The crossover between poker and eSports has been evident for years now. You only have to look as far as the PokerStars Team Pro rosters, where the likes of Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier and Lex 'RaSZi' Veldhuis transitioned from professional eSports (Starcraft in both cases) to winning millions in poker.
As we're in Hamburg, one of the biggest names in the German eSports world is Melek 'm3lly' Balgün. Counter Strike player, TV host, YouTube personality, social media consultant; Balgün has many strings to her bow, and she's here at the PokerStars Festival trying to add one more.
There were a bunch of people standing around one table so the live reporting team went over to see what had happened.
The board read and Matthias Rauscher had the all-in triangle in front of him and his stack was being counted as he had for a straight on the river. His opponent was Oguz Yavuz who held for two pair, aces and queens. When the dealer had finished counting the stack, it was confirmed that Rauscher had 67,200. Yaguz seemed pretty miffed with the fact that he now only had 14,700 left to play with.
On the tail end of a bigger pot between Ivica Pezelj and Eljano Hysaj, the latter bet 17,500 with the river showing . Pezelj gave it some consideration and announced "I call." Hysaj turned over and Pezelj tapped the table before sending his into the muck.
Tim Michels was all in for 12,600 from early position and Salim El Boustani in the cutoff announced "I raise" before putting in 5,500. Apparently he had not noticed the all in of Michels despite the all in triangle right in front of Michels and was forced to min-raise to 23,600, which got everyone else out of the hand.
De Han Kim raised to 4,000 from the cutoff. Fanos Zachariou shoved all in from the button for the 36.900 he had behind. The small blind folded but Tim Van Loo was up next. He also shoved having Zachariou covered. Kim folded quickly.
Tim Van Loo:
Fanos Zachariou:
The board ran out - Van Loo's tens held and he eliminated Zachariou from the tournament.
Hael Al-Labani sent table neighbor Sebastian Lenz to the rail after calling the shove of the German for 19,700, Christian Viereck came along as well. On a ten-high flop both remaining active players invested 20,000 and Viereck check-folded on a turn to see Al-Labani turn over pocket fours for a set, Weltz had no miracle anymore with ace-king.
Sebastian Lenz moved all in for 18,800 and Phillip Buddenhagen called on the button. Shachar Haran moved all in over the top for 95,000 out of the big blind and Buddenhagen folded.
Sebastian Lenz:
Shahar Haran:
The board ran out and Haran paired his king on the turn to send Lenz packing.
The flop read and the pot already contained about 32,000. [Removed:65] bet 13,000 from the big blind. Andrei Nodea sat in middle position and was his only opponent. Nodea asked [Removed:72] to lift up his hands so he could see how much he still had behind. After glancing at [Removed:72]'s stack, Nodea called.
The turn brought them the on which they both checked to the on the river. Now [Removed:72] counted out some of his chips and put 28,000 in as a bet. This sent Nodea into the tank. He counted his own chips, cut out calling chips and put them aside. He stared at [Removed:72], peered at the board and then decided to fold.
[Removed:72] looked at one of his cards, trying to decide if he was going to show it or not. The dealer pushed the pot towards [Removed:72]. He looked at one of the other players and started smiling. He turned the around. Some of the other players looked pretty stunned.
Roberto Manfredi raised to 4,000 and Oguz Yavuz called on the button. Robin Slottke in the big blind shoved for 23,200 and Manfredi folded, Yavuz reluctantly called and showed . Slottke was ahead with and the board came to halve Yavuz's stack.
Soon after he was all in before the flop with and Lewe Thiesen called with the out of the big blind. The board came and Yavuz was gone.
Ivica Pezelj opened the action with a raise and Jesper Hansen from one seat over three-bet to 14,000. Pezelj got his last 47,000 in and Hansen quickly called.
Ivica Pezelj:
Jesper Hansen:
The board ran out and Pezelj turned an ace to spike the double, while Hansen sighed and had to forfeit almost half of his remaining stack.
and Matthias Rauscher had the all-in triangle in front of him and his stack was being counted as he had 
for a straight on the river. His opponent was Oguz Yavuz who held 
for two pair, aces and queens. When the dealer had finished counting the stack, it was confirmed that Rauscher had 67,200. Yaguz seemed pretty miffed with the fact that he now only had 14,700 left to play with.
. Pezelj gave it some consideration and announced "I call." Hysaj turned over 
and Pezelj tapped the table before sending his 
into the muck.
and Michels doubled.
- Van Loo's tens held and he eliminated Zachariou from the tournament.
turn to see Al-Labani turn over pocket fours for a set, Weltz had no miracle anymore with ace-king.
on the river. Now [Removed:72] counted out some of his chips and put 28,000 in as a bet. This sent Nodea into the tank. He counted his own chips, cut out calling chips and put them aside. He stared at [Removed:72], peered at the board and then decided to fold.
around. Some of the other players looked pretty stunned.
. Slottke was ahead with 
and the board came 
and Yavuz was gone.
