[user1220]
For the players, at least; they have a 45-minute break before resuming with running antes afterwards to go with their 150/300 blinds. This will be level 6. There are three further levels to follow tonight after that, with 200/400 (50 antes), 300/600 (75 antes) and 400/800 (100 antes). We will probably finish sometime after 1am local time.
The action in the lead-up to dinner was quiet with no real dramas. Today has seen stacks moving in a genteel fashion one way or the other. Walking around the tables it is difficult to find a stack higher than 30k. Some players who seem to have breached this are Roy Brindley (32k approx.), and the Swede Ola Engberg (35k).
The two Finns who have been all day on the same table, Jani Sointula and Juha Helppi, are on 24k and 14k respectively.
Ben Grundy is steady on 20k while Nick Slade has improved to 22k. Ash Hussein is hanging in with 9k, Robin Keston looks low with about 4k and the German Pokerstars player Katja Thater on 10k.
Pascal Perrault is bumbling along on 7k while fellow countryman Bertrand Grospellier (ElkY) is still steady on 10k.
All in all, not much in the way of fireworks. That will probably change as the blinds and antes become a tempting target for the bigger stacks later.
[user1220]
The winner of this EPT can expect a whopping 1,266,711 Polish Zlotys (zł).
That might sound a large chunk of change. However, it won't make you a dollar millionaire. The conversion to dollars turns that cash into roughly $450,000.
[user1220]
We have had a scoot round the tables majoring on the chipcounts of those players marked down as being from the US and Canada, most of whom have qualified via Pokerstars.com. Here is what we discovered based on seat positions. Unfortunately we do not know the players by facial features so if there is a case of mistaken identity, it's...ummm....tough.
Here we go:
Richard Lis (Canada) - Looking less than good on 3.5k
Michael Pesek (USA) - Handily placed on 14k
Roberto Matic (USA) - Similarly sweet on 13k
Alec Torelli (USA) - Sucking air on 2k or less.
William Stevenson (USA) - Comfortable on 14k
Patrick White (USA) - Not good on 3k
John Donelly (USA) - Hanging in there with 9k
Clayton Mozdzen (Canada) - As I arrived, lost a big pot holding Qx with QxxQx board. Opponent showed AQ. Down to the felt with 1k max.
Alexander Ofer (USA) - Ticking over with 9k
Daniel Ryan (USA) - Averagely placed with 11k
Dimitrios Nistas (Canada) - The best of all with 16k
Dustin Dirksen (USA) - Holding on with difficulty at 5k
Will Haydon (USA) - Relaxed with 14k
It would appear that Tyler Netter (USA) is not seated so must be out.
[user1220]
Simon Kelly has doubts about the snack he is eating.
139 of the 148 are still in. Play generally seems tighter than yesterday with many stacks still hovering around the 10k mark. The average is now 10,650.
Simon Kelly and Roy Brindley are two players from Ireland going strong and clear of 20k.
[user1220]
Ben Grundy reraises.
Ben Grundy, who has a justifiably fearsome reputation online at both Omaha and Hold'em tables, and has final table experience in EPT's, is cruising along on his table. As we passed, he threw in a 2,600 re-raise from his 20k stack eclipsing Nick Slade's 600 bet. After a long spell in the tank, Nick folded his hand and was informed by Grundy that he did the right thing!
![[user1220]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
