2025 WSOP Europe
Athanasios Kostouros moved all in for 195,000 under the gun, Vitalii Shcherba reshoved in the hijack, and the rest of the table got out of the way.
Athanasios Kostouros: A♦Q♥
Vitalii Shcherba: A♠K♦
Shcherba had Kostouros dominated and at risk as the flop came 9♦J♣3♦. Both players hit top pair on the A♣ turn, while Shcherba improved to two pair on the K♠ river to score the knockout.
Pavel Baroncea got his final 108,000 into the middle preflop from late position with Peter Hohenleitner trying to bust him from the big blind.
Pavel Baroncea: Q♥Q♣
Peter Hohenleitner: A♥9♥
Baroncea just had to avoid a board containing an ace or some hearts to remain seated in the event.
The 3♣10♥7♣ flop was safe for Baroncea, but the A♦ turn propelled Hohenleitner into the lead with top pair. A K♠ completed the board, and Baroncea headed to the cashier's desk.
Steffen Utech got the last 35,000 in after the A♠A♦J♦4♠ turn and was called by Panagiotis Mavritsakis, who revealed the Q♠J♣. Utech's A♣5♥ had the check mark prior to the 3♦ river.
Soon after, Marcel Cerbone pushed for around 45,000 and Utech moved all-in over the top from the button.
Marcel Cerbone: A♣9♦
Steffen Utech: J♦J♥
The pocket pair remained ahead on the Q♠6♣4♦9♥5♣ board to eliminate Cerbone.
Vagke Sagkinian opened to 22,000 from middle position and Marko Topic shoved from the cutoff. When it got back to Sagkinian, he asked for a count and was informed it was 196,000. After leaning back in his chair, taking a peek at the clock, and pondering for a while, Sagkinian decided to call.
Marko Topic: A♥K♥
Vagke Sagkinian: A♠A♦
"Nice slowroll," said Topic, who looked extremely confused as to why Sagkinian took so long to call preflop.
Topic was asking for some hearts, but the 8♣J♣9♠4♠K♠ board left him drawing dead by the time the turn card hit the felt. On the other hand, Sagkinian's stack vaulted up to almost 800,000.
Matthias Kribben raised to 22,000 in the hijack before Robert Koepke moved all in for 220,000 on the button. Daniel Skipper called in the small blind, while Kribben got out of the way.
Robert Koepke: 9♠9♦
Daniel Skipper: A♠K♣
Koepke was racing for his tournament life, but he fell behind on the K♥J♦J♠ flop as Skipper hit two pair. The rest of the board ran out 4♥10♥ and Koepke was sent to the rail.
"Yes! Dealer power!" Skipper shouted out, raising his arms in the air while he added to his massive stack.
Pablo Heredia raised to 20,000 and Rifat Palevic called on the button, Frederico Pereira came along in the big blind. On the J♥7♥4♥ flop, Pereira led for 15,000 to earn a call from Heredia only and then bet again the A♦ turn for 30,000. Heredia raised to 90,000 for Pereira to call and the latter then jammed the J♦ on the river for 115,000 to send Heredia into the tank.
"Ace jack?" Heredia asked while Pereira had gathered all his belongings and closed his jacket, standing up from his chair. Pereira even tossed his card protector over to his opponent on the other side of the table as well.
Heredia tank-called and showed the K♥10♥ for a flush. Pereira revealed the A♥ first followed by the Q♣ and was sent to the payout desk.
Hicham Aouraghe made it 24,000 under the gun before Cristobal Ochoa three-bet ripped it for 169,000 from the cutoff. Aouraghe called and the players went to a showdown.
Cristobal Ochoa: K♣J♣
Hicham Aouraghe: Q♠Q♦
Aouraghe's ladies were ahead heading to the 10♦10♠J♠ flop, where Ochoa picked up a few extra outs having paired his jack. The 10♣ turn gave both players a full house, but it was Aouraghe's boat that was the biggest.
However, a miraculous J♦ completed the board to improve Ochoa to jacks full, and he doubled up through Aouraghe.
Heads-up on a flop of K♠7♥10♥, Dave Stann bet 20,000 from early position and Toon Hillen called in the small blind.
The turn was the J♣ and Stann bet another 85,000. Hillen took a minute before moving all in for 120,000, and Stann snap-called.
Hillen showed A♠J♥ for a pair and straight draw, but Stann had 7♠7♦ for a set. The river was the 9♦ and Stann scored the knockout.
At the same table, Martin Kabrhel is sitting on a stack of around 130,000 while playing a game of backgammon on his phone.
A huge three-way all-in pot just went the way of Virgil Marculescu, which boosted his stack to around 750,000.
Nicolas Antouard had committed his stack of around 165,000 from the cutoff and Marculescu also had his 281,000 in from the button. Amit Buganim was in the small blind and was looking for a double knockout as he covered both players.
Nicolas Antouard: 10♣9♣
Virgil Marculescu: A♥Q♠
Amit Buganim: K♠K♣
With a ton of chips on the line, the only player to not feel hopeful after the A♣6♦J♣ flop was Buganim as his kings fell behind to the ace of Marculescu. Antouard picked up a flush draw, and added an open-ender on the 8♥ turn as he looked to triple up.
However, the J♥ on the river was a brick, which left Antouard on the rail, Buganim with just a few big blinds, and Marculescu with a very healthy stack.