Day 3 is of the World Poker Tour is the day the first checks are getting handed out, and WPT Amsterdam is no exception. With just 65 players remaining, and 45 in the money, the money stage of the tournament will be reached rather quickly. 20 unfortunate souls will departure empty handed though, so expect some drama early on. Because the money bubble is rather big (€6,000), some players may opt a tight and cautious approach, while others will try to thrive in the levels before the money to expand their stacks.
Chip leader going in is Dutch pro Joep "pappe_ruk" van den Bijgaart with 438,000 in chips. The first level on the schedule is 1,500/3,000 with a 500 ante, so the Dutchman starts out with 146 big blinds. Fredrik Andersson (412,000) is close on his heels, Barrie Pietersz follows in third with 367,500 in chips.
The absolute short stack going in is Lawrence Andreys (17,000), while Dutch regular Dennis Lavrijsen with 26,500 has his work cut out for him as well.
The action will start in Holland Casino Amsterdam at 2pm (in about 2 hours), and levels will be once again 90 minutes long. Expect another long day of poker action, but its up to tournament director Christian Scalzi to decide how long exactly. PokerNews will again be your place for all the updates you can ask for, so check back in two hours!
Andrew Chen started the day with little chips, and he did not manage to recover to run up a stack. Just now we ran into him and he told how he raised from the cutoff after which Louis Salter moved all in from the big blind.
Chen called all in for 55,000 with and Salter's held up.
Joep van den Bijgaart opened the hand with a raise from the hijack and Marsh, who had just doubled through Van den Berg, made the call from the big blind.
Marsh checked on a flop of and Van den Bijgaart bet 7,500. Marsh called.
The fell on the turn and Marsh checked again. Van den Bijgaart bet 18,000 and again Marsh called.
The completed the board and Marsh checked a third time. Van den Bijgaart bet 42,000 and not long after Marsh shoved all in. Van den Bijgaart just about instantly called, though it wasn't with the happiest face in the world.
Van den Bijgaart's face would soon change as Marsh didn't turn over the feared or , but the lower set that Van den Bijgaart had hoped for with . Van den Bijgaart showed and was pushed the huge pot.
The start of day chip leader is now even richer, Marsh is out.
The record of having three World Poker Tour titles will not be broken here in Amsterdam, as WPT Player of the Year Anthony Zinno has just been knocked out.
Carlos Mortensen, Gus Hansen and Zinno will share this record a bit longer, and here's how Zinno hit the rail.
On Zinno's final hand he raised to 6,000 and Giacomo Fundaro three-bet to 14,000. The action folded back to Zinno and he moved all in.
"Even before I opened I thought that this would be a great spot for him to three-bet me with air," Zinno said explaining his move.
The move however did not work, as Zinno shoved into the Italian's .
The board brought out and Zinno was knocked out. Fundaro is now one of the chip leaders, and very much alive for his second WPT title.
Senh Ung moved in from the under the gun position for his last 39,500. Action folded to David Hudson in the cutoff and he called. Hudson, like Ung from Birmingham, didn't show his cards yet, and neither did Ung as the two of them had to wait till action on all other tables was over. They did tell each other what they had, and it was clear it was going to be a flip. Ad Schaap told Thierry van den Berg that he had folded one of Ung's outs.
Finally, the two of them were allowed to turn over their cards.
David Hudson:
Senh Ung:
The flop came and Ung was still looking for an ace or king, or running tens. With the on the turn, just aces and kings were good for Ung. None of them would turn up on the river however; .
Senh Ung made his exit while the other players and busy rail started clapping. The bubble has burst, the remaining 45 players are in the money and guaranteed €6,000.
Thierry van den Berg raised before the flop to 9,500 and the action folded to Hessel de Vries who moved all in from the small blind for 55,000 after which Johan Verhagen called all in from the big blind for 48,000.
"Call," Van den Berg announced right away, and the three-way showdown went as following.
Van den Berg:
De Vries:
Verhagen:
The flop brought and Van den Berg jokingly said, "Showers!"
The turn was the and the river the , knocking two players out on the first hand after the bubble burst.
Farid Yachou raised before the flop to 8,000 and Steve O'Dwyer three-bet from his immediate left to 25,500. The action folded back around to Yachou, and he made the call.
The flop brought out and Yachou check-called 14,000.
On the turn the hit and Yachou check-called another 34,000.
The river completed the board with the and all of a sudden Yachou moved all in. O'Dwyer was covered, and after a while he called, committing his 126,000-chip stack.
Yachou tabled for a pair of aces, and O'Dywer received a full double up with for a straight.
and Salter's 
when Andersson shoved on Pyysing, and the latter snap-called tabling 
for the nut flush.
for the second nuts, and he sent over a huge portion of his stack across the table.
and Van den Bijgaart bet 7,500. Marsh called. 
fell on the turn and Marsh checked again. Van den Bijgaart bet 18,000 and again Marsh called.
or 
. Van den Bijgaart showed 
into the Italian's 
and Zinno was knocked out. Fundaro is now one of the chip leaders, and very much alive for his second WPT title.
and Ung was still looking for an ace or king, or running tens. With the 
on the turn, just aces and kings were good for Ung. None of them would turn up on the river however; 
and Van den Berg jokingly said, "Showers!"
and the river the 
, knocking two players out on the first hand after the bubble burst.
and Yachou check-called 14,000.
hit and Yachou check-called another 34,000.
for a straight.
