It's Day 3 of the PokerStars Championship Prague Main Event and things will be kicked off with a special announcement by tour organizer PokerStars. There have been rumors floating around for months now, but we will only know for sure as soon as James Hartigan. Joe Stapleton, and Daniel Negreanu take to the comms and spill the beans.
While that may be something big about future events, here in Prague it's all about the now. It's Day 3, the money looms, the tension rises, things are getting real. 140 players remain of the 855 that signed up. 127 are making the money, €8,700 awaits everyone but 13 unlucky souls.
Play gets underway at noon local time, in about 90 minutes from now. The plan for the day is to play 5 levels of 90 minutes each. After every level, a 20-minute break commences for the players.
Nick Maimone bet 12,000 from the cutoff on a flop and big blind Rasmus Vogt called. They both checked the and the river was a . Vogt checked and Maimone bet 21,000.
"Sick runout," Vogt said.
Moments later, he told Maimone to "take it."
Maimone flashed for the flopped nuts that he had to turn into a bluff.
"Sick runout," he agreed. "Not what I was looking for. That was a silly one."
Action folded to Andrzej Siemieniak in the small blind and he raised. Big blind Konstantin Farber raised and Siemieniak called. Siemieniak checked on and Farber bet. Siemieniak raised and Farber shoved. Siemieniak called for over 200,000.
Andrzej Siemieniak:
Konstantin Farber:
Farber, the big stack, had nothing but a gutshot against the set of Siemieniak. But wouldn't you know it, the hit the turn. The completed the board and Siemieniak was eliminated.
As he busted in the same hand as Mihai Manole, the two split the €8,700 reserved for place 127. Both Manole and Siemieniak get €4,350.
Igor Kurganov was seen standing on the rail with his girlfriend Liv Boeree, and was kind enough to tell us some details of his bust out shortly before.
Kurganov shoved for his last 24,000 with and found chip leader Paul Michaelis isolating to 43,000. All other players folded and Michaelis showed .
Kurganov found no four or other help and the Team Pro exited the tournament area.
Along with the announcement about the massive upcoming promotion for 2018, Daniel Negreanu revealed live on the PokerStars Championship Prague Main Event floor that the European Poker Tour would be making its eagerly awaited return next year. The beloved brand was scrapped along with the other regional tours in the 2017 shift to the Championship and Festival model.
When we arrived, the chips were already in and Michel Dattani was already getting up. When the hand was done, James Mitchell told us what had happened.
Mitchell opened the button and big blind Dattani called.
The flop came and Dattani check-called Mitchell's continuation bet.
Dattani checked again on the turn and Mitchell bet again. Dattani shoved all in and Mitchell had the easy call.
Michel Dattani:
James Mitchell:
The river was inconsequential and Dattani said his goodbyes.
Three players were all in preflop on the featured table: Fatima Moreira de Melo for 277,000, Arnaud Enselme for 140,000 and Aleksandr Mordvinov covering both of his opponents.
Mordvinov:
Moreira de Melo:
Arnaud Enselme:
Moreira de Melo paired up on the flop. The turn brought a flush draw for Enselme, so the PokerStars Team Pro was sweating a bunch of rivers, but the was safe for her.
After an under the gun raise to 16,000 and a call in middle position, Matas Cimbolas on the button squeezed to 58,000. Markus Durnegger, in the small blind, raised to 100,000 with just 16,000 behind. The big blind, original raiser, and caller all folded. Cimbolas called and called blind the rest of the 16,000 as well.
James Akenhead shoved all in for 116,000 in the hijack and Martin Staszko reshipped in the cutoff for 215,000. Fatima Moreira de Melo woke up with another jam on the button.
Akenhead:
Staszko:
Moreira de Melo:
Moreira de Melo had found a fantastic spot in another three-way all in. She got a sweat on the flop when her opponents flopped gutters but the board was ultimately safe for her.
Aleksandr Orlov was seated under the gun but wasn't doing much when the dealer was done pitching cards. Staring from behind reflective shades and with his AirPods in, people wondered if he was maybe just not paying attention.
The dealer eventually asked him to make a move, and that's when the table found out Orlov was asleep. He woke up with a start, glanced at his cards, and moved in for 80,000.
The table was in stitches and Dermot Blain, sitting right behind him, shrugged when he folded, later telling the table he had ace-jack.
"I hope I don't find ace-queen here," one player said, convinced Orlov must've had a big hand when he woke up and instantly shoved.
The action folded around and Orlov won the pot.
"Show it!" the players said.
Orlov showed the while he raked in the pot and started stacking.
"Waking up with aces!" one player jokingly said.
Orlov was the big blind the next hand, we're unsure if he stayed awake for that one.
flop and big blind Rasmus Vogt called. They both checked the 
and the river was a 
. Vogt checked and Maimone bet 21,000.
for the flopped nuts that he had to turn into a bluff.
and Farber bet. Siemieniak raised and Farber shoved. Siemieniak called for over 200,000.
hit the turn. The 
completed the board and Siemieniak was eliminated.
and found chip leader Paul Michaelis isolating to 43,000. All other players folded and Michaelis showed 
. 
was safe for her.
and Durnegger hit the rail.
