Welcome back to the 2014 PokerStars.it European Poker Tour Sanremo €10,300 High Roller. Yesterday 88 players visited the Casino Sanremo to take their shot at the last €10K buy-in of the season, and 15 of those players ended up exercising their option to reenter. Those numbers are likely to go up too as late registration and reentries are open until the start of play.
As it stands, 47 players from Day 1 will return today for ten more one-hour levels of play. Leading the way is Russian Alexander Kopylkov, who bagged up a healthy 331,400 last night. Not too far behind is Jason Lavallee with 308,400, who if you recall defeated a field of 157 entries to win the EPT10 London High Roller for €357,700 earlier this season.
Others returning to action are a mix of players on their second bullet like Jose Carlos Garcia (130,200), Tamer Kamel (101,900), and Jean-Noel Thorel (76,000); and those who got through on their first such as Ognjen Sekularac (232,400), Carl Carlsson (214,600), Artem Litvinov (111,000), Yann Dion (109,500), Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier (73,200), Mickey Petersen (47,700), Ami Barer (38,500), and current EPT10 Player of the Year leader Ole Schemion (170,300).
Speaking of the EPT POY race, we expect Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Selbst to reenter after busting late on Day 1. Selbst has stated her attention to overtake the German on the leaderboard between now and the end of the Grand Final in Monte Carlo. To do that she needs to play as many events as possible, and everyone knows high rollers offer a great chance to amass points, albeit through a stacked field. Only time will tell if Selbst can do it.
After the cutoff opened for 6,000, 2014 Aussie Millions Main Event winner Ami Barer three-bet to a hefty 63,000. With less than 30,000 behind, he was basically signaling that he was all in. The small blind folded, but then Artem Litvinov moved all in from the big for 93,000 or so. The initial raiser folded and Barer called off.
Barer:
Litvinov:
The board ran out and that was all she wrote for Barer.
A short-stacked Andrea Dato moved all in from early position for his last 48,000 and action folded to Max Greenwood, who moved all in over the top from the small blind. The big folded and the cards were turned on their backs.
Dato:
Greenwood:
Dato was in dire straits, and he was unable to find a three as the board ran out a dry . Dato exited in 24th place, which means eight more players — or a full table's worth — need to hit the rail before the money is reached.
In the first hand we saw Dimitar Danchev raise the cutoff to 10,000 and then call the three-bet of Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier in the small blind to 23,500. On the flop ElkY fired and did so again on the turn for 38,000.
Danchev called both bets and then the two of them checked down the on the river. ElkY showed pocket threes and Danchev took down the pot with .
One hand later. Mustapha Kanit raised to 10,000, the Frenchman made it 28,000 to go and Kanit moved all in. Call from Grospellier:
Grospellier:
Kanit:
The Frenchman was in excellent shape to double up to where he was just five minutes ago. The dealer spread out the flop and Kanit had the open ended straight draw. The turn completed exactly that and the river saw ElkY storming out of the tournament area.
Ihar Soika from Belarus opened the cutoff with a raise to 10,000. Artem Litvinov folded his button, but Dominik Nitsche in the small blind had bigger plans with his hand. He shoved allin and David Vamplew folded his big blind. Soika called, even without asking how much it exactly was.
Nitsche tabled his and was up against Soika's .
The flop was a safe one for Soika, though things got pretty scary with the on the turn. The river was not an ace or club but the and Nitsche departed from the tournament.
Dimitar Danchev opened for 12,000 and Tamer Kamel right next to him made the call. Myro Garcia on the button squeezed to 40,000 and both blinds folded. Danchev did the same, but Kamel paid the extra money to see a flop.
Both players checked on . Kamel led out for 35,000 once the hit the turn. Garcia didn't need much time to make the call.
The river came the and Kamel bet out 55,000. Garcia was done with the passive approach and announced allin for 135,500 more than the 55,000 Kamel already had in there.
It was a big moment for Kamel and he needed some time. While the level was almost done, and the vouchers for the buffet upstairs were handed out, Kamel counted out his stack. He wouldn't have much left would he call and be wrong. But eventually he did make the call.
Garcia tabled his with some frustration. Kamel showed his and so eliminated his Brazilian opponent.
We are in the money and the better hand preflop lost. It was Ognjen Sekularac who was all in and at risk for 96,000 with the and Philip Sternheimer made the reluctant call with the . The flop brought no change and the Serbian was still ahead.
However, the on the turn saw Sternheimer improve. No jack on the river but instead the saw the money bubble burst and all remaining 15 players now have €17,500 guaranteed.
Dmitry Yurasov opened under the gun and got called by big blind Mustapha Kanit.
The two players saw a flop of . Kanit checked and Yurasov continued for 18,000. Kanit made the call and the turn card fell the . Kanit checked and Yurasov moved all in. Kanit quickly made the call.
Yurasov tabled and rolled his eyes when he saw Kanit had got there on the turn with his for a straight.
The river card was the and Yurasov was the first to hit the rail in the money.
Just after his lucky split pot, Thomas Muhlocker three-bet shoved again and was called by initial raiser Dimitar Danchev with the . The Austrian only had the and was out five community cards later.
After a raise to 20,000, Griffin Benger in the cutoff three-bet to 48,000 and Artem Litvinov moved all in from the small blind for what looked like 100,000. The big blind and initial raiser folded, but Benger made the call.
Benger:
Litvinov:
This time Benger held the worse hand preflop but got there as the board ran out . Litvinov headed to the payout desk and we will have by far less table talk now.
and that was all she wrote for Barer.
. Dato exited in 24th place, which means eight more players — or a full table's worth — need to hit the rail before the money is reached.
flop ElkY fired and did so again on the 
turn for 38,000.
on the river. ElkY showed pocket threes and Danchev took down the pot with 
.
turn completed exactly that and the 
on the turn. The river was not an ace or club but the 
and Nitsche departed from the tournament.
hit the turn. Garcia didn't need much time to make the call.
and so eliminated his Brazilian opponent.
on the turn saw Sternheimer improve. No jack on the river but instead the 
and Yurasov was the first to hit the rail in the money.
