Christian ZetzscheThe King's Casino hosts the German Poker Championships
Day 2 of the 2017 partypoker LIVE German Poker Championship €5,300 High Roller kicks off at 2 p.m. local time. One of the flagship events of the fesitval at the King's Casino in Rozvadov, Europe's biggest poker arena, comes with a guarantee of €250,000. So far, a total of 40 entries emerged with 33 players bagging up chips.
The tournament is played with the new button ante format based on the number of players at each table and registration as well as a single re-entry are possible for another four levels on Day 2. All participants receive 100,000 in chips and the action resumes in level nine with blinds of 800-1,600.
Leading the field of survivors thus far is Germany's Julian Thomas with 288,000, closely followed by Moritz Dietrich with 278,100. Third in chips is German High Roller regular Philipp Gruissem with 219,200 while WSOP bracelet winner Paul Michaelis (214,500) follows close behind.
Other notables that will return for Day 2 include Jack Sinclair (190,400), Ismael Bojang (180,000), partypoker team pro Kristen Bicknell (156,500), Matthias de Meulder (112,300), Maxi Lehmanski (82,700), Czech WSOP bracelet winner Artur Rudziankov (77,800), partypoker team pro Jan-Peter Jachtmann (77,300), 2016 November Niner Vojtech Ruzicka (28,800) and former EPT champion Hossein Ensan (26,000).
The tournament is scheduled to play down to a winner tonight, however, that may change depending on the number of entries and progress throughout the day. The PokerNews team will be on the floor to provide all the action.
On the three-way flop of , the initial bet was already pulled in while Petr Liesner in the blinds had a raise to 26,000 in front of his cards. Philipp Gruissem then moved all in and Yair Bitoun reshoved. Liesner asked for a count and folded to the shove of Bitoun for 127,000, while Gruissem was the player at risk for 71,700.
Philipp Gruissem:
Yair Bitoun:
The turn and river failed to improve Bitoun and Gruissem took more than half of his stack to double. Soon after, Bitoun was all in himself for around 55,000 with the and Liesner looked him up with . After a board of , Bitoun became the second casualty of the day, but promised to re-enter shortly via table chat.
With some 35,000 in the middle and the board reading , Pierre Neuville moved all in and Kacper Pyzara snap-called to turn over for a flopped flush. Neuville only had for trips tens and was sent to the rail.
At almost the same time, Yair Bitoun also ran out of chips. He got it in with against the of Michal Schuh on the flop. Bitoun had plenty of outs, but the turn and river were not among them.
With the table currently playing six-handed, Andreas Eiler opened to 5,400 from the hijack, picking up Pierre Neuville from the small blind and Kenny Hallaert from the big blind.
The three players took an flop, with action checking round to Eiler, who put in a continuation bet of 9,500. Both Neuville and Hallaert wanted to see another card, making the call and going to the turn. Neuville checked again, with Hallaert taking the lead, betting out 27,000. Eiler thought momentarily, before re-checking his hole cards and folding, while Neuville stuck around to see the river.
The board paired on the river, with Neuville checking a third time. After some consideration, Hallaert set Neuville all-in for his remaining 51,600. Neuville wasted no time making the call, turning over for backdoor trips. Hallaert showed his for a missed combo draw, as Neuville picked up a big double.
Hossein Ensan moved all in from the button for his last 38,000 and Maxi Lehmanski reshoved from one seat over with the superior stack.
Hossein Ensan:
Maxi Lehmanski:
The flop left Ensan in desperate shape, and it was all over after the turn to make the river a formality.
Moments later, Kristen Bicknell was all in for 39,400 from early position and Kenny Hallaert called on the button.
Kristen Bicknell:
Kenny Hallaert:
The partypoker pro was happy to have a flip, but Hallaert took the lead on the flop. The turn left Bicknell with two outs, and Hallaert even improved to a full house on the river. "I can still re-enter," Bicknell said as the time for level 12 runs down momentarily.
