Around 200,000 was already in the middle as Abdullah Akbarpoor and Nicolas Chouity went to the turn on a board of 4♦J♠2♥9♦. Akbarpoor then bet 125,000 from the hijack and Chouity moved all in on the button.
Akbarpoor quickly called for his last 250,000 and turned over 8♦6♦ for a flush draw. Chouity had A♣A♦ and Akbarpoor missed the J♣ river on his way to the rail as the EPT champion raked in the big pot.
Bobby James raised to 20,000 from under the gun and Maksim Rogov three-bet the cutoff to 65,000. Dick Postel cold-called from the small blind and James then four-bet to 150,000. Rogov shoved for around 600,000, and Postel quickly got out of the way. James snap-called.
Maksim Rogov: K♦K♥ 
Bobby James: A♥A♠
Rogov couldn’t believe his misfortune, while James stood on the verge of a massive chip lead if his aces held. The 7♥2♠3♦ flop offered no assistance to Rogov, and neither the J♠ turn nor 2♦ river brought the king he desperately needed. With that, Rogov was eliminated, and James surged into the chip lead.
"What did you have, tens?" James asked Postel.
"No, fives," Postel replied.
"Fives?! Did you think you had tens at least?" said James.
David Cabrera opened to 20,000 in early position, and was faced with a three-bet to 55,000 by Lander Lijo in middle position. Action folded back to Cabrera, who moved all in for around 220,000, with Lijo making the quick call.
David Cabrera: A♣J♦
Lander Lijo: Q♥Q♣
Cabrera was in trouble with only one overcard versus Lijo's pocket queens, and he was drawing to the straight after the K♦2♣Q♠ flop gave Lijo middle set.
The 8♥ turn and 9♥ river were bricks, and Cabrera said his goodbyes to the table and headed for the payout desk.
Akin Tuna was all in for around 120,000 from middle position and up against Maksim Rogov on the button.
Akin Tuna: AxKx
Maksim Rogov: Q♦Q♥
Tuna hit top pair on the 9♠6♦K♠ flop, but Rogov spiked the Q♠ on the turn to make a set as Tuna knocked his chips all over the table and made a quick exit from the tournament area while the 8♣ completed the board.
Everyone folded to Andriy Lyubovetskiy in the small blind, leaving Valeriy Fokin in the big blind with just 45,000 behind. Lyubovetskiy decided to shove all in, and Fokin, after a quick look at his cards, made the call.
Valeriy Fokin: A♣8♥
Andriy Lyubovetskiy: Q♣3♥
Fokin was ahead and likely eyeing a double-up, but the 7♦9♥Q♦ flop brought a queen, giving Lyubovetskiy the lead. The Q♥ on the turn sealed the deal, and with Fokin drawing dead, the 5♥ on the river was just a formality as Fokin was eliminated.
Salvatore Camarda shoved from under the gun for 70,000 and Halil Tasyurek called from the next seat. Vytautas Semaska was in the hijack and shoved for 182,000, and once the action got back to Tasyurek, he called.
Salvatore Camarda: A♣K♦
Vytautas Semaska: J♠J♦
Halil Tasyurek: 8♠8♥
Camarda had the shortest stack and needed to beat both of his opponents in order to survive & triple up. Semaska was a big favorite to at least scoop the side pot, but that all changed when the dealer put out a flop of 4♥5♥8♦, which gave Tasyurek top set. The A♦ on the turn meant Camarda was drawing dead, and the 9♣ river also meant Semaska was eliminated.
With around 100,000 in the pot in a battle between the blinds, Christian Steindel led out for 80,000 on a board of 9♣Q♣8♠2♥ and Lander Lijo moved all in. Steindel quickly called for 170,000.
Steindel showed 9♥8♥ for two pair, but Lijo had Q♠8♦ for a higher two pair as the 6♥ river sealed Steindel's elimination while Lijo raked in the big pot.
John Kelly moved all in for 90,000 in early position and Erik Lindqwist called in the big blind.
John Kelly: K♥J♠
Erik Lindqwist: K♦Q♣
"I'll take a jack," Kelly said heading to the flop, but it was Lindqwist who hit a pair on Q♠7♦6♣. The A♠ turn gave Kelly some hope with a straight draw, but he missed the 5♠ river and was sent to the rail.
Philip Joyce, Mohamad El Rais, and Alexane Najchaus went to the turn on a board of 6♥9♦10♦4♣ when Joyce led out for 45,000 in the big blind. Najchaus moved all in for 170,000 in the hijack, El Rais got out of the way in the cutoff, while Joyce snap-called.
Najchaus had 7♦6♦ for a pair and flush draw as she needed to improve against Joyce's A♥10♣. The river was the K♣ and Joyce's pair of tens held up to send Najchaus to the rail.
button in Safari
