Level: 18
Blinds: 4,000/8,000
Ante: 8,000
Level: 18
Blinds: 4,000/8,000
Ante: 8,000
After an under-the-gun open, Alexander Zubov three-bet to 32,000 from the next seat. Omar Del Pino then four-bet to 69,000 from middle position. The initial raiser folded, but Zubov called with roughly 95,000 behind.
Zubov checked the J♠10♦2♣ flop and Del Pino shoved to put Zubov all in. Zubov didn't take long to fold, and Del Pino dragged in the pot.
Action folded to Simon Lofberg on the button, who opened to 12,000, only to be faced with a three-bet to 32,000 from Jeremie Zouari in the small blind.
Action back to Lofberg, who four-bet jammed for his 107,000 total stack, with Zouari making the quick call.
Simon Lofberg: A♠Q♦
Jeremie Zouari: A♥K♠
Lofberg's ace was dominated, but he went ahead on the Q♥6♥2♠ flop, and although his opponent picked up extra outs on the J♣ turn, the 9♣ river was a brick to send the pot to Lofberg.
With around 70,000 chips in the pot on a board of 9♣A♠9♦4♦, Berthold Winz checked it over to Niklas Astedt, who bet 50,000. Winz called at lightning speed.
When the 5♥ dropped on the river, Winz checked again, then Astedt went with a big sizing of 150,000. Winz needed just a few seconds to think, but did eventually call.
Astedt then showed 9♠7♥ for trip nines, and Winz laughed as he tabled A♥Q♦ for a pair of aces.
Gregoire Auzoux and Marius Kudzmanas got their stacks in the middle preflop with Adrian Cazacu trying to score the double elimination.
Gregoire Auzoux: Q♥10♣
Marius Kudzmanas: Q♦J♣
Adrian Cazacu: A♥K♥
Cazacu just needed his Big Slick to hold up and the remaining players would all edge closer to the money. The 2♥2♣8♥ flop was great for Cazacu as he picked up a flush draw. The K♦ turn left Auzoux and Kudzmanas drawing dead, as the 10♥ fell on the river to give Cazacu a flush, and they were out of the event.
Niklas Astedt opened to 13,000 in early position and was faced with a three-bet to 40,000 from Berthold Winz in the cutoff.
Aleksejs Ponakovs was in the small blind, and he produced a cold four-bet to 82,000. Action back to Astedt, who took some time to think before five-betting to 500,000, covering both of his opponents.
Winz quickly got out of the way but Ponakovs swiftly got the rest of his 248,000 total stack in the middle, with a smile towards Astedt.
Aleksejs Ponakovs: A♣A♥
Niklas Astedt: K♥K♣
In a huge cooler, Ponakovs had woken up with rockets and had Astedt's cowboys dominated. Astedt smiled and said, "I have a set of kings," hoping to spike his two-outer on the runout.
Unfortunately for him, the 9♣9♦7♠10♦6♠ runout did not change matters, and Ponakovs joins Astedt on a 500,000 plus stack.
Ankit Ahuja is no more in the EPT High Roller. The action was missed, but on a board of 9♥J♣10♠A♥7♠, all of Ahuja's chips were in the middle with A♠10♣.
Unfortunately for Ahuja, Masashi Oya had flopped the nuts with K♦Q♥, which meant the Indian player was sent to the rail as the bubble looms closer.
With almost 100,000 chips already in the pot on a board of 7♠6♥A♠Q♥, Lars Kamphues had checked it over to Nichan Khorchidian, who used some extra time to make a decision. After around a minute, Khorchidian shoved, and Kamphues quickly called for his remaining 150,000.
Lars Kamphues: 7♥7♦
Nichan Khorchidian: A♥6♣
Khorchidian was talking to himself in his own language, seemingly frustrated that his two pair wasn't good. There was still a card to come, but the 8♠ was no help to Khorchidian, and Kamphues doubled up.
The action was picked up with the board showing Q♥7♣J♠10♠. Nichan Khorchidian checked from the big blind before Sebastian Malec bet 30,000 from early position. Hossein Ensan called in the cutoff, but Khorchidian folded.
Malec bet 130,000 on the 3♥ river and Ensan deliberated for a few moments before he elected to fold and forfeit the pot to Malec.
[Removed:554] opened to 12,000 under the gun, and received calls from Apoorva Goel and Zhen Chen in the blinds.
On the A♣K♥5♥ flop, action was checked to [Removed:555], who continued with a bet of 11,000. Goel folded but Chen check-jammed for 41,000, with [Removed:555] making the quick call.
Zhen Chen: 5♣3♣
[Removed:554]: A♦9♥
Chen had bottom pair fives with a backdoor draw versus [Removed:555]'s top pair, but he picked up extra outs on the Q♣ turn. The K♣ then rolled off on the river to give Chen the flush and send him the double-up.