€5,300 EPT Main Event Day 4 | 2019 PokerStars EPT Prague

12-15-2019 19:04 UTC+2

Pierre Calamusa Eliminated in 20th Place (€38,900)

Shirley Ang

Level 23 : 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Pierre Calamusa shoved from the cutoff for 300,000 and Luke Marsh asked for a count in the small blind. The dealer confirmed the amount and Marsh shoved to isolate and Dominik Panka quickly folded.

Pierre Calamusa:
Luke Marsh:

Both players got up from their chairs and shook hands.

The flop came to keep Marsh ahead.

The turn was the which didn't help Calamusa and neither did the on the river as the Frenchman was sent to the payout desk in 20th place for €38,900.

Player	Chips	Progress
Luke Marsh	3,720,000 350,000	350,000
Pierre Calamusa	Busted

Tags: Dominik Panka Luke Marsh Pierre Calamusa

12-15-2019 19:01 UTC+2

Fidan Zahiti Eliminated in 21st Place (€33,300)

Christian Zetzsche

Level 23 : 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

In the penultimate hand of the level on the outer tables, Akin Tuna raised to 55,000 from under the gun and was called by Mikalai Pobal from one seat over. Fidan Zahiti jammed the cutoff for 215,000 and Stefan Egermann called on the button, Tuna and Pobal sent their cards into the muck.

Fidan Zahiti:
Stefan Egermann:

The flop gave Egermann a flushdraw on top of his superior kicker and he held onto the lead on the turn and river runout. Zahiti missed the pay jump and has to settle for 21st place and €33,300 for his efforts.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stefan Egermann	1,550,000 375,000	375,000
Fidan Zahiti	Busted

Tags: Akin Tuna Fidan Zahiti Mikalai Pobal Stefan Egermann

12-15-2019 18:35 UTC+2

Kim Doubles Through Calamusa

Shirley Ang

Level 23 : 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Gab Yong Kim raised to 50,000 from the button with and Pierre Calamusa three-bet to 175,000 in the big blind with which Kim called.

The flop came for Kim to hit a pair of eights but keep Calamusa ahead. Calamusa bet 150,000 and Kim called after looking at his cards once more.

The turn was the to keep things the same. Calamusa barreled a bet of 400,000 into the pot. Kim took some time and then called after using a time bank card.

The river completed the board with the to give Kim trips. Calamusa shoved and Kim snap-called for the 610,000 he had behind to double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gab Yong Kim	2,710,000 1,320,000	1,320,000
Pierre Calamusa	370,000 -1,470,000	-1,470,000

Tags: Gab Yong Kim Pierre Calamusa

12-15-2019 17:55 UTC+2

Norbert Szecsi Discusses Huge Hand that Propelled Him to Lead

mnuwwarah

Level 23 : 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Even an attentive poker player can occasionally make the mistake of not seeing a bet or miscounting a stack. The nightmare for tournament players is to have such a thing happen in a big spot, deep in a high-profile event.

That's exactly what happened to Norbert Szecsi deep in PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague Main Event. Luckily for him — and unluckily for his opponent — everything played out in absolutely ideal fashion after that, so much so that Szecsi now sits with a pile of chips that he likely never would have had if everything had gone standard from start to finish.

In that way, at least, he has his own error to thank for his chip lead at three-table redraw in the Main Event.

"That was a lucky one for me," he said to PokerNews on break. "Beautiful accident."

How the Hand Played Out

In the hand in question, Szecsi, sitting on a little under 2 million at 8,000/16,000/16,000, attempted to open the pot holding . Unfortunately, Philipp Zukernik hadn't yet acted on his right.

"He was thinking about what he's gonna do but I raised because I didn't check it," Szecsi said.

Zukernik opted to limp in, locking Szecsi raise of 35,000 into the middle. Action folded back to Zukernik and he came in raising with 130,000. Szecsi said it was pretty much what he expected. Luckily for Szecsi, he had position and they were around 90 big blinds deep, so he could peel.

"I had a good feeling about it," Szecsi said with a smile.

The flop came , a dream scenario for the Hungarian two-time bracelet winner. Zukernik bet another 130,000 and Szecsi made it 350,000. A preflop limp-raise hinted to Szecsi that there was value to be had here.

"I thought after his preflop action he is strong," Szecsi explained of his decision not to slowplay.

Zukernik stuck around for a turn. Given Szecsi's read of his opponent's range, he knew he might be up against an overpair with a one-card flush draw. Rather than attempt to bet big to protect his hand, he went for a small bet of 225,000.

When he wasn't raised, he was certain he had the best of it.

"It's only one bet in on the turn so that's good for me," Szecsi said. "I'm ahead against his overpairs and flush draws. If he has a flush, that sucks, it's a cooler for me, but I'm never gonna fold this hand."

Norbert Szecsi — Szecsi is in a great spot with less than 25 players left.

The river brought in something of a dream card, the . Now, all of Zukernik's draws got there but were dead against Szecsi's full house. With only about half-pot left behind, Szecsi had one move when checked to, jamming for the rest.

As for Zukernik, Szecsi expects his opponent to have a second-best hand 100% of the time in this situation. Not many players are going to go for a limp-reraise with pocket sevens or pocket eights, as these hands will often be difficult to play out of position with deep stacks. Given Szecsi's read that his opponent had a big hand preflop, Szecsi's boat was essentially the nuts.

What that also meant for Zukernik was his strong flushes were at the top of his range. He had just such a hand with , and Szecsi said this hand is probably too strong to fold.

