Mark Buckley Leads Final 56 in PokerStars EPT Barcelona Main Event
With just 56 players left in the PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona Main Event, it is Irishman Mark Buckley who is chip leader.
The chip lead jumped between half a dozen players in the final few levels of the day before Buckley bagged 2,650,000 to top the pile heading into Day 4.
Close behind him is Brazilian Fabiano Kovalski (2,530,000) and Matthias Tikerpe (2,325,000), the latter of which eliminated Shaun Deeb (61st - €19,760) in the last level of the night to move to around the two million mark.
There are plenty of big names also still in contention including EPT champion Ognyan Dimov (1,730,000) and 2015 EPT Barcelona champion John Juanda (1,210,000). PokerStars Championship Prague winner Kalidou Sow started the day with just five big blinds, but ended up bagging a comfortable 1,450,000. But today saw the last remaining PokerStars Team Pro bust in brutal fashion. Jaime Staples (60th - €19,760) flopped a set of fours against the set of sixes of Ben Heath and when the board paired on the turn, the pair proceeded to get it in on the river and Staples was eliminated.
Unfortunately, former EPT Champions Benny Spindler (204th - €9,740), Patrik Antonius (196th - €9,740), Niall Farrell (149th - €10,770), Jens Kyllonen (137th - €12,080), Michael Tureniec (76th - €16,670) and Dominik Panka (64th - €19,760) won’t be adding another title to their poker resumes.
Short-stacked at the beginning of the day, Viktor Blom was among the early casualties collecting a Day 2 min-cash of €8,900, with last year’s PokerStars Championship Barcelona winner Sebastian Sorensson not far behind them (197th - €9,740), with Sorensson losing out to Frenchman Julien Sitbon in the early stages of the day.
Other notables include former professional footballer [Removed:30] (174th - €10,770), Anatoly Filatov (162nd - €10,770), Pedro Cairat (120th - €12,080), Leo Margets (€14,330), Day 2 Pineapple Flip Out Platinum Pass winner Eric Lenoir (117th - €14,330), Fernando Pons (100th - €14,330), Mustapha Kanit (92nd - €16,670), former EPT San Remo runner-up Jason Lavallee (77th - €16,670) and Mark Radoja (58th - €19,760).
Other eliminations today included Day 2 chip leader Ben Wilinofsky, who was eliminated in 123rd place (€12,080)when both he and Renato Kaneoya flopped trips, with Kaneoya emerging as the first major contender for overall chip leader.
Victor Chong and Ognyan Dimov were both among the big stacks in the room before Buckley’s first big break came when he eliminated Tony Broekhof in Level 19. Broekhof held top pair and called the shove from Buckley, but the Irishman showed an overpair in kings to send his opponent to the rail.
He chipped up further with pocket aces against Simon Mattsson, before a set of twos eliminated Yi Ang Lin from the Main Event.
There was a late surge from Fabiano Kovalski, and Buckley was not infallible in the latter stages, but he held on and will take a healthy stack of 132 big blinds through to Day 4.
You can catch all the updates live on PokerNews.com from the Casino Barcelona as we get closer to crowning the latest EPT Champion.
and Staples check-called 33,000.
and Staples again check-called 94,000.
. Staples checked for a third time and Heath moved all in. Staples rechecked his cards before calling with 
for his last 399,000. Unfortunately for him, Heath held 
for a bigger full house and the last Team PokerStars Pro in the EPT Barcelona Main Event was eliminated.
run out didn't help Panka, and Tariq chipped up over a million.
and Panka let for 90,000. The French player chose to use two time bank bank cards before pushing his stack in the middle. Panka snap-called with 
but only to see 
and a 
and Pollak climbed to almost one million chips after that hand.
in a three-way hand, the pot was already containing over 300,000 when Yi Ang Lin fired 245,000 from the big blind. Danny Tang folded and Mark Buckley eventually called on the button after using one time bank card.
came on the turn and after some though, Lin announced all-in for a stack worth 967,000, putting Buckley into a difficult decision. After using up one more time bank card, Buckley tossed one chip for the call and tabled 
for a set of deuces.
, found no split out help on the 
river and got eliminated from the tournament.
and Imsirovic was eliminated, missing out on the pay jump in the process.
. Buckley checked and Broekhof bet 210,000. Buckley then check-raised all in for 877,000 and after using one time extension Broekhof called.
down in disgust.
and Buckley eliminated his opponent who was all in for 745,000.
and Panka continued for 27,000. Desmottes moved all in for 141,000 and Panka called.
giving Panka top pair. The river was the 
flop and Mulder called. The pair checked the 
for a flopped straight and eliminated Giotti.
. Wilinofsky bet 70,000 and Kaneoya called.
and Wilinofsky bet 125,000. Kaneoya then moved all in and Wilinofsky quickly called, tabling 
