bright new talent in the game by winning the €10,300 EPT Deauville High Roller for €272,000. Panka beat a final table including EPT winners Davidi Kitai, Martin Schleich and Kent Lundmark, as well as former EPT Player of the Year Ondrej Vinklarek.
Sotirios Koutoupas opened the small blind to 250,000 holding . Oliver Price didn't have all that many big blinds left anymore and pushed all in with from the big blind. Snap call by Koutoupas.
Commentator Joe Stapleton jokingly said that Koutoupas would have this confrontation locked up after the flop, the way he has been running this final table.
"Ha!" Stapleton shouted as the window card became visible. The and that accompanied the queen for the flop gave Price something of a chance. Only one out of twenty times would Price still win this certain situation though.
"So you're telling me there's a chance?!"
The on the turn turned Price's 5% hand into an 18% hand. With an up and down, every ten and five would now give him the much needed double up. All other cards would mean he was out.
The river was a and the fairy tale was over for Price. Price, who wasn't planning on playing this event until Dominik Nitsche convinced him, walks away with €271,200 during his second ever EPT.
Back to back eliminations for the second time at this final table, albeit this time they were separated by a 20 minute break.
From under-the-gun Eli Heath moved all-in for 1,230,000 (12 big blinds) with , next to act Sotirios Koutoupas called with , both blinds folded and it was time to go to showdown.
Yet again Heath had got it in good, but yet again he'd be brutally outflopped as the first three community cards were . Heath was now just an 11% shot to stay in the tournament. He didn't get there on the turn or river and shook the hand of his opponents as he left the table.
Harry Law opened under the gun to 160,000 with . Law wanted action but wasn't getting it from Eli Heath who folded. Sotirios Koutoupas in the small blind had a big hand though with and surely wasn't folding. You could feel the tension in the air, the commentators of the live stream already foresaw big action.
Koutoupas made it 440,000 to go and Oliver Price quickly folded. Getting a three bet with pocket aces, Christmas came early for Law. He four bet to 985,000 and action was back on Koutoupas. The Greek shoved all in, Law immediately called.
The biggest pot of the tournament with 8,230,000 in chips in the middle. Law's graphic said he was a 87% favorite to win the hand.
It said 2% after the flop: .
Law now needed runner runner straight flush for a split pot, or runner runner board pair something to win it. It wouldn't happen. on the turn and it was all over for Law. The on the river was there just to make it official.
Law exits in 5th place, taking home €164,600 after suffering this horrible beat.
A huge pot for Harry Law and one that has left Eli Heath with just 15 big blinds.
It folded to Law on the button and he opened to 160,000 with , Eli Heath three-bet to 395,000 from the big blind with . "I think Law is a bit frustrated and he might just four-bet jam it in here," said Marc Convey on EPT Live.
Back on Law that's exactly what he did, moving all-in for 1,990,000 an Heath, after some consideration, he made the call. Law saw that he was up against it but the meant he flopped a straight and was now a 98% favourite to win the pot. The turn and river kept Law in front and he's up to 4,070,000 whilst Heath is down to 1,300,000.