"Maybe his nut flushes, but that's it," Szecsi said when assessing which better hands Zukernik reaches the river with.

Fortunate Timing

Given that he had pocket threes preflop, Szecsi admitted the situation actually played out ideally. He got to flop a set in a three-bet pot when that would have never happened if Zukernik had opened his ace-king as he'd always be doing.

"If everything went as we would normally play, it's not gonna happen," Szecsi said.

Preflop, it would be pretty adventurous to set-hunt given there were still players to act behind them. So, at best, Szecsi would have been making his hand in a single-raised pot, where Zukernik could have gotten away much cheaper.

As it played out, Zukernik ran into an incredibly unfortunate situation, but one player's misfortune is another's windfall, and now Szecsi sits in a wonderful spot. He's chip leader of an EPT Main Event with well north of 200 big blinds and the three-table redraw in the rearview mirror.

"This is the first time this situation has happened to me, and it's a good time for it," Szecsi said.

Szecsi got to support fellow Hungarian pro Marton Czuczor a few years back when Czuczor made a run and chopped EPT Prague with Jasper Meijer van Putten for more than €600,000. Thanks in part to a "beautiful accident," he's now got a chance to do even better and bank the €1,005,600 first-place prize in 2019.

Tags: Norbert Szecsi

12-15-2019 17:40 UTC+2

Denys Shafikov Eliminated in 22nd Place (€33,300)

Will Shillibier

Level 23 : 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Gaby Livshitz opened to 50,000 and called a shove from Denys Shafikov for around 650,000 in chips.

Gaby Livshitz:
Denys Shafikov:

The board came and Shafikov was eliminated in 22nd place for €33,300.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gaby Livshitz	4,030,000 595,000	595,000

Denys Shafikov	Busted

Tags: Denys Shafikov Gaby Livshitz

12-15-2019 17:12 UTC+2

Sorin Flutur Eliminated in 23rd Place (€33,300)

Shirley Ang

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Sorin Flutur raised to 40,000 from under the gun with and Pierre Calamusa three-bet to 130,000 in the cutoff holding . Action folded back to Flutur who made the call.

The flop came for Flutur to hit top pair but keep Calamusa ahead with the overpair. Flutur checked and Calamusa bet 100,000. Flutur responded with a shoe for 420,000 and Calamusa snap-called.

The rest of the board was completed with the on the turn and the on the river for Calamusa to improve to a set to send Flurtur to the rail in 23rd place for €33,300.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pierre Calamusa	1,845,000 705,000	705,000

Sorin Flutur	Busted

Tags: Pierre Calamusa Sorin Flutur

12-15-2019 17:03 UTC+2

Paiva Scores Big Double After Action Turn

Will Shillibier

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Erdal Gulseven and Tomas Paiva checked to Wing Sang Lee on the button with a flop in front of them. Lee bet 85,000 and got two calls.

The turn was the . It checked to Lee again who bet 165,000. Gulseven then counted out some chips and put 250,000 in front of him. That was ruled a raise and it was changed to 330,000. Paiva then used a time extension before moving all in for 1,175,000.

Lee folded and Gulseven used a time extension of his own before calling.

Tomas Paiva:
Erdal Gulseven:

Paiva had turned a full house and Gulseven had called with trip twos. The river was the and Paiva doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tomas Paiva	2,950,000 1,600,000	1,600,000
Erdal Gulseven	900,000 -1,050,000	-1,050,000
Wing Sang Lee	610,000 -150,000	-150,000

Tags: Erdal Gulseven Tomas Paiva Wing Sang Lee

12-15-2019 16:50 UTC+2

Pieter Aerts Eliminated in 24th Place (€27,930)

Christian Zetzsche

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Pieter Aerts raised to 45,000 and Morten Hvam three-bet to 105,000 from one seat over. Aerts moved all in and Hvam used a time bank extension before making the call.

Pieter Aerts:
Morten Hvam:

Both had very similar stack sizes and the board came to improve Hvam to a runner-runner flush. Once the stacks were counted, both had exactly 960,000 and that sent Aerts to the rail in 24th place for €27,930.

Player	Chips	Progress
Morten Hvam	1,970,000 995,000	995,000
Pieter Aerts	Busted

Tags: Morten Hvam Pieter Aerts

12-15-2019 15:50 UTC+2

Jedlicka Falls to Paiva's Aces

Will Shillibier

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Tomas Paiva raised to 55,000 in the small blind and Stefan Jedlicka raised to 500,000 with around 60,000 behind. Paiva four-bet all in and Jedlicka tanked.

Jedlicka appeared to believe that a payjump was imminent, and burned through a couple of time extensions.

"You have a pair?" asked Paiva. "I have aces."

Jedlicka then realised that he would need two eliminations to jump up a payout, and called.

Stefan Jedlicka:
Tomas Paiva:

The flop came

"We have a sweat!" said Jedlicka, but the turn and river bricked and he was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tomas Paiva	1,300,000 800,000	800,000
Stefan Jedlicka	Busted

Tags: Stefan Jedlicka Tomas Paiva

12-15-2019 15:42 UTC+2

Kisacikoglu Runs into Kings

Will Shillibier

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Orpen Kisacikoglu raised to 175,000 leaving himself 100,000 behind. It folded to Stefan Egermann in the big blind who moved all in. Kisacikoglu called and was all in for 275,000 total.

Orpen Kisacikoglu:
Stefan Egermann: