Daniel Negreanu opened to 300 and got calls from David Archibald Douglas on the button and Johan Guilbert in the big blind.
Guilbert checked to Negreanu on the flop and the Canadian continued for 300 and got two calls. Guilbert bet 600 on the turn and Negreanu folded and Douglas called.
The river was the and Guilbert checked. Douglas bet 1,800 and Guilbert tank-called.
Douglas showed for a missed flush draw and Guilbert showed with a cheeky smile.
"Dammit," said Negreanu. "I had the best hand...until the river."
Negreanu sits on around 52,000 as the tournament clock ticks into Level 2. The secret to his big stack? "Small-ball poker," he said.
"Small-ball!" said Douglas, "He bets every flop; makes houses..."
In a three-bet pot, three players saw a flop of . It checked to the cutoff who bet 1,600. Pedro Cairat called and the other player folded.
The turn was checked by both players. The river was the . Cairat bet 2,400 and his opponent raised in position to 5,100. Cairat tanked before folding, allowing his opponent to take down the pot.
The last time the European Poker Tour Main Event was held in Barcelona, there was a memorable final hand between Sebastian Malec and Uri Reichenstein, with Malec emerging triumphant.
Two years later, the pair are back for the latest EPT Barcelona Main Event and are sit just one table away from one another.
Malec opened to 400 from the cutoff and the player on the button three-bet to 1,400. Malec called and check-called 1,500 on the flop. The turn was the and both players checked.
The river was the . Malec tanked before checking, and his opponent bet 2,000. Malec snap-called.
His opponent turned over but Malec had rivered two pair with and he took down the pot, taking him back above starting stack after having lost a pot previously.