Andre Akkari opened before the flop from early position and the player in the cutoff made the call. Dimitar Danchev in the small blind and Anton Astapau in the big blind came along as well.
Both blinds checked on and Akkari made a continuation bet of 18,500. Just the cutoff called, both Danchev and Astapau folded.
Akkari didn't back down on the turn; the Brazilian PokerStars Team Pro slid forward 43,000. Again his opponent called.
The on the river made Akkari shove all in. Once the counting was done, it turned out to be for 117,000. The cutoff tanked for a bit, smiled to the cameras that were trying to get everything on tape, and announced call.
Akkari showed for a full house. The cutoff open mucked his and Akkari doubled.
Team PokerStars is down a member after Vanessa Selbst has been felted. It was the result of two notable hands.
In the first, Felix Stephensen raised to 8,000 under the gun and Selbst three-bet to 23,000 from the cutoff. Action folded back to Stephensen, and he paused for 45 seconds or so before four-betting to 51,000. Selbst took an equal amount of time before making the call, and the two watched the flop come down .
Stephensen thought for over a minute before betting 27,000, Selbst thought for the same length before raising to 66,000, and a third minute passed before Stephensen called. Both players then checked the turn as well as the river. Stephensen tabled the for the nuts, and Selbst just shook her head before sending her cards to the muck.
Not long after, Selbst and Juan Martin Pastor played a hefty pot. We picked up the action with 130,000 already in the pot and a board reading . We're not sure how the action unfolded before that point, but we do know Pastor checked from the small blind and Selbst bet 30,000, leaving herself 48,000 back. Pastor then woke up with a check-raise to 80,000, and Selbst hit the tank.
"Sorry, I need a second on this one guys," Selbst said. A half minute later she tossed in some chips to signify a call, which prompted Pastor to show just two pair with the on the four-flushed board. Still, Selbst looked disgusted. She got out of her chair and showed the for an inferior two pair. Pastor's hand was good and that's all she wrote for Selbst, who fell a table short of the money.
Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier has lots of European Poker Tour experience, which includes a super deep run in this event in 2013 when he took seventh for €137,000 at arguably the toughest final table of all time when it comes to no-limit hold'em tournaments. This year, as the event sits just a few spots from reaching the money, he's built his stack to a contending 465,000. In two recent hands, Mercier scooped chips from the stack of Jason Wheeler, who has seen his stack dwindle to just 60,000.
On the first, Mercier opened to 8,000 from the cutoff seat. Wheeler was in the big blind and reraised to 23,000. Mercier called, and the dealer spread the flop. Wheeler continued with a bet of 21,500, and Mercier called.
The turn was the , and Mercier was faced with another bet from Wheeler — this time for 35,000. Mercier called, and then the paired the board on the river. Wheeler didn't slow down and fired another 52,000 at the pot. Mercier adjusted himself in his chair, confirmed the amount, then called.
Wheeler tabled not much with the , and Mercier showed the for the winner.
A couple hands later, Wheeler opened to 9,000 from middle position, Josh Prager called from the small blind, and Mercier called from the big blind. Then, on the flop, Wheeler bet 15,000 after action checked to him. Prager folded, but Mercier opted to take a different line and check-raised to 33,000. Wheeler folded.
During the last break, Remko Rinkema caught up with Mercier for an interview that focuses on Mercier's upcoming plans and the Spring Championship of Online Poker. Check it out:
It was all-in preflop on the feature table between Ludovic Geilich and Felix Bleiker, with Bleiker the player at risk
Geilich:
Bleiker:
Geilich was ahead pre-flop, and was even further ahead as the flop came . The on the turn gave Bleiker additional outs, but the came on the river, and the Swiss player was eliminated roughly ten players short of the money.
Daniel Smith opened to 8,000 from middle position and action folded to Dimitar Danchev. The former PCA champ shoved from the bubble for 63,500 total and both blinds quickly released their hand. Smith asked for a count, and called.
Dimitar Danchev:
Daniel Smith:
Smith was well in front but would already feel the heat on the flop: . With Danchev now open ended, Smith needed to dodge some more cards.
The on the turn was exactly one of the cards Smith didn't want to see.
Smith wasn't dead just yet, he could still chop it if a appeared, or straight out win it with a . It wasn't meant to be; the popped up and Smith got up from the table in frustration.
Danchev doubled to just under 140,000, Smith in the danger zone with fewer than 20 big blinds and just 9 players till the money stage of the tournament is reached.