Kader Slila threw in his last few blinds from the small blind and was called by Kostadin Kostadinov in the big blind.
Kader Slila: A♦5♠
Kostadin Kostadinov: Q♣6♠
The A♣9♦8♥ flop gave Slila top pair but the 10♣ turn meant that Kostadinov was still live. The 4♠ river did not bring in his straight, however, and the small but important pot was shipped to Slila.
Corentin Ropert pushed a short stack of around ten blinds from the hijack and was called by Julien Groenendijk on the button.
Corentin Ropert: Q♦9♦
Julien Groenendijk: 8♦8♠
The K♠6♣4♦5♦ turn gave Ropert a flush draw on top of his two overcards but Groenendijk was the one to improve to a straight with the 7♥ river.
The same table also features EPT Sochi Main Event champion Arsenii Karmatckii, Walter Treccarichi, and the two WSOP Europe Main Event runner-ups Gianluca Speranza as well as Ting-Yi "Eric" Tsai. Furthermore, last year's eighth-place finisher Johan Schultz-Pedersen is there, too, who earned €144,300 for the efforts in 2023.
Volga Uyanik raised to 6,500 in middle position and Raman Dziamyanik called from the next seat. Sergi Reixach then three-bet to 26,000 on the button for Dziamyanik to be the only caller.
On a flop of Q♦7♠6♦, Dziamyanik check-called for 17,000 and did so again for 35,000 on the K♦ turn. The 4♠ river was checked by the Belorussian once more, who then swiftly called Reixach's 70,000 bet.
Reixach tabled the A♥A♠ for the win and Dziamyanik mucked A♣K♥ for a pair of kings.
With around 50,000 in the pot on a flop of 8♦K♥5♠, Malcolm Franchi led out for 9,000 from the big blind and Eusebiu Jalba called in early position.
The turn came the A♦ and Franchi fired out another 23,000. Jalba again called and the 4♣ fell on the river. Franchi then bet 78,000.
As Jalba went into the tank, tablemates [Removed:520] and Max Neugebauer placed a bet for coffee with each other over the contents of each of their hands. More than five minutes went by before a player at the table called the clock.
Jalba allowed the countdown to go all the way to zero before his hand was declared dead. Franchi showed the 4♥ as he took the pot.
Ramzi Karam opened to 6,500 and Ehsan Amiri produced a three-bet of 18,000.
Peter Jorgne was in the small blind and reached for chips, before producing a cold four-bet to 45,000.
Action back to Karam, who took quite some time before folding. Amiri folded his hand in relatively short order, leading Karam to throw his hands up in frustration.
Only around 45,000 were in the middle to the Q♥10♥3♥7♥3♣ river when the dealer tried to confirm three times with Mehdi Merai that he had in fact called the all-in of Miroslav Alilovic. Their cards were already exposed - 8♣8♥ for Merai and 7♦7♣ for Alilovic, while Merai had 50,000 pushed out in front.
The all-in of Alilovic was for 52,500 and once the confusion subsided, Merai handed over the extra few chips to give Alilovic a full double.
Christian Stantchev and Pavlos Xanthopoulos got their chips in the middle after a preflop clash, with Stantchev's 100,000 or so chips at risk.
Christian Stantchev: A♠A♦
Pavlos Xanthopoulos: K♥K♣
The Q♠3♣8♠3♦8♦ flop brought no surprises and Stantchev doubled up to an above-average stack while Xanthopoules was left with less than seven big blinds.
Eliot Hudon raised to 6,000 in middle position, Padraig O'Neill three-bet to 17,000 on the button, and Hudon called.
The flop came 5♦Q♠5♠ and O'Neill continued for 10,000. Hudon then raised to 34,500.
O'Neill called and the Q♣ fell on the turn. Hudon slowed down and checked before O'Neill fired out 30,000. Hudon gave it some thought but eventually gave up his hand as O'Neill took the pot.
Eusebiu Jalba opened with a bet of 6,000 from the button and was faced with a three-bet to 18,000 by Krasimir Neychev in the small blind. Jalba called.
The 2♥Q♣4♣ flop was checked through by both players.
On the 3♣ turn Neychev led out with a bet of 11,000 and Jalba called.
The river brought the 3♠ and Neychev fired out another bet of 35,000.
Jalba thought it over for a while but ultimately mucked his hand and tapped the table.
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