Following an open-raise from middle position, Felipe Ketzer three-bet to 16,000 from the small blind, leaving himself just a few chips behind. Alexis Leclair then pushed all in from the big blind for 44,000. The original raiser folded and Ketzer called.
Felipe Ketzer: 9♣9♦
Alexis Leclair: K♠K♣
The board ran out J♣6♠4♥8♥7♦ and Leclair held with his pocket kings to win the pot, sending Ketzer to the rail.
Action folded to Nicolas Oger in the small blind who raised to 5,500. Martin Kabrhel then reraised to 20,000, Oger moved all in, and Kabrhel snap-called for 91,000.
Martin Kabrhel: J♦J♥
Nicolas Oger: A♥K♦
The two players were racing for the massive pot as the flop came J♣10♦6♦, giving Kabrhel top set and Oger a straight draw. The K♠ turn came too late for Oger, while the river was the 3♣ and Kabrhel, who remained uncharacteristically silent throughout the hand, doubled up.
Laurent Cessy and Manuel Fritz were seen stacking off preflop. Fritz was all in for 54,500 from late position against Cessy, who had him covered from early position. Players flipped their cards, with Fritz at risk.
Manuel Fritz: Q♥Q♦
Laurent Cessy: K♥K♣
Fritz looked to be in trouble against Cessy's kings, until the flop came Q♠6♦A♦ to give him a set of queens. The Q♣ turn solidified the outcome, further improving Fritz's hand to quad queens. The river was the 6♥ and Fritz scored a significant double up.
Luis Rayon Perez raised to 3,000 under the gun and Ka Kwan Lau called in the hijack. Kamal Gonzalez then three-bet to 9,000 in the cutoff.
"Too much action. Too many professionals. You're one of the professionals, look at your stack," tablemate William Kassouf said to Gonzalez as action went back on Rayon Perez.
"I bought in on Day 2. I arrived yesterday, late," Gonzalez replied.
"Bought in on Day 2 and already with a stack like that, true professional," Kassouf added.
Rayon Perez eventually four-bet to 35,000 and Lau got out of the way, but Gonzalez tanked for a few minutes before calling. The flop came 6♦5♦2♥ and Rayon Perez bet 20,000. Gonzalez stood up from his seat and announced all in as Rayon Perez snap-called for 104,000.
Luis Rayon Perez: A♦K♦
Kamal Gonzalez: Q♥J♠
Gonzalez had been caught making a move with queen-high while Rayon Perez was ahead with ace-high and flush draw. The board ran out 3♣6♣ and Rayon Perez doubled up.
"I knew he had ace-king. No gamble, no future," Gonzalez said.
"Must be nice to win a 400K pot with ace-high. The nuts. Cooler," Kassouf added.
Arnaud Enselme was in middle position with a raise of 9,000 in front of him before Stefan Heizmann shoved for 50,000 in the big blind. Enselme quickly called once action got back to him.
Stefan Heizmann: A♥Q♣
Arnaud Enselme: K♠K♥
Enselme showed a pair of kings and had Heizmann looking for an ace to stay alive. The board ran out 10♥7♦3♥Q♥4♠ and Enselme scored the knockout to increase his stack up past 300,000.
Pierre Chevalier open-raised to 3,500 from under the gun and Ai Guo Xu called on the button. The small blind came along before Didier Barthe moved all in from the big blind for 51,500. Chevalier folded and Xu made the call for 35,000. He was at risk as players flipped their cards.
Ai Guo Xu: 8♥8♠
Didier Barthe: A♦K♣
The board ran out 7♣5♣2♥4♣K♠ and Barthe paired his king on the river to win the pot.
"Yes!" he shouted, then turned and smiled respectfully at his opponent as Xu took his leave.
Enrico Camosci shoved from early position with a short stack and was called by Jon Vallinas in the small blind, who had him well covered as players flipped their cards.
Enrico Camosci: K♣9♣
Jon Vallinas: A♦10♠
The board ran out 8♣3♦A♠A♥5♦ and Vallinas paired his ace on the flop, then made trips on the turn to win the pot, eliminating Camosci from the tournament.
The rest of the table had already gone off on break as Derk van Luijk and Matthias Lipp continued to tangle in a pot.
Lipp bet 10,000 from the big blind on a flop of K♦6♥9♣ and Van Luijk raised to 30,000 in the hijack. Lipp then moved all in and Van Luijk snap-called for 71,000.
Derk van Luijk: 9♥9♦
Matthias Lipp: A♦K♠
Lipp showed top pair, but he was well behind Van Luijk's flopped set. The rest of the board came 8♥4♣ and the defending champion doubled up.
