You remember that little matter that didn't quite get settled this summer in Vegas? Like, ooh, who's going to win the WSOP Main Event?
Three of our November Nine made Day 2 of this alternative, European Main Event - and two of them are getting in some good practice for next month, currently sitting at the same table. And they're not afraid to get their hands dirty.
A pretty big pot had formed by the time we arrived on the river of the board when Filippo Candio bet out 14,000. Over to John Dolan, though, who raised a medium-sized stack of T5,000 chips - enough to cover the hapless Candio, who promptly folded.
Dolan has around three times Candio's chips going into the November Nine, and he's now doing even better than that here - he's on 175,000 to Candio's 40,000.
Arnaud Mattern was first in from the cutoff seat, and he raised to 1,900. Jason Mercier called from the button, and the two men took a flop of . Mattern led out with a bet of 3,200, drawing a raise to 8,500 from Mercier. Mattern wasted no time shoving right back, putting Mercier to the test for the ~27,000 chips he had behind. Reluctantly, Mercier called with , and he was well behind. Mattern had flopped the joint with , and he had Mercier dead to four outs.
As Arnaud tells it, "I don't know why, but the board bricked out," and Mercier has been sent to the rail. It's been a good day so far for Arnaud, and he finds himself witting quite comfortably with 139,000 now.
Dominic Kay, Steven van Zedlehoff and one other player saw a flop with a ten and an eight on board. The third party led before Kay and the Dutchman got all their chips in. Kay tabled pocket tens for set and an unlucky Van Zedlehoff tabled pocket eights for a smaller set. The other player said he folded kings. Kay up to 75,000 after that but has since dropped back to 60,000. The Dutchman still has 115,000.
I arrived on the flop, but it was evident that Michael Benvenuti had raised it up preflop from middle position and Paul Zimbler made the call on the button.
The three community cards were , triggering a continuation bet of 2,200 from Benvenuti. With little hesitation, Zimbler raised to 19,000, leaving just a few hundred behind.
Benvenuti dwelt for longer than a Who Wants to be a Millionaire contestant on the final question, but ultimately made the call (for the extra shrapnel too) with . Zimbler tabled a behind, but promising .
Despite the potential for a flush draw, the turn and river were both blanks, and Benvenuti picked up both the pot and scalp with his superior kicker.
"I thought he'd push preflop with a bigger ace," confirmed Benvenuti afterwards. "Maybe flat with ace-jack."
From the hijack seat, Erik Cajelais raised to 2,100. Jean Paul Pasqualini was in the cutoff seat and reraised to 6,100. Cajelais made the call.
The flop brought the to the board and both players checked to see the fall on the turn. Cajelais fired 8,500 and Pasqualini made the call.
The river completed the board with the and made some draws a lot more apparent. Cajelais checked and Pasqualini moved all in. Cajelais quickly folded and Pasqualini won the pot.
Cajelais holds a gold bracelet after winning the £2,500 Pot Limit Hold'em/Omaha event at last year's WSOP Europe. He beat a field of 158 entrants to take home £104,677. Right now, Cajelais has 42,000 in chips.
Nicolas Levi opened to 2,000 preflop and JP Kelly called next to him. John Tabatabai then reraised to 7,000 from the cut-off and both the Frenchman and the Englishman called the former WSOPE main event runner-up's reraise.
The flop came and it was checked to Tabatabai who thought for a moment before pushing all-in. Levi threw a chunk of 5k chips in and Kelly quickly folded.
Tabatabai's looked as though it would be good except Levi flipped for a flopped boat, which, after the turn, rivered quads with the .
Tabatabai was eliminated while Levi moves up to 183,000.
Jim Collopy opened with a raise to 2,000 before action folded around to Chris Moorman on the button. Moorman reraised to 5,400 and play moved back over to Collopy after the blinds folded. Collopy four-bet to 12,800 and this sent Moorman into the tank. He thought for a bit and then moved all in. Collopy gave a super quick peak back at his hand and then immediately called.
Collopy tabled the , but saw that Moorman had him notched with the . He even had his suits pegged.
The final board was and Collopy sent over the chips. He dropped to 11,500 while Moorman, who was all in for a little over 37,000, moved up to about 77,000.
Daniel Negreanu is down to 31,400 and is looking frustrated, especially after a hand that just played out. The flop was out as and Michael Schwartz bet 3,200 and was only called by the Canadian. Schwartz led for 6,500 on the turn and once again Negreanu called. Both players checked the river and Schwartz opened for a river pair of aces to go with the twos on board. Negreanu flinched and folded accidentally revealing the so we're assuming he had queen-ten.
![[user46392]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
board when Filippo Candio bet out 14,000. Over to John Dolan, though, who raised a medium-sized stack of T5,000 chips - enough to cover the hapless Candio, who promptly folded.
. Mattern led out with a bet of 3,200, drawing a raise to 8,500 from Mercier. Mattern wasted no time shoving right back, putting Mercier to the test for the ~27,000 chips he had behind. Reluctantly, Mercier called with 
, and he was well behind. Mattern had flopped the joint with 
, and he had Mercier dead to four outs.
, triggering a continuation bet of 2,200 from Benvenuti. With little hesitation, Zimbler raised to 19,000, leaving just a few hundred behind.
.
river were both blanks, and Benvenuti picked up both the pot and scalp with his superior kicker.
fall on the turn. Cajelais fired 8,500 and Pasqualini made the call.
and made some draws a lot more apparent. Cajelais checked and Pasqualini moved all in. Cajelais quickly folded and Pasqualini won the pot.
looked as though it would be good except Levi flipped 
turn, rivered quads with the 
.
and Collopy sent over the chips. He dropped to 11,500 while Moorman, who was all in for a little over 37,000, moved up to about 77,000.
and Michael Schwartz bet 3,200 and was only called by the Canadian. Schwartz led for 6,500 on the 
turn and once again Negreanu called. Both players checked the 
