Not surprisingly, France sends more players to EPT Deauville than does any other country. Indeed, last year 49% of the field were from the tourney's home country. But it wasn't until Season 7 that a French player won EPT Deauville when Lucien Cohen took the title. Then last year a second Frenchman, Remi Castaignon, earned another EPT Main Event trophy in Deauville.
On a final board reading Friend of PokerStars Pierre Neuville checked from the small blind and was faced by a pot sized bet of 3,000 from his young opponent, Swedish PokerStars player Jerry Odman. Neuville was unwilling to call the bet and threw in his cards saying “Nice hand.” which was met with smile and a response of, “Really good hand. I loved it.” as the cards were slid to the dealer to remain unseen.
Former Science teacher Ian Simpson just took a bit of a hit in a four-way pot. The Geordie, who finished fourth in the Irish Open in 2012, won it in 2013 and finished runner-up at UKIPT4 London in November of last year, raised it up to 800 from the big blind over the top of three limps. Two of the limpers, including Joseph Mazig - who was the original limper - made the call.
The flop fell , Simpson bet 1,000 and Mazig was the only caller. On the turn Simpson slowed down, checking it over to Mazig, the Frenchman, who won his seat in a live satellite, bet 1,000 and Simpson smooth called. The river double paird the board, Simpson decided to lead for 2,200 but folded as soon as Mazig raised him to 5,000.
On a flop of John O'Shea fired out a bet of 2,900 in what looked to be a three-way, reraised pot.
Jannick Wrang, the winner of the only (so far) EPT Campione, was the sole caller to see the on the turn. O'Shea checked and Wrang thought for a moment before deciding to check behind. Both players then checked the river as well.
O'Shea was forced to show but Wrang had having turned a pair to go with the flopped flush draw and the Dane's lowly pair of sixes was enough to win him the pot.
PokerStars Player Alexander Goulder from the UK, Alessio Isaia from Italy and Zoltan Purak from Hungary saw a flop of prompting Goulder to lead from the big blind for 1,600. Both of his opponents made the call and the dealer put out the turn card. Goulder continued the aggression, upping the price to [4,200]. Isaia called after some thought and Purak from mucked from the button. River card prompted a check from Goulder and some more thinking time from the Italian who came out with a bet of 5,500. It looked like Goulder didn’t particularly like the situation but he counted out the chips and made the call. He certainly didn’t like his opponent’s winning hand for the rivered flush and mucked his cards.
Here's what Goulder tweeted revealing he had flopped a set...
Jeffrey Hakim made the final table in this tournament here last year, ultimately departing in eight place for €60,000. Here today he's off to a good start, winning a sizable pot that didn't make it past the turn.
Georgios Karakousis made it 400 under the gun and Marko Laine in the hijack made the call. Jeffrey Hakim on the button made it 1,500 to go and after the small blind folded, Oleh Okhotskyi made the cold call from the big blind. Karakousis and Laine made the call as well.
On a flop everyone checked to Hakim who bet 2,400. Okhotskyi made the call, both other players folded. The fell on the turn and Okhotskyi checked to Hakim once again. Hakim made it 4,750 and Okhotskyi quickly folded.
Sebastien Didier is among the first players to bust from this tournament, Keith Johnson who was seated to Didier's left told PokerNews what happened. "He three-bet from the blinds with A-K and seat one (Zoltan Szabo) called. The flop was ace high with two hearts and it went bet, call. The turn was the king hearts, they got it all-in and Szabo had the nut flush. It was about a 40k pot." After that hand Szabo is up to around 56,000.
Also out before the first break are Giuseppe Zarbo, Danut Chisu and Sergey Pakhomov.
Joel Ferando Durfort opened under the gun and Mario Adinolfi in middle position and Anton Wigg in the hijack made the call. The big blind came along for the ride as well and the dealer layed out as the flop. The big blind, initial raiser and Adinolfi checked to Wigg who bet 750. Everyone but Adinolfi folded and the dealer placed the on the table. Adinolfi now instantly checked en instantly called as Wigg asked 2,100 from him. The river was the and Adinolfi simply threw his cards into the muck. Wigg was handed the pot, but is still around starting stack while Adinolfi has 10,000 more than that.
Philippe Barouk from France opened under the gun for 300 and faced a raise from the button to 900 from Alessio Isaia, who had won a big pot earlier with his suited connectors. The blinds folded and Barouk opted to make the call. The flop fell . When Barouk checked to the aggressive Italian he was faced with a bet of 1,025. Barouk responded with a raise of his own to 2,200 and Isaia quickly released his hand.