Day 3 of the 2016 Master Classics of Poker Main Event is upon us. The remaining 53 players are all in the money after a two-hour long bubble late last night. Johan van Til was the last to go home empty-handed, the remaining players are guaranteed to bank a minimum of €7,895.
He entered five tournaments at the 2016 Master Classics of Poker and cashes in all five of them. Charlie Carrel, after having already cashed in the €1,250 and €1,500 events and both the €10,000 High Roller and €25,000 Super High Roller, leads the Main Event with a massive stack, over 400,000 more than his closest competitor; Jan Bendik who sits in second place.
Another player that always seems to do well at the Master Classics of Poker, is Jussi Nevanlinna. He finished runner-up in 2011 for €227,850, fifth for €71,985 in 2014, and outright won the event for €300,000 last year. He's a medium stack coming into Day 3, he still can go back to back!
Play resumes at 2pm local time (in about 2 hours) and the plan is to play down to a final table of nine players today. Level 17, while already almost fully played last night, will be restarted so blinds will be 2,500/5,000 (500-ante) again when play starts.
Jussi Nevanlinna is eliminated, the dream of going back to back is done.
We asked former table mate Michiel Brummelhuis what had happened. Brummelhuis told us action had folded to Nevanlinna in the small blind and he had limped in. The big blind, German player G. Garfield, raised to 18,000 and Nevanlinna had pushed all in for about 130,000. Garfield had called with and Nevanlinna was in dire straits with .
The board brought no help to Nevanlinna and he had to settle for a spot outside the final table for once.
In early position, Charlie Carrel raised to 16,000 and Michiel Brummelhuis (button) and Anton Wigg (big blind) called.
Action checked to Brummelhuis on and the Dutch former November Niner bet 27,000. Wigg folded, Carrel called.
The hit the turn and Carrel check-called a bet of 55,000.
With the completing the board, Carrel bet out 100,000. Brummelhuis tossed in a single chip to callalmost instantly. Carrel showed for flopped top two but was beat by the Brummelhuis showed for the rivered straight.
Action folded to Stefan Fabian on the button and he raised to 16,000. Big blind Dennis Bijen, with a total stack of 140,000, shoved all in. A Helmuth-patented snap call followed.
Dennis Bijen:
Stefan Fabian:
The flop brought some hope to Bijen with . The took away two outs, the on the river ended it all for Bijen.
First to act, Michiel Brummelhuis opened for 22,000 and his neighbor Aton Wigg called. This was followed by some more calls as Abdelhakim Zoufri (cutoff) and Jonathan Rozema (small blind) slid forward 23,000 as well.
Over in the big blind, Stefan Fabian had something else in mind and raised to 127,000. Initial raiser Brummelhuis instantly folded and action was on Wigg. He announced all in for 542,000 and Zoufri and Rozema quickly folded. Fabian called instantly.
Stefan Fabian:
Anton Wigg:
Wigg got up and, with a frustrated look on his face, waited for the board to come. The community cards wouldn't help him; .
Fabian and Wigg shook hands before the latter made his way to the exit. Wigg picks up €11,419, the remaining 23 players are guaranteed €13,675 from here on out.
From middle position, Garreth Fields opened for 25,000. His neighbor Charlie Carrel three-bet to 75,000 and the action folded around back to Fields rather quickly. Fields four-bet to 175,000 and it didn't take long before Carrel five-bet to 337,000.
"You have it, you have it" Carrel said in a way that reminded us a bit of William Kassouf. "You have it, you have it" Carrel repeated.
"No, you have it" Fields replied.
Fields then pushed all in and Carrel mucked instantly.
"Did I make a bad read, or did I just got bluffed?" Carrel asked himself and the table in kind of disbelief.
From early position, Samuli Sipila opened and Jan Bendik defended his big blind.
The flop came and Bendik checked. Sipila bet 20,000 and Bendik check-raised to 50,000. Sipila called.
While the turn and river were blanks, Bendik fired away with bets of 47,000 and all in for 110,000 on the last community card.
Sipila called both times holding for flopped trips. Bendik showed for a worse kicker and muttered some bad words before he made his exit in 20th place.
Again a deep run, but no third final table for David Boyaciyan, no second title for the Dutchman in the most prestigious poker tournament in his country.
Boyaciyan moved all-in with pocket aces and Artur Koren called with ace-queen with the queen of clubs. The board showed four clubs and just like that, Boyaciyan made his exit in 19th place.
From early position, Artur Koren raised to 25,000. Michiel Brummelhuis (middle position), Abdelhakim Zoufri (small blind) and Garreth Fields (big blind) all called.
The flop came and both blinds checked. Koren bet 80,000 and Brummelhuis raised to 175,000. Zoufri and Fields folded, Koren called.
With the hitting the turn, Koren check-folded to Brummelhuis's shove.
And just like that, Michiel Brummelhuis has been eliminated from the Main Event. Not too long ago, he was one of the biggest stacks in the room, but two hands changed all that in dramatic fashion.
In the first hand, he opened the button for 35,000 and Ivan Arbatsky three-bet to 103,000 from the small blind. Brummelhuis moved all in and Arbatsky quickly called.
Brummelhuis showed and was up against . The board ran out and Brummelhuis was knocked down to just 426,000 while Arbatsky doubled.
Not much later, he handed the remained of his stack to that very same Ivan Arbatsky.
Brummelhuis open shoved his 424,000 stack from the cutoff holding . Arbatsky called from the button holding and Brummelhuis was at risk. The board came and Brummelhuis made his exit.
and Nevanlinna was in dire straits with 
. 
and the Dutch former November Niner bet 27,000. Wigg folded, Carrel called.
hit the turn and Carrel check-called a bet of 55,000.
completing the board, Carrel bet out 100,000. Brummelhuis tossed in a single chip to callalmost instantly. Carrel showed 
for flopped top two but was beat by the 
Brummelhuis showed for the rivered straight.
. The 
took away two outs, the 
on the river ended it all for Bijen.
for flopped trips. Bendik showed 
for a worse kicker and muttered some bad words before he made his exit in 20th place.
and Brummelhuis was knocked down to just 426,000 while Arbatsky doubled.
. Arbatsky called from the button holding 
