Luka Sorainen raised to 5,500 under the gun, Darius Gadeikis moved all in for 28,000 in the big blind, and Sorainen called.
Darius Gadeikis: K♣Q♣
Luka Sorainen: Q♦J♦
Gadeikis had Sorainen dominated and was poised for the double up, but the flop brought A♥A♦J♣ to give Sorainen the lead with two pair. The turn was the 4♦, while the J♥ river improved Sorainen to a full house and sent Gadeikis to the rail.
The PokerStars European Poker Tour once again made its annual winter stop in the Czech capital as 1,224 players took their shot at the EPT Prague Main Event title.
There were 872 unique players representing 62 countries. Italy was most represented, with 79 players making up more than nine percent of the field. France (60 players, 7%) and Germany (54, 6%) came next, with Israel and the United Kingdom also comprising more than five percent of the field.
The event features a €5,936,400 prize pool, with the top 183 players making the money. A min-cash is worth €8,350, while the EPT Prague champion will take home €1,019,300.
Ryan Mandara was in middle position with a raise of 19,000 in front of him before Dimitrios Kilintaris reraised to 57,000 in the small blind. Mandara called, and they saw a flop of 9♠7♠8♥.
Kilintaris then bet 32,000, but Mandara came back with an all-in shove. Kilintaris still had more than 200,000 in front of him and considered the decision for a few minutes, but he eventually folded and Mandara took down the big pot.
Every player at this table is sitting with at least an average stack.
Paul Grummitt was already all in from the small blind as Pasi Laihinen and Siegfried Friedl went to the 3♦9♦5♦ with around 40,000 in the pot. Friedl then bet 33,000 from the cutoff and Laihinen moved all in from the button.
While Friedl was tanking, Grummitt slid his miniature toy dinosaurs into the pot. Friedl eventually folded, and Laihinen was left heads-up with Grummitt.
Paul Grummitt: 8♥5♥
Pasi Laihinen: Q♦10♦
The board ran out 10♥9♠ and Grummitt slammed the table to celebrate his double up. "I have a flush," Laihinen pointed out.
"I missed that. I thought you were drawing. My dinosaurs didn't work," Grummitt said with a laugh as he wished the table luck and made his exit.
Heads-up on a board of 3♠K♠10♠Q♠2♥ with around 60,000 in the middle, Terry Jordon bet 30,000 from the small blind. Jerry Odeen raised to 75,000 from the button, and Jordan called.
Odeen showed Q♦9♦ for second pair, turned into a bluff. Jordan had hero-called with 6♥6♠ for a small flush to add more chips to his stack.
Heads-up on a board of 6♣4♣4♦A♥, Traian Stanciu bet 16,000 from the hijack and Clement Michaud called in the big blind.
The river was the Q♦ and Michaud moved all in for 22,500. Stanciu took a few minutes before calling, and Michaud tapped the felt in acknowledgement as he showed 6♥5♦. Stanciu turned over 9♥9♣ to win the pot and send Michaud to the rail.
Dimitrios Kilintaris raised to 4,000 on the button and Enrico Camosci and Oleg Vasylchenko called in the blinds.
The flop came 10♦2♦5♣ and Camosci led out for 5,000. Both opponents called, and the 10♠ fell on the turn.
Camosci then bet another 11,000, and only Vasylchenko called this time. The river was the 3♣ and Camosci slowed down and checked. Vasylchenko then bet 39,000, and Camosci spent a minute leaning over the table before folding.
At the same time at an adjacent table, Yang Zhang had bet 13,000 from the big blind on a board of 9♥Q♣K♥5♠ and David Sobeski called on the button.
The river was the Q♥ and Zhang bet another 27,000. Sobeski then moved all in for 55,500, and Zhang let out a loud groan and tanked for a minute before calling.
Sobeski showed 5♦5♣ for a full house, and Zhang mucked A♥5♥. "You almost folded?" tablemate Jeffrey Sarwer asked Zhang, who nodded in reply.
"I think I played it right, I think he played it right," Sobeski added. Zhang was left with less than 10,000 and busted shortly afterward.
Action folded around to Aliaksandr Shylko, who was automatically all-in for 500 from the small blind after losing a substantial all-in the hand prior. Maria Lampropulos was in the big blind to put him at risk.
Aliaksandr Shylko: Q♣7♥
Maria Lampropulos: K♥2♥
The board ran out 5♥Q♦J♥6♦6♠, giving Shylko two pair to increase his stack seven-fold.
A few hands later, Shylko shoved for 3,500 from the hijack. Lampropulos raised to 6,000 from the cutoff, and all other players folded.
Aliaksandr Shylko: A♣J♦
Maria Lampropulos: K♥Q♥
This time Lampropulos got the best of the Q♣5♠6♥7♠2♠ runout, making top pair to send Shylko to the rail.
Chenxiang Miao raised to 4,000 in early position before Alessandro Siena moved all in for 46,000 in the hijack. Jeremie Zouari called on the button, while Miao got out of the way.
Alessandro Siena: 10♦10♣
Jeremie Zouari: Q♣Q♥
Siena had run his tens into Zouari's queens, and the J♥2♣A♣4♥3♣ board offered no help as he was sent to the rail.
