The new level had just begun and Diego Aranzadi opened to 85,000 chips. Anouar Mehlil moved all in for 825,000 and had almost the same stack as his opponent, though one or two big blinds less. Aranzadi took a long time before making the call and it was a coin flip:
Mehlil:
Aranzadi:
The roller coaster board of set the official final table and there is now a break. Furthermore, the players will change the room as well for the ultimate showdown in Marrakech.
Matas Cimbolas opened to 100,000 and called the shove of Ramona Gallardo for 290,000 with . Gallardo had the better hand in and held up despite some sweat on a board of .
Matas Cimbolas opened to 95,000 and Antoine Rahal moved all in out of the big blind for just over a million in chips. "How much?" the Lithuanian asked and then glanced at his opponent. "Are you nervous?" Rahal shook his head and even held over his hand for Cimbolas to feel the pulse.
"No," Cimbolas said after the direct contact and immediately folded.
Both Antoine Rahal and Najib Bennis have been in shoving mode and didn't get called yet. Then, Ricardo Manquant opened to 85,000 and was called by Rahal from two seats over. The Moroccan was on the button and bet 100,000 after a flop of was checked to him.
Manquant called and the on the turn was checked through. After the river, Manquant bet 150,000 and Rahal raised to 400,000. The fellow Frenchman called and Rahal's bluff with was caught, Manquant took down the pot with for top pair.
Fahd Kaabat opened to 140,000 from under the gun and was called by Miroslav Alilovic from two seats over. Both players checked the flop and Kaabat check-called a bet of 110,000 on the turn. The river brought yet another check from the Moroccan and Alilovic made it 140,000 to go.
Kaabat called after some consideration and then mucked when he was shown the by Alilovic.
Antoine Rahal opened to 100,000 from under the gun and Ondrej Milabersky three-bet to 220,000 from middle position. The action went back to Rahal who moved all in and the Czech quickly called.
Milabersky:
Rahal:
The board ran out and upon counting both stacks, Milabersky was covered by less than two big blinds. The Czech is the first player to leave the final table whereas Rahal is now almost even with Matas Cimbolas in joint third place.
The action folded around to Najib Bennis and he open-shoved from the small blind for 1,120,000 in chips. Diego Aranzadi checked his hole cards and then called with . The crowd gasped when Bennis opened his and the shouts from the rail got even louder when the dealer burned and turned the flop.
The on the turn sent the theater into collective groaning and the river let Aranzadi slip to just over half a million.
Antoine Rahal opened the action with a raise to 100,000 and called the shove of Diego Aranzadi for five times the amount with . Aranzadi was way ahead with but the turn provided the second nightmare in a row. However, the river brought back some justice and at least let Aranzadi split the pot.