William Kassouf has the lead, and with players such as Hamza Miri and Stefan Eriksson short-stacked and returning to action with just over ten big blinds, there is sure to be fireworks in the next level.
There was an all in and a call on the feature table, while the outer tables provided barely any action. Jaakko Wilska shoved twice to claim the blinds and antes and Marco Hakli successfully three-bet jammed once into a raise to 110,000 by Cate Hall.
William Kassouf has catapulted himself into the lead on Day 3 of the 888Live Barcelona Main Event
William Kassouf walked away from the feature table after winning the final hand into the break and learned that during the first two levels, not only has the field been reduced from 25 to 20 players, but that he is on top of the lot of them.
"Oh, wow. That's great. You saw how I got there, I assume. I gambled with the nuts. I had the absolute coconuts and he called with pocket fives, we had lift off on the flop as a rocket came and bricka-bricka, the dealer duly obliged. Marvellous."
While Kassouf took a rare breath, we asked him a serious question about how pleased he was with the table draw. Kassouf avoided Cate Hall in the overnight re-draw, but has been sat next to the other big stack in the chipcounts, Marco Recognaschi.
"I was pleased, obviously. I had him [Recognaschi] on my right, which was important. I felt like I was really unlucky yesterday, I had house under house, ran a flush into a full house on the river and lost another two big pots in coolers. Today, so far, I've got some reward for my play."
He's coming back to the action in charge, but Kassouf knows that in Texas No Limit Hold'em, it can all change in the blink of an eye.
"There's still a long way to go and anything can happen. It's a nice time to have a stack, because the blinds have gone up and we haven't lost many, so it's good for me. But let's see. A very long way to go."
Kassouf returns to the table, talking to almost every player as he does at every table he sits at. The circus might be in town, but Kassouf isn't the clown in the tent at the moment. Right now, he's the ringmaster.
The remaining 20 players are off on a break, so while they refresh themselves for 15 minutes, we'll hceck that William Kassouf is still chip leader. It certainly looks like it.
Francesc Mateu Munoz Bieto pushed for 248,000 with the and Jose Alberto Lopez Gonzalez called in the big blind with the . The board of provided a four-card flush for Munoz Bieto and he doubled.
Hand 2
Alessio Sardone raised from the button and fellow Italian Filippo Lazzaretto shoved for his last 230,000 in the small blind, Sardone called.
Filippo Lazzaretto:
Alessio Sardone:
The board came and Lazzaretto doubled.
Hand 3
Javier de Vicente Miquel pushed for 362,000 with the and Cate Hall called out of the big blind with . The board came and de Vicente Miquel doubled.
Fernando Campomar Concha raised to 91,000 from under the gun and Chuc Khuu moved all in. Concha stood up from his table and was ready to quickly call, but Jose Alberto Lopez Gonzalez had other plans and moved all in from the big blind instead. Concha was taken back and folded.
Jose Alberto Lopez Gonzalez:
Chuc Khuu:
The board came failed to improve and he was eliminated in 21st place.
Chuc Khuu is down to fumes yet again after a rollercoaster final day so far for the British player threatens constantly to send him off the rails.
First, Khuu got 193,000 all-in pre-flop with against Carlos Garcia Rodriguez's and doubled after a board of .
In the next hand, Khuu, Rodriguez and Luigi Shehadeh were all-in on the flop of KhQs3s] and each of them had a part of it.
Chuc Khuu:
Carlos Garcia Rodriguez:
Luigi Shehadeh:
The turn of gave both Khuu and Rodriguez hope, with the former making two pair he could improve on and Rodriguez turning a straight draw, but the river meant it was Shehadeh who trebled up with his top two pair and the others who fought over the scraps.
Francisco Jose Garcia Martin raised to 90,000 from under the gun and Jonas Kannosto in the small blind as well as Cate Hall in the big blind called. On the flop, the action checked to Garcia Martin and the Spaniard continued for 110,000. Kannosto folded and Hall called before the turn went check, check.
Hall then moved all in after the river and Garcia Martin folded.
and Jose Alberto Lopez Gonzalez called in the big blind with the 
. The board of 
provided a four-card flush for Munoz Bieto and he doubled.
and Lazzaretto doubled.
. The board came 
and de Vicente Miquel doubled.
failed to improve and he was eliminated in 21st place.
. 
meant it was Shehadeh who trebled up with his top two pair and the others who fought over the scraps.