With 39 tables in use at the start of Day 2 and so many big names remaining - including 17 EPT champions - it was always likely that the random seat draw was going to work its magic and provide us with more than one 'feature' table.
So whilst those at table eight may have made their way to the main stage to be broadcast on EPTLive, given that they were the designated feature table, out in the field there was plenty of outstanding tables to cast an eye over. The PokerStars Blog took a closer look.
Another remaining EPT champion has just scored a nice double up. After a raise, four players including Artur Koren and Kevin MacPhee called to see the flop of . A continuation bet of 5,500 was called by Koren before MacPhee raised to 17,300. Alexander Ivarsson called before Koren squeezed all in for more than 100,000. Ivarsson then got out of the way and MacPhee tabled his for middle set whereas Koren had the for top pair and the nut flush draw.
The turn changed nothing and the gave Koren a meaningless flush, as MacPhee had completed a full house.
Emin Aghayev opened from the cut-off for 2,000 and Sergio Aido on the button three-bet to 5,500. The blinds folded and they went to a flop of .
Aghayev checked it over to Aido who bet 4,500. Aghayev then check-raised him to 11,500. Aido took quite some time to think about it, although he couldn’t really study his opponent as they were sat in the one seat and the nine seat. Eventually Aido flicked out the call to see what developed on the turn.
The popped out of the deck and Aghayev continued the story with a bet of 9,500. Aido had seen enough and quickly flicked his cards away.
Pierre Morin opened and got one call before Claude Metais squeezed all in for 16,800. Morin called whereas the other player got out of the way and it was a flip with the for Morin and for Metais.
On the flop, Morin picked up an additional flush draw and completed just that with the . However, Metais now had more outs to win the hand still. It wasn't meant to be with the as final community card though.
Other notables on the rail: Roman Korenev and Philippe Ktorza.
We arrived in time to find Michel Pomaret all in and at risk before the flop against Ivan Luca. Pomaret was all in for what looked to be his last 43,500.
Pomaret:
Luca:
The dealer fanned a flop of , prompting Pomaret to throw his hands in the air. Suddenly Pomaret was in need of improvement to best Luca's pair of kings or else he would be eliminated from play.
Unfortunately for Pomaret, he found no help on the turn () or the river (). Pomaret made a quit exit from the tournament floor while Luca stacked his new chips. The Argentinian now has about 110,000 to his name.
After a min-raise to 2,000 and a call, Ludovic Geilich moved all in for 11,800 out of the blinds and initial raiser Konstantin Tolokno reshoved for 25,400. The other player got out of the way and Geilich won the flip with versus after making a full house on the board.
Other tables nearby include big stacks Robert Schulz and Guillaume Darcourt, though the Frenchman was just moved into the main tournament area.
Ilan Boujenah first lost a bigger pot with pocket kings versus and then got it in preflop after a raising war with Sameer Khurana. Boujenah had pocket jacks and faced pocket aces to spike his set on the flop. However, Khurana made a runner runner straight and the better hand preflop held up.
Nandor Solyom, who made a deep run at the EPT 11 Prague Main Event, as well as Konstantin Puchkov are two further notables who joined the rail.
Luciano Santos De Hollanda from Brazil opened to 2,000 from the hijack. Action folded to Vladimir Troyanovskiy in the small blind and the Russian pushed all in for 26,100. Pierre Husson in the big blind tanked for a fair bit before releasing his hand. Santos De Hollanda instantly called all in for 20,700.
Troyanovskiy flipped over and was up against . The board didn't help Troyanovskiy and he forfeited the 20,700 to continue with just 5,400.
In one of the next hands Troyanovskiy doubled. He pushed over a late position raise and won with from after a board of .
Marco Leonzio was all in for his last 19,000 and the calling chips had been placed in front of Eugene Katchalov. Oleh Okhotskyi was deciding what to do but soon passed.
Leonzio tabled but had been out flopped by Katchalov’s .
The turn and river saw some raised eyebrows and an exit for Leonzio.