€5,300 Main Event Day 1b | 2025 PokerStars EPT Barcelona

Aug 25, 2025

Marin and Kovalevskiy Clash

Kai Cocklin

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Hugues Girard made it 1,600 from under the gun and Serafim Kovalevskiy three-bet to 5,500 on the button. Sergio Carro Marin then four-bet the small blind to 13,500, which got Girard to fold. Kovalevskiy called.

They went to a flop of A♣3♣J♦, where Marin bet 4,500 and Kovalevskiy called to the 6♥ turn. Marin bet again, this time for 7,500, and Kovalevskiy called.

When the 10♣ hit the river, Marin slowed down with a check, and Kovalevskiy checked back. Marin then revealed that he rivered a set of tens with 10♥10♦, and Kovalevskiy looked disgusted as he mucked.

Tags: Hugues Girard Serafim Kovalevskiy Sergio Carro Marin

Aug 25, 2025

Pihela Fills Up to Bust Hand

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David Salituro

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Heads-up on a flop of J♣10♠2♣, Igor Pihela bet 1,000 from the button and Fintan Hand raised to 5,500 in the big blind. Pihela then moved all in, and Hand let out a sigh before calling for 26,500.

Fintan Hand: K♦J♦ All in
Igor Pihela: J♥10♦

Hand showed top pair, but Pihela had flopped two pair to take the lead. The turn was the 7♠, while the J♠ river improved Hand to trips but also gave Pihela a full house as Hand was sent to the rail.

The PokerStars Team pro was already on his second bullet of the day, so his Main Event officially came to an end.

Tags: Fintan Hand Igor Pihela Jr

Aug 25, 2025

Glaser Runs Into a Monster

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David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Giorgio Donzelli raised to 1,500 under the gun and James Carroll three-bet to 4,800 on the button. Benny Glaser then moved all in for 17,200 in the big blind and Donzelli gave it some thought before folding, but Carroll snap-called to put Glaser at risk.

Benny Glaser: A♠K♠ All in
James Carroll: K♥K♣

Glaser was left looking for an ace against Carroll's kings, but no help arrived on the 7♣2♠5♣7♥J♣ board and he was sent to the rail.

Glaser had taken the seat of Axel Hallay, whose "chip-and-a-chair story" did not have a fairy tale ending after all.

Tags: Benny Glaser Giorgio Donzelli James Carroll

Aug 25, 2025

Spragg Loses Battle of the Small Pairs

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David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Marle Spragg moved all in for her last 9,000 from the cutoff as Gary Hasson put her at risk in the small blind.

Marle Spragg: 3♥3♠ All in
Gary Hasson: 4♥4♣

Spragg found herself dominated against Hasson's bigger pair, and the 10♠7♣Q♣9♠K♦ board provided no reprieve as she hit the rail.

Joris Ruijs is also at this table with a big stack, while Max Deveson, who doubled up off Spragg earlier, has built his stack up to around 70,000.

Tags: Gary Hasson Marle Spragg

Aug 25, 2025

Spragg Cracks Jaka's Aces on the Turn

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David Salituro

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Over in the overflow Pau Casals room, Benjamin Spragg opened to 1,200 under the gun before Faraz Jaka three-bet to 3,800 on the button. Spragg called and they went heads-up to the 10♣3♣6♥ flop.

Jaka continued for 2,200, and Spragg called. The turn was the 9♥, and Jaka bet another 8,000. Spragg then moved all in for 23,800, and Jaka snap-called.

Jaka turned over A♣A♦, but Spragg had turned a set holding 9♠9♣. The river was the 7♥ and Spragg doubled up, leaving Jaka nursing a short stack.

Other players in this room include Benny Glaser, Ren Lin, Matin Talebi, and EPT champion Antonio Buonanno.

Tags: Benjamin Spragg Faraz Jaka

Aug 25, 2025

Martinez is Quickly Becoming Cazacu's Nemesis

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Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Pedro Oliva Martinez and Adrian Cazacu clashed earlier, which left the latter with just a few chips in his stack. Those chips have since swelled back to around 30,000 for Cazacu, but another tussle with Martinez didn't go his way.

Martinez made it 1,200 early position and Cazacu three-bet to 3,600 from the cutoff. When it got back to Martinez, he called.

Both saw the 5♥A♥7♠ flop hit the baize, and Martinez check-called a bet of 2,500 to the 8♠ turn, which checked through.

An A♠ fell on the river and after Martinez checked, Cazacu thought for over a minute be he threw out a small bet of 1,900. Martinez let out a smile and then tossed in a chip.

Cazacu then showed a bluff with J♣9♣, and that was no good against the trips of Martinez, who flipped A♣10♣.

Tags: Adrian Cazacu Pedro Oliva Martinez

Aug 25, 2025

Zereg Spikes the Turn to Leave Battista Short

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David Salituro

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Cameron Couch raised to 1,100 under the gun and Youssef Zereg called in the small blind. Pablo Battista then three-bet to 4,000 in the big blind, and both opponents called.

The flop came 6♣3♥4♦ and Battista bet 5,100. Only Zereg called to see the 9♥ turn, where Battista bet another 5,000. Zereg then moved all in for 17,600, and Battista quickly called.

Zereg showed 9♦9♣ for a turned set, while Battista had Q♦Q♠ and handed over most of his stack once the 7♠ completed the board on the river.

Tags: Cameron Couch Pablo Battista Youssef Zereg

Aug 25, 2025

Woods Made to Pay For Slow-Playing Aces Against Thiriart

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Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

John Woods limped in from the small blind and Arthur Thiriart checked his option from the big blind.

On the J♠8♦K♠ flop, Woods bet 1,000 and Thiriart made it 2,800 to go. Woods snapped back with a three-bet to 7,000, then Thiriart shoved. Woods called off his stack of around 18,000.

John Woods: A♥A♦ All in
Arthur Thiriart: K♣8♥

Woods had elected to slow-play his aces, but that allowed Thiriart a free look at the flop. There was still a chance for Woods to survive as he picked up more outs on the 4♣ turn, but the 7♠ river was a brick, and he hit the rail.

Tags: Arthur Thiriart John Woods

Aug 25, 2025

Attey Holds For a Big Double Off Fernandez

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David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

More than 20,000 was in the middle as Ramon Fernandez and Said Abdel Attey went to the turn on a board of 2♣J♣9♣8♥. Fernandez then bet 13,000 from middle position, and Attey moved all in for 19,000 in the cutoff.

Fernandez called with A♣K♦ for a flush draw, while Attey was ahead with K♠J♠ for top pair. The river was the 7♠, and Attey held on to earn the massive double-up to more than 60,000.

Tags: Ramon Fernandez Said Abdel Attey

Aug 25, 2025

Punsri Applies Maximum Pressure

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Maxime Taldir

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Shashank Jain in the hijack opened to 1,000 and was called by Punnat Punsri in the cutoff. Christophe Panetti in the small blind however squeezed to 5,000. Punsri was the only one to call.

Panetti continued for 2,500 on a flop of 3♥3♦Q♥ and was called, then checked the J♣ turn. Punsri checked back.

Panetti checked the A♥ river once again, but saw Punsri almost moving all-in for 22,400, keeping a single chip worth 100 behind. Panetti went deep into the tank and eventually folded.

Tags: Christophe Panetti Punnat Punsri Shashank Jain