Joining the action on the flop, Jan-Peter Jachtmann in the cutoff checked and called a bet of 20,000 by Antonello Capoblanco. After the turn, Jachtmann checked once more and Capoblanco made it 25,000 to go. Jachtmann check-raised to 125,000 and called the all in of the Italian.
Antonello Capoblanco:
Jan-Peter Jachtmann:
The river was a blank and Capoblanco was eliminated. Robert Kokoska joined him on the rail soon after and Andreas Eiler, who was moved next to Jachtmann, also bowed out to reduce the field to the last 25 hopefuls.
There are just 22 players remaining, as both Scott Hanna and Fabrice Halleux have been eliminated.
Hanna was the first to fall. Jan-Peter Jachtmann raised to 10,000 just when the blinds moved up and Kacper Pyzara three-bet to 35,000. Hanna shoved for 210,000 and Jachtmann folded, Pyzara called and had a flip for a big portion of his stack.
Scott Hanna:
Kacper Pyzara:
The flop paired up Pyzara, and Hanna failed to regain the lead with a blank turn and river.
While Van Tiep Nguyen increased his stack, Julian Thomas went the other direction. Just now, Thomas helped himself back to an above-average stack though when defending his big blind against Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier.
Thomas check-raised the flop from 12,500 to 36,000 and Grospellier called before the turn saw another check-raise by Thomas. Grospellier's second bet was for 33,000 and Thomas check-shoved for 130,000 with the Frenchman calling.
Julian Thomas:
Bertrand Grospellier:
The on the river improved's Thomas' already existing full house to a better one and Grospellier was left with dust. His last few chips vanished right after with against the of Van Tiep Nguyen despite picking up an additional flush draw.
Sander van Wesemael raised to 12,500 and Jan Mach three-bet to 31,500. Pete Liesner called all in for 23,500 from the cutoff and van Wesemael called. The flop came and van Wesemael checked, then folded to the bet of Mach.
Petr Liesner:
Jan Mach:
The turn and river ensured that the kicker played and Liesner tripled.
Soon after, Matthias de Meulder raised to 14,000 and called the shove of Liesner to put the Czech at risk once more.
Petr Liesner:
Matthias de Meulder:
The flop was of no help yet, but the turn saw de Meulder in the lead. A blank river changed nothing whatsoever and Liesner was eliminated.
Moritz Dietrich raised from the button and Pierre Neuville defended his big blind. The flop fell and Neuville checked, Dietrich moved all in and Neuville called.
Pierre Neuville:
Moritz Dietrich:
Both players improved to a straight with the turn, but Moritz's redraw to a flush completed on the river to eliminate Neuville.
, the initial bet was already pulled in while Petr Liesner in the blinds had a raise to 26,000 in front of his cards. Philipp Gruissem then moved all in and Yair Bitoun reshoved. Liesner asked for a count and folded to the shove of Bitoun for 127,000, while Gruissem was the player at risk for 71,700.
turn and 
river failed to improve Bitoun and Gruissem took more than half of his stack to double. Soon after, Bitoun was all in himself for around 55,000 with the 
and Liesner looked him up with 
. After a board of 
, Bitoun became the second casualty of the day, but promised to re-enter shortly via table chat.
, Pierre Neuville moved all in and Kacper Pyzara snap-called to turn over 
for trips tens and was sent to the rail.
flop. Bitoun had plenty of outs, but the 
turn and 
river were not among them.
flop, with action checking round to Eiler, who put in a continuation bet of 9,500. Both Neuville and Hallaert wanted to see another card, making the call and going to the 
for backdoor trips. Hallaert showed his 
for a missed combo draw, as Neuville picked up a big double.
flop left Ensan in desperate shape, and it was all over after the 
river. "I can still re-enter," Bicknell said as the time for level 12 runs down momentarily.
flop, Jan-Peter Jachtmann in the cutoff checked and called a bet of 20,000 by Antonello Capoblanco. After the 
turn and 
flop was of no help yet, but the 
and Neuville checked, Dietrich moved all in and Neuville called.
