When you hit the tables do you dress to impress? Or are you there for the long haul and opt for comfort? Either way, the way you present yourself is noticed by your competitors. Some of the top players discuss their views on personal preferences as well what they'd like others to be aware of.
Here’s a question from the soon to be released edition of Trivial Pursuit (worth an orange wedge).
Q. Who was Victoria Coren Mitchell’s heads-up opponent when she made poker history by winning a second EPT title?
I’ll give you a few seconds to have a guess. Got it? Of course not. Nobody remembers who finishes second, as the PokerStars Blog reports.
Upon busting the World Poker Tour event in New Jersey earlier this week, Matt Salsberg tweeted that he literally flipped a coin to determine which tournament to play next — the EPT Grand Final or another stop at nearby Philadelphia.
"Just did best of 3 coin flip to either go to Monte Carlo tomorrow or WSOPC Philly. Tails MC, Heads Philly. Both tails," Salsberg tweeted. "Then I flipped it 4 more times and it came tails all 4 times. 6 flips in a row said Monte Carlo. #Destiny."
Salsberg hopped a flight across the pond, but it turned out to be anything but destiny. The WPT Season XI Player of the Year nursed a short stack much of the day, and he finally got it in holding 
. Unfortunately for him, Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein held 
. The board ran out a clean 
and that was all she wrote for Salsberg.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
75,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
||
|
|
Busted | |
A big double up for Team PokerStars Pro Angel Guillen, he was all in on the turn of a 
board with 
against Olivier Busquet's 
- the Mexican needed to spike to stay in the tournament and managed to hit the 
on the river as Busquet quietly shook his head.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
55,000
22,000
|
22,000 |
|
|
||
|
51,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
Thomas Wahlroos is up over the 50,000 mark after he eliminated Antonio Ramahlo, Wahlroos held 
to Ramahlo's 
and won out on a 
board.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
55,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
Of course, we're interested in all players in this tournament and want to report on all big bluffs, huge coolers and want to follow all players with insane fancy play syndrome. But we have to start somewhere in a huge field as this, and familiar faces is where we begin on starting days like todays.
Table 29 has three players who have our special interest. Team PokerStars Pro's Eugene Katchalov and Liv Boeree share that table with Scott Clements, a player who's known by insiders as one of the best. He doesn't come over to Europe for any small tournament though. Just the bigger buy ins get him on a plane over here, and that's why he's here today because the EPT Grand Final is one of the biggest.
We grabbed an entire orbit of play at this interesting table. Take a look with us:
Hand 1) Eugene Katchalov limped for 500 under the gun plus two. Liv Boeree over limped and the cutoff, button and small blind joined in as well. Scott Clements in the big blind squeezed to 3,100 and everyone but the cutoff folded.
Clements continued his aggression with a 3,800 on 
. The cutoff folded and Clements took it down.
Hand 2) Liv Boeree opened in middle position for 1,200 and the big blind made the call. The big blind checked on 
and Boeree fired a 1,200 continuation bet. The big blind folded and it they were on to the next hand.
Hand 3) Eugene Katchalov min raised under the gun for 1,000 and one player behind him called. 
on the flop and Katchalov check-folded to a 1,200 bet by his opponent.
Hand 4) With the blinds now going up, a player in middle position opened for 1,500 and another player three-bet to 2,600. Eugene katchaov in the big blind had not all that much left, but called anyway. The initial raiser called as well and they saw a three way flop. All three of them checked the 
-flop, the -turn and -river. Katchalov tabled 
and both opponents folded.
Hand 5) The player under the gun made it 1,200 and someone in middle position, and the cutoff called. Katchalov in the small blind did the same and the big blind came along as well. On Katcahlov and the big blind checked to the initial raiser who bet out 3,800. Everyone folded.
Hand 6) A player in middle position opened for 1,350 and the cutoff, small blind, and Boeree in the big blind called.
On 
both blinds checked to the initial raiser who made a c-bet. One player called and Boeree in the big blind made the call as well. The turn came the 
and Boeree and the player with the initiative checked. The third player bet out and both players folded.
Hand 7) The player under the gun made it 1,350 to go and Scott Clements right next to him made the call. They were heads up to the flop where 
appeared. The initial raiser bet 1,350 and Clements made the call. The 
fell on the turn and the initial raiser checked. Clements bet out 3,600 and the call followed. The pre flop aggressor check called another 9,300 on the river, but couldn't beat Clements' flopped trips with 
.
Hand 8) The player under the gun made it 1,500 and Daniel Engels in the cutoff and the player in the small blind made the call.
on the flop and the small blind checked. The initial raiser bet out 2,700 and Engels called, the small blind folded. The fell on the turn and the initial raiser checked to Engels who bet 3,800. The call followed and the initial raiser check called another 9,800 on the river. Engels had just to show for, the pot went to the initial raiser who tabled 
.
Hand 9) The player under the gun plus two raised it up to 1,300 and everyone folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
105,000
21,500
|
21,500 |
|
20,000
6,300
|
6,300 |
|
|
||
|
12,150
3,850
|
3,850 |
|
||
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
155,000
99,000
|
99,000 |
|
155,000 | |
|
||
|
80,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
Busted | |
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With around 25,000 in the pot and a board reading , Germany's Hendrik Latz bet 18,400 from the small blind and put the pressure on Andrey Gulyy in the big. The Russian thought long and hard, but he eventually released his cards.
The hand wasn't especially noteworthy other than the fact that it pushed Latz up to approximately 215,000, which could very well be the top stack in the room.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
215,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
Phillipp Gruissem opened for 1,500 and got some resistance from the small blind. Ermo Kosk from Estonia made it 3,800 and Gruissem called.
Both players checked a flop of 
and the dealer burned and turned before we knew it: 
. Kosk checked to Gruissem who bet 3,300. Kosk called and checked again once the landed on the river. Gruissem bet 13,500 with about 7,000 behind and his opponent folded after some hefty thinking.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
36,800
6,800
|
6,800 |
