€5,300 Main Event Day 3 | 2025 PokerStars EPT Barcelona

08-27-2025 20:50 UTC+2

Navellou Runs into Woods’ Set

Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

In a heads-up pot with around 120,000 in the middle, already, Arthur Navellou led out for 65,000 from the small blind after seeing the Q♣7♣4♥ flop. John Woods, who was seated under the gun, made the call.

A 6♣ fell on the turn and Navellou jammed for 300,000. Woods immediately called and the cards were revealed.

Arthur Navellou: A♣3♦ All in
John Woods: Q♥Q♠

Navellou was making a move and had run into the top set of Woods. However, Navellou still had flush and straight outs with one card to come.

The 3♠ river wasn't the one Navellou was looking for and all of his chips headed over to Woods, who boosted his stack up to a million.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Woods	1,000,000 375,000	375,000
Arthur Navellou	Busted

Tags: Arthur Navellou John Woods

08-27-2025 20:49 UTC+2

Tazon Bets Tiny into Big Pot, Sboev Leaves Messy Stack

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David Salituro

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Around 300,000 was already in the middle as Javier Tazon and Evgenii Sboev went to the turn on a board of A♠6♣2♣K♣. Tazon then bet 55,000 from the big blind and Sboev called under the gun.

The river was the 4♦ and Tazon min-bet 8,000. Sboev quickly called and Tazon showed 6♥2♥ for two pair, but Sboev had A♦K♥ for aces and kings as the pot was pushed to him. Sboev didn't even bother stacking up his chips before running off to join the rest of the field on break.

Player	Chips	Progress
Evgenii Sboev	900,000
Javier Tazon	490,000 130,000	130,000

Tags: Evgenii Sboev Javier Tazon

08-27-2025 20:46 UTC+2

Taghla Doubles Through Panka

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Maxime Taldir

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Mohamed-Said Taghla jammed for 90,000 from middle position and he was called by Dominik Panka in the big blind.

Mohamed-Said Taghla: A♦K♥ All in
Dominik Panka: A♥J♥

Taghla hit a pair on 10♦8♥K♣5♥7♣ to secure a double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dominik Panka	400,000 170,000	170,000

Mohamed-Said Taghla	192,000 192,000	192,000

Tags: Dominik Panka Mohamed-Said Taghla

08-27-2025 20:41 UTC+2

O'Dwyer Springs the Trap

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Connor Richards

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Ricardo Capela completed in the small blind and Steve O'Dwyer raised to 32,000 in the big blind. Capela called.

Capela checked on the flop of 9♦A♥7♦ and O'Dwyer checked back. Capela then led for 18,000 on the K♥ turn and O'Dwyer raised to 70,000 as cameramen raced over to see the EPT champ in action. Unfortunately for them, Capela folded soon after.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ricardo Capela	520,000 177,000	177,000
Steve O'Dwyer	400,000 20,000	20,000

Tags: Ricardo Capela Steve O'Dwyer

08-27-2025 20:41 UTC+2

Suarez Bombs the River on Zarco

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David Salituro

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Three players went to a flop of Q♠10♣3♥ where Anton Suarez bet 20,000 from middle position. Only Javier Zarco called on the button.

Both players checked the 5♥ turn. The river was the 5♦ and Suarez fired out a big bet of 150,000.

Zarco took around 30 seconds before sending his cards into the muck and surrendering the pot to Suarez.

After the hand, table-mate Matin Talebi said, “831,” again counting out his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Anton Suarez	920,000 467,000	467,000

Matin Talebi	831,000 216,000	216,000
Javier Zarco	400,000 32,000	32,000

Tags: Anton Suarez Javier Zarco

08-27-2025 20:36 UTC+2

Meftahi Spikes the River to Double

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Maxime Taldir

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Erik Hellman opened to 16,000 from under the gun. Houssem Meftahi, to his left, three-bet all in for 47,000, then Matthew Russell immediately raised all in for 210,000 from the next seat. Hellman seemed tempted, but folded.

Houssem Meftahi: A♥K♣ All in
Matthew Russell: 9♣9♥

Meftahi found a straight draw on the Q♣7♦J♥ flop, but after the 4♥ turn, he hit the A♣ river to double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Erik Hellman	440,000 70,000	70,000
Matthew Russell	160,000 40,000	40,000
Houssem Meftahi	130,000 120,000	120,000

Tags: Erik Hellman Houssem Meftahi Matthew Russell

08-27-2025 20:35 UTC+2

Some Eliminations This Level

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Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Jamel Hassani	Busted
Martin Tsvetanov	Busted
Simon Brandstrom	Busted

Simeon Naydenov	Busted
Alberto Stegeman	Busted
Quirijn Dijkstal	Busted
Michael Allen	Busted
Ezequiel Macho	Busted
Nadir Molinari	Busted
Marc Bougaret	Busted
Omar Lakhdari	Busted
Turbo Nguyen	Busted
Adam Wagner	Busted
Arthur Gouriten	Busted

08-27-2025 20:32 UTC+2

Cimbolas Hero-Calls and is Shown Quads by Nielsen

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Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Matas Cimbolas raised to 18,000 from middle position and Martin Nielsen three-bet to 60,000 from the button. When it got back to Cimbolas, he called to see a flop.

Cimbolas knuckled the action over to Nielsen on the 7♦K♥3♠ flop, and Nielsen laid out a bet of 35,000. Cimbolas continued in the form of a call.

The K♠ landed on the turn and Cimbolas check-called another bet from Nielsen, this time for 75,000.

With 235,000 remaining in his stack, Cimbolas checked for the last time when he saw the 2♣ complete the board. Nielsen quickly jammed, covering Cimbolas, and Cimbolas went deep into the tank.

Cimbolas stood up from his chair and burned through all five of his time bank cards while deliberating whether to call or fold. In the end, he settled on a call.

Nielsen had an unbeatable hand in K♣K♦ for quad kings. Cimbolas tabled 6♦6♠ for just a pair of sixes as his Main Event journey came to an end.

Player	Chips	Progress
Martin Nielsen	1,700,000 475,000	475,000

Matas Cimbolas	Busted

Tags: Martin Nielsen Matas Cimbolas

08-27-2025 20:21 UTC+2

Garcia Busts Another

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David Salituro

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Just two hands after winning the massive pot off Miroslav Alilovic, Cesar Garcia was on the button and had small blind Adnan Dahic all in and at risk for Dahic's last 200,000.

Adnan Dahic: K♣Q♠ All in
Cesar Garcia: A♦J♦

Garcia hit top pair on the 2♠4♣A♠ flop to leave Dahic drawing only to running cards. The 5♦ turn meant Dahic could only hope to chop the pot, but the 2♣ river sealed his elimination as Garcia climbed over 1,000,